[HPforGrownups] Mirror of Erised (was: About the gleam of triumph...)

[yellows at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 58843

In a message dated 5/28/2003 12:02:19 PM Eastern Standard Time, Jenny from 
Ravenclaw writes:

> Wasn't it Harry himself who found the stone?  The Mirror of Erised 
> shows people what they most desire, which comes from people 
> themselves.  I didn't get the feeling that the Mirror was an active 
> participant that way.  Harry, when looking into the Mirror with 
> Quirrel, wanted more than anything at than moment to find the stone.  
> Dumbledore was banking on the fact that Harry would not want to use 
> the stone in any way and that's what helped put the stone in Harry's 
> pocket.  If anything, it was Dumbledore who set up the Mirror to work 
> as it did, reflecting people's desires.  I see no evidence of this 
> being the Mirror itself communicating. Or am I missing something?
> 

Here's my problem with that part of the plot:
If the mirror provides the stone only to the person who most wants to find it 
without using it, and Harry is one of the only people who can do that -- 
certainly neither LV nor Quirrel would fall into that category -- then doesn't it 
follow that the stone would have ultimately been safer, had Harry *not* gone 
down to rescue it? 

Also, none of the other trials before the mirror really make a difference, 
unless they were trying to prevent someone who doesn't want to use the stone 
from finding it. Why would they want that?

Maybe this has come up already.  :)  It's just my thought.

Brief Chronicles


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