Not thorough, JKR? Seeing the TASKS

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 53305

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "corinthum" <kkearney at s...> wrote:
> Finwitch wrote:
> 
> > ... the spectators did NOT see to the lake .... Otherwise, why 
> would Dumbledore had needed to  discuss with Queen of the Merpeople 
> > ...
> > No, the spectators didn't see the champions during the tasks ... 
> > 


> 
> While I agree that the spectators could not see anything during the
> Second Task, I still think they could see into the maze.  Perhaps the
> sparks were simply a way of verifying that a champion had truly
> admitted defeat.  It would prevent a teacher from intervening too
> soon.
> 
> -Corinth


bboy_mn:

The first and third tasks are easy to understand. The first is
obvious, and the third, sitting in high stands would allow you to see
into some parts of the maze, that's simple mechanics. So I think
without a doubt there was at least some limited vision into the maze
of the third task. Someone somewhere has to see at least something at
sometime. For me it's not a question of IF but a question of how much
and when.

But the second task, while I can speculate as to possibilities, they
are very much an extreme stretch of the imagination. One possibility
is that there could have been magic bubbles floating over the surface
of the water with the contestants names in them, and another bubble
floating over the goal. Of course, as nice as that sounds, it still
pretty weak and leaves some unanswered questions. A lot of holes in
those bubbles so to speak. 

I'm more at a lost to explain the second task than the third. 

The third task maze was silent and dark from Harry's perspective. I
have to assume that was to prevent people in the crowd from shouting
to the contestants or giving them visual clues. But there is no reason
for the audience to be in silence or to be unable to see. Admittedly,
we have absolutely no account of events from any of the spectators,
and until we do, we are just making blind guesses. Maybe the crowd did
see what Viktor did to Cedric. Maybe they did hear Fleur scream. And
it is just as possible that hey heard and saw but didn't understand.
We'll never know until someone tells us.

Additional thought, the maze is huge; way TOO huge. A Sphinx is not a
pixie. You do not fit a full grown Sphinx or giant spider into a three
foot wide hedge row. We have to have one of those magical size
anomalies. I estimate the maze to be at least 4 times bigger than the
Quidditch pitch; bigger on the inside than on the outside.


Just a few thoughts.

bboy_mn