Couple of questions after CoS reread

[M.Clifford]

No: HPFGUIDX 125469


> Alla wrote:
> <snip>
> > Now, it is a fact that Dumbledore suspected Tom Riddle back in 
> the days, right? Does it mean that he knew for sure that 
> Riddle/Voldie is back in Hogwarts? 
> > 
> > If said conclusion is true, does it mean that Harry's struggle 
> > in CoS was also just a test or at least half-test 

> > 
> Hannah:  I think Dumbledore always knew, or strongly suspected it 
> was Riddle the first time.  ...edit  When the attacks began again, 
> DD knew it must be LV behind it, ...edit.. But he doesn't know how 
> LV is achieving it, as he says to McGonagall.  I always find it a 
> bit hard to believe that DD couldn't 
> have worked out a bit more than he did, given his supposed 
> omniscience.  That's never sat easily with me.  If he was doing it 
> to test Harry, it was a massive risk.  It was only luck that none  
> of the students attacked actually looked the basilisk in the eye. 

Valky:
I have a theory about that, which was a discussion point not so long 
ago here. 

First, I agree that DD was trying to find out how Riddle was in 
Hogwarts this second time, and I also found it didn't sit well with 
me that he didn't *find out* sooner, I was a regular user of The 
Magic Dishwasher (See Fantasic Posts).

With such an annoying itch, one must scratch so I came up with some 
thoughts when discussing Time-turning and that led me to a new point 
of veiw regarding what Omniescent Dumbledore would have been doing 
during COS. I now approach the question from this angle. It *wasn't* 
luck that nobody died!

A closer look shows that only two of the cases were not explained by 
things that weren't purely chance. Moaning Myrtle saved Mrs Norris 
because the Basilisk and Ginny!Tom disturbed her, the result was not 
unusual: Myrtles had a tantrum, Ginny is crying and fighting Tom, 
Mrs Norris comes to investigate, looks at the water, sees the 
Basilisk - case solved.
In the case of Hermione and Penelope, Hermione had figured it out 
already so that case is closed quickly too.
Justin and Colin were the ONLY ones who were petrified after DD had 
figured out what was going on and was trying to solve the case and 
before DD was made to leave Hogwarts. 

Now lets put ourselves in DD shoes. One relatively omniescent 
personage in a *very* big house with a *lot* of young muggleborns in 
his care, two important objectives to achieve. 
1. Find out how Riddle is doing it. 
2. Make sure noone gets killed.
Which priority is highest?

So solving the case is secondary priority to saving kids. Which 
means he has to spend a lot more time watching the muggleborns 
closely, this doesn't include Ginny Weasley, so she's able to slip 
under his nose for a while and carry on as Toms puppet without DD 
being suspicious.

A big clue to DD having been a protective prescence is Colin's 
petrification. He was saved by his camera. In the Entrance Hall. 
After the Quidditch match. 

An assumption Colin was actually taking photographs at this time 
doesn't add up. Colin undoubtedly already has plenty of pictures of 
the Entrance Hall, and besides he just went to Quidditch, surely he 
used all his film on that.
 
Then we have Dumbledore coming down the stairs for a refill of hot 
chocolate at the same moment. Well maybe. But then maybe he had some 
of his silver instruments aligned to detect lone muggleborns roaming 
the castle and was rushing downstairs after hearing the alarm bells. 
hmmm that makes more sense. Did Dumbledore conjure up some really 
cool magical illusion ahead of him to make Colin put his camera to 
his face? I think *at least* so.

The staff all seemed to know that it was DD that was preventing the 
muggleborns from being killed, I take that very much for granted to 
be authoritative.

So my theory, Dumbledore wasn't testing Harry. Harry just managed to 
make himself very helpful. Dumbledore *was* trying to handle the 
incedent himself, although he intuitively knew that Harry was on the 
case and did all he could to leave behind some help for Harry.