Portkey in GOF - Logistics

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 149561

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "David" <foodiedb at ...> wrote:
>
> Hi all,
> Once again, I am sorry if this has been covered, but if not:  I
> was wondering why Crouch/Moody went through all of that trouble
> to have Harry go through the tournament and then make the Goblet
> the portkey.  Why didn't he, for example, just make Harry's 
> toothbrush or pillow the portkey?
>
> Thanks,
> David
>


bboyminn:

Other have already covered the subject nicely, but I'll add another
point. Think about it from a practical perspective. To say, 'make some
other object a Portkey' sounds easy, but think it through from
beginning to end.

Regardless of the object the Fake!Moody enchants, there is a good
chance that some one other than Harry will pick it up. For example,
people most often suggest Harry's toothbrush, but the phrase 'Ron,
hand me my toothbruch' pretty much shoot that one down. 

Voldemort needs Harry's blood and he seems to need it at a specific
time. Another person touching a random Portkey would bring the wrong
person and that would open an investigation which would threaten
Voldemort's plans.

A book is also frequently suggested, but it has the same problem, no
guarantee that Harry will be the next one to touch it. 

At least inside the Maze Task, fake!Moody has some control of who does
what. He is clearing obsticals for Harry and making sure Harry gets to
the Cup. It's not a 100% guarantee that Harry will win, but the odds
are stacked in his favor. Further, if something does happen to Harry
in the Maze, it will take them a while to determine if some
enchantment or beast has gotten him, or if there has been some foul play. 

Further, I suspect that fake!Moody intends to get away with it and go
on to serve the Dark Lord. If he enchants Harry's toothbrush, odds are
he will have been seen lurking around an area where he would have no
logical reason to lurk; ie: the Commons Room and the Dorms.

So, I think my central point is that Harry and the Portkey object need
to be isolated when the come into contact with each other to control
the timing and to be sure that it is indeed Harry who touches the Portkey.

Further, if everything had gone according to plan, there is a certain
disgrace and lose of credibility for Harry to have been lost in the
Tri-Wizards Tournement. It puts Dumbledore, Hogwarts, and the Ministry
in a bad light. Whereas if Harry had just disappeared at a random time
on a random day, it could be chalked up to Harry's own mischief making
and disregard for the rules. So, in this sense, Voldemort want to
weaken his enemies as well as gain his own power.

Just a few thoughts.

Steve/bboyminn