The day after

[mooseming]

--- In the_old_crowd at yahoogroups.com, Barry Arrowsmith 
<arrowsmithbt at b...> wrote:
<snip>

> "OK," says you, "so how did he find out?"
> "Easy," says I, "there was an impeccable witness who didn't lie."
> "Oh yes," says you,"and who would that be then?"
> "Simple," says I. "Harry."
> "What?" says you, "rely on a 15 month old who couldn't understand 
what 
> was happening and probably couldn't put it into words anyway?"
> "Yep."
> Because words aren't needed, neither is understanding, all that 
are 
> required are memories. And a Pensieve.
> 
> DD and Snape use a wand to transfer memories from mind to 
Pensieve. 
> Memories that are straight replays - no interpretation, no 
commentary, 
> no filtering - just the action. 
As a bonus the scenes can be viewed 
> from a neutral viewpoint, getting perspectives and dialogue that 
are 
> not apparent to the memory holder. At least that is what appeared 
to 
> happen in "Snape's worst memory." So is it so incredible to 
believe 
> that a wand couldn't be pointed at someone else's head and *their* 
> memories transferred?

Evidence to date re contents of the pensieve only comes from adults, 
whilst what you say is true for thoughts processed via an adult 
perspective would this apply to a child as young as Harry was? OK so 
memory is a tricky thing, what we think we remember and can recount, 
and what remains in the unconscious are not the same thing. Clearly 
JKR believes Harry has some unconscious memories of the events at GH 
(dementors act as prompts) but does this imply a small child has a 
complete video library of real time events? Wouldn't some 
comprehension be required to lay down such memories? A child so 
young sees the world very differently to adults, understands it very 
differently. 

> 
> Cor!  What a plot device!
> DD knows everything right from the start!
> He knows Voldy isn't dead, that he probably will come back.
> He knows that Harry must be protected, that his destiny is not 
> complete,  that he has a function to fulfill.
> He knows the significance of the scar and how it was caused and 
why.
> He knows (as he admits in CoS) that Harry has powers (plural) 
> transferred from Voldy.
> He knows who else was there.
> DD doesn't need to guess at "what now?".  Given the circumstances 
he 
> can make his plans accordingly.

Hum but does he know it all? DD knows a great deal more about GH 
than he's `fessing up to but he's still information gathering. To 
me, one key point of the 'in essence divided' scene is that DD now 
has new information, fundamental information, something he views 
with grim satisfaction probably because although it is not good it 
is necessary to understanding how to defeat Voldy. If he'd seen all 
at GH surely he'd know that before. Reading through the beginning of 
OotP I get the sense that DD is expecting something to happen to 
Harry, waiting for it, knows exactly the question he wants answered 
when it happens, he is very specific regarding the information he 
wants and its an odd question to ask in the circumstances `How did 
you see this? 
.. Can you remember where you were positioned as you 
watched
? DD is using the link between Harry and Voldy to gather 
information, a very high risk strategy, because he has to.

BTW great post, found it inspirational, *what* it inspired is not at 
all relevant to this post however, that will follow later!

Regards
Jo