JKR's Dumbledore: Harry or Hermione (was:Re: It really annoys me ...

[Bex]

No: HPFGUIDX 163924

> Alla:
> 
> So, wait, are you arguing that Dumbledore showed Harry the mirror 
> which is really the main trap for the stone, but did not expect Harry 
> to go after the Stone?

<snip>

> 
> The problem I have for this argument is of course that the tools that 
> Dumbledore is showing Harry are **precisely** for going after Stone, 
> as I said above Mirror being the main one, no?
> 
> Or are you saying that Dumbledore did expect Harry to go after stone, 
> but when he is older?
> 


blitz now:
Could I be of some help here? I read this theory loooooong time ago -
I can't recall if it was on Mugglenet, or the Red Hen.

The point of Dumbledore leaving traps in the dungeon that an eleven
year old can get through is that it would challenge an adult wizard a
bit, but also give him a false sense of security.

The mirror was the stopper. No one working for Voldemort could get the
stone out of the mirror. They would be a sitting duck there when the
teachers lowered the boom.

That's why Dumbledore chanced leaving the school - give him a chance
to make his move.

After the thief was apprehended, the mirror would be taken out of its
hiding place, and someone would get the stone out of it. A sweet,
honest little student who just wants to find the precious item in the
mirror would be just the person.

And Dumbledore let Harry be that student. Perhaps he didn't expect
Harry to come strolling along that first night and discover the
mirror, but Dumbledore decided after a few times that Harry would be
an excellent pick for that student to retrieve the stone - favoritism
is what it boiled down to.

So Dumbledore shows Harry how to work the mirror. (I like the thought
of Harry seeing *what he wants to see* in the mirror - a large family
with traits like him, and no Dursleys). And then Dumbledore puts the
mirror away. And he says, "Now don't you forget this, Harry."

The thief isn't making his move by the end of term. All the students
will be gone soon. Dumbles is nervous. So he takes off, making sure
that the staff know about his absence. "Urgent letter from London -
Fudge is up to his ears in something. Must take off, be back late
tonight. The weather's so nice, I do believe I will fly there..."

The thief makes his move with Dumbles away - the old geezer flew there
instead of Apparating from Hogsmeade, so he'll be gone for a while.
Dumbledore planned to keep the thief busy - even if he gets the stone,
he's still only got one way out of that obstacle course - everyone
will be waiting for him.

But Harry Potter comes along and forks it all up. He wasn't going to
do anything in this at all. He would be the one that would get the
stone out of the mirror a day or two later. He wasn't supposed to go
down there. Hermione was right, and HArry, as iusual was wrong in his
little speech. Dumbledore didn't want him down there.

The invisibility cloak was his - it belonged to his father. And HArry
has so few items connecting him to his parents - let the baby have a toy.

~Yblitzka, who found the link:
http://www.redhen-publications.com/QuirrellDebacle.html

And it's a very good essay.