Purging the DE ranks and deadly!Sirius (was Re: The boys holding the prophecy)

[AyanEva]

No: HPFGUIDX 128250

 
> > AyanEva:
> > And there's still the question of how a bunch of kids can best a 
> > bunch of fully grown evil wizards. A bit of bad writing, or maybe 
> > the DEs were sabotaged by their Master so that their fighting
> > skills would be compromised? Just a thought. Sorry, I know I keep 
> > asking questions that probably have no answer, but I'm just dying 
> > for a theory.
> 
>Nora responds:
 Well, they are trying to avoid smashing the shiny as much as possible-
> -which causes some restraint.  It has also been postulated that 
> casting things like Killing Curses is rather exhausting, and not 
> their top priority at the moment.  In addition, remember that sheer 
> individual competence is really not necessary to run an effective 
> reign of terror.  I think we all underestimate the DEs in some areas 
> and overestimate them in others.


AyanEva says:
True, true. But why would they give a crap about whether or not they
completely destroyed all of the other prophesies anyway? If they had
any personal prophesies in there, I'm sure they've heard them already.
Considerate isn't an attribute I'd associate with a DE. I'd expect
them to just blast away haphazardly.

But good point about the AK and other dark curses being exhausting.
That in itself is, I think, evidence to your other point about
individual competence. If the DE's had been at all clever, they'd
would've just used some low level curses like Stupify and Petrificus
Totalus, grabbed the prophesy, and retreated. Speaking of which, I
know that the only people who can pick the prophecy up are those whom
the prophecy is about. But if the prophecy's not about you, can't you
wrap the little globe thingie up in a towel and be done with it?
You're not actually physically touching it, after all. Just a thought.

And that leads right back to one of my main problems with Voldie and
Death Eaters: They're a really (seemingly) incompetent bunch. I'd
fight against them for the sole reason that I'd be so annoyed by their
sheer stupidity in some situations! I'm all about tactical advantage
and logical planning; I'm quite convince that I'd be a much better
evil overlord than Voldie. 


> <snip>
> 
> > In post 128165, Sherry wrote:
> > Ok, I'm a broken record on this topic, I guess. However, recently 
> > on this list, we discussed JKR's statements about why people take 
> > the animagus forms they do. She was quoted as saying that the 
> > animagus form comes from inside the wizard, based on their 
> > personality, who they are inside. 
> 
> > AyanEva:
> > But the Grim's a dog and it heralds death. That's not exactly good
> > unless you have a death wish. Speaking of which, setting aside my
> > previously mentioned dislike for Sirius, I've always wondered why 
> > JKR chose to equate him with a Grim for half the book until they 
> > found out that he was just an animagus dog?
>
Nora:
> (Well, there is the more obvious point that the narrative structure 
> of PoA absolutely hinges on things in plain sight being 
> misinterpreted, leading to a resolution that hinges on reversal...)

AyanEva:
Crap. Forgot about that. You're right! I sometimes wonder if the whole
book isn't somehow a reversal to get us all thrown off track.
Personally, I think it falls in line with MAGIC DISHWASHER; but then
again, I like the idea of tons of subterfuge and slight of hand.


AyanEva