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sunnyskywalker April 2 2010, 17:47:33 UTC
Considering how pretty much everything previous generations did (that we hear about) screwed up the world for this one, the Map really should have led Harry to disaster eventually. I was fond of the Red Hen theory that the Map tracked souls, and so wouldn't show an army of Inferi marching into Hogwarts, but there's all sorts of possibilities. Lupin admits the Map might try to lure you out somewhere dangerous because the makers would have thought it was funny - that has potential too.

I also think Fred and George must be trying to unload the Map for some reason, because you're right, their excuse about having memorized it is bogus. Too bad we didn't get any misdirection on that front; it would have been pretty cool if at some point we started wondering whether Sirius had Imperiused them to help get Harry out of the castle. Or maybe if he did, so he could explain things to Harry and have him catch "Scabbers" before Peter even realized Harry was on to him ( ... )

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jodel_from_aol April 2 2010, 19:54:04 UTC
Well a likely fanwank might be that --without ever letting anyone know about it-- the twins have somehow got some kind of scrying/predictive method that they are using to their own advantage, and have determined that this is *the* opportune moment to ingratiate themselves with Harry.

Well, they came up with that "Ireland wins, but Krum catches the Snitch" prediction in GoF. So they must be doing *something*. Maybe they are just very good at Arithmancy. Nce that someone got some use out of it.

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oryx_leucoryx April 2 2010, 20:35:37 UTC
Then there is the question of Rowling's excuse for the twins never noticing Peter Pettigrew on the map over the course of the last 4 years or so. Didn't they ever need to know where Percy was, whether to avoid him or to prank him? Of course by the time Percy became prefect he no longer had Scabbers, but I doubt he only started getting on their case when he had formal authority.

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sunnyskywalker April 2 2010, 22:19:01 UTC
That's a big loose end. Did they not know anything whatsoever about that whole story (and judging by how few details Harry hears from his own generation, maybe they don't), and just never investigated who this "Peter" who was always hanging out with Percy might be? It sounds unlikely.

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mmmarcusz April 2 2010, 18:51:18 UTC
Btw, I saw a still from DH where Hermione's in her Muggle room. It makes me nervous they might actually include the mindwipe.

Given that the movies tend to edit out the characters' more abhorrent behaviour, I can see them leaving the wipe out and just helping her parents to hide.

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jodel_from_aol April 2 2010, 19:55:08 UTC
Or showing the paternts *agreeing* to the mind wipe.

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mksolomon April 2 2010, 23:11:08 UTC
Do we know from canon that Hermione's parents *did not* agree to the mind-wipe? Perhaps they did.

Wishful thinking on my part?

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jodel_from_aol April 3 2010, 03:02:52 UTC
We know nothing of the matter whatsoever. But considering all the bad reaction (which has not been silent) to that faux pas, I'm sure that Rowling would back-pedal and assure us that it was concentual is anyone asked her now (and she even remembered it. That's questionable. But then if I'd written DHs I'd have forgotten as much of it as possible by now, too.)

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mmmarcusz April 2 2010, 18:57:31 UTC
Fred and George give Harry the Marauders map since they "know it by heart." Um, guys? It changes every time you look at it. The people in it move.

It would make more sense if Harry got a box of his parents' personal effects (Why didn't he ever get anything of theirs? Only a bit of the house was blown up) and then a mysterious sheet of parchment fell out of one of his father's books.

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mmmarcusz April 2 2010, 18:59:37 UTC
Maybe the twins worked out how to copy it.

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jodel_from_aol April 2 2010, 19:56:35 UTC
I could believe that. If it was created by a bunch of teenageers it could be duplicated by a clever pair of teens who had had ample opportunity to study the original.

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madderbrad April 3 2010, 01:16:06 UTC
Why didn't he ever get anything of theirs? Only a bit of the house was blown up

Some fan fiction stories have Lily's possessions inherited by Petunia, who - naturally - either destroys them or hides them away from Harry.

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aasaylva April 2 2010, 19:24:56 UTC
Btw, I saw a still from DH where Hermione's in her Muggle room. It makes me nervous they might actually include the mindwipe.
Judging by the HBP movie, they are going to sanitize it by Hermione explaining things to them and them agreeing to be mind-wiped because it'll be easier to stay in character that way - much more tear-jerking and less horrifying to boot.

I mean, if Harry's having this much trouble on a school broom shouldn't he feel a bit silly about beating all those other kids who are forced to ride it?YES! As far as I can tell there are only three things involved for a seeker to catch the snitch: speed (which seems to depend on the broom you ride), luck (for looking into the right direction at the right time and not being too far off) and a certain adroitness at grabbing it once it IS in front of your face. In fact, keeper and chaser seems to be much harder where technique and thus talent is concerned ( ... )

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sistermagpie April 2 2010, 20:13:59 UTC
Yeah, if anything she'll be helping her parents to hide. Or maybe they'll have her attacked at home and chased to Harry's for all we know. Her parents are such non entities. It's funny that her room looks like somebody actually lives there with stuff on the bulletin boards. I'd almost expect it to be bare except for magic stuff.

It's definitely an IC moment for McGonagall to me. I like it when she gets bitchy that way, actually. It's pretty consistent.

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elanor_x April 2 2010, 20:45:44 UTC
Now I really want to see this still. Couldn't find it in Google. Can you help me, please?

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elanor_x April 2 2010, 19:52:22 UTC
Harry briefly considers whether he should use a map since he can’t tell where it keeps its brain, he naturally decides to use it. I’m proud of Harry for considering it for a second, though.
My first thought was he had slight misgivings due to knowing a mad murderer was after him, so the cause of his considerations was disappointing and strange. Lupin has great lines in this book: "Your parents gave their lives to keep you alive, Harry. A poor way to repay them - gambling their sacrifice for a bag of magic tricks." But, is he wrong here too since Harry should be the kind of person to gamble to prepare for the ultimate sacrifice?

Ron points out that Harry is safe in Hogsmeade because there’s all these other people around, even though Sirius’ big crime was killing a whole bunch of people on the street in broad daylight to get to one person.He says "He'd have a job spotting Harry in this", that Harry will disappear in the crowd ( ... )

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sistermagpie April 2 2010, 20:15:52 UTC
I wonder how much of Sirius's family JKR had worked out here. Even if she had the basics she'd want to hide it until OotP. Or else she may have had something very different in mind.

Oh god, yes. Bill and his father being Secret-Keepers. It's like...did no one tell the Potters of this possibility?

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madderbrad April 3 2010, 01:22:03 UTC
Oh god, yes. Bill and his father being Secret-Keepers. It's like...did no one tell the Potters of this possibility?

It's one of the biggest flaws of DH that destroys the entire series.

Although I suppose one possible defence - a "but this is a way to get around it and save Jo!" theory by a Jo apologist - would be, maybe, that the notion that one could be one's own Secret Keeper was a relatively new development in spell craft, only discovered/determined after 1981?

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va32h April 3 2010, 04:13:23 UTC
I hate fanwanking. If the freaking author cannot be bothered to expend any time or effort to make sense of her own freaking plot why should we?

That's probably the thing that keeps fueling my bitterness after nearly three years. That Rowling has such condescension and contempt for her readers that she didn't even feel the need to come up with something remotely plausible.

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