TBAY: DRIBBLE SHADOWS (long)

[cubfanbudwoman]

No: HPFGUIDX 128780

Neri:
> Hey, you should know that Theory Bay is a dangerous place. At least 
> no one is after you with a big paddle. I still have a half-sunk 
> ship of myself to float, and it doesn't look like I'll manage it 
> before hurricane Jo comes to visit. 

SSSusan:
You mean VASSAL, Neri?  Aw, give yourself some credit -- she's still 
seaworthy!


Neri:
> So what can I say about the 24 hrs? They always seemed superfluous 
> and inelegant to me. Why do we need them at all?

SSSusan:
EXACTLY.  Why build them into the story if they're not essential in 
some way?

 
Neri: 
> So what do we know about the 24 hrs? <rummages frantically through
> drawers> I once decided to write my own copy of "The Fully-Annotated
> Harry Potter". I actually made it all the way to the end of the 
> first chapter of the first book <g>. Aha, here it is. I knew it 
> would come handy one day. So what can we tell from Ch. 1?

<snips list of things we know or strongly suspect> 

> So, here is one scenario that would fit:
<snip said scenario>  
> Hmmm, elegant it most definitely ain't, and there's too many
> somewheres, someones and somethings, but I think I didn't make any
> superfluous assumptions <checks sand under feet>. Here's a slightly
> simpler scenario:
> 
> 2. Hagrid is sent by DD and takes Harry out of the wreckage. He
> borrows the motorcycle from Sirius. Then he gets a birdie from DD 
> that he has to deliver Harry to the Dursleys', but in the meantime 
> he has to wait with him somewhere else. During this wait McGonagall 
> calls Hagrid, and he tells her that DD will be at Number 4 Privet 
> Drive, but not when and why. In the meantime, DD at Hogwarts 
> watches green smoke coming out of silvery instruments, and 
> carefully mixes the essence of Harry with the essence of Petunia 
> (or whatever). When he's through with this (no way to know how long 
> it takes; could be enough to justify any part of the 24 hrs) he 
> sends a birdie to Hagrid to bring Harry to the Dursleys', and 
> apparates there himself.


SSSusan:
Well, hmmm, Neri.  Can I say first that I think it is fantastic that 
you came up with all this on such short notice from a newbie to the 
bay's pleading? :-) 

I guess I do see one bit of, if not superfluous assumption, still 
of... inexplicableness?  That is, WHY would DD need to have someone 
else bring Harry to Privet Drive if DD had already been with him to 
administer the charm?  I mean, why wouldn't DD just take Harry 
himself?  THAT I don't get at all.  It seems a convoluted way to 
handle things.


Neri:
> The question is, is this enough to justify 24hrs, or are there 
> additional things she haven't told us yet?  And if there are, how 
> can they make scenarios 1 or 2 more elegant?

SSSusan:
Ack, I think there must be something else missing, Neri.  While 
things could definitely have happened as you've outlined here in 1 
(which I snipped) or 2, I can't get past the bizarreness of DD 
placing the charm on Harry somewhere after GH and before Privet Drive 
(presumably Hogwarts) but then still having *Hagrid* transport Harry 
to Privet Drive while he (DD) simply apparates there later.

Sure, he might have had more business to attend to in the intervening 
hours, but if the charm was in place, why not just deliver Harry 
then?  Plus, I'm back to your point A, which was this:

>>> A) DD didn't meet Hagrid, or even had a chance to communicate 
with him in detail during the 24hrs, because when Hagrid appears at 
the Dursleys' he has to tell DD where he got the motorcycle and that 
he didn't have problems taking Harry out of the house. Unless they're
both putting a show, of course, but for whom? For McGonagall? Besides,
Hagrid isn't good at this kind of stuff.<<<


I just don't see why DD would put on a show about the motorcycle.  
But if Hagrid had already brought Harry to DD for charm application, 
DD would *know* about the mechanism of transport, no?  So it doesn't 
quite seem to fit.

*******************************************************
SSSusan pats her bandaged foot gingerly, stares out into the Bay for 
a moment, then nods determinedly and announces, "You know?  I think 
it's actually easier for *my* poor brain to stick with the scenario 
of Snape being the one with Harry in the 24 hours, applying that 
ointment, no matter how bloody convoluted it might seem.  

"But you go right on working on simplifying those missing 24 hours, 
if you like," she says with the hint of a wink.  "Thanks for the 
company, Neri." 

And she heads off, limping, down the beach.  

A moment later SSSusan thinks perhaps, just perhaps, she hears words 
floating out from behind her.  Something like... "Deluded, that one."

Siriusly Snapey Susan