Best of Enemies all three parts

[pippin_999]

Kneasy:
> > << 5 so-called anti-Harry characters appear in book 1 >> 

Catlady:
> > Vernon, Petunia, Dudley, Draco, Quirrell, Lord Voldemort...I 
count 6. 
> >
Kneasy: 
> Ah, lists. We each have our preferences. "Round up the usual 
suspects!" we say, but we find that they're not always the same.
> What is interesting is the name that we've both omitted from 
our lists...

Pippin:
Five letters, sounds like 'nape' -- 

Kneasy:
> > << Hexing the broomstick. Huh. Not impressed. Classic 
demonstration of a conflict of goals. Ignore Potter - just get the 
damn Stone. Why's he farting around playing silly buggers with 
an 11 year old? >>

Pippin:
Quirrell explained that; he thought Harry might have seen him on 
the way to suss out  the Stone. 

"You're too nosy to live, Potter. Scurrying around the school on 
Halloween like that, for all I knew you'd seen me coming to look 
at what was guarding the Stone." PS/SS ch 17

The interesting thing is whether Snape, fearing the same, 
deliberately allowed Harry to know he'd been in the third floor 
corridor as well, so that Harry and his friends would stalk Snape, 
not Quirrell.

Kneasy: 
> > << And anyway, can't he do better than broom-nobbling? He's 
supposed to be an expert on Dark Arts, isn't he? So why not use 
'em? >>

Pippin:
Erm, because if he's found out, he'll be sent to Azkaban and that 
will make it difficult to get at the Stone. The attack has to look 
accidental, but it seems that there are so many protections on 
the students at Hogwarts that it's difficult.

 This must have looked like a splendid opportunity. First year, 
Muggle-raised, loses control of his broom and falls off, such a 
tragedy. Brooms *are* dangerous, remember Neville's never 
been allowed on one, and Firsties aren't usually allowed 
to play Quidditch at all. No one but Snape seems to suspect that 
Harry's difficulties are the result of anything but inexperience. 

Kneasy:
 Is Basilisk poison magical? I'd have thought not, it's
 just a run-of-the-mill curdle your blood, fry your nervous system, 
death- dealing venom. May be wrong of course. But it's my 
understanding that according to the conventions of role-playing 
games a magical poison is considered as a bit underhand, 
sharp practice. Perhaps Jo doesn't play games.

Pippin:
Arthur needs a magical remedy to counter the venom of the 
snake that bit him in OOP,  and surgical stitches won't close the 
wound, so I'm afraid, yes, the basilisk's poison is magical, too.

Kneasy:
> > 
> > I have this vague theory that Lucius doesn't know that Voldie 
knows that Lucius plans to betray and vanquish(*) Voldie when 
the time arrives that Voldie seems more of a liability than an 
asset to Lucius's ambitions. (To me, Lucius doesn't mind being 
the power behind LV's throne but does mind e.g. LV destroying 
the economy that keeps him rich.) 
> > (*) If Lucius believes the Prophecy, he will want to keep Harry 
alive under his control for that reason.

Pippin

Ditto for ESE!Lupin, except that Lupin *does* want to destroy the 
economy of the wizarding world that's keeping him poor, on the 
other hand he doesn't get the personal kick out of Death Eating 
that Lucius does. But that's just my opinion.

Pippin