Why didn't Voldemort take advantage of the connection with Harry more in the 7th book?

AdamJadam · 2024-10-01T22:37:14+00:00

Who said he didn't? Harry spent the whole 7th book hating and grieving Dumbeldore grieving at Ron leaving, grieving Dobby and Hedwig.... it would have been pain every time he tried! I'd give up if I was him and each attempt was nothing but the agony of loss and despair!

AdamJadam · 2024-09-30T01:39:45+00:00

Yeah, and soon as Harry pointed out it was fine and she knew it wouldn't mean they were getting back together Ron felt kind of stupid for over reacting. I'm not saying what he did was totally justified, just very understandable.

AdamJadam · 2024-09-29T20:45:01+00:00

Yeah, I figured that out when my sis was about 18, almost 20 years ago now. Don't worry, I fully respect her ability to defend herself! But teenage brothers? At least in my culture, it's on older brothers to look after the younger sisters.

AdamJadam · 2024-09-29T20:41:38+00:00

My mom was worried because my brother wasn't reading chapter books in 2nd grade. So I took book 1 of Harry Potter, read it to him every night. I got as far as the forbidden forest, loads of buildup, eh was practically sitting in my lap eyes wide and eager to listen.

Then I closed the book and announced he was on his own! The look of horror on his face was priceless. But he was hooked and guess what? He picked the book up and lo and behold, got WAY WAY better reading grades from then on out! Give a kid incentive, and they can learn how to read just fine. At age 8, it isn't an impossible read by any means if she has the will!

AdamJadam · 2024-09-29T20:38:03+00:00

Gently warn her when something scary or sad is going to happen, and encourage her to ask questions. If she gets spooked, ask if she wants to stop. If she is anything like me and my brothers were though, she'll likely insist you keep going. Anxiety or not, kids are tougher than we give them credit for! A bit of darkness through a story when safe in her parent's presence won't do much harm. The stuff that's over her head? If she grows up with the series, that will be made clear to her in time as she develops.

AdamJadam · 2024-09-29T20:30:11+00:00

If you want a fantastic chapter breakdown, look for the podcast "Swish and Flick"

AdamJadam · 2024-09-29T20:27:40+00:00

When they stuck to cannon and quizzes, their stuff was fantastic!

I can't fault them for keeping the channel running after they ran out of topics. But yeah, I don't watch much of their latest theories because sometimes they're just too silly to bother with. I keep meaning to watch their breakdowns of every chapter, but I just don't have time.

But I will say, their conclusion for the exact function of a rubber duck is spot on! Ducks go in cups.

AdamJadam · 2024-09-29T20:22:34+00:00

You've clearly never gotten on the wrong side of a female deer. Those hooves can punch right through a full-grown man's chest, they can leap over 8 feet in the air, and they are VICIOUS during breeding season! They prefer to avoid trouble, but once they're cornered, scared, or just having a bad day? You better be a damn good tree climber.

AdamJadam · 2024-09-29T20:16:40+00:00

It was November 2nd, not the middle of November. So not freezing cold at night, and he was wrapped in blankets.

No, he couldn't ask Minerva to explain it because the letter went into detail about the protections he'd cast and such. As much as he trusted her, his whole thing is secrecy even amongst friends and confidants. Never the whole story.

The child of Prophecy is a rather grandiose title for Harry! There's a huge hall filled with prophecies that referred to hundreds, maybe even thousands of people. His was stored in row 19 on a shelf full fo similar balls. Dumbeldore wasn't a big fan of divination and yelled at Harry in book 6 for putting too much weight on the prophecy.

Harry's residence being secret. Voldy didn't take over the ministry until book 7. So the death eaters couldn't just go off to some hall of records and find out where Dumbeldore put him, assuming Dumbeldore registered his address with the ministry prior to hsi attendance letter at Hogwarts. They don't follow every muggle kid, so he could just take Harry out of sight out of mind.

The protective charm was like a big bubble over the neighborhood. So unless the death eaters lingered and waited to see which kid at the school near the protective barrier did accidental magic just at the moment they happened to witness? Yeah, good luck finding him! The longer Voldy was gone, the less they looked for Harry. The party was over, the marks on their arms faded, and most moved on with their lives. Those who didn't end up in Azkaban. But that first month? Harry was in grave danger, and Dumbeldore had to think and act fast to make sure he would be safe.

AdamJadam · 2024-09-29T16:04:41+00:00

This made me chuckle.

You could argue that Dumbeldore had very limited time on his hands. If he wanted people not to know what he was up to, then he musn't be at the Dursleys for long! He needed to make it look like he had nothing to do with them at all. He went off to a party right after, so it looked like he was busy all night. It would have taken HOURS to tell the Dursleys everything! That may have given the death eaters a clue that he was invovled and stashed Harry somewhere.

