Perchance to dream...

[Eustace_Scrubb]

No: HPFGUIDX 97638

> Kneasy:
> Can't quite fit the high and cold laughter to the "cackle"
> that Harry recalls in his replays of GH. 

Eustace_Scrubb:

"a cackle of high-pitched laughter" (POA) vs. "a high, cold, cruel
laugh" (PS/SS--remembered as Hagrid tells him about his parents'
deaths.)

In CoS, Tom Riddle laughs "a high, cold laugh that didn't suit him."

In GoF, at the Riddle House, LV's voice is "strangely high-pitched,
and cold as a sudden blast of icy wind" and gives "an entirely
mirthless laugh, cold as his speech."  In the graveyard he emits a
"high, cold, mirthless laugh" as well as several entirely
adjective-less laughs.

In OoTP at the Ministry, LV doesn't laugh but speaks in a "high, cold
voice."

While I agree that "cackle" doesn't necessarily equate with "cold,"
the similarity here is the high pitch which seems to be the hallmark
of Voldemort's speech and laughter--though interestingly when Tom
Riddle's memory does that it "didn't suit him."  The sense I get is
that Voldemort's laughter is the sort of triumphant but maniacal
laughter that we expect from an evil madman.  And I suspect that by
using the word "cackle" JKR was valuing variety over consistency
(thank goodness she didn't use the term "maniacal"  The writing
critics really would have had a field day with that).  And  "a cackle"
makes it sound like it was a brief snatch of laughter, not incessant
cackling.

So while I absolutely agree this dream is important, I don't think
there was a "second laugher" at Godric's Hollow.  (Unless it was
TimeTurner!Harry cackling...)

Cheers and maniacal laughes,

Eustace_Scrubb