Harry Potter Underused Canon Titbits

[Chuckg]

To be fair to Dumbledore, at that point of time he only had faint suspicions about Voldemort's Horcrux usage [snip]

Wrong. Dumbledore knew that Voldemort was using horcruxes, and more than one horcrux, the instant the smoking diary hit his desk at the end of year 2. He says this in book 6.

That's two years before Voldemort was even resurrected.

... shit, actually, you know what? If Dumbledore had just moved his ass, he should have been Horcrux hunting all through year 3, and Voldemort would have been down to just the scar in Harry's face (and Nagini, maybe) by year 4.

As to 'how will he get Voldemort to touch the Prophecy Orb?' Yes, how would you get someone to pick up something that he's already desperately trying to steal? It is a mystery!

Shit, in canon Dumbledore fried his hand on Slytherin's ring, so, that knocks another hole in your 'He's too good a wizard to touch something with a magic booby-trap on it!' theory. Tom's good, but Dumbledore is at least his equal, and he could get caught by a trap like this.

Also Dumbledore had not the slightest idea as to where most of the Horcruxes were.

Oh really?

"I can only guess," said Dumbledore. "For the reasons I have already given, I believe that Lord Voldemort would prefer objects that, in themselves, have a certain grandeur. I have therefore trawled back through VoldemortÆs past to see if I can find evidence that such artifacts have disappeared around him."

"The locket!" said Harry loudly, "HufflepuffÆs cup!"

"Yes," said Dumbledore, smiling, "I would be prepared to bet ù perhaps not my other hand ù but a couple of fingers, that they became Horcruxes three and four. The remaining two, assuming again that he created a total of six, are more of a problem, but I will hazard a guess that, having secured objects from Hufflepuff and Slytherin, he set out to track down objects owned by Gryffindor or Ravenclaw. Four objects from the four founders would, I am sure, have exerted a powerful pull over VoldemortÆs imagination. I cannot answer for whether he ever managed to find anything of RavenclawÆs. I am confident, however, that the only known relic of Gryffindor remains safe."

"Do you think thatÆs why he really wanted to come back to Hogwarts, sir?" said Harry. "To try and find something from one of the other founders?"

"My thoughts precisely," said Dumbledore. "But unfortunately, that does not advance us much further, for he was turned away, or so I believe, without the chance to search the school. I am forced to conclude that he never fulfilled his ambition of collecting four foundersÆ objects. He definitely had two ù he may have found three ù that is the best we can do for now."

"Even if he got something of RavenclawÆs or of GryffindorÆs, that leaves a sixth Horcrux," said Harry, counting on his fingers. "Unless heÆs got both?"

"I donÆt think so," said Dumbledore. "I think I know what the sixth Horcrux is. I wonder what you will say when I confess that I have been curious for a while about the behavior of the snake, Nagini."

-- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, chapter 23

So, Dumbledore knew what he was looking for. He'd known for years, what with Voldemort's interest in Founder's Relics and his tendency for melodrama and collecting trophies. Shit, most of Deathly Hallows is nothing but Harry following up on the clues that Dumbledore gave him in the prior book.

Three clueless kids with nothing but the books in Hermione's purse, who had to stay on the run from an army of Death Eaters besides, were still able to find all the Horcruxes in less than a year... starting with only the clues that Dumbledore had already had.

You'd think that during peacetime, before Voldemort's return, with access to all of Hogwarts library to research and his whole collection of psychological profiling on Voldemort and the ability to just Apparate around freely without having to worry about staying hidden or being attacked by Death Eaters or anything, the most powerful wizard in Great Britain could do in, like, two months, what took the kids like ten months.

So why, if Dumbledore had had all these pensieve memories and clues and everything for years, did he not even start going out and collecting them until year 6? Why the fuck didn't he start in year 3, as soon as he knew for sure that Voldemort had Horcruxes? (And why the fuck was he so careless as to get caught by an idiot booby-trap? PS: Note that this also gives precedent for Voldemort getting bit the same way.)

