Why not Actually Re-Write? Just for fun.

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 180367

---  Bart Lidofsky <bartl at ...> wrote:
>
> liliput99ar wrote:
> > I would have made Harry remember the mirror Sirius gave him
> > to keep in  touch!! (OotP). ... Harry to forget the mirror.
> > But so did Sirius!

> Bart:
> 
> Film critic Roger Ebert, in his list of "movie myths", lists
> one called the "idiot plot". This refers to a plot which 
> requires that everybody act like an idiot in order for the 
> plot to work. ...
> 
> There is a flaw in writing which usually plagues writers that
> are overhurried; ..., but I refer to it as writing at the 
> character instead of writing the character. It is thinking 
> of the character in the third person .... JKR has Sirius 
> give the mirror to Harry, and then they both forget about it. 
> Well, I ask, is there anybody reading this who would not have
> bothered to TRY OUT the mirror as soon as possible?
> 
> ...
> 
> Bart


bboyminn:

Well in the context of this thread, anything goes, you can
rewrite as you see fit. 

But in the context of the actual series as written, the mirror
is explained. Harry doesn't know what the gift is, he never 
opens it, and he puts it away and forgets about it because
he vows to NOT be the one who lures Sirius out of hiding and
puts him at risk. 

Now the need comes many month later after he has forgotten
about it. Remember, he threw it in his trunk and never opened
it. So, he doesn't really know what it is. 

I think JKR brought the mirror into this part of the story
so it would be an established object that she could fall 
back on later in the final book. Also note that she 
introduced the magic pocket knife in PoA. Harry realizes
he could have used it at the bottom of the lake in GoF, but
it doesn't really come into use until OotP. That's part of
the game she plays, things are introduced in one book but
don't really pay off until much later.

As far as Sirius, the only time Harry and Sirius talk, Harry
is distracted by other things, and before Sirius can ask 
him why he isn't using the mirror, they are interrupted and
the conversation ends abruptly.

I can share Harry's and reader's frustration that Harry didn't
have the mirror when he really needed it, but I think the
books explain clearly how that came about.

Still, I was really hoping Harry would think about the mirror
in later books and have Hermione create more. One for Ron,
one for Hermione, one for Harry, and at least one more for
Ginny. Though other characters could have certainly used one. 
Maybe people at school would see Ginny's and try to create 
their own.

Anyway, I can understand wanting Harry to remember the mirror
and to use it.

For what it's worth.

Steve/bboyminn