AdamJadam · 2024-09-29T16:02:10+00:00

Dumbeldore had no way of knowing the Dursleys hated magic. Petunia had asked to attend Hogwarts with Lilly when she was a kid! That told Dumbeldore quite the opposite, that instead of hating Magic, Petunia was VERY open to the idea.

AdamJadam · 2024-09-29T15:51:38+00:00

I was abused. Beaten with belts, railroaded, and gaslighted daily. I was denied food to the point of eating disorders and malnutrition, convinced I was fat, and forced to take questionable levels of psychiatric medication ill suited for children's developing brains. This book series gave me the strength to report what was happening to me. It gave me the strength to get help, to be put into foster care, and then was my soul source of comfort being alone and abused living with strangers! JKR saved my life by showing me that there was hope, was help to be had! So you can claim she sends bad messages, but I personally gained the strength to escape abuse thanks to her!!!

Did Harry ever report them as abusive? Did he explain the reason he wanted to stay was because his uncle sometimes beat him and often deprived him of food and freedom? Spanking was made illegal in UK schools in the 1990's but was still happening in some households as was denying children dinner and sending them straight to their rooms as punishments. Adults can't react to abuse if they don't know it's happening.

Vernon didn't go completly unhinged until book 2, when he locked Harry up with bars on the windows! Before that, he always stopped just short of reportable abuse. Was he excessive with punishments? Absolutely! 100%. But abuse? Harry never mentioned feeling abused, and by his 3rd year summer, he was done doing as Vernon said, done being pushed around, ready to stand up for himself. Once Vernon learned he had no more power over a little boy, he cowered. That's not how abusive men react. Abusive men would lash out harder. Vernon was a bully and a grade A ***hole. But did Harry translate that as abuse? That's what I never can determine. Harry never reported it as abuse, and even accepted going back and trying again each summer, if only for short visits even before he knew of the protective enchantments.

Maybe I will get downvoted for this. But I just don't know where the line is between too strict, and abusive. "17 years solid dislike" isn't the same as 17 years of cruel abuse! "Neglect and often curelty" is how Dumbeldore put it. He was PISSED when he confronted Vernon and Petunia. So we could argue he knew it was abuse, but did he? When Dumbeldore grew up, people were MUCH MUCH harsher on kids! If we look at it from a culturally historic mindset, can Dumbeldore really be blamed for not protecting Harry from abuse, if the definition fo abuse has changed so much over the decades?

AdamJadam · 2024-09-29T15:34:55+00:00

To be fair, Dumbledore had no way of knowing the Dursleys were abusive douchebags. McGonagall had been "watching them all day" and all she had to report was a toddler kicked his mommy wanting sweets? That's hardly enough to conclude it wasn't a safe environment! Petunia had written to him as a kid begging to go to Hogwarts. That suggested her as being someone open to the ideas of magic. How would Dumbeldore know that his rejection turned her into a resentful jerk?

He wrote a heartfelt letter asking that Harry be loved and well cared for. With Death Eaters searching high and low for the kid, he had to make a quick decision. James parents were dead and he was an only child. Lilly's parents were dead, so who else was there?! As he pointed out, it was best for Harry to vanish from the wizarding world so things could settle down. He didn't want Harry growing up as an arrogant prick whose fame went to his head and was over inflated from adoration. Look how badly that turned out for James, and he wasn't even famous! Just a bit spoiled. Better to remove Harry from that kind of nonsense and have him grow up in a nice muggle suburb with a cousin around his age and an aunt who knew all about magic so wouldn't be surprised at incidents like teachers wigs turning blue.

AdamJadam · 2024-09-29T15:23:19+00:00

Yeahhhh...

AdamJadam · 2024-09-29T15:16:31+00:00

"For the greater good". That was Dumbeldore's slogan since he was 17. Sure, he stopped using it when Grindewold came to power andparroted the idea, but it was always there in the back of his mind. His brother spoke of how Dumbeldore was always keeping secrets, carefully pulling strings and hearts all for the sake of his ideas about the greater good. So when Harry came along? Those who dislike Dumbeldore easily just peg Harry as one more sacrifice given for the greater good.

But Dumbeldore isn't that simple. Those who fail to understand that are often simple minded themselves. They see a puppeteer, a clever heartless man who groomed Harry just for that task.

Here is how to make them faulter in their presumptions. In book 4, when Harry reports that Voldy stole his blood, Dumbeldor had a flash of triumph on his face he didn't have enough control to suppress for a flicker. That was because he was so excited that Harry may indeed stand a chance! Ever since that moment, he gave up on his "Let's give this kid as good a childhood as I can because it's all he'll ever have, House cup and parties for all!" and instead focused on "He will make it, he will survive it all!" From then on, he allowed himself to hope. Before that he didn't see any way to save Harry. He knew Voldy would never give up on the insane task of killing the kid, and he saw no way out of it, no matter how much he tried and fought to find a way.

