Why did she do that? - loadsaspoilers!

[Guest]

[Sharon]

Now we are nearly at the end (oh that sounds really sad  ) there are a couple of bits in the other books that I would like explained.  As Jo is not going to oblige, I'm sure, I thought we could post the parts we 'don't get' and see if a fellow Shacker can oblige.

Now whilst this won't be strictly about book 7, I thought this was the safest place to put it so we can let our imaginations and spoilers run wild  .

Right one bit that has niggled me since OotP (and I know it won't be addressed) is why was Hermione at Grimauld Place before Harry?  The Weasley's being there sort of made sense.  Being a wizarding family maybe they were in danger over the summer plus having a number of members of the Order in the family this could explain things.  But why Hermione?  Surely her family would have wanted her with them for the summer holidays?  And if it was because she was in danger shouldn't her parents have been hidden as well?

I know this was actually just a way of getting Hermione in at the beginning of the book but if anyone can give me a more plausible explanation I would be ever so grateful 

BTW I have loads more of these (such as why McGonagall never mentions being at school with Voldemort) as I'm sure you do, so feel free to chip in 

[ferdinand_the_yak]

But WAS McGonagall at Hogwarts with Voldemort? We know Dumbledore was there as a teacher when Riddle was there. But what is the age difference between McG and Voldie?

I know it makes sense that they were at school together... but I just can't remember where it said they were.

[mcgonagall]

i think that maybe Hermione ( and i get the feeling that she is an only child) was spending the summer with weasley's and they always want harry todo lol  just a thought on that. Maybe she is great company for ginny as they all get along or maybe it is that they think she might be safer in the magical world rather than  in the muggle


 just my thoughts

[Sharon]

But WAS McGonagall at Hogwarts with Voldemort? We know Dumbledore was there as a teacher when Riddle was there. But what is the age difference between McG and Voldie?

I know it makes sense that they were at school together... but I just can't remember where it said they were.

I used the Lexicon timeline

http://www.hp-lexicon.org/timelines/timeline.php

According to that Minerva is only a year older than Tom.  Interestingly I just noticed that Sirius Blacks mother is the same age as McGonagall.  Of course I am assuming all of these witches and wizards attended Hogwarts - maybe they were homeschooled?

Maybe she is great company for ginny

That is a very good reason    It just struck me that Grimauld place was a retreat from danger rather than a holiday home  .  It seemed like she had been there for quite a while before Harry which just seemed strange.

[Bitsy]

It has bothered me that we don't know much about Minerva's past, especially given her age and who she might have known. I wonder, now that she is the Headmistress of Hogwarts, if we will find out more about her past connections. This might be stupid, but I often wondered if she and Dumbledore loved each other.

Remember when Dumbledore said that he had been gong around trying to acquire memories about Voldemort or young Tom Riddle? Well, if Minerva had any memories, I wonder if Dumbledore would have mentioned that to Harry.

Hermione being in Grimauld Place for so long before Harry...I guess I would think that at that point, there was no safer place for them besides the meeting place for the Order. And maybe Dumbledore wanted to make sure that Ron and Hermione were there for Harry when he showed so that they could help him understand why Dumbledore was keeping information from him. 

[Kelly]

Right one bit that has niggled me since OotP (and I know it won't be addressed) is why was Hermione at Grimauld Place before Harry?  The Weasley's being there sort of made sense.  Being a wizarding family maybe they were in danger over the summer plus having a number of members of the Order in the family this could explain things.  But why Hermione?  Surely her family would have wanted her with them for the summer holidays?  And if it was because she was in danger shouldn't her parents have been hidden as well?

I've always wondered why Hermione spent so much time away from her family also.  All those months away at school, then also away for the summer and all the time spent at the Weasleys?  It never made any sense to me, but parents in the US rarely send thier kids away to boarding school anyway unless it's to military school (disciplinary problems), so I figured it was just a cultural thing.

[Sharon]

It never made any sense to me, but parents in the US rarely send thier kids away to boarding school anyway unless it's to military school (disciplinary problems), so I figured it was just a cultural thing.