Answer: It was in the script.

 

[Pirazy]

So why, if Dumbledore had had all these pensieve memories and clues and everything for years, did he not even start going out and collecting them until year 6?á? Why the fuck didn't he start in year 3, as soon as he knew for sure that Voldemort had Horcruxes?

For the same reason he let people he knew were guilty of horrible crimes walk free when it was well within his power to murder them all at his leisure and remove the cancer of the wizarding world.

He's a fucking idiot.

 

[sinewyk]

So why, if Dumbledore had had all these pensieve memories and clues and everything for years, did he not even start going out and collecting them until year 6?áá Why the fuck didn't he start in year 3, as soon as he knew for sure that Voldemort had Horcruxes?

For the same reason he let people he knew were guilty of horrible crimes walk free when it was well within his power to murder them all at his leisure and remove the cancer of the wizarding world.

He's a fucking idiot.

And that's pretty much why I began looking for fanfictions, I fucking hate plot holes, and Harry Potter is full of it, and the main character is a whiny little bitch too. I still don't understand how the books worked so well considering how she underused the world. So much potential ... all wasted imo. Too bad I can't write shit.

 

[WhiteKnightLeo]

So why, if Dumbledore had had all these pensieve memories and clues and everything for years, did he not even start going out and collecting them until year 6?áá Why the fuck didn't he start in year 3, as soon as he knew for sure that Voldemort had Horcruxes?

For the same reason he let people he knew were guilty of horrible crimes walk free when it was well within his power to murder them all at his leisure and remove the cancer of the wizarding world.

He's a fucking idiot.

And that's pretty much why I began looking for fanfictions, I fucking hate plot holes, and Harry Potter is full of it, and the main character is a whiny little bitch too. I still don't understand how the books worked so well considering how she underused the world. So much potential ... all wasted imo. Too bad I can't write shit.

I refuse to speak of "whining" where Harry Potter is concerned.

Ron Weasley whines. Draco Malfoy whines. Frankly, Haruno Sakura whines.

I will not accuse Uzumaki Naruto or Harry Potter of whining, no matter how much bitching the story involves, unless it is an AU where they didn't get dumped in a big pile of shit at birth.

And, as hard as it is to admit, even accusations of whining against Uchiha Sasuke can only really get so much traction. At some point you have to admit he got hit with a handful of shit (On the other hand, even that excuse will only take you so far).

Do some fanfic authors spend too much time having Harry bitch about how bad his life has been? Yes, yes they do. But I won't call it whining, out of respect if nothing else.

 

[wingthesword]

The thing wizards under use the most is their wisdom. The fuck? Wizards are supposed to be wise!

 

[blabla1994]

To be fair to Dumbledore, at that point of time he only had faint suspicions about Voldemort's Horcrux usage [snip]

Wrong. Dumbledore knew that Voldemort was using horcruxes, and more than one horcrux, the instant the smoking diary hit his desk at the end of year 2. He says this in book 6.

That's two years before Voldemort was even resurrected.

... shit, actually, you know what? If Dumbledore had just moved his ass, he should have been Horcrux hunting all through year 3, and Voldemort would have been down to just the scar in Harry's face (and Nagini, maybe) by year 4.

As to 'how will he get Voldemort to touch the Prophecy Orb?' Yes, how would you get someone to pick up something that he's already desperately trying to steal? It is a mystery!

Shit, in canon Dumbledore fried his hand on Slytherin's ring, so, that knocks another hole in your 'He's too good a wizard to touch something with a magic booby-trap on it!' theory. Tom's good, but Dumbledore is at least his equal, and he could get caught by a trap like this.

Also Dumbledore had not the slightest idea as to where most of the Horcruxes were.

Oh really?

"I can only guess," said Dumbledore. "For the reasons I have already given, I believe that Lord Voldemort would prefer objects that, in themselves, have a certain grandeur. I have therefore trawled back through VoldemortÆs past to see if I can find evidence that such artifacts have disappeared around him."

