Spectators and Security (WAS: Seeing the TASKS)

[erisedstraeh2002]

No: HPFGUIDX 53320

I (Phyllis) wrote:

> They are all still seated in the stands when Harry returns with 
> Cedric's body.  

and bboy_mn responded:

> Not exactly. Common logic says that the Dumbledore and the teachers
> would keep people in their seat while they investigated. It would
> serve no purpose to have 1,000 (random number) people milling around
> and getting in the way. So just to keep things orderly, they would
> tell most people to stay in their seats. <snip> The first crowd 
> reaction after Harry returns is, "A torrent of sound deafened and 
> confused him; there were voices everywhere, footsteps, screams...". 

Me again:

While it isn't crystal-clear, the text implies (to me, anyway) that 
the "torrent of sound" was the result of the crowd seeing Harry and 
Cedric's body hit the ground from out of thin air.  When Harry first 
arrives, he keeps his eyes shut and waits "for someone to do 
something...something to happen."  And then we hear about 
the "torrent of sound."  So I took that to mean that the torrent of 
sound was caused by the sight of Harry's return, not as a result of 
seeing Harry and Cedric disappear in the first place. But, as you 
say, it's certainly open to debate. 

bboy_mn again:

> They were scared of Harry's wand because Harry was threatening them
> with it. I don't see that interfering with their potential attempts
> to rescue a contestant in trouble.

Now me:

I didn't mean to imply that the merpeople wouldn't be able to help a 
contestant in trouble, because I think they would be able to do so.  
The point I was trying to make was that if Voldemort or one of his 
supporters was trying to hurt or kill Harry in the lake, the 
merpeople wouldn't be of much use since they are scared of wizards 
who threaten them with their wands.

~Phyllis