Comment on Avatar: The Fifth Element - Water

  1. Hermione was very smart to get rid of Umbridge, but she should never have told the centaurs that that was her goal.

    She should have said 'It's Umbridge's fault, we didn't want to come here, we're sorry'

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    1. Yes. Her plan was good, but she overlooked the second part when dealing with centaurs, even though she had witnessed how the centaurs spoke to Hagrid on the matter of Grawp.

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      1. Besides, I never understood the argument for Voldemort not being able to come by himself for the prophecy - there is a polyjuice potion... He would turn into Malfoy or someone else, enter the room and take the prophecy... That's all, there was no need to involve Harry Potter, which was potentially a bad plan. How was Harry supposed to get out of Hogwarts if Umbridge's tyranny was there... Voldemort couldn't have expected that Harry would have a herd of thestrals... I don't know if anyone informed him that his broom was confiscated and he couldn't fly, fireplaces are not allowed to use...

        It was just such a stupid plan...

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        1. Well... You can say that between the number of horcruxes, the fact he was still a child in mindset and the way he recovered a body, Voldemort didn't have all the brains he used to have anymore. Or to quote a former president of my country to a journalist, "you can lend me a couple of neurons."

          As an aside note, that's perhaps why I have zero issue with how he died in the movies. I kind of understand why it's so powerful in the books, but the thing is between how many times he maimed his soul and how he rebuilt his body, how human was he still really? Of course, it would have been better if there had been witnesses to the final fight in the movie, instead of the merging events style approach where many things occur at the same time, distracting everyone of the key fight. And perhaps a mix of what they have done in the final cut with what had be done in the books in a Darth Nihlius death's style: Voldemort fell on the ground and then his body dissolves because of the destructions of the ties that kept together his body (I believe this is kind of what they did with the man's death in the game from the movie).

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          1. How realistic do you think a fanfiction should be that Voldemort finds out about Harry as a Horcrux... because a lot of it is just nonsense, that Harry turns evil...

            I just wonder about it now.

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            1. I think it relies on a series of circumstances and factors:
              _ Voldemort still able to thoroughly think despite his ego and all the toll having horcruxes and having a rebuilt body through dark magic mean
              _ Voldemort hearing about Harry's parseltongue, considering it is a rare gift and one associated to Slytherin
              _ Voldemort pondering on why he has this connection with his nemesis
              _ Voldemort realizing that Harry saw the attack on Arthur Weasley from Nagini's perspective
              _ in a DH scenario, Nagini realizing/commenting on the fact only Harry could understand her
              _ considering the fact the horcrux in Harry's scar was accidental, it should have some implications, notably on how Voldemort felt as he didn't willingly cut off a part of his soul there

              In short, it needs Voldemort to really wonder how this connection is possible instead of trying to jump on it to exploit it, especially for such a stupid plan as you pointed out. I think the likeliest period he could have realized about Harry being a horcrux would be after trying to possess him. But once again, it relies on the fact he uses his brains to try to understand why and how it is possible instead of trying to shield his mind from being connected to Harry (rather ironic).

              Harry turning evil because of the horcrux... That doesn't make any sense, especially as it is a bit like the theory that says that the Dursleys are mean to him because of the horcrux when on the other hand none of his friends were affected, not to mention the fact it is a very convenient and artificial reason when Harry's upbringing is a golden ground for why Harry could have turned badly. And people don't turn bad on a snap unless they have a very traumatic experience or life experience that would have totally switched them, something that is very rare and not usual. Generally, people turn evil because of a convergence of factors and circumstances that enhance their flaws, fragilities and worse side, not because of a sudden swtich on/off method.

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              1. Suppose Voldemort learns from Draco Malfoy in the summer after Order of the Phoenix that Harry knows Parseltongue... And he figures out that summer that Harry is a Horcrux... what are the consequences?

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                1. While I can't think of all potential consequences, some of them came to mind.

