[HPforGrownups] OK, The Portkey

[Amanda Geist]

No: HPFGUIDX 57515

Valky, I happen to agree that it *had* to be during the Tournament that
Voldemort stole Harry away, but I don't think I agree with your reasoning.

> Lets ask ourselves the first question.
> Why did Voldemort see the Triwizard tournament as such an opportunity
> to get to Harry? Lets put ourselves in voldies baby booties for a
> moment.

When I do this, I see stealing Harry as, not an end in itself, but a
preliminary step in a Plan. Not only is it a perfect time for Harry to go
missing for an hour or two unnoticed--I believe that the next step in the
plan was for Voldemort and his DEs to come Portkeying back, blasting as they
land, right into the heart of the formerly inaccessible stronghold that is
Hogwarts.

The reason, I think, for doing it at the Tournament is that right in front
of them will be waiting the massed strength of the Hogwarts teachers,
principals of the Ministry of Magic, and the children of the entire UK
wizarding world and of several foreign families. All unprepared; all ready
to be taken completely by surprise. It would be master stroke; killing or
disabling his strongest enemies and taking control of the wizarding world's
children. This, combined with the unexpected, unforeseen (or resolutely
unconsidered) reappearance of Voldemort at all, would totally take the heart
out of his opposition. He'd win before he'd even begun.

I always have thought that this was the reason the Cup's Portkey spell
worked by touch, and why it took Harry back out to the front of the maze.
That was where Voldemort and his followers would appear, perfectly
positioned to wreak havoc.

> I would suspect that Dumbledore granted them an extensive allow spell
> for the maze. Of course he would have his certain specific objections
> to particular brands of obstacle being used in the maze, which I am
> certain that he would have effectively negotiated with the MOM. But,
> there would need to be a degree to which Dumbledore agreed to remain
> oblivious of the actual input into the maze because students from his
> school were participating, and we couldn't have a headmasters
> knowledge of the task biasing the outcome of the Tournament.

I don't agree with this. I don't see that any aspect of the maze need negate
any of the Hogwarts defenses, and I don't think Dumbledore would have
allowed it (even if he *could*--I suspect the defenses of Hogwarts are not
something you can "turn off" like an alarm system).

I have presumed that Portkeys would have worked at any time. Given that
their only other occurrence (that we have seen) is controlled quite strictly
by the Ministry, I had presumed that they were (a) complicated to make and
(b) controlled, as are most non-broom forms of wizard travel. In other
words, they aren't so common as to be guarded against, and when they are
needed, they must be useful. Floo Powder works into Hogwarts too, and
Dobby's elf magic allows him to pop up, so clearly there are existing
loopholes. I thought Portkeys were one of those.

(in an alternate line of theories--my belief that Snape returns to him to
take up his spy role again--I think the failure of this plan by Harry's
escape is the only reason that Snape survived a return to Voldemort. Because
Voldemort, like most totally confident villains, did not bother with a Plan
B (why? Plan A is perfect), and was left flat-footed in *front* of his DEs.
I think Snape, as a highly placed Hogwarts administrator, was a handy "we
still have a route into Hogwarts and an inside way to attack
Dumbledore/Harry Potter" who showed up just in time to shore up Voldemort's
face and authority with the DEs.

As for what will come....please see post 47077, "Amanda Binns Explains It
All," which was my broad theory on what Snape's task was (to return to
Voldemort), and what he was likely to have to do to prove himself to
Voldemort again (involving Dumbledore's death), and how all that would fit
into the plot and characterization. It *is* a TBAY post, but it's MY TBAY
post, which means it reads pretty much like a standard post (I'm not very go
od at TBAY). This was from November, and there's so many new people on here
with Snapeopinions, I'd love to hear y'all's input on that.)

~Amandageist