24 hours again
jodel_from_aol
jodel at aol.com
Wed Jun 30 00:26:51 UTC 2004
No: HPFGUIDX 103503
My own take on this is that the attack may have taken place at any time
after dark on Halloween night 1980. It certainly didn't need to be near
to midnight, although it was probably around bedtime. This adds a
couple of extra hours to the lead time before 8:30 the following
morning when Vernon Dursley left for work.
The Potters' house must have been at least somewhat remote from the
village or the Muggle response to the explosion would have been much
more immediate, and we know that there was certainly time for both
Sirius and Hagrid to show up and depart without being seen by anyone
else, magical or Muggle, and Hagrid, at least is highly noticable.
Particularly on a noisy motorcycle.
I also think that IF Dumbledore didn't simply have the Potter house
under some form of magical survelance, then he was informed of the
event by Snape, who, if called to a DE meeting had returned to report
the attack, or if in the Castle, had suddenly felt his Dark Mark
dissapear. Either of these would have been enough to sent the alert
that *something* was up. Ergo, Dumbledore knew that something had
happened almost as soon as it took place. He would have reported this
to the Ministry either immediately, or after sending Hagrid by portkey
to view the scene and to rescue any survivors.
So far, events are fairly self-evident. At this point, however,
everything goes vague. Because everything Hagrid has been heard to say
-- either at the time or 12 years later in the 3 Broomsticks --
supports the reading that Dumbledore sent him *with orders* to get
Harry out of the house and take him straight to his aunt and uncle in
Little Whingeing. Do not pass "GO" do not collect 200 galleions.
And, do you know, I'm comming round to the viewpoint that, just maybe,
he did *exactly* that.
After all, the DoM *has* a bureau of "Time Management" doesn't it?
And we've never seen that peculiar "watch" of Dumbledore's again, have
we? You know. The one with 12 hands, no numbers and little planets
moving around the edge. Are you now so sure that was really a watch?
Because if what we saw was a Ministry-approved act of time adjustment,
then all bets are off. Something happened during the first day after
Voldemort's defeat that was major enough for the Ministry to be
unwilling to accept the ramifications and possible consequences to the
WW itself. And (quite possibly) to insist that Harry Potter be removed
from the ww to ensure that nothing like that would be likely to happen
again, until he was old enough for Hogwarts where he would be 1. safe,
and 2. under observation.
I go into more detail on this matter in the essay I posted up at the
Red Hen site, but, in summary; if something like this took place, then
whatever too place (regarding Harry) in those 24 hours need not consern
us further, and we are never going to be told of the details, anyway.
Because, it didn't happen.
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