Watching tasks 2 and 3 (wasRe: Dumbledore the teacher)

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 126193


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "a_svirn" <a_svirn at y...> wrote:
> 
> --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Ziggie Valencourt 
> <ihearthermione at g...> wrote:
> > 
> > > >Eggplant wrote:
> > > > Now I just need to just figure out why anybody would want to 
> > > > watch the second and third tasks. Staring at a hedge and the 
> > > > unruffled surface of a lake lacks a certain visual appeal.

> > > Hannah:
> > > Maybe they could see parts of what was going on, through the
> > > magical equivalent of television - some kind of projection of 
> > > under the lake/ the maze. <snip> 

> > Ziggs:
> > 
> > ...
> > 
> > The maze was set up in the Quidditch pitch...which is designed for
> > Quidditch (duh) and the stands are elevated so as to be even with
> > the action during Quidditch.  The walls of the maze were tall 
> > (10-20 feetif memory serves) but they were open topped. Wouldn't 
> > people have been able to see in, over the top of the maze?
> > 
> > Just my thoughts....
> > 
> > Ziggs

 
> a_svirn:
> 
> Then, they would have seen Crouch jr. interfering with champions'  
> progress, wouldn't they?
>
> a_svirn

bboyminn:

Ziggs is right. The hedges are about 20ft; Harry's estimate, and
Quidditch is played at an average height of 50ft; the hooped goal
posts are elevated to 50ft. That implies the bulk of the game goes on
between 25ft and 100ft in the air. A reasonable estimate of the
stadium seating height would be a range of 30ft to 70ft. From a 70 ft
elevation, you wouldn't have had any trouble looking down into a 20
foot hedge row. Remember that the hedges are wide enough to
accommodate Sphinx, Giant Spiders, and Blast-End Skrewts.

So, everybody would have been able to see something. However, not
everybody would have been able to see everything. Illustration, those
sitting on the ends would have been able to see into the north/south
rows of hedges nicely but would have difficulty seeing into the
east/west hedge rows. Those on the sides of the stadium could see into
the east/west rows, but would have had an obstructed view of the
north/south rows. 

I think Bagman who was commentating, and who was likely in the top box
probably had the best view. In addition, the Cup seemed to be in a
well lit clearing in the middle of the maze. So it should have been
well visible by most people.

As to people seeing Crouch!Moody, yes some people would have seen him
some of the time, but they would have had no way of knowing what he
was doing. In all likelihood those who could see him well, couldn't
see the result of his actions, and those who could see the results,
couldn't see Moody doing anything.

The Lake is another matter. Of course, they only had to wait an hour
for some results, and while it may have been boring, an hour really
isn't that long. Maybe Bagman regaled them with stories from his
Quidditch days to pass the time. Or maybe someone recited short
biographies of the contestants and the history of the Tournement to
keep the crowd entertained while they waited.

I once speculated that a large bubble floated above the surface of the
lake showing the location of each contestant, and the location of the
objective. But if that were true, then everyone would know that Harry
got there first. 

Anything that gives the spectators insight into what is happening
under the lake, makes it difficult to explain why people didn't know
what happened, and therefore know that Harry got there first. 

So, sadly, I think they just sat there bored while Bagman entertained
them until it was close to the one hour limit. 

Although, I won't discount the possibility that Bagman has some type
of remote viewing method that allowed him to monitor and comment on
what was going on under the lake, but this remote viewing method only
allowed viewing one contestant at a time, and therefore, they were
distracted elsewhere when Harry was at the hostages.

Just a few thoughts.

Steve/bboyminn