                  I think he would be forced to revise his strategy, especially as he is still unaware of the whole extent of the prophecy. Because on the one hand, considering he has already six other horcruxes, he might assume he has enough protection to sacrifice one. But as the same time, he knows that horcruxes are very difficult to kill, which means he would be tempted to use far more dangerous and darker magic to achieve his plans with all the problematic issues it can mean. And it can make him realize that Dumbledore might suspect how he survives, even though he would also assume that outside of the diary and Harry, he is unaware of the others and would do anything to try to dupe his enemy to make him believe that destroying Harry would mean destroying him for all and once. And finally, because he wants to be immortal, he wouldn't want to destroy one of his protective anchors.

                  I can't be assertive for the ideas above because Voldemort is so blinded by his ego and his self-importance that it can be difficult to imagine what logical moves he would make.

                  An ironic twist is that he asks Snape to keep an eye on Harry and to prepare something that would neuter Harry while keeping him alive like draught of living death.

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                  1. Now I have another alternative, Dumbledore never puts on the ring, because before doing so... he goes to Nurmegard and sees Grindelwald, who, resigned to his fate, tells him not to do it.

                    Dumbledore is not sentenced to death at the end of Year 6, which will be the case in this alternative.

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                    1. An intriguing alternative and one that can work, considering the complex story of Dumbledore, notably with Grindelwald.

                      The collateral result is that Draco is doomed unless Dumbledore and Snape manage a stunt that fool everyone.

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                      1. I'm thinking about Sirius' death now and I just don't have the heart to blame Harry, who was trying to learn Occlumency, but it seemed like Snape wasn't helping him and was actually hurting him with his learning as the visions became more clear...

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                        1. Well, Harry wouldn't have jumped straight into the trap if:
                          a) Dumbledore had found a way to explain why he couldn't interact much with Harry instead of trying to "protecting" him in the worse way possible from the start of summer break when harry needed emotional support and advices instead of being left in the dark but also if he has been more concerned for Sirius's well-being, not only for the fact of being confined but the fact he was confined in the place of his traumas with the remaining symbol of this trauma (Kreacher)
                          b) Hermione accepted "Defense Association" by Cho Chang instead of the "Dumbledore Army" by Ginny as it would have prevented/delayed Dumbledore's flight from Hogwarts and allowed the latter to have a bigger role on Snape, but also if she was far more attentive to what Harry was feeling and the impression the whole situation gave him
                          c) Snape trying to fake helping Harry (as I can imagine that the idea of being seen training Harry by the man to whom he is supposed to be loyal is not a comfortable situation, which makes me wondering: what the hell was thinking Dumbledore? Not only he knows that both Harry and Snape had not the best of relation, but considering he is his spy and that he has informed him on the connection, that means he put Snape in potential danger) and he was more mature instead of antagonizing Sirius

                          In option:
                          c) Sirius if he had been able to show kindness and respect to Kreacher instead of seeing the symbol of his familly's dogmatism and traumas (but considering it is tied to the fact no one really helped him to deal with his traumas, it is an indirect one)
                          d) MacGonagall if she had been available to advise and help him

                          In short, Dumbledore is right on the fact he is guitly because many of his decisions contributed to settle the ground for Sirius's death. But Snape played a big part, Hermione indirectly contributed as McGonagall and Sirius (for Kreacher). And the global atmosphere didn't help as Harry was dealing with trauma, abuse, isolation, distrust, insults, defamation and because it is was too much to bottle in spite of all the past experiences and the time with the Dursleys. No wonder he was on the edge.
                          That is in a way one of the things I love with the movie adaptation (my favorite one among the eight movies, even if Umbridge also played a big part and the music by Nicholas Hooper... a must).

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                          1. Tom Riddle would certainly understand the instructions, because he was a reserved person since childhood and only moments of extreme anger made him lose his balance... but Harry is an emotional mess and how can you tell him to 'Close your mind' and nothing else... how can Harry stop this tangle of guilt, pain, responsibility, trauma...

                            As usual, Snape projects that Harry feels special... I don't care that Snape, feeling some responsibility for Lily's death, started spying for the other side. He is a cruel man who never grew up. He tormented not only Harry, but also Hermione and Neville...

                            Honestly, when I think about James and Lily's marriage... Harry idolized them because he had the Dursleys... but in practice, James lied to Lily about his shift and quietly continued doing what he had been doing. Their marriage probably wouldn't have lasted long if there hadn't been a war/prophecy. Also Harry's worry that his father would somehow force his mother into marriage was a legitimate fear...only James used deception instead of magic.. Which interestingly connects with Tom Riddle whose mother used magic.