"The locket!" said Harry loudly, "HufflepuffÆs cup!"

"Yes," said Dumbledore, smiling, "I would be prepared to bet ù perhaps not my other hand ù but a couple of fingers, that they became Horcruxes three and four. The remaining two, assuming again that he created a total of six, are more of a problem, but I will hazard a guess that, having secured objects from Hufflepuff and Slytherin, he set out to track down objects owned by Gryffindor or Ravenclaw. Four objects from the four founders would, I am sure, have exerted a powerful pull over VoldemortÆs imagination. I cannot answer for whether he ever managed to find anything of RavenclawÆs. I am confident, however, that the only known relic of Gryffindor remains safe."

"Do you think thatÆs why he really wanted to come back to Hogwarts, sir?" said Harry. "To try and find something from one of the other founders?"

"My thoughts precisely," said Dumbledore. "But unfortunately, that does not advance us much further, for he was turned away, or so I believe, without the chance to search the school. I am forced to conclude that he never fulfilled his ambition of collecting four foundersÆ objects. He definitely had two ù he may have found three ù that is the best we can do for now."

"Even if he got something of RavenclawÆs or of GryffindorÆs, that leaves a sixth Horcrux," said Harry, counting on his fingers. "Unless heÆs got both?"

"I donÆt think so," said Dumbledore. "I think I know what the sixth Horcrux is. I wonder what you will say when I confess that I have been curious for a while about the behavior of the snake, Nagini."

-- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, chapter 23

So, Dumbledore knew what he was looking for. He'd known for years, what with Voldemort's interest in Founder's Relics and his tendency for melodrama and collecting trophies. Shit, most of Deathly Hallows is nothing but Harry following up on the clues that Dumbledore gave him in the prior book.

Three clueless kids with nothing but the books in Hermione's purse, who had to stay on the run from an army of Death Eaters besides, were still able to find all the Horcruxes in less than a year... starting with only the clues that Dumbledore had already had.

You'd think that during peacetime, before Voldemort's return, with access to all of Hogwarts library to research and his whole collection of psychological profiling on Voldemort and the ability to just Apparate around freely without having to worry about staying hidden or being attacked by Death Eaters or anything, the most powerful wizard in Great Britain could do in, like, two months, what took the kids like ten months.

So why, if Dumbledore had had all these pensieve memories and clues and everything for years, did he not even start going out and collecting them until year 6? Why the fuck didn't he start in year 3, as soon as he knew for sure that Voldemort had Horcruxes? (And why the fuck was he so careless as to get caught by an idiot booby-trap? PS: Note that this also gives precedent for Voldemort getting bit the same way.)

Answer: It was in the script.

I will concede most of these points, as it has been a while since I read the books. I would still like to know how you would propose he got access to the cup, as it was in Gringotts at the time. But mostly I want to know how on earth you would have Dumbledore find the Diadem. Dumbledore didn't even know of the existence of the room of requirement in anything but the vaguest senses, and only as "that room with all the chamberpots." I find it unlikely that he would jump to the conclusion that room of toilets = room with the capacity to become anything you wish it too including a place to hide things. Heck Harry only found this Horcrux through sheer luck, which I suppose doesn't prevent Dumbledore from doing the same, but having your theory work under the premise that "they would get lucky" seems to make for a rather unsubstantial one.

Also I would argue that Dumbledore only got hurt by the ring because of the "holy shit Deathly Hollow!" Factor, or Dark Magic Dumbledore doesn't and refuses to know of. I also find it hard to believe Voldemort wouldn't find getting the orb so easily to be suspicious enough to at least cast a scanning charm of some sort, which we know exist because of the Firebolt shenanigans way back in book 3, or at least a shield. Also brings to mind the whole anything that's likely to be instantly lethal to Voldemort is beginning to stray into the whole Dark Magic thing.

 

[Knyght]

The thing wizards under use the most is their wisdom. The fuck? Wizards are supposed to be wise!