Possibly amongst the upper classes and aristocracy but as her parents are dentists it would be unusual, although boarding schools have become increasingly popular since Harry was published.  Of course having a witch for a daughter isn't an everyday occurrence  .  However it is still odd - it is one thing signing up to stay at Hogwarts for the holidays but quite another to spend nearly the whole holidays with another family.  It will be interesting to see if they allow her to miss the final year at Hogwarts and stay with Harry, if of course Harry doesn't go back  .  I still have a sneaking suspicion they will go back, I just can't imagine a book without Hogwarts 

OK next question, which isn't specifically about the books but more about magic.  We have seen the Weasleys conjure everything from white cooking sauce to tablecloths.  So why didn't they just conjure themselves other material objects such as school clothes, items for the house or even a brand new house.  The Weasleys are accomplished wizards and I am sure between them they would have the skill to do all of those things.  I wonder if conjured objects have a shelf life ie they disappear after a specified time or if there are laws against it (for anyone who has read the Barry Trotter books they will know what I mean  ).  Any thoughts?

[Kelly]

I've always thought that conjuring material goods in the wizard world would be almost like stealing in the real world.  There has to be some sort of boundaries for that kind of thing or the whole society would be completely out of control.  Very interesting question. 

[kbmum]

Jk said in a July 2000 interview that most things conjured out of thin air will disappear after a couple of hours.

[Sharon]

Thanks Cindy and Kelly

[Bitsy]

I would think that it might be against Wizard law to create things like money and the like. Maybe that's why it disappears. 

Let's keep this going, this is fun! Great idea, Sharon! 

[Sharon]

Next conundrum    I can't honestly say this has not bugged me for years because I have only just noticed it whilst re-reading GOF.

When Voldemort has become whole again he summons the Death Eaters.  They form a circle around him, leaving gaps for the Death Eaters who are not there.  Here is the quote -

"And here we have six missing Death Eaters ... three dead in my service.  One, too cowardly to return ... he will pay.  One, who I believe has left me for ever ... he will be killed, of course ... and one, who remains my most faithful servant, and who has already re-entered my service."

I had assumed when I first read this book that the cowardly one was Karkaroff and the faithful servant was Barty Crouch Jnr.  That would leave Snape as the one to be killed.  But just suppose.......

Snape is the faithful servant who had already rejoined Voldemort.  Barty Jnr was very young when he was arrested, around 19 years old.  By this time Voldemort had already faced Harry and been 'defeated'.  So are we really to believe that a boy of around 16 or 17 would have a place on Voldemorts inner circle? 

The main reason I am proposing this as a possibility is that Voldemort welcomed Snape back with open arms.  Now either Voldemort is playing a double bluff ie he knows that Snape is a traitor but wants to keep his enemies close or Snape was his most loyal servant.  I don't necessarily believe this to be true as I think Snape is a good guy but Voldemort is nobodies fool, would he have been fooled by Snape twice 

I have another niggle at the beginning of OotP but I just want to check my facts first 

[allender]

Good points all, but I still agree with your first impression. There was a big setup about Snape being an extremely good occlumencer, and appeared to take his equivalent of a blood oath at the start of Book 6. And we haven't seen anybody else mentioned who would qualify as one whom he "believed" had left him forever.

My conundrum is why nobody suggested that Harry take veritaserum voluntarily at the end of GOF or the start of OOP. Dumbledore still had status enough to make sure the questions were limited to the subject matter.

[ferdinand_the_yak]

I'd always thought the same as you Sharon (your first assumptions).

Another idea - could the one who "has left me forever" been a reference to Regulus Black?
After all, "RAB" did nick that Horcrux that Harry and Dumbledore went to look for. I assume Voldemort wouldn't have been too happy with Reggie...

According to the Lexicon's time line, Regulus died in 1979-1980 (the site lists both dates as potentials) and Harry is also born in 1980. Coincidence?

My theory for the day

[Nienna]

I'd always thought the same as you Sharon (your first assumptions).

Another idea - could the one who "has left me forever" been a reference to Regulus Black?
After all, "RAB" did nick that Horcrux that Harry and Dumbledore went to look for. I assume Voldemort wouldn't have been too happy with Reggie...

According to the Lexicon's time line, Regulus died in 1979-1980 (the site lists both dates as potentials) and Harry is also born in 1980. Coincidence?

