The names in the Goblet (Was: DD: an appreciation)

[arrowsmithbt]

No: HPFGUIDX 96576

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "justcarol67" <justcarol67 at y...> wrote:
> Carol responds:
> I think that the first and last sentences you quoted are specifically
> intended to instruct the students who want to participate and have no
> direct bearing on the magical contract itself. The important sentence
> is the middle one: "The placing of your name in the Goblet constitutes
> a binding, magical contract." Note the vagueness of the wording: "the
> placing of your name," not "placing your name." In other words, it
> doesn't matter *who* places the name, it's the *act* of placing it
> that matters. Once the name is in the Goblet, it doesn't matter how it
> got there (or whether a confundus charm was used to keep the Goblet
> from spitting out an entry from a real or imaginary fourth school). So
> Dumbledore is right--there's no escaping the contract and Harry has no
> choice to participate.
>

This construction would mean that no-one need put their own name in.
Gred and Forge and Dean could have entered if Angelina Johnson had
put their names in. Karkaroff and Madam Maxime could have entered 
their entire contingents instead of having them line up and do it one by
one. 
There would  be no control whatsoever over who entered. The age
line would be redundant, meaningless. The Goblet does not discriminate
by age, that's why the line is there. Snape could have entered Neville!
A contract is an agreement between two parties, not what happened here.
Sorry, I don't buy this one.

Kneasy