You muggles and your misconceptions. ^_^

It wouldn't surprise me if the origin of the word 'wizard' is different for muggles and for actual wizards.

 

[Chuckg]

I will concede most of these points, as it has been a while since I read the books. I would still like to know how you would propose he got access to the cup, as it was in Gringotts at the time.

Well, when he's still Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, that's easy. Officially confiscate Bellatrix's vault. Fuck, even if you need Fudge's signature, tell him you just want the cup because 'its an Hogwarts heirloom' and Fudge can keep all the money "for the Ministry, wink wink" and Fudge will break the pen signing the slip.

Failing that, after he knows Sirius is innocent he can use that old fanfic cliche of 'Sirius inherits the Lestrange vaults after Bellatrix and her husband are dead'. Then, y'know, make sure those two get executed.

But mostly I want to know how on earth you would have Dumbledore find the Diadem.

'House-elves of Hogwarts, please search the castle.' He's the Headmaster, he can order them to do that. And of course they know where the Room of Requirement is. And of course Dumbledore knows what Ravenclaw's Diadem looks like. (It's not like he can't get in the Ravenclaw dorm and look at the statute anytime he feels like, and he already knew Voldemort was going for Founders' Artifacts.)

Might take them a while to finish searching everywhere, yes, but they have time. And there are dozens of house-elves.

But the thing to remember is that in canon, Harry Potter managed to do both of these things. Dumbledore has hundreds of times as much knowledge as Harry Potter, several very useful official positions, and wouldn't be having to do it during a time when Death Eaters ruled Magical Britain and heroes could only move around by really carefully hiding.

Basically, how can Dumbledore fail at a job that Harry Potter succeeded at, under way better conditions? Unless he totally goes full retard? Did Harry ever make an intuitive leap in finding the Horcruxes that Dumbledore couldn't? Seeing as how Dumbledore is supposed to be smarter than Harry...

I also find it hard to believe Voldemort wouldn't find getting the orb so easily to be suspicious enough to at least cast a scanning charm of some sort, which we know exist because of the Firebolt shenanigans way back in book 3, or at least a shield.

You mean like we saw Quirrellmort not casting on the Mirror of Erised? Or Voldemort not checking the Elder Wand for booby traps before picking it up? Or...

... seriously, Voldemort throughout all the books shows a big pattern of not stopping and looking for land mines if he's all in an eager rush to grab something. He's like a grabby little kid.

So nah.

Also brings to mind the whole anything that's likely to be instantly lethal to Voldemort is beginning to stray into the whole Dark Magic thing.

Basilisk venom isn't dark magic, and our heroes used it all through Deathly Hallows!

 

[blabla1994]

Well, when he's still Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, that's easy. Officially confiscate Bellatrix's vault. Fuck, even if you need Fudge's signature, tell him you just want the cup because 'its an Hogwarts heirloom' and Fudge can keep all the money "for the Ministry, wink wink" and Fudge will break the pen signing the slip.

Failing that, after he knows Sirius is innocent he can use that old fanfic cliche of 'Sirius inherits the Lestrange vaults after Bellatrix and her husband are dead'. Then, y'know, make sure those two get executed.

That requires a fair few assumptions. Like Dumbledore being able to do that. And Sirius inheriting the vault over Narcissa and and by proxy Lucius a "good friend of the minister".

'House-elves of Hogwarts, please search the castle.' He's the Headmaster, he can order them to do that. And of course they know where the Room of Requirement is. And of course Dumbledore knows what Ravenclaw's Diadem looks like. (It's not like he can't get in the Ravenclaw dorm and look at the statute anytime he feels like, and he already knew Voldemort was going for Founders' Artifacts.)

Might take them a while to finish searching everywhere, yes, but they have time. And there are dozens of house-elves.

But the thing to remember is that in canon, Harry Potter managed to do both of these things. Dumbledore has hundreds of times as much knowledge as Harry Potter, several very useful official positions, and wouldn't be having to do it during a time when Death Eaters ruled Magical Britain and heroes could only move around by really carefully hiding.

