CHAPTER DISCUSSION: Prisoner of Azkaban Chapter 3: The Knight Bus

[Mike]

No: HPFGUIDX 189449



> Nikkalmati
> 
> I like this idea. I would point out that Sirius was locked up and presumably would not be free to roam about.  Also, he may be undetectable in his Anamagus form.  What do people think?  Is an Anamagus perceived by magic?  The Sneakoscope knew about Peter and the map saw him too.

Mike:
First off, I too liked blackcatnocturnal's answer to the Sirius question.

Now on to yours, Nik. This is a tough one because we don't know the protection spell that DD used. I mean, we know he used "blood magic" and combined it with the "love" protection based in Lily's blood. But was it designed to sense danger to Harry? Did it work like a pseudo-unplottable spell, hiding Harry from anyone that didn't know he was there? Knowing Dumbledore, I gotta believe it was both a complicated and difficult spell to perform. And it must have been too difficult to crack, unless you understood the basis upon which the spell drew its power. Which LV and the DEs did not.

As for Sirius the dog; we know the animagus form fooled the Dementors, but polyjuice also fooled them. I don't think polyjuice would have fooled DD's spell. But detecting someone in animagus form and reading their intent are two different things. Sirius said that when he was a dog, his thoughts were more animalistic than human. So would DD's spell, if it was supposed to detect intent, been able to detect the intent of an animagus? I'm thinking not. I'm thinking that if Ron had brought Scabbers over to the Dursleys, the spell would have allowed him to enter. Too bad Ron didn't have Scabbers in his pocket when he and the twins rescued Harry, to test this theory.


> Nikkalmati
>
> I also think Harry had gone beyond the area of the magical protections.  I think just the house and immediate area are "safe" for him.  That is why the Order has to put guards around the house in OOP. 

Mike:
I agree with your "safe" area theory, though I wonder if the Dementors could have approached the house, in OotP, if Harry had been there instead? Do you think DD's protection included Dementors? Could an intent spell read those of a Dementor?

But I think the Order guards were supposed to keep Harry from wandering off, more than to protect Harry if he did. Or is that what you meant?