Yes, Virginia, there is a traitor

[Neri]

No: HPFGUIDX 159315



> Pippin:
> PoA ch 10
> It took ages, but Harry had the thought of Honeyduke's to sustain
> him. After what felt like an hour, the passage began to rise. Panting,
> Harry sped up, his face hot, his feet very cold. 
> 
> Ten minutes later, he came to the foot of some worn stone steps,
> which rose out of sight above him.
> 

Neri:
"What felt like an hour" isn't necessarily an hour. It could be just
what felt like an hour to an impatient 13 yrs old kid walking in a
dark tunnel he never walked before. I'm sure it didn't actually take
"ages" either. 


> Pippin:
> PoA ch 17
> On and on went the passaage, it felt at least as long as the one to
> Honeydukes. 
> --
> An hour also matches with the PoA timeline. An hour for Harry and
> co to walk out to the shack, an hour of conversation, and an hour
> back again. Three turns should do it. <g>
> 

Neri:
These three hours include more than the conversation in the shack.
They also include HRH going to Hagrid's under the cloak, having a talk
with him, finding Scabbers there, and going back to the willow. They
also include going out of the willow, Lupin's transformation,
Wormtail's escape, the dementors attack, Snape bringing the kids and
Sirius back to the castle, meeting with Fudge, the big argument in the
hospital wing
 fitting all the above into a single hour feels a bit
tight.  

 
> Pippin:
> Voldemort expects his DE's to answer his summons instantly. Snape's
> failure to do so was a cause for suspicion. 
> 

Neri:
Assuming Voldemort summoned the attack party himself (and we don't
know that he did) Draco still needed to contact Voldemort in the first
place. Did he have an instantaneous way to do that? And is the Dark
Lord obliged to answer instantly?

Then, even assuming all the DEs arrive immediately, there's still a
few small details to clarify: Who's in charge? Who's the target? Who
gets the first shot at the target? Where is the target right now? What
do you mean you're not sure where he is right now? In his office? Then
how do we get in? There's a password? What's the password? What do you
mean you don't know the password? And what if he's not there at all?
Have you heard such a stupid plan in your life? Why is he in charge
and not me? Shouldn't we do this tomorrow or the day after that when
we have some proper intelligence? Why don't we have some intelligence
from Snape? Isn't it his job to bring intelligence? What do you mean
you don't want him involved? Why? Didn't I say it's a stupid plan?
What other defenses are we likely to meet, anyway? When we finish this
business, what are our escape routes out of the castle? How long would
it take the aurors to arrive? Are there going to be any snacks
(Greyback's question)? Why do we have to bring *him*? Kid, do you want
to argue with the Dark Lord about it? Etc, Etc, Etc
 I mean, these
guys took four pages on the tower just to decide who should kill
Dumbledore, and they probably would still be arguing about it if Snape
hadn't arrived and took matters into his own hands.    


> Pippin:
> Dumbledore didn't keep his absences from the castle a secret, but 
> we know he didn't inform Order members who weren't going to be 
> on guard that he would be absent, or Tonks would have known. 
> If the soonest Draco could have known that Dumbledore had left 
> was when Rosmerta sent him the message, we have to give him 
> some reason for hanging about in the RoR.
> 

Neri:
He doesn't hang about in the RoR – he goes bringing the DEs. The point
is that the DEs would know that Dumbledore is frequently not even in
the castle at nights, so they'd want first to make sure he isn't in
the Three Broomsticks or in the Hog's Head or anywhere else. They'd
wait until they know where he is. 


Neri, who was skeptic about the fairies too.