Basically, how can Dumbledore fail at a job that Harry Potter succeeded at, under way better conditions? Unless he totally goes full retard? Did Harry ever make an intuitive leap in finding the Horcruxes that Dumbledore couldn't? Seeing as how Dumbledore is supposed to be smarter than Harry...

The house elves do know of the room, this also requires the house elves to make the intuitive leap of "maybe I can find things in there" and while not the largest of leaps ever, I seem to remember the house elves not being especially bright. Harry also found the Horcrux's through a combination of luck and intuitive leaps that would make Reimu jealous.

You mean like we saw Quirrellmort not casting on the Mirror of Erised? Or Voldemort not checking the Elder Wand for booby traps before picking it up? Or...

... seriously, Voldemort throughout all the books shows a big pattern of not stopping and looking for land mines if he's all in an eager rush to grab something. He's like a grabby little kid.

So nah.

It could easily be argued that Voldemort wasn't in top form for the mirror event. And the wand falls under the "holy shit Deathly Hollow!" Thing. Also it's hard to argue that he got access to the wand "easily" while I have yet to see a suggestion that leaves the prophecy orb in Voldemort's hands in a way that isn't incredibly suspicious.

Basilisk venom isn't dark magic, and our heroes used it all through Deathly Hallows!

Brings to mind another question, where would you propose he get basilisk venom? As it is a creature that hasn't been seen for the last 400 years, and to head off the whole "from the chamber" thing, this requires the assumption the basilisk venom does not decay, or that they can get it out of the sword. Also Harry was throwing around Imperious' like candy near the end. (slight hyperbole)

[Edit]... Annnnnd I just realized that Felix Felicis pokes a massive hole in my luck arguments.

 

[Chuckg]

That requires a fair few assumptions. Like Dumbledore being able to do that. And Sirius inheriting the vault over Narcissa and and by proxy Lucius a "good friend of the minister".

Sirius is the oldest still alive in the family, and Bellatrix hasn't exactly had an opportunity to write a will, so, yeah, you're betting on a slim horse there.

Ahahahahahaa... no, wait, I'm stupid.

Who does Dumbledore know that specializes in removing curses from objects, and is already a Gringotts employee?

If you can convince the goblins that having that thing in the vaults will eventually hurt them or curse them or otherwise harm their business, they still won't let you take it out... but one of their own on-staff curse-breakers, a guy who's job already involves disposing of hazardous cursed objects? Him they probably will send in there. And then, y'know, basilisk venom. 'Sorry boss, as soon as I took the curse off the thing, it self-destructed. Well, that's the owner's problem, if he wants to rig his shit to do that.' (A little white lie, of course, but hey.)

The house elves do know of the room, this also requires the house elves to make the intuitive leap of "maybe I can find things in there" and while not the largest of leaps ever, I seem to remember the house elves not being especially bright.

Are you seriously saying that if Dumbledore orders the house-elves to search the entire castle for the diadem, they're going to look everywhere but "the room of hidden things"? And that it will take them an "intuitive leap" to think of it, instead of going 'maybe we should look in this room, because we've been told to look through the entire castle and this is part of the castle, and an old storeroom besides'?

Seriously? Dude, this is what adventure game players call pixelbitching.

It could easily be argued that Voldemort wasn't in top form for the mirror event. And the wand falls under the "holy shit Deathly Hollow!" Thing. Also it's hard to argue that he got access to the wand "easily" while I have yet to see a suggestion that leaves the prophecy orb in Voldemort's hands in a way that isn't incredibly suspicious.

Snape: "My Lord, I have brought you Dumbledore's backup copy of the Prophecy. I stole it out of his office as soon as I learned he was keeping it there. I will now leave the room so that only you may unlock its secrets."

And then Snape runs the fuck away.

Note: I will remind you that in canon, Dumbledore actually kept a backup copy of the Prophecy in his office. So yeah, it exists, its a thing.

Brings to mind another question, where would you propose he get basilisk venom?