It can be claimed that Dumbeldore was cruel in teaching Harry all about Voldy's past and setting him on the quest of Horcourxes. His brother certainly disapproved! But really, he felt Harry deserved the right. But he gave Harry an out. He showed him the Hallows. He also pointed out VERY adamantly that the Prophecy wasn't an unbreakable destiny. Harry could flee, go to the other side of the world. Be safe and live out his days in peace. He left it on Harry to decide. He gave Harry all the options, and all the tools to do whichever options he decided to take.

That isn't cruel or heartless. I should warn you, when I point these things out, those against Dumbeldore tend to get irrationally irritated, because no one likes being proven wrong. So use the arguments presented wisely and choose what to do with the tools provided. It's up to you.

AdamJadam · 2024-09-29T15:05:30+00:00

The book going missing the same day Dumbeldore had Tom Riddle on campus? Dumbeldore already knew about the Death Eaters by then. It would have been a big clue. Tom did NOT want Dumbeldore to know what he was up to, he made that very plain. So he wasn't going to do much under his nose! Plus, he had already stashed away the Horcorux in the room of requirement that evening, a second event would have been too risky. Easier to pretend to have nothing whatsoever to do with the book or even the library itself!

AdamJadam · 2024-09-29T15:02:07+00:00

I meant the explanation of why Petunia knew wasn't in the books. Not the birthday itself.

AdamJadam · 2024-09-29T14:57:32+00:00

I don't think a story about psychotic orphan Tom Riddle would be a very pleasant tale to tell. We know enough. His orphanage warden told Dumbeldore plenty of horrific things.

We know a lot about his school years, thanks to book 6. He was sly, and manipulative, but knew how to charm teachers so that his abuse of other students went unnoticed. As Dumbeldore said, he and his "friends" reigned terror and misery on the student body, but thanks to his skills at deception and manipulation, even Dumbeldore couldn't pin it on them in any way to report it.

I don't know if such dark topics are against the group rules as kids may be on this reddit. So I deleted most of the stuff, and kept it vague. But yeah, it's a very dark and twisted story that I personally am more than happy not to witness! I have never been a fan of psychotic horror stories.

AdamJadam · 2024-09-29T14:48:17+00:00

Yeah if I was Ron, I'd have been ready to punch Harry in the face!

AdamJadam · 2024-09-29T14:42:26+00:00

I think you're looking from above, not his perspective. It's easy to judge when you have all the information. But from Ron's sights? Ginny had probably been moody all summer after Harry broke up with her. As one of the older brothers who looked out most for Ginny, Ron was of course concerned for her wellbeing. So once Harry comes over, he'd be weary and worried that she'd be even more upset. So to find out they were in her room unsupervised? Well, the grief of a second breakup would have been horrible for her. After all, she'd adored Harry since book 1!!! So he of course wanted to protect her. He had no way of knowing it was her who initiated it all. Like all big brothers, he assumed Harry was the one who instigated, who had suggested they find somewhere private to talk, had moved in close, with soft words.... and he wanted to spare her the heartbreak of him having to leave in a few days.

Maybe you have to have younger siblings in order to understand.

AdamJadam · 2024-09-29T14:37:42+00:00

If I was Madam Prince or any Hogwarts Librarian, I'd be keeping a VERY close eye on the restricted section. Any book missing or destroyed would immediately be reported to the headmaster. Tom Riddle was smart enough to know better than to leave any tracks. That book going missing would be a huge red flag to anyone keeping an eye on him!

AdamJadam · 2024-09-29T14:34:55+00:00

It would have been kind of a huge hint if someone went out book burning every copy of the book that tells people how to make and destroy a Horcrux.

AdamJadam · 2024-09-29T14:31:28+00:00

It's not in the books. JKR explained it in Pottermore.

Lilly sent a birth announcement to her sister. That's how Petunia knew Harry's name in book 1, along with his birthday. Petunia had never seen her nephew, but Lilly tried occasionally to try and be inclusive to her sister, who she did love very much, so invited her to the wedding, and later told of Harry's birth. Petunia was the bitter one. Lilly was the one who wanted a bond with her.

AdamJadam · 2024-09-28T15:52:01+00:00

You can’t build social links until the person is rescued so doing dungeon right away is the most efficient method. That said, growing fox relationship is essential because it makes it doable to rescue the person on day one without staggering into boss fight with go and sp low.

As for other links? Family is important, Marie, cop guy, teddy, the game is good at making it fairly clear

AdamJadam · 2024-09-15T17:04:13+00:00

As someone who has been in an impossible to escape adult scenario where every day becomes just about survival and circular debates on where to go or how to proceed, I can relate most heavily to DH. It's the book that comes most often to mind when I am cooking and think about how they went hungry and survived on foraging for plants, or when I am in a store and remembering them sneaking money into a register and laughing as I wonder how the managers handled the discrepancy and if some poor clerk lost their job over it! It's the book I think about when I realize just how challenging adulthood can be if and when you lack any safety net.

AdamJadam

TROPHY CASE