Mandatory mandrakes (Was: Albus Dumbledore: the myth and the man)

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 96823

Lilian wrote:
> <snip>Thanks to Kneasy and others I reread CoS, totally suspicious -
> bordering on downrigh paranoid ;-) - of DD. What convinced me? The 
> scene of petrified Mrs. Norris.
> DD tells Filch that they can revive Mrs. Norris using a special 
> potions of Mandrakes AND that Professor Sprout just acquired quite a 
> number of Mandrakes this year. Off went my pocket-sneakascope!
> What a happy coincidence! Nope, didn't buy that (anymore).
> 
> DD knew already that Lucius Malfoy (Kneasy started a thread 
> concerning this) would try something at Hogwarts and that it would 
> have something to do with the Chamber of Secrets. He knew also, as 
> he was around during the first time it all happened, that kids were 
> likely to be petrified so he took care that this time they would 
> have some means to revive them. Probably asked Mundungus to help 
> Prof. Sprout to some Mandrakes. 
> 
> He could not have known beforehand that they needed Mandrakes from 
> the portrait spy network and/or legilimency, so he learned that 
> another way. <snip>

Carol:
It's fortunate that the mandrakes happened to be on hand, but there's
no need to assume that they were there because Dumbledore anticipated
needing them to revive petrified students. It's quite possible that
Mandrakes are simply part of the Herbology curriculum for second-year
student, who need to know about them for their OWLs in another three
years. 

Carol