... ummmm, the same place Harry got it? This is supposed to be after year 2, remember. At any time he feels like Dumbledore can just ask Harry to open the damn Chamber of Secrets up for him again, then walk on down there with a jug.

(Digression: One of the most amusing Chamber of Secrets hacks I ever saw was in a fanfic where Snape went 'Wait a minute. I don't need Potter or Voldemort... every snake in the world also speaks Parseltongue. Fuck it! I'll just go Imperio a magical snake and tell it what word to hiss at the faucet! Whoo-hoo, basilisk parts!')

Also, yes, Felix Felicis. I'm sure Dumbledore can afford to buy as much of that shit as he wants. If not make it himself, or have Snape do it, or go ask Slughorn to do it.

 

[blabla1994]

... ummmm, the same place Harry got it? This is supposed to be after year 2, remember. At any time he feels like Dumbledore can just ask Harry to open the damn Chamber of Secrets up for him again, then walk on down there with a jug.

...Honestly? Wow just flat out ignoring part of my post... Yea, I'll think up a response to the rest later, I'm tired and done with this for now. But honestly? Don't you deride Raine so heavily for doing the exact same thing? I mean you didn't even acknowledge it, even a false statement with no basis in reality or fact at all would almost have been better but it's like you didn't even read my post all the way through.

 

[Chuckg]

Ah, sorry, forgot something. Dude, before you throw the 'you are a horrible person and I hate you forever!' card, you could just ask me if I accidentally deleted a paragraph while editing or something. These posts do get kinda long sometimes. Even LR didn't get ripped into me for his first post, he had to keep doing it repeatedly before I lost patience.

Anyway, the skipping was unintentional. Here's your answer.

re: your point that 'You assume that basilisk venom does not decay!'

Remember that part of Deathly Hallows where Ron and Hermione go back down to fetch some more basilisk fangs from the Chamber because they need extras? And then successfully used one of the basilisk fangs to destroy Hufflepuff's cup?

So, yes, the basilisk venom in the Chamber of Secrets will fresh for years (all the way to year 7, if not beyond!), and they can go harvest it whenever they feel like. Because that's what they already did in canon.

 

[blabla1994]

Ah, sorry, forgot something.áá Dude, before you throw the 'you are a horrible person and I hate you forever!' card, you could just ask me if I accidentally deleted a paragraph while editing or something.á These posts do get kinda long sometimes.á á Even LR didn't get ripped into me for his first post, he had to keep doing it repeatedly before I lost patience.

Anyway, the skipping was unintentional.á Here's your answer.

re: your point that 'You assume that basilisk venom does not decay!'áá

Remember that part of Deathly Hallows where Ron and Hermione go back down to fetch some more basilisk fangs from the Chamber because they need extras?á á And then successfully used one of the basilisk fangs to destroy Hufflepuff's cup?

So, yes, the basilisk venom in the Chamber of Secrets will fresh for years (all the way to year 7, if not beyond!), and they can go harvest it whenever they feel like.áá Because that's what they already did in canon.

Sorry I was rather tired at the time, I don't do well when I'm tired.

Also, that's kinda weird, as too my understanding the average venom has a half life of like 24-96 hours, huh.

Sirius is the oldest still alive in the family, and Bellatrix hasn't exactly had an opportunity to write a will, so, yeah, you're betting on a slim horse there.

Ahahahahahaa... no, wait, I'm stupid.

Who does Dumbledore know that specializes in removing curses from objects, and is already a Gringotts employee?

If you can convince the goblins that having that thing in the vaults will eventually hurt them or curse them or otherwise harm their business, they still won't let you take it out... but one of their own on-staff curse-breakers, a guy who's job already involves disposing of hazardous cursed objects? Him they probably will send in there. And then, y'know, basilisk venom. 'Sorry boss, as soon as I took the curse off the thing, it self-destructed. Well, that's the owner's problem, if he wants to rig his shit to do that.' (A little white lie, of course, but hey.)

