Draco's Presence when Mrs. Norris Found

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 120657


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, GRETCHEN BAKIES
<gretchen.bakies at p...> wrote:
> 
> I just noticed something strange while I was re-reading COS.  Mrs.
Norris was found on the second floor (p 105), but the Slytherin common
room is down in the dungeon.  So why was Draco in the crowd that
surrounded Harry, Ron and Hermione? ...
>  
> Also, on p 92, Harry is described as dragging his feet down the
second floor corridor to Lockhart's office, but on p. 107, Lockhart
describes  his office as "nearest - just *upstairs*".  Is this a
flint?  BTW, I'm using the Bloomsbury paperback edition for page
references.
>  
> Gretchen


bboyminn:

There are several inconsistancies in this area of the book, some can
be resolved by imagination, other simply can't be resolved at all.

For example, Moaning Myrtle's Bathroom has consistently be on the
FIRST floor. However, in this section of the book you are referring
to, Harry comes up from the Dungeon putting him on the ground floor,
then climbs the marble stair case putting him on the first floor
(MM!bathroom and infirmary), then he runs up one more stair case to
the second floor; that's one too many stairways. 

What I have discovered on my own, or in conversation with others, is
that there is no way to resolve this; it's simply a mistake.

Side note: keep in mind that in Brit-speak, second floor is the third
story; ground floor (1st), first floor (2nd), and second floor (3rd).

Next, consider this, why are ANY of the students on that floor at that
time? The feast has presumably ended and they are all heading back to
their dorms, but only Gryffindor and Ravenclaw have dorms in towers,
Slytherin and Hufflepuff appear to have underground living quarters.
This particular area of this particular floor does not seem to be the
regular route to Gryffindor tower, so at best, a stray Ravenclaw or
two might have past by that area. 

This too is a mistake, but it can be internally resolved by
imagination. One could assume that some student, teacher, or ghost saw
Mrs. Norris hanging there and ran to warn Dumbledore, who was in the
Great Hall for the feast. When this /person/ ran to Dumbledore to tell
him, students and teachers alike came running to find out what was up.
Teachers are at the head table which is farthest from the exit door,
and would therefore arrive behind the students.

This is not found anywhere in the book, nor has it been establish
outside the book. It is simply an explanation I made up, but it does
explain everyone's arrival at that obscure location at that particular
time. It is an explanation that is internally consistent. 

There are many aspects and occurances in the wizard world that we are
not priviledge to simply because Harry is not aware of them. Harry may
have simply assumed the feast had ended when he heard students coming,
when in reality, some other event or person lead the teachers and
student to leave the Great Hall. 

I guess I haven't really offerred much, other than to confirm that
indeed there are inconsistancies here that haven't been resolved. Some
corrections have been made in some newer edition, but I don't know if
this particular inconsistancy has been fixed.

Just a thought.

steve/bboyminn (was bboy_mn)