Guarding the Stone

[Barry Arrowsmith]

No: HPFGUIDX 119634

This isn't a new subject, it's been pored over often enough in the 
past, but the recent thread discussing the Stone, immortality and Voldy 
- particularly the possibility that DD used the Stone as bait, 
encouraged me to drag it out from the back of the cupboard and give it 
a bit of  a polish.

Many fans have commented that  the series of obstacles guarding the 
Stone are, to put it mildly, pretty pathetic. If three largely 
untrained children using just *one* simple spell can't be kept out, 
what chance of preventing Voldy from reaching the inner sanctum?

None, is the answer.

In fact once Fluffy goes bye-byes there's nothing that would present 
much of a problem to a trained wizard.

Devil's Snare - first year Herbology gets them through.
Flying keys - guess what? Broomsticks are provided -  and what a 
coincidence! Enough for one each!
Chess - there's no evidence that Ron is a chess prodigy - he's maybe 
above average for his age but little more than that.
Troll - knocked out - just what they'd already done earlier in the book.
Potions test - Yes, I know;  a lot of wizards couldn't do it, Harry 
being one of them. But you'll  also notice that it didn't stop 
Quirrell!Mort. Just what proportion of wizards constitutes 'a lot' 
anyway? Whatever it is, it still leaves a  significant number who do 
have more than an ounce of logic, so all it would do would be to filter 
out the air-heads.

It's not until we get through the kid's stuff that we hit the real 
security barrier - the Mirror. A real Dumbledore special.

I've brooded on the Mirror before and for newer members and those 
who've successfully managed to erase my thoughts from their memories, a 
quick precis.

It's a communication device like most mirrors in the WW, but it works 
in a slightly different way than many assume. Read the inscription - 
it's back to front - except for anyone *behind* the Mirror, i.e. 
someone sending to the Mirror so that the person in front sees the 
image that's transmitted. It shows what you desire - correct; it shows 
you, the person *on the other side* of the Mirror what you desire the 
person in front of the Mirror to see. Thus DD's observations that one 
would not know if what one saw was either real or possible. It shows 
what DD wants you to see and that may be something neither real nor 
possible.

Quirrell and the Stone being a prime example. DD's explanation that 
only someone who wishes to *find* the Stone, not use it, would be able 
to get it, is more than a bit iffy - because that is exactly what 
Quirrell sees himself doing - finding it and then handing it to Voldy.

Conversely  what is Harry's 'desire' at that moment? To get the hell 
out of there, I should imagine. He certainly doesn't want the Stone, 
it's infinitely safer somewhere out of Voldy's reach. Yet the Mirror 
decides otherwise; it shows the Stone being slipped into Harry's pocket 
and - lo and behold! - it comes to pass.

A slight digression - a timing anomaly; it's afternoon when the trio 
decide to lay  their suspicions before DD, and McGonagall tells them  
that he left for the Ministry 10 minutes previously. It's many hours 
later that they go through the trapdoor - yet when DD is oozing concern 
over Harry he intimates that all those hours were taken up with getting 
to London and back. Yeah, sure.

I don't believe it. I think DD was watching Quirrell and the Trio every 
step of the way. I think it was DD and not the Mirror that caused the 
Stone to be placed in Harry's pocket. And since DD is able to become 
invisible without the need for invisibility cloaks he may even have 
been physically present and it was he that slipped it into Harry's 
pocket. Off-hand I can't think of a safer place for the Stone than on 
DD's person, can you?

Why would he put Harry in danger? you may ask. It's unlikely that Harry 
was in any real danger with DD lurking in the background. And there is 
a rationale of sorts: Harry has protection against Voldy, Voldy does 
not have protection against Harry. Voldy is foiled (yet again) and 
retires to Costa Adriatica to nurse his vaporous ego, this time for two 
years or so. And as DD says:

"Nevertheless, Harry, while you may only have delayed his return to 
power [...] - and if he is delayed again, and again, why, he may never 
return to power."

And a delay is what  DD needs. Harry may  well be the one to knock 
Voldy off his perch - but not when he's aged 11, he's not. Yet Voldy 
seems to be ready for his comeback, he's getting on his feet (or 
somebody else's, but it amounts to the same thing). He *has* to be 
knocked back, delayed until Harry gets more magic under his belt. The 
Stone stratagem will do it.

It'll lure Voldy out and Harry's protection will make certain he's sent 
back to the state he was in after Godric's Hollow. You don't think that 
it was mere chance that the protections for the Stone could be 
circumvented by the Trio do you?
Not likely! Not with Puppetmaster!DD in charge.

Kneasy