Still requires a fair few assumptions. Like, getting Sirius out of Azkaban being that easy when there's precedent for the Ministry sweeping things that don't look good under the rug, and that Sirius being the eldest prevents Lucius and his money from convincing the minister to look the other way.

And the whole Bill thing, requires even more assumptions. Like, being able to convince the goblins of that at all, also as too his relationship with the goblins, is he a well respected colleague? Or constantly derided behind his back as "that silly human" or something like that, and only works there because it's the only way he could do the job he loves and get payed to do it? Also Dumbledores relationship with the goblins, do they think highly of him and his actions? Or do the believe him a "senile old coot." And I don't know about you but the goblins seem like the kind too not tolerate something like one of the clients items being destroyed even if it was in the process of removing a curse for it. I imagine that might just flat out get Bill fired then and their.

Are you seriously saying that if Dumbledore orders the house-elves to search the entire castle for the diadem, they're going to look everywhere but "the room of hidden things"? And that it will take them an "intuitive leap" to think of it, instead of going 'maybe we should look in this room, because we've been told to look through the entire castle and this is part of the castle, and an old storeroom besides'?

Seriously? Dude, this is what adventure game players call pixelbitching.

Except the room is not the "room of hidden things", it's the Room of Requirement, it becomes what ever you want it to be. It takes a bit of a intuitive leap to realize that you might be able to get a room specifically to hide things in, and that other people might have hidden things in it. And while it's not the greatest of leaps to make, it still seems a bit beyond the average house elf. I also find it hard to believe that the house elves would tell Dumbledore the specifics of every room in the castle, as the castle is really, really big. And that would take a truly massive length of time. And as Dumbledore has all those aforementioned positions, he doesn't actually have infinite time.

Snape: "My Lord, I have brought you Dumbledore's backup copy of the Prophecy. I stole it out of his office as soon as I learned he was keeping it there. I will now leave the room so that only you may unlock its secrets."

And then Snape runs the fuck away.

Note: I will remind you that in canon, Dumbledore actually kept a backup copy of the Prophecy in his office. So yeah, it exists, its a thing.

And then Voldemort wonders how Snape managed to get this out of the office of one of the "greatest wizards in the world" undetected. And why the thing had no security on it. Heck, I would argue that would make him more likely to cast detection charms on it, as Dumbledore might have put some kind of spell that only attacks people who he hasn't keyed in. Also I find it hard to believe Dumbledore would do that, as if for whatever reason it doesn't work, Snape is dead.

 

[Dunstan]

Except the room is not the "room of hidden things", it's the Room of Requirement,

:mellow:^_^ Just one small point, but "room of hidden things" is what the house elves call the Room of Requirement. :sisi:

 

[blabla1994]

Except the room is not the "room of hidden things", it's the Room of Requirement,

:mellow:^_^ Just one small point, but "room of hidden things" is what the house elves call the Room of Requirement. :sisi:

No, the house elves call it the Come and Go room. The room of hidden things is the room with all the hidden things in it.

 

[Dunstan]

No, the house elves call it the Come and Go room. The room of hidden things is the room with all the hidden things in it.

...In that case, my points getting smaller... :sweat: :blue:

 

[Chuckg]

And the whole Bill thing, requires even more assumptions. Like, being able to convince the goblins of that at all, also as too his relationship with the goblins, is he a well respected colleague? Or constantly derided behind his back as "that silly human" or something like that, and only works there because it's the only way he could do the job he loves and get payed to do it?

Bill Weasley -- *tosses diary on table* 'See this? It's a cursed object that someone tried to plant on my younger sister. And it used to talk. And before we killed it, it said that another one was in this bank! What happens if it latches on to a vault attendant? We need to get rid of this thing! Professor Dumbledore, please tell them more about this kind of dark magic.'

Physical evidence is so handy for convincing unconvinced people. So are testimonials from the most knowledgeable wizard in the world.

Remember that while the goblins are greedy, self-centered gits, they aren't idiots. That's the Ministry of Magic.

