Saving Ginny (was Re: Lockhart's incompetence)

[Andrew]

No: HPFGUIDX 143239


> 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.  (I believe his sources had him back 
> in a European forest somewhere.)  
> 
> He may have had an idea that Lucius Malfoy was behind the attack 
> (through Snape) though I don't think there's anything in canon 
that 
> suggests Dumbledore was thinking along those lines before Harry 
> brought him the diary.  Even if Snape *had* ferreted out Lucius's 
> involvement, Lucius himself had no clue how the diary worked, 
where 
> the Chamber was located, and how it could be accessed.  So that 
line 
> of inquiry would have gone no where, I think.
> 
> 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.
> 
> I'm also surprised that no one spoke to Mirtle about her death.  I 
> think Dumbledore would have been able to make the leap between a 
boy 
> speaking some strange language and Mirtle's sudden death, just as 
> Harry and Ron do.  He wouldn't have been able to access the 
Chamber, 
> but I'm betting he would have found the snake drawing and realized 
> the significance.  (I think Dumbledore had time to do this sort of 
> detective work before he was booted from Hogwarts.)
> 
> So there is a bit of adult incompetence used to place Harry in the 
> position of facing Tom alone.  But it's minor enough, IMO, that it 
> didn't throw me out of the story.  I don't think it necessarily 
> pointed towards a childhood virtue being stronger or more pure or 
> something than an adulthood virtue, though.  
> 
> I've never gotten the sense that JKR is trying to say there's some 
> aspect of childhood that is needed in adults.  Has anyone seen 
this 
> message in the books?  I mean, even Harry's love power is 
something 
> he gained from his adult mother, right?
> 
> Betsy Hp, who rambled a bit here, sorry.
>

Dumbledore had this uncanny ability to trust people even in the 
strangest situations. Maybe he just thought or new that Harry could 
figure it out or must figure it out in order to grow toward 
fulfilling the prophecy?
Andrew