Dumbledore in CoS was Re: The Keeper of the Keys.
pippin_999
foxmoth at qnet.com
Sat Sep 18 22:30:57 UTC 2004
No: HPFGUIDX 113323
--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Barry Arrowsmith
<arrowsmithbt at b...> wrote:
> I wonder how DD got him the job? So far as I can see nobody
ever questioned the assumption that Hagrid had been
responsible for releasing a monster on the school, resulting in
the death of a student, yet he gets a job back at the scene of the
crime. So did no-one object to his appointment? Did no-one
suggest that letting Hagrid play with nasty beasties might bring
on a relapse and with it the temptation to let his enthusiasm run
away with him once again?<
Pippin:
"A story was put out that the girl had died in a freak accident"
--CoS ch 13. Hagrid may never have been officially connected
with the death. At aged thirteen he was no doubt apprenticed to
his predecessor, and eventually proposed to succeed him. The
Board of Governors wouldn't want that old scandal dredged up,
now would they?
Kneasy:
> I'd be surprised if DD hadn't put two and two together; spiders
terrified; a death, petrifications. Not specifically mentioned,
strangely enough; other students were attacked, but the results
of those attacks aren't described. What other result could there
be? Basilisks either kill with a look, a bite or petrify with the
glance indirect. And survivors of attacks would identify the
monster that attacked them.<
Pippin:
Myrtle was a survivor of sorts, but she only remembers the great
big yellow eyes. No doubt there was some sort of
disillusionment charm on the monster. Someone would have
seen it otherwise. Wizarding accounts do not mention the
basilisk's ability to petrify,so it's possible that Tom learned of
this forgotten ability in the muggle world. That would make it
difficult even for Dumbledore to figure out what was really going
on.
Kneasy:
> It's worth noting that there is no indication that anyone in Tom's
time knew that the Chamber had been found and opened; so
far as they were aware a dangerous monster had run riot,
Hagrid had been apprehended and it had all been cleared up,
though why they should assume that when the monster wasn't
caught or killed, seems a bit odd. Except for DD -
> after Colin Creevey is attacked in CoS:
> "It means that the Chamber of Secrets is indeed open again."
> And he is well aware of "who", but not "how". Just "what" the
monster is must also be known to him, whether he admits it or
not.<
Pippin:
Draco knows that the Chamber was opened before and that the
Heir was responsible. Tom also says that he thought someone
would realize Hagrid couldn't have been the Heir, so maybe
there were messages on the wall that time also. Of course the
governors would be very anxious to think it was all a hoax by a
disturbed student.
Kneasy:
> When you think about it, with all that [Dumbledore]'s likely to
know about the events in Toms time, his demeanor during CoS
is inexplicable. He acts as if he hasn't a clue with how to deal
with the situation and allows himself to be deposed as
Headmaster. Why? What was the point?<
Pippin:
Dumbledore was suspended from office, but we have no idea
whether he actually left the castle. (He's not as gone as you
might think.)
DD was not entirely unprepared. He was obviously expecting the
attacks since Professor Sprout has laid in mandrake. Best to
grow them on site, since plants can easily be disguised.
Dumbledore knows he is unable to locate the chamber, and that
the real danger is not the basilisk but Voldemort. Deprive him of
his weapon and LV will merely seize another. DD will know that
Voldemort does not want the school shut down, so no student
will die until LV has gained his objective, which is undoubtedly
Harry Potter. The student body as a whole is safe, for the
present.
Since Dumbledore himself cannot destroy Voldemort, and Harry
already has on him all the magical protections that Dumbledore
can give, what else is Dumbledore to do, except watch and hope
that Harry can discover where the chamber is before Voldemort
gets careless or impatient and somebody else gets killed?
Pippin
who thinks that Hermione would never write on a library book,
and that the 'pipes' clue was forged by Riddle
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