                            Lily herself doesn't seem like a good character either, the fact that she lived near Snape means that she herself came from poor beginnings... and her entry into the wizarding world allowed her to rise in society. Petunia does this too, but by marrying a man who has good prospects at work. Lily married the heir to a fortune. The scene where Lily talks to Snape is very cold. Harry liked to idealize his mother, but in practice she was probably like Petunia in some ways. And who's to say Petunia wouldn't do the same if she were a witch and standing over her own child's cradle...

                            Maybe it's good that Harry never knew James and Lily, because they wouldn't be such great parents at all, it's possible they would get into a fight with Harry and use him as a card between them...of course I would wish for him to have a better family/or supervision The Dursleys to treat him decently.

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                            1. I totally agree with you on Snape, James and Lily.

                              Voldemort ironically made Lily and James martyres and prevent both their mariage to turn conflictual and more importantly, prevent Lily to be regarded as a gold-digger considering her origins. Who to say she wouldn't have become the equivalent of Petunia in the wizarding world? And considering it is underlined her parents spoilt her in a manner of speaking and that she was oblivious in a similar manner as Hermione on the feelings of others... Yes, not so cool.

                              And Snape... The issue with Snape is that he has this inferiority complex, this insecurity and people either feed on those vulnerablities (Slytherin, Voldemort, Dumbledore) or make others pick on him (James and his friends) in a similar way that students pick on Filch (seriously, who is the moron who thought that hiring a squib to deal with stuff House Elves would easily do was a good idea as it is akin to put someone who is crippled in a place where there are stairs and floors to climb). Add the neglect of the Hogwarts staff, the flawed system, the global context... This school is the epitome of self-fufilling prophecy in a perpetual cycle.

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                              1. I'm currently reading Dumbledore explaining to Harry why he had to leave him with the Durlesleys... I snort at the book and as I read this, I think about how much he sees people as pawns. He obviously hasn't outgrown some things... Greater good...

                                There really were other ways to hide Harry. You could have given Petunia a chance, but when it turned out that she didn't meet the requirements... you had to take Harry and hide him in the house under Fidelius, whose Guardian would be Dumbledore. Or a house like Newt Scamander's suitcase... There are just other options. Also changing the name and hiding the scar.

                                I think about how much Dumbledore doesn't understand people... He didn't talk to Petunia personally, he didn't curb Snape's negative impulses. He hired Hagrid as a teacher, although it is clear how unsuitable he is... He hired Filch, who hates children and is jealous of magic. I guess it's no wonder he didn't recognize that Moody was Crouch...everyone thinks of it from the perspective of a healthy friendship...but Dumbledore had no healthy friendships, only regret and an ivory tower.

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                                1. You are totally right about Dumbledore.

                                  In fact, in the fanfiction "Force interrupts" (the one I have given you a link), the author developped several chapters on the prophecy revelation where Harry (but the author's reflection thoughts) wrecks each Dumbledore's points, forcing the latter to use at the end of each chapter an obliviate (though I wonder how much of a limp Harry is for being obliviated so many times). And when considering the fidelius charm, it is far worse when considering the goofs the last book accidentally created with it (once again made fun of in the fanfiction "Force Interrupts").

                                  Damn, even Elsa from Frozen, Rapunzel from Tangled or Quasimodo from The Hunchback of Notre Dame have fair better relational skills than this man.

                                  In fact, thinking of it... Dumbledore is litterally a Disney villain in the style of Frollo/Mother Gothel in the sense he is blinded by himself and unable to see the world in a different light, especially when it concerns his "protege".

                                  The truth is... Part of Dumbledore's inadequacy is likely tied to how his family has been cut off the world after his father had been sent to Azkhaban and his mother trying to deal with Arianna's trauma before being accidentally killed. And Grindelwald feeds on Dumbledore's isolation and frustration, worsening the situation as I believe that Dumbledore couldn't trust friends or love anymoe due to the hurt it provoked. And because he had been ashamed of his part in Arianna's death, he didn't really try to mend his bonds with Ableforth whose rough edges might have been far more useful to Dumbledore.