And then Voldemort wonders how Snape managed to get this out of the office of one of the "greatest wizards in the world" undetected.? And why the thing had no security on it.

As to how Snape supposedly gets into Dumbledore's office? He's a Head of House at Hogwarts; he has the password!

As to why it had 'no security on it'? Voldemort has seen Dumbledore's idea of security already, in year one. Shit that was so simple that a first-year could hack it. If Snape comes to Voldemort and says 'PS, I swiped this from Dumbledore's sock drawer, and you will piss yourself laughing when I tell you how pathetically weak the locks were', why should Voldemort doubt this? Voldemort has already had first-hand experience with just how pathetically weak the locks are in Hogwarts, in book 1.

Alternately, Snape could invoke another thing from book 1 -- 'Well of course I could get my hands on it. Dumbledore invited me to come help him with the security on it, just like he did the Philosopher's Stone. Only this time since I knew you were you and didn't doubt Quirrell, I took advantage of that.'

(Remember that the story Snape told Voldemort in canon as to why he didn't help Quirrell was 'I didn't know it was you, you never said'. Rerun his convo with Bellatrix at the beginning of HBP).

 

[chrnno]

The main problem with Harry Potter is that it is a children's tale, off course it is going to have plot holes. The problem wasn't with the story itself but J.K. Rowling trying to market it as for teens or young adults.

Regardless any reasonable person in the same position of Dumbledore could have easily solved everything, why he didn't? If he did then there would have been no story.

 

[e39042]

I think it's pretty much universally accepted that after book 4 the Harry Potter series really dropped off in quality. Rowling still introduced some pretty neat ideas, but well written fanfiction is almost always better than her offerings from book 5 onwards in my opinion.

 

[slickrcbd]

To be technical, it's not universally accepted that the quality dropped with book 5, as I recall lots of debates on if the series went downhill after 5 or 6, but it is universally accepted that the quality was down with book 6.

 

[Dakaath]

Well, how about some of the throw away items mentioned in the books?

Like the fact they have a scale model of a universe in a glass sphere? Could be funny to have someone point out aliens are zipping around inside it.

Combine that with the Quibbler article where a wizard claims to have flown to the moon on a Cleansweep and brought back a sack of moon toads and it could prove to be a hilarious story where the gang has to track down the moon toads which are actually alien infiltrators or something. And no one believes them cause its the Quibbler's article.

Or the comics 'Marvin the Mad Muggle' that Ron owns. It'd be hilarious if one time over the summer breaks Harry actually ran into the inspiration for the series, and it turns out that entire break he spent following the man around.

 

[seitora]

Harry can grow out a full head of hair overnight. Amazing how I've seen that in basically no fic except for those that feel the need to rewrite every inch of canon (or copy and paste it unedited).

Of course, there are a few that acknowledge it by using it as proof that he's a partial metamorphmagus or whatnot, but still. That's in like the first twenty pages of the first book.

 

[DhampyrX2]

Underused plot point, the Minister of Magic and the Prime Minister are in contact with each other to the point Fudge warned the Prime Minister about the coming war. We never see how the upper levels of the rest of Britain and Europe might be getting ready for the war should Voldemort win. Death Eaters usually heavy handed tactics versus SAS. I pity the Death Eaters.

 

[A Curious Stranger]

I don't know where this 'second copy of the prophecy' shit is coming from. There is only one actual physical copy, and that's in the Department of Mysteries.

What Dumbledore has is his MEMORIES. Because he was there to witness the damn thing. Hence why his 'backup' is him using a pensieve.

edit: Yes, because the SAS are totally going to be effective fighting an enemy they don't even know exists, or if they do, where they are located.

You forget that in the chapter where the Minster of Magic and the Prime Minister meet, the Prime Minister is treated like a child. Both Ministers condescend to him and never say much. They even tell him outright that if he tries to tell people about the magical world, he'll be a laughingstock and kicked out of his position.

 

[ArchfiendRai]

Hey, can anyone give me what year the marauders managed to get the animagus trans going?