Saving Ginny (was Re: Lockhart's incompetence)

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 143232

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "horridporrid03" 
<horridporrid03 at y...> wrote:
>
> > >>Geoff:
> > > My concern is, that although there is a certain amount of smug 
> > > satisfaction in watching Lockhart backpedalling, what were the 
> > > staff actually proposing to /do/ about Ginny once they'd got 
him 
> > > out of the way?
> > > <snip>
>  
> > >>Potioncat:
> > You're right! It certainly seems that everyone gave up. If 
anyone  
> > was doing something, or planning to do something, we weren't 
told  
> > about it. 

<snip> 

> Betsy Hp:
> I agree that the staff were really between a rock and a hard 
place.  
> Which might explain why they turned on Lockhart with such 
> enjoyment.  They knew there wasn't anything they could do and he 
was 
> a perfect target for their frustrated aggression.  Frankly, I don't 
> blame them.  Though I also think they were honestly relieved to 
have 
> him out of their hair as they tried to deal with the crisis.
> 
> I can't think of anything the staff could have done to try and find 
> Ginny.  The Chamber had been hidden for centuries; no one had a 
clue 
> where to look for it.  Dumbledore seemed fairly sure Tom Riddle had 
> opened the Chamber the last time, but he also knew that Voldemort 
> was no where near the castle.  

<snip>

> I do think Dumbledore suspecting Tom Riddle should have helped him 
> figure out that the creature was a basilisk.  What with snakes 
being 
> such a connection between Slytherin and Tom.  Just as Hermione made 
> the connection because of Harry's knowledge of parseltongue.

Geoff:
Well, they certainly knew now that the Chamber existed. Was there no 
spell to locate it?

Again, Mineva McGonagall knows that Dumbledore has had a number of 
conversations with Harry, including the one after Justin was 
petrified. Dumbledore seems to believe that Harry is not implicated 
but maybe there might have been some clue in their conversations. Why 
not ask Harry if he is able to help -  she does seem to have quite a 
good deal of faith in his abilites. If he said "No", it would at 
least eliminate one line of enquiry.

I think wringing their hands and crying "Woe, alas" at this point is 
a bit early in the game. We have a girl missing, possibly dead. In 
the worst case scenario, with the "Daily Prophet" baying at the door 
and Lucius Malfoy involving himself, it could lead to a permanent 
shutdown of Hogwarts, although McGonagall seems to be taking that 
view as a line of least resistance.