Hand of Glory (was HoG/Rookwood

[Catlady (Rita Prince Winston)]

No: HPFGUIDX 184034

Carol wrote in
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/183971>:

<< [Draco] could not have taken [the Hand of Glory] to Hogwarts then
[in CoS] because he canonically did not have it. Moreover, even if he
acquired it (offpage) in some other year, >>

My feeling is that Draco acquired the Hand of Glory off-page, by Owl
order, in CoS. To me, technically he did not *take* it to Hogwarts in
the CoS year because instead he had it delivered to him at Hogwarts.
The only canon I recall is that he did not buy it during the early CoS
visit to Borgin and Burke's. Please tell me if there is some other
canon that he did not have it hidden in his dorm room later in CoS.

I could even spin a tale that Narcissa was getting her hair done while
Lucius and Draco were at Borgin and Burke's, and the three then
re-united for a snack at Florean Fortescue's, and Draco whined to
Narcissa about Father being mean to him, and Narcissa immediately
glared daggers at Lucius and marched Draco back to Borgin and Burke's
and bought him the Hand of Glory, so he *did* TAKE it to Hogwarts in
his trunk. That Draco was no longer messing with it in Slytherin House
by Christmas holiday, the only time we got to see him in Slytherin
House, doesn't prove he hadn't messed with a lot before quickly
getting bored.

<< Ron would not have seen it, >>

Ron could have seen it when Draco showed it off in public (i.e.
anywhere but Slytherin House). Draco could have shown it off by waving
it around and telling of its properties; he didn't need to demonstrate
its properties to show it off. The other kids would have been
adequately impressed that it was a body part of a dead human being. As
long as he didn't show it off directly in view of a professor or Filch
or a particularly officious Prefect (like Hermione became), it
wouldn't have been confiscated. Even Draco is smart enough to hide it
in his bookbag or under his cloak if Filch comes by.

<< and Draco would have had to take it home each school year. He
couldn't hide it at the school where the House-elves would find it
over the holidays, >>

I don't think Draco would have wanted to leave it at school over the
holidays, but if he did, the House Elves would dust it. It is not the
job of House Elves to confiscate students' possessions. They probably
had reported to Dumbledore that he had it, but Dumbledore had a very
non-interfering attitude toward student behavior.

<< and he couldn't take it home because his father would have regarded
it as a tool for thieves and plunderers. >>

I think you either underestimate Draco's ability to hid things in his
bedroom, or overestimate his parents' desire to search his bedroom.
Why do you think they would want to find the pornography or the
guidebooks on how to cheat on exams that they assume he has hidden
from them?

I was pleased that Lynda offered her practical experience to support
my theoretical positions in
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/183982>: <<
having lived in a number of dormitories in my life (school,
military barracks) and realizing that it's not really all that
difficult to hide something if you really have to  >>

<< she also didn't consider how he could get it into the school under
the strict new security measures whether or not it had been there
before. >>

What is the canon to disprove that the security spells only detected
Dark artifacts which were coming to Hogwarts for the first time?

Steve bboyminn wrote in
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/183977>:

<< So, how about DE enter B&B's shop and send something through,
something useful like the Hand of Glory? It goes through the cabinet
proving its function, Draco finds it, it by-passes security, it
resolves everything except how Ron knew about Draco having it. >>

Good idea, except not explaining how Ron said he had *seen* it.
<< "Remember that shriveled-up arm Malfoy had?" >>