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

[arrowsmithbt]

No: HPFGUIDX 119570


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

snips all over the place
> Eloise:
> It also crosses my mind to wonder now whether the Philosopher's Stone 
> has any connection with Harry's parents' wealth, another secret which 
> we've been promised we'll find out about later.
> 
>

Kneasy:
Hmm. James and Lily knocking off bootleg Galleons in Godric's Hollow.
Voldy as Revenue enforcer protecting the bank accounts of the rich and
previleged against raging inflation. Could be fun.

> Eloise:
> I think a belief in the immortality of the soul is hinted at, both in 
> Dumbledore's own stated philosophy on death and in the concept of the 
> Dementor's Kiss being worse than death itself. If soul sucking result 
> merely in oblivion, then I don't see that it can really be worse than 
> death except for the people who have to deal with the empty shell 
> left behind. It implies a loss of that essence which makes one human 
> and can pass on to another existence.
> 
>
Kneasy:
I have a bit of a problem with Dementors - fitting them into JKR's
cosmology, I mean. What are they, where did they come from and
what's in it for them? Why would they want to suck souls? Are they
trained to be psychic vacuum cleaners or is it an inherrent trait?

And what is a souless person anyway?
The closest I've managed to get is a zombie - they needn't be dead,
they're often considered as normal people who've had their soul stolen 
by a spell. They can be re-animated bodies - something I suggested
Crouch Snr's bone might be used for. They're also a well-known
denizen of the horror/fantasy genre - yet we've seen neither hide,
nor hair of 'em so far. I'll try to remain optimistic and hope they turn
up before the end. Harry faced by hordes of the undead - well isn't
that why JKR wanted a graveyard at Hogwarts?
 
> 
> Eloise:
> I can live with that and the rest of your theory, but my problem is 
> why Dumbledore had that opportunity. *Why* hadn't Voldemort already 
> seized bodily immortality via the Stone.
> 
> 
Kneasy:
Good question. Any wizard researching immortality would hit references
to the Stone immediately. Discussed and speculated about for centuries
even in the Muggle World. Any wizard worth his salt would know about it.
And being such a tight society there's no way the Flamels would have
escaped notice. That's why I offered the two  theories - he hadn't heard
of them because nobody else had either - it was an invented tale. Or he 
was afraid to approach them. Suppose Nick Flamel was the most powerful 
wizard in the world - DD for instance, and Voldy knew it. Then his search
for alternative methods would be credible.
But without evidence it's guesswork.

> 
> Eloise:
> I'm not sure that (as Jen suggested) his having embraced immortality 
> for some while makes his speeches on the subject of death 
> hypocritical as  according to this theory by the end of PS/SS (if not 
> before) he has decided either that immortality isn't all it's cracked 
> up to be, or else that the job with which he was entrusted was coming 
> to an end (I hate to draw the analogy again, but like the knight 
> guarding the Grail). One thing Dumbledore doesn't claim to be is 
> infallible; he could easily be expressing regret at what he himself 
> has done.
>

Kneasy:
I  agree. I don't consider his speeches hypocritical either. 
Sneaky, evasive, manipulative -  yes. Hypocritical - no.

Besides, if we accept Jo's premises (that top-ups are required) then
DD never became immortal - he just prolongs his natural span until
either the elixir runs out or he decides to swear off the hard stuff. 

But there's a third option - the Merlin Scenario; the sleeping guardian.
If, as I've wondered previously, this battle between good and evil
has been going on for centuries - with the Voldy Wars being the
latest expression of it, then DD could be charged with returning
to lead the fight when he's needed. Good, standard mythology.