The Philospher's Stone (was: Harry's Protection (was Re: Questions))

[arrowsmithbt]

No: HPFGUIDX 119495


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "eloise_herisson" <eloiseherisson at a...> wrote:

> 
(with snips)
Eloise (chiming in late):
I hadn't thought about this until you two mentioned it, but yes, 
there are some interesting questions raised here about the 
Philosopher's Stone.
 
If there were just one Philosopher's Stone and one wizard in 
command of its secret (plus possibly Dumbledore and any other 
partners he had previously) then surely both Flamel and the Stone
itself should have been the target of every power-mad/immortality
-seeking wizard for centuries. 
 
In fact, why did Voldemort go through all those dangerous, 
disfiguring experiments in his own search for immortality when the
answer, in the form of the Philosopher's Stone and the Elixir of Life
was there all the time? Are we really to believe that Voldemort, pre 
his downfall wasn't powerful enough to have gained control of the 
Stone then? Did he really have to wait until he was himself powerless
in order to try to win it? Something doesn't add up there.
 
But you ask an interesting question regarding why Voldemort is 
censured for his search for immortality whilst Flamel isn't. 

 And if there are other reasons why immortality is deemed not so 
good a thing by the WW, then why did Flamel and his wife embrace 
it for so long? 
 
I suspect the answer is thematic. Flamel is presented to us as an 
example of deliberately (eventually) eschewing immortality even 
though he has it in his grasp, bolstering Dumbledore's view of death
as the next great adventure (or was that Peter Pan? Something like 
that.) This contrasts with Voldemort and his desire for immortality 
beyond all else. I guess we're not meant to ask the more difficult 
questions.
>


Hmm. Things are quiet, it's ages until the next book is released, 
there's not much being discussed on the board that grabs my 
attention at the moment; all in all an ideal opportunity to consider 
some of the more neglected topics in canon - and aspects of the 
Stone story are worth a look IMO.

As usual JKR has given a twist to folklore/mythology - as you say
 the 'Stone' wasn't really a stone but a formulation, yet it's presented 
in HP as a rock-like artifact. There's a possibility that she's changed 
a few other things too - probably to get a better fit into the plot-line.
For example - there was a general assumption among the old 
alchemists that you'd only have to use the Stone *once* to achieve 
your aims - just as base metals transmuted into incorruptible gold 
remained incorruptible gold forever, so also a person would  be cured
of all physical imperfections forever. At the time the natural conclusion
was that this meant immortality.

The emphasis has been changed too; originally the concept of the 
formulation was solely concentrated on the transmutation of metals, 
the immortality bit was a later addition  to alchemical thinking. In the
Potterverse JKR seems to put the cart before the horse -  it's the 
prospect of eternal life that is pre-eminent, recycling baked beans 
cans to pay off the mortgage comes in a very distant second.

What is evident is that in HP the Stone is supposed to endow 
immortality to the *physical* body. This is a key distinction IMO,  
squatting as I am behind the ramparts of Possession Theory. Voldy's
spirit/essence/mind did not die at GH, though his body was destroyed
(or so we assume), but without a corporate aspect he becomes almost
powerless, though the 'almost' is important - he's still able to possess
other beings.  If he can only slot this essence into a body that has a 
user guarantee stretching to eternity - well, he's set for life - and it'll
be a *very* long one, approximately until the heat death of the universe.

On the other hand Vapour!Mort (a combination of Salazar's timeless
malice and power - which is damned near immortal in my theories; 
it's lasted 1000 years already - and Tom's mind) can always be stymied
by ripping it out of its current body and denying it another - just what 
happened after GH until Quirrell came along. He's OK as a temporary 
home, resting your chin on some-one's back collar stud works to a 
certain extent, but it can only be temporary. Until Vapour!Mort can 
find/construct a body matching it's own longevity, it'll be a sort of 
wizardly hermit crab forever scuttling from one bodily resting place 
to another as the old one wears out or gets zapped. 

Enter Flamel's Stone.
The answer to a maidens prayer - or rather, Voldy's dreams.
Get his sweaty mitts on that and his worries will be over.

Of course many  fans have wondered about the back-story to 
the Flamels, their association with DD and why the hell Voldy 
didn't drop round their place one night before GH and beat, 
threaten or Legilimise the Stone or the formulation out of them.
That would fit his usual practices, you'd think. It's not  as if the 
Flamels or old Nick's success were a secret, is it? But no; Voldy 
isn't a villain that thinks, no Cassius he. He waits until everything
goes pear-shaped, his dastardly plans dashed, spends 10 years
having a meeting of minds with the local rodentia in some primitive
back-water before coming out for round two. Seems very 
providential that he reappears when he does. Or is it providential?

Right. This is where Kneasy constructs his own back-story, based
on his reading of characterisation and story arc.

It wasn't providential at all - DD deliberately lured him out using
the Stone as bait. Much better to tackle Voldy before Voldy is ready
than wait until he is back in full fig and possibly already immortal.

DD had never believed that Voldy had gone for good, he tells
us that. Young Potter (according to  the Prophecy) is Voldy's Bane 
- the one to sort him out. That's unlikely to happen if Voldy stays
down in the woods playing "pass the nuts" with the local squirrels. 
Besides, left to his own devices Voldy might just  solve his problems
by coming up with a cunning plan that DD will have no control over 
or input to at all. As it is, DD knows exactly what Voldy is after, the
macguffin is under DD's control -  and so is Harry.

The implications of Voldy's rant in the graveyard, where he goes 
on about how he almost became immortal, suggest that there are 
routes to this end other than the Stone. Or perhaps it's just  that he
thought there were. Certainly nothing has been said about the Stone
being central to his plans before the first book; he travels the world,
learns strange things, yet apparently never finds out that there's this
bloke who's already cracked it.
Very odd. He needs a decent search engine - the one he's got is 
too similar to Yahoo!Mort for comfort. 

Unless - and here's a thought - the Flamels don't exist - they're 
DD's invention - and so is the Stone - devised to catch Voldy's 
attention. It'd certainly explain why there isn't a queue 5 miles long
pointing to the Flamel's front door. Just a throw-away comment on 
a Chocolate Frog card, rig an entry in a book in the Hogwarts library,
start a  rumour or two and Voldy's hooked.
Or is that a conspiracy theory too far?

Try another - DD  is Nicholas Flamel, reborn/revitalised every 
couple of centuries - just like Fawkes. In which  case, if we accept
JKR's premises on the need for a top-up  of elixir every so  often, 
and if the Stone has really been destroyed, then DD is  on his last 
legs. No wonder he's described as tired and old.

When it  comes to the crunch an immortal Voldy is not a problem.
A powerful immortal Voldy - that's a problem. 
So with what we know or surmise already, Voldy could be controlled
by separating his mind from his body and locking that mind/essence
back in the Chamber where Tom found it. 

Problem solved - until in another 1000 years somebody else 
decides to enter the Chamber.