Bloody Relics and Unexpected Tasks

[Jen Reese]

> >Jen: Another thought, Aberforth will buy the farm in Book 7 so the
> >remaining heirs of the two feuding founders will be laid to rest.
 
> Talisman: Now it's my turn to be shocked.  Really Jen, a nice girl 
> like you killing folks off just to tidy things up.  A bit 
> unnerving, really. 

Jen: Tidy things up, yes, exactly! A little fictional death and 
dismemberment never hurt anybody <eg>.

Talisman:
> There is also the little matter of getting the hat out of 
> McGonagal's clutches, especially if Harry's AWOL from school and 
> continuing to refuse her any information as to what he's up to. 
> Although she'd probably REALLY be obstreperous if he did 
> tell. "Perhaps you misunderstood me, Potter. Dropping out of
> school does not qualify one to be an Auror." Nostrils all a-
> flaring.

Jen: Now that Harry is using his Slytherin traits on pretty much a 
daily basis, like plying an old wizard with alcohol and coercing a 
memory from him or pulling a bezoar out of the hat to praise and 
adulation, I'd say he's up for the task here. Probably a sympathy 
tactic, maybe requesting some alone time with Dumbledore's potrait? 
McGonagall will get sniffy and not refuse.

> Talisman:
> Well, you know I keep my weather-eye on Dumbledore.  I rather like 
> the idea of the castle having it's own magic, indeed I'm sure it 
> does, but it would seem to be less personally involved.  Neither
> the castle proper, nor a any defensive measure left by Godric 
> seems to have been opposing the Basilisk--either throughout year 
> 2, or when Riddle initiated the first round of attacks fifty years
> before. 
> 
> We would also have to conclude that Godric just didn't consider 
> Myrtle worth saving, and that doesn't sort well with his image.

Jen: Myrtle *can* be annoying, perhaps that was the problem? 
Seriously though, there was no Gryffindor student trying to save 
poor Myrtle! Hagrid was busy with his spiders and had no clue about 
the chamber and apparently no one else was up for the task. A 
Gryffindor opposing the basilisk and in a desperate situation inside 
the chamber could be what called forth the magic.

Talisman: 
> More to the point about Fawkes, while I know there is a contingent 
> who subscribe to the idea of Fawkes as a phoenix with a long chain 
> of ownership (You may recall that this came up in a wand 
> discussion, some time ago.) I'm happy to say that Rowling took my
> part in that argument.
> 
> From the Edinburgh *cub reporter* press conference, ITV, July 16, 
> 2005: <snipped quote>.

Jen: Damn interviews *grumble, grumble*. Alright, I'll have to 
concede Fawkes and agree he was put on alert by Dumbledore to 
respond to Harry-in-danger. Unless he's more sentient than that and 
did it on his own. 

> Talisman:
> I still like the idea of * the magic of the castle,* but here
> again, I notice that the instructions in CoS were pointedly and
> knowingly given to Harry by DD, and, when the time came, didn't
> actually include a request for help. 
> 
> I'll also note that, though Fawkes brought the hat to the Chamber, 
> when Harry asked for help it was the Basilisk who flipped the hat
> to him, with it's tail.  Nice to be a parseltongue. 

Jen: Hold on, I can't concede everything here! Fawkes may have 
brought the hat, perhaps on Dumbledore's orders or perhaps his own 
accord (and I like the parceltongue coming in here), but either way 
when Harry jams the hat on his head, one of two known Gryffindor 
relics, and says "Help me--help me...Please help me" *that's* when 
the other relic of Gryffindor drops on his head. You say arranged by 
Dumbeldore, I say Godric's magic left in the castle to help a 
Gryffindor student facing the basilisk. 

Talisman: 
> Also, asking for help in a tight situation seems to be a good
> idea, as a general matter. A few of the other times it has worked
> include Hermione's request for entrance to the Whomping Willow in
> Book 3, aka "Help, Help," which was technically outside the
> castle, though admittedly still on the grounds, and Harry's
> request for help in the DoM when he couldn't find his way out,
> which occurred far from the castle's powers. All a bit
> metaphysical, eh?  Doesn't mean DD didn't have a point.

Jen: "Magic at its deepest and most penetrable" she said, wisely, 
with a bit of a wink. 

As for magic in the castle, others have pointed out the Room of 
Requirement as a bit of Ravenclaw magic, and the Hufflepuffs...hmmm, 
haven't heard one about that. Maybe all the magical species of 
plants/herbs? That's a little boring. Oh, maybe the Forbidden 
Forest? That sounds exactly like a Hufflepuff area, a sanctuary for 
mistreated beasts in the WW.  
 
Jen, waiting patiently for all those posts Talisman is creating in 
her hideaway at Malfoy Manor, or perhaps she's changed locales this 
time around, given all the MOM officials tromping through there?