TBAY: DRIBBLE SHADOWS (long)

[nkafkafi]

No: HPFGUIDX 128830

Jen, SSSusan, Neri, Potioncat, Alla and Snow were sitting on the beach
of Theory Bay with margaritas and bandages. 

> "You know Neri," Jen remarked casually, "Snape's potion could still 
> have been used for the protection during the missing-24 hours and 
> not be redundant. Haven't you ever wondered exactly how Harry is 
> protected at Hogwarts?"
> 
> Neri surveyed Jen suspiciously. Everyone knew the shiny canon that 
> Harry was safest at Hogwarts because he was under the watchful eye 
> of Albus Dumbledore, and due to all the extra precautions there.
> 
> "I find it a bit odd myself, that the one place Harry is safest 
> besides the blood protection of Privet Drive, is at Hogwarts. 
> Surrounded by the three people who would be able to administer the 
> dragon-blood ointment to Harry at verious intervals throughout the 
> year. Don't you?"

At that moment, a thunderous BANG came from the direction of Theory
Bay's Canon Museum.

"I think we might want to take cover", remarked Neri.

"Is it something I sa..." started Jen, but before she could finish a
round object landed not three feet from the company, spraying them all
with sand. 

"Oh, it's a can(n)on ball" coughed Jen and picked it up. "There's
something written on it". 

GoF, Ch. 33:
"But how to get at Harry Potter? For he has been better protected than
I think even he knows, protected in ways devised by Dumbledore long
ago, when it fell to him to arrange the boy's future. Dumbledore
invoked an ancient magic, to ensure the boy's protection as long as he
is in his relations' care. Not even I can touch him there. ...Then, of
course, there was the Quidditch World Cup. ...I thought his protection
might be weaker there, away from his relations and Dumbledore, but I
was not yet strong enough to attempt kidnap in the midst of a horde of
Ministry wizards. And then, the boy would return to Hogwarts, where he
is under the crooked nose of that Muggle-loving fool from morning
until night. So how could I take him?"

Jen tossed the can(n)on ball away. "This does sound as if the `ancient
magic' part refers to the protection at the Dursleys", she admitted.

"Yes," said Neri, "and if so it could be the dragon blood ointment
employed during the 24hrs without being redundant. Only in this case,
how can Harry's eyes be the weak link in the protection at the
Dursleys' house?"

While Jen was pondering this, SSSusan said:

> 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.

"Oh", said Neri, "I think you misunderstood my Scenario 2. In this
Scenario both Hagrid and Harry never meet DD. DD sent Hagrid a message
to stop on the way. It could be at the Longbottoms house like Snow
suggested or anywhere else, and Hagrid and Harry spent there most of
the day while DD was away at Hogwarts. During that time DD placed the
protection magic on Harry from afar. This would make sense if the
protection magic doesn't require the protected person to be present,
but it does require some heavy and/or delicate machinery that would be
difficult to transport from Hogwarts, which is why I thought about the
silvery instruments. Now that I think about it... try this one: Snape
prepared ink from the dragon blood, and DD used it to write the letter
to Petunia. Once Petunia would read the letter and take Harry the
magical pact would be sealed. It's similar to the Fidelius charm and
the jinx Hermione put on the DA member list. This would explain why DD
didn't need either Hagrid or Harry before they met at Number 4, Privet
Drive."

Just as Neri was saying this, a big owl swooped down on him and
dropped a letter right on his head (addressed "Obsessive Nitpicker,
The Beach, Theory Bay"). Neri opened it and read:

Rebecca / HunterGreen already wrote in 
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/128812
> My only theory (and I'll admit that its unlikely) is that he placed 
> the charm on the *letter*, and it became sort of like a contract. The 
> moment that she took Harry in (in other words made Privet Drive his 
> home, perhaps whenever her or Vernon cleaned out the cupboard and put 
> Harry there), that sealed the charm.

"Well", sighed Neri "I did think about it even before I'd read
Rebecca's theory, which just goes to show it's very reasonable. Why do
you think it's an unlikely theory, Rebecca? I'd say it has more canon
support than the ointment."

Potioncat, however, was ready to defend the Potions master's honor
with a new theory:

> Picture this: Hagrid delivers Baby Harry to Snape, possibly at 
> Hogwarts. Hagrid runs an errand within the castle (meeting 
> McGonagall, but not telling her Harry is there.) Snape treats the 
> wound on Harry's head with the dragon blood ointment, wrapping a 
> bandage around Harry's head. He wraps it tightly and it hurts. Baby 
> Harry doesn't like that one bit! Finally Hagrid comes back and takes 
> Harry on the pleasant bike ride.
> 
> Back to the dream: The sorting hat merges with the turban which 
> becomes the forgotten bandage. Snape looking past Quirrell's turban 
> recalls to Harry's mind Snape applying a turban to his head. It makes 
> his head hurt and jolts a memory of the real cause of the injury, 
> high laughter and a green light.
> 
> TURBAN! Tying Unguent 'Round Baby 'Arry's Noggin.   

"Cool acronym", grinned Neri. "However, if it were Snape and Hagrid
that did everything, it would be a bit pretentious of DD to say that
he placed the charm on Harry, and this would hardly be in character".

Neri