Harry getting to GP by floo / thestrals (was Re: Good Writing)

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 110974

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "tylerswaxlion" 
<ctcasares at s...> wrote:

Tyler's Lion:

<snip>

>I've always been struck by the fact that Harry had a magic mirror 
> tht could have let him talk to Sirius.  Yes, it was in his trunk  
> and he was refusing to open it to protect Sirius, but if he *had* 
> used it, Sirius wouldn't be dead.

<snip>
 
> On one hand, it feels to me like bad plotting--he didn't open the 
> package and Sirius didn't fill him in on the package b/c then Harry 
> wouldn't have had to use Umbridge's office and wouldn't have talked 
> to Kreacher.
> 
> On the other, it makes Sirius' loss more painful.  It didn't have 
to 
> happen, and Harry's mistake in not trusting Sirius is to blame.  
And 
> when he tries to contact Sirius after the Veil...that's just heart-
> wrenching.

Geoff:
I have pasted a section of message 73882:

============================================================
--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "threadbareowl"
<threadbareowl at y...> wrote:

> Hi everyone, I'm a long-time HP fan, first time poster. After 
> reading OOP a few times, I had these burning questions and/or 
> comments - if they are highly repetitive, forgive me.

> 1. Sirius gave Harry a mirror to use in case of emergency, and in
> an emergency, Harry doesn't use it!

Geoff:
Two reasons. First, from OOTP Chapter 24 where Harry and the others
are leaving to get the Knight Bus:

(Sirius) "I want you to take this, he said quietly, thrusting a badly
wrapped package ....... into Harry's hands. "What is it?" Harry
asked. "A way of letting me know .... No, don't open it in
here...."said Sirius ...... "OK", said Harry, stowing the package
away ..... but he knew he would never use it .... It would not be he,
Harry, who lured Sirius from his place of safety,
ie HP didn't want to compromise SB's safety.

Second, from the last chapter:

Harry ..... noticed a badly wrapped package lying in a corner of it
(his trunk). He could not think what it was doing there ..... He
realised what it was within seconds. Sirius had given it to him
inside the front door of number twelve Grimmauld Place.
ie Harry had completely forgotten about it. It had been given at a
time when everybody was rushing around in ever decreasing circles
getting ready.
========================================================

Harry, as I said, had clean forgotten about it. Sirius gave to mirror 
to Harry in a rush at the beginning of January. The events leading to 
Sirius' death occur about six months later.

Harry has had a roller coaster time over that period and has been 
through the wringer emotionally. I see nothing stupid about him not 
using the mirror - as I said, it was in the bottom of his trunk and 
hw had just forgotten about it; we all do it from time to time - even 
in the real world!

Geoff
Who has just launched his website showing the delights of his home 
area www.aspectsofexmoor.com