MAJOR MAJOR SPOILER - THE ALCHEMIST THEORY IN TWO ACTS

[tinglinger]

No: HPFGUIDX 132001

hells456
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> tinglinger wrote <an excellent theory>
My comments and questions:


tinglinger
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I will try to answer as many as i can here and now, but
will respond to others later today or tomorrow...


1. HB - Tom Riddle was already using the name Lord Voldemort with his
friends, as he says in CoS.
T - True, but he was still the boy Tom Riddle while at Hogwarts. Lord
Voldemort didn't inspire fear until much later imo.

2. HB - If the prophecy was fake and they wanted to lure Voldemort to
Harry, why did they include Neville as a possible target?
T- please see comments in last two posts - I am backing off of "fake"
or "bogus" and substituting "incomplete" -- this is supported more by
what happens in Manxmouse. They included Neville to delay Voldemort as
much as possible. Maybe the EOL needed a long cycle to brew.

3. HB - Why did they leave Harry unprotected for a year after the
prophecy was made. At the time of the prophecy Harry was not yet born,
and the Potters didn't go into hiding until a week before they died
when Harry was a year old.
T - good one ..... let me think about it

  
4. HB - It seems to be a silly idea of Dumbledore's to attempt the
same method of defeat when the last time created a dark wizard who was
worse than the one he was getting rid of. We are told in PS that
Voldemort was the worst wizard in a century, pre-dating Gringelwald.
T - the dark wizard was already festering as per #1 above. This also
is why DD is so hung up over "choices" rather than "abilities"....
Riddle's turn to the dark side was DD's failure in his first plan. 
He was hoping not to fail again the second time.
  
5. HB - Why would Dumbledore allow Harry's upbringing to mirror
Riddle's? Having him grow up orphaned, unhappy and unloved is running
the risk of turning out another dark wizard. We know there are other
people who can protect him.
T - I don't think that anyone was really "watching" Riddle grow up as
much as Harry was being watched. There clearly was an advantage to
harry being sheltered from the WW.

  
6. HB - It looks too OOC that Dumbledore would have experimented with
Tom in the first place, far too much like Nazi human experiments. (If
it works - great, if Tom dies - no big loss).
T - Hmmm alchemists experiment all the time. I really did not want to
get into ethical issues. As for character issues, Dumbledore has been
shown several times not to be the nice grandfatherly wizard we are led
to believe -the word "terrible" is used at least once to describe his
appearance - not that he IS terrible, but he sure can be if the
occasion calls for it....

7. HB - Why did the whole plan rely on Dumbledore being there, with no
back up wizard to get rid of his soul? Did Pettigrew give them away
too soon?
T - SOMEONE gave him away too soon! That's for sure.... It could have
been someone besides DD but that brings extra wizards into the plan -
DD alone is the simplest.... but there certainly could have been
another/others there.
  
8. HB - Your theory means that Dumbledore knowingly left Sirius to rot
in Azkaban for 12 years. Does that sound right to you? What's your
take on the Sirius/Peter Secret keeper business?
T - I have posted on this before - look for the Droobles Gum Wrapper
theory and the events at the Shrieking Shack - here in HPFGU or in my
yahoogroup potterplots.
  
9. HB - If the prophecy was created, why didn't they choose a full
wizard like one of the Order members? Voldemort was picking them off
anyway and at least they would have a fighting chance if anything went
wrong. Why not pick James himself? We know he detested the Dark Arts
and was unlikely to go bad.
T - see earlier posts today for answer - Grindelwald would be a lot
more direct in killing a student with an AK than an order member.
  
10. HB - So was the entire book 3 pointless? If it was a set-up there
was no betrayal, no spy in the ranks of the Marauders. Do you really
think that Dumbledore was cruel enough to ruin the lives of the
Potters, Sirius, Peter and Remus? That he let the whole WW believe
that Sirius was evil? That Peter's family thought he was dead for 12
years? Why didn't Dumbledore hold his hands up and say his plan went
wrong? That he was directly responsible for Neville's parents because
he allowed Neville to be a prophecy candidate?
T - {sound of brain exploding!} whoa -- lots of questions there - will
handle later....

12. HB - I thought the Order was set up to defeat Voldemort, but you
suggest that Voldemort only attacked them to pay back Dumbledore. What
do you think the Order was doing before then?
T - Voldemort was attacking EVERYONE and EVERYTHING that didn't side
with him. The Order being loyal to DD was merely a more appetizing target.
  
13. HB - I don't see why Lily had to die (or James for that matter)
they knew Harry couldn't be harmed so why put up a fight? Lily at
least could have merrily stood back and enjoyed seeing Voldemort
vaporised.
T - aw, c'mon - she's a MUM! And the dark lord was attacking her
firstborn after killing her husband. There were no guarantees.
Also {another spoiler, but if you have gotten this far....}
Lily has the same eyes {and attributes?} as a sphynx (see GOF and
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them) and sphynxes "are usually
dangerous only when what it is guarding is threatened". In addition,
the plan was going horribly wrong at that point, and protecting Harry
was all that mattered. 



11. HB - Your theory suggests that Voldemort heard the prophecy
anyway, so the main plot for OotP was also unnecessary. Why do you
think he wanted the prophecy then?
14. HB - How do you tie the house blowing up into all this? Could
Harry have been seriously harmed anyway?
15. HB - Why did Dumbledore wait so long (14 years of hell I think)
before attempting this?
T - need more time on these ... and I don't have a time turner....
  
16. HB -  Your version of Dumbledore has a lot of blood on his hands,
absolutely no regard for the consequences of his actions, and little
to no morals. Do you believe the ESE Dumbledore theories?
T - Absolutely not! A strong leader has to do what (s)he has to do -
and tough choices must be made for the good (and survival) of the
Wizarding community.

Thanks for your compliment! I hope I answered most of your questions
to your satisfaction.
tinglinger