My theory for the day

That can't be right Jo ... doesn't Lupin tell Harry that Regulus was killed by Voldie himself?
Voldie is either still unaware that he found and substituted the locket horcrux or knows and isn't bothered ... it's well hidden and Voldie probably doesn't know that Dumbledore knew he'd made them in the first instance and then took the time and energy to find them. Then again, he might know - Snape was the one who Dumbledore turned to after getting his hand badly damaged destroying the ring and it's odds on Snape told Voldie all about it during one of their little chats ... 
If Voldie knew Regulus had taken it, then he would have found out it's whereabouts using occlumency and then killed him and then alerted Snape so he could have a look for it at Grimmauld Place. He wouldn't be able to go to Grimmauld Place himself as it's unplotable and Snape wouldn't be able to tell him where it was as he wasn't secret keeper. 
Either Kreacher has spirited the locket away into his hideyhole next to the boiler (well he's at Hogwarts now - would he have taken it with him?) or else Mundungus has it stashed for safekeeping for when he gets out from his term in Azkaban.
Well that's what I reckon ... not long to go till we find out ... 

[ferdinand_the_yak]

According to Sirius on page 104 of OoTP (British version), he says that from the info he received, he doubted Regulus was important enough to be killed by Voldemort himself. So Sirius obviously thought Regulus was a bit of an idiot. Keep in mind these are his THOUGHTS.

In regards to occlumency - Voldemort may not have used it on Regulus because he didn't suspect him. Say the horcrux was stolen and Voldemort knew about it, BUT he may not have suspected Regulus. I guess there were a few people who wanted to back out of the Death Eaters once they found out what they had to do. So Voldie may have had Regulus killed NOT because he stole the horcrux, but because he tried to back out. This backing out may have been due to having accomplished what he needed to - stealing the horcrux.

[Nienna]

I sit corrected - I knew it was either Lupin or Sirius who told Harry, thanks! 
That's true too ... hee hee we can go around in circles guessing, but knowing how JKR's mind likes to throw us a curve when we least expect it, I wouldn't be at all surprised at a totally different scenario being sprung upon us and one that none of us have come close to guessing at.
She's a devious one ... 
Sirius was comtemptuous of his younger brother and loathed his parents don't forget, so any thoughts/memories he has of his family are bound to be coloured by this.
I always assumed Regulus was killed because he wanted out from the Deatheaters rather than anything to do with the horcrux, which might mean Voldie still isn't aware it's missing from the cave nor the fact that Dumbly was a man on a mission to find them.
I also assume D never breathed a word of his quest nor of his findings in Snape's company, knowing there was the likelihood those words might be repeated or 'got' from Snape's mind in spite of the latter's aptitude with occlumency.

[ferdinand_the_yak]

Ooo-er - when I said that Voldie didn't use occlumency on Regulus, I of course meant leglimency.

*FTY sits in corner*

But even JKR has said that the "RAB = Regulus Black" is a "very good guess". This is why I came up with my theory.

You're right Jules, we'll not know until July 21st - but it's loads of fun guessing! RAB will probably turn out to be someone totally different! It seems too easy, doesn't it?

[allender]

Ooo-er - when I said that Voldie didn't use occlumency on Regulus, I of course meant leglimency.

*FTY sits in corner*

And I have to go sit in the corner after admitting that I actually noticed the slip. Maybe I need to spend more time away from the computer and literature.   

[terryweasley]

kbmum's avatar reminded me of something that has bugged me ever since I read OOP.  Everytime I mention my theory everyone shouts at me, so here goes another shouting match.  I think Sirius may still be alive.  The reason I say this is why kill him and then make the body disappear if JB means for him to stay dead.  If I remember my OOP correctly, Sirius was still alive when he fell into the arch, so it could be possible.  I mean wouldn't it have been more dramatic to have Sirius lying dead on the platform for Harry to cry over.  Not to mention the secret funeral they could have had.  Then there is the comment JB made that one wizard gets a reprieve.  We know she can't bring Dumbledore back from the dead because we know he is most definitely dead.  I thought I might be Sirius's brother, but Remus makes mention of them finding his body shortly after Voldemort had him killed.  I just wonder if Sirius was the one who found the horcrux and left the cryptic message supposedly for Voldemort.  Let me know what you'll think and please don't yell too loudly.  One more thing Sirius could be the deatheater Voldemort refers to as having left him forever in GOF.  Sirius did work undercover as a spy during Voldemort's first rise to power.  Remember Fudge calling him Voldemort's most loyal follower and that Sirius went mad when Harry had defeated Voldemort.  That was suppose to be the reason he went after Peter.