                                  Concerning Sirius and his friends, there is a SI fanfiction I have appreciated where the SI is a Hufflepuff that joined Hogwarts some years before Harry and built on creating a network that overcome the Housing divisions and to prevent key events of the canon, but with sometimes mixed results (like with Tom's diary that she snitched from Ginny before the school year but studied it and was affected by it and due to accidental circumstances, it was Draco who found the diary and fell victim), the biggest backlash being in Harry's third year as she investigated the Marauders' pranks in an unofficial way to see how Sirius was supposedly dangerous (even though she knew he was innocent), which resulted to a big file that shed a very bad light on James and his friends. And like the files revealed by Wikileaks/Mediapart..., someone she trusted took her notes and let them published, litterally destroying Lupin's reputation and forcing him to resign while Harry turned very bitter and resentful of his parents and of his godfather while Snape felt exhilarated by the fallout his former nemesis suffered. The only silver lining was that Pettigrew was captured and revealed.

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                                  1. To be clear, I don't blame Lily for wanting to improve her lot because of poverty. It is known that a woman can improve her lot through marriage and this has been the case for centuries. This would be great hypocrisy on my part, since I am a woman myself and I know the mechanisms of action of this type. Except that I have a feeling that she didn't love James at all, or at least she didn't love his true form, only what he made her believe - a change that was just a façade. Therefore, this marriage was doomed to failure.

                                    Harry would be stuck between his parents' conflict, as Lily was definitely more ruthless than Petunia, due to having magic and being Slughorn's favorite.

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                                    1. Fair enough for all the points you raised.

                                      In short (and sorry for destroyinf further more the characters):
                                      James=Rhaegar
                                      Lily=Lyanna
                                      Severus=Robert
                                      Harry=Jon

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                                      1. Nice analogy... I've just finished reading Order of the Phoenix and started Half-Blood Prince... Snape was just saying to Bellatrix that does she think he managed to fool the best master of Legilimency... I say to the book ''Yes, you did''. ..

                                        I don't think the adult Tom in my story would have been fooled in this way like Voldemort in origal timeline

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                                        1. You are right about your Tom. And another example of Voldemort's narcissist ego.

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                                          1. Add in, he is giving Draco a suicide mission just to punish Malfoys...

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                                            1. True. Seriously, this guy is far worse than Tywin in matter of pride and pettiness. As much as I despised the Old Lion, he was a bit more intelligent in spite of his pride blindness and his ruthless dogmatism.

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                                              1. Now I read how Dumbledore came to Harry's house...

                                                First of all, he already has a black hand, so Snape didn't risk anything with oath, he already knew that Dumbledore was dying.

                                                Plus, Dumbledore forced the couch to move and forced the Durleys to get on it...

                                                Yeah, great diplomacy and social relations... I am shocked how Dumbledore manage to free Umbridge... Maybe he was better with magical creatures than normal people

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                                                1. Yes, at least Snape took a reasoned and planned risk.

                                                  There are people like that. But considering that his brother loves more goats than people (why does it sound like a dubious joke?), perhaps it's a family thing.

                                                  You should really read "Force Interrupts". The author really made fun of the blunders and plotholes and inconsistencies, especially when it concerns Dumbledore. At least, this "bashing" is far more legitimate.

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                                                  1. In the event that Dumbledore was not dying, Snape could have said that it was Draco's mission and he would not oppose the Dark Lord.

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                                                    1. Fair enough.

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                                                      1. I'm a bit surprised by the change in tone... In volume 6 you can see that Voldemort's victory threatens both worlds - there is a bridge collapse, dementors, a giant... but in volume 7 Voldemort focused only on the wizarding world/muggle-borns... and muggles are actually left alone.

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                                                        1. Yes... The shift is kind of problematic and has a sense of GRRM's views on smallfolk. Like smallfolks, Muggle seem not caring about the strange occurrences that were happening during the seventh book which don't make any sense. I mean, considering how a tyranny can abuse its power and thinks itself invisible, why would death eaters and any of their accomplices being "subtle" in "muggle huntings" when nothing seems to stop them now and considering their biais toward nonmagical people?
                                                          In fact, it is as if JKR wanted to remind us that the two worlds were existing alongside in the sixth book.

