"A certain disregard for rules" (was Re: Harry's importance and...)

[karmakaze_kk]

No: HPFGUIDX 57343

Darrin says: 
> What has to be kept in mind is that Dumbledore seemed to be encouraging 
> Harry to go after the Stone, by getting him the cloak, explaining
the mirror, and 
> kind of generally staying out of the way.

Kk (me) says:
Say, an authority setting up a situation where someone feels obliged
to violate the rules...

In the muggle world, don't we call that 'entrapment'? (kidding!)

> Darrin
> -- so glad to have restarted the band name trend

Funny thing, I didn't name myself after the Springstein backup band
(it is a Springstein backup band, right?).  I've been using this
pseudo since high school.  Just a funny coincidence.


Fred Waldrop says:
> 
> If I am following your argument correctly, you are saying that Harry 
> and company need not to have risk life and limb, and everything would 
> have been alright. Am I close?

In the one instance, from PS, well, yes.

> If this is the case, what makes you think that Quirrel would have 
> been caught? If Harry had done nothing, Quirrel/Voldemort might not 
> have gotten the stone, but there is nothing to suggest anyone would 
> have known Voldemort was at Hogwarts. Nor is there anything to 
> suggest that Quirrel would not be back at Hogwarts the next year. Why 
> wouldn't he? No one would know he was anyone other than  "pppoor 
> sttudddering Pperfessor Quirrl", would they?

Well, Dumbledore clearly showed up very soon after Harry lost
consciousness.  So, had Harry not gone into the obstacle course, then
Quirrel would most likely have spent the few minutes taken up by the
confrontation to continue trying (and failing) to figure out the
mirror.  So he would have still been there when Dumbledore went in to
investigate the fact that the traps had been sprung.  The pitiful
stutter would not have saved him from being caught red handed.

> So, even if you believe that Harry put the stone in more harm by 
> going, he also showed everyone whom Quirrel really was supporting. 
> (plus who he was bringing onto the grounds of Hogwarts under his 
> smelly turban)

Surely, once interrupted in his attempted theft, he would have been
searched and subjected to magical examination.

> Fred Waldrop

-Kk