Question on PS

[Richard]

No: HPFGUIDX 147829

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Jutika Gehani" 
<mail_to_jutika at ...> wrote:
>
> Hi,
> 
> In PS DD says to Harry, "I don't need a cloak to become 
invisible." 
> Does this mean that DD can become invisible using magic? If this 
is the 
> case why didn't he just become invisible when Snape was about to 
kill 
> him?
> 
> Take care,
> Jutika.
>

Richard here:

Escaping from Snape would require more than simply becoming 
invisible.  Being invisible doesn't mean you aren't there, nor does 
it mean that a well-aimed spell (or even a fortuitously aimed one) 
won't affect the invisible party.  Remember, Harry had on his 
invisibility cloak when Malfoy hit him with that petrificus totalus 
on the Hogwarts train.  Dumbledore, being in a terribly weakened 
condition may not have been able to make himself invisible, even if 
he still had his wand in hand, but as he was described as slowly 
slipping down the wall during his conversation with Malfoy, I think 
it doubtful that he could have moved far enough, quickly enough to 
be even relatively safe from the Death Eaters gathered there.

A second consideration is that Harry was there, and Dumbledore 
needed to protect him.  Had Dumbledore been able to disappear AND 
move quickly enough to avoid a spell cast in immediate response, the 
subsequent searching and random spray of spells might well have 
found and harmed or killed Harry.

While I don't think becoming invisible was a practical consideration 
in this case, I do wonder why he did not summon any of the house 
elves.  I'm sure he had no desire to see any harm come to these 
elves, nor would he want them responsible for killing anyone, but 
house-elves are hardly defenseless, and a hundred house elves could 
easily have handled even a dozen Death Eaters.  I suppose there 
might be some legislation against house elves attacking humans, but 
perhaps the more important consideration is what it would do to the 
plot line.


Richard, who thinks the most difficult problem with magic in 
literature is limiting it so that it doesn't destroy any tension in 
the plot