...HRH friendship - SS/PS the obstacle course was meant for HRH

[cubfanbudwoman]

No: HPFGUIDX 105773

vmonte:
> > Professor Sprout's Devil's Snare – Hermione figures this out.

Halli:
> Well anyone could figure that out if they ever paid an inkling of 
> attention in Herbology. And if it wasn't geared at HRH, then it was 
> geared at an adult wizard, who would probably know this stuff 
> anyways.

SSSusan:
But if you hold to the theory that vmonte & I do, then it's NOT a 
given that this was geared to an adult wizard.  [See below.]


vmonte:
> > It is unusual that Snape's obstacle has to do with logic, not
> > potions. I think that out of all of these obstacles, Snape's 
> > really seems geared for Voldemort. 

Halli:    
> It has to do with potions, obviously, and I would also like to 
> point out that these obstacles are actually obstacles. They aren't 
> thinking about whats the easiest thing I could come up with that 
> even a bunch of first years could break through?

SSSusan:
That's PRECISELY the point--a bunch of first years *did* break 
through!!  And two of those first-years have just this year been 
introduced to the WW, so it's not like they've been sitting around w/ 
a family filled w/ witches & wizards, learning & practicing spells 
their whole lives.  I *do* believe HRH are each quite gifted in their 
own ways, but there are things they DON'T know as 1st years that 5th 
years or 7th years or adults would know...yet this little bunch of 
1st years DID break through!  So if they could do it, then how would 
this setup have been powerful enough to have REALLY stop an adult 
wizard?  HRH getting through is precisely the fodder people like 
vmonte & I needed for our theory that DD set this up for Harry [my 
view] or for HRH [vmonte's view].


Halli:
> I doubt that DD sat down and thought "Hmm, Harrys good at flying, 
> we'll do that, Hermione's smart, so she can solve this...Ron! Ron 
> can play chess! I'll have Minerva do that!" ...Just seems highly 
> unlikely that he prepared it specifically for a bunch of first year 
> students when there were actual dark wizards who could easily break 
> through something set at that level of difficulty, and who were 
> after the stone. I'm sorry it just seems to dangerous an artifact 
> to allow VM to get  his hands on it simply because they think 
> Harrys going to get to it. Too risky.

SSSusan:
Well, to me it doesn't seem so unlikely. :-) I'm not thinking DD 
thought out every single step like that, but perhaps he instructed 
his colleagues to develop tasks which weren't simple but weren't 
impossible either?  Remember that there are all sort of wards & 
protections around Hogwarts and that DD seems to pretty much know 
what's happening around the castle.  It's not as if any old wizard 
could appear at Hogwarts and waltz in, unnoticed.  [Hence the shock 
when Sirius did it in PoA.]  

I think that DD didn't realize Voldy himself was so near and didn't 
count on the events unfolding on the one night when he was away from 
Hogwarts.  But I also think he counted **very heavily** on his final 
protection--the Mirror--because it was set up such that one whose 
motives weren't pure, one who wanted to use the SS for selfish 
purposes, would NEVER be able to get it because the mirror wouldn't 
allow it.  It was brilliant!  And should Harry just *happen* to get 
there, DD knew Harry'd become familiarized with the mirror and, if 
his motives were pure [as they were, which I believe thrilled DD to 
learn], then he WOULD be able to get it.  

Voila!  Brilliant on DD's part, really.  All IMHO, of course.

Siriusly Snapey Susan