                                                          If the book was rewritten today, I think the Prime Minister would ironically play a bigger part in the events as incidents were growing strong. Ironically, one of the "Force interrupts" chapter is how muggle intervenes after Harry, Ron and Hermione accidentally crashed the dragon on Eye Tower (though in the book context, that would have been Big Ben, revealing the Magical World and bringing the Prime Minister to further intervene in the magical world to put an end to what happens there).

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                                                          1. It would be logical for the wizarding world to be exposed during this war to no-magic society.

                                                            You know...I think Harry was only at the house on Privet Drive for two weeks this summer...because Dumbledore was dying. So time was running out... Dumbledore had to get Horace Slughorn as a teacher/he couldn't put it off until Year 7 or later... I bet that's not how he planned it... He knew he wasn't eternal, but if he hadn't touched the ring he could still be alive... Even if the Ministry fell, Dumbledore could still guard Hogwarts... again it was his stupidity that caused so many children to suffer in 7th year...

                                                            If he hadn't taken the ring... It would have been 2 already... from Slughorn's memory he knows that there were supposed to be 6 Horcruxes plus Harry as a random Horcrux...

                                                            So that leaves 4 - the snake, the missing locket and two potential items...

                                                            The Horcrux hunt could have been much more peaceful and less painful if Dumbledore hadn't touched the ring.

                                                            Besides I think that Tom Riddle had something like sentiment for Horace Slughorn to not kill him because his knowledge...

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                                                            1. Yes! In contextual and worldbuilding levels, it makes no sense that the no-magical society stays blind to the impact of the second wizarding world with how easily the Statue of Secrecy was broken during the seventh book (I mean, considering that Gringotts is literally at the centre of London, how many people did see the white dragon flying into the sky. It is not like the flying car who had an invisibility option that partly works, not to mention that Harry guided Ron to make a departure that was discrete to avoid being noticed and it was during their flight they had been seen by seven people).

                                                              I agree with your stance on Dumbledore. He had been was so self-centered and so blinded by distrust and past traumas he manages to nearly foil the magical world and his own plans because of selfish stupidity.

                                                              You are right about Tom, because it doesn't make sense to let alive someone who is aware of what Voldemort had likely done to survive.

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                                                              1. I like Horace, I know some people don't like him... but I like him with his joy to social things, help talented people and all he wants is some recognition and comfort...

                                                                He really is so likable for me.

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                                                                1. Yes, he is the most sociable Slytherin and wizard that comes to my mind. And at least, he is trying to allow wizards and witches with potential to thrive. That's something to his honor.

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                                                                  1. I don't like Ginny when she said Fleur was worse than Umbridge - this woman literally tortured children... and Fleur made some inappropriate comments... Hermione and Ginny were probably jealous of Fleur...

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                                                                    1. They were jealous. And considering that Ginny was said to be close to Bill, this jealousy is enhanced.

                                                                      Personally, both Hermione, Ginny and Molly should have been scolded down for their derogatory manners. For people who disliked how they are regarded by others, they are rather hypocritical, especially as Fleur has to deal with being a veela. But no, jealous stupid fools.

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                                                                      1. I'm not surprised that Ollivander was kidnapped...Voldemort must have known the secrets of wands, but I don't understand why the ice cream maker was kidnapped/killed...unless he was a muggleborn

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                                                                        1. True for Ollivander.

                                                                          The ice cream maker being a muggleborn might be a possibility, especially as we don't know where the ice cream in wizarding world come from. And considering the blindness and dogmatism of the traditionalists to what the wizarding culture means, I can totally imagine some of them believing that ice creams are an insult to pure magical culture.

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                                                                          1. You know... it's funny that even Voldemort, destroyed by madness and Horcruxes... still has within him the remains of that young charming boy who wanted to be respectable... For example, I remember Rookwood telling him that no one can touch the prophecy beyond the parties involved, and Voldemort was very elegant about it apart from Avery's later punishment session. I'm thinking of the comparison that they were worse than him.... Fenrir, Bellatrix, Umbridge...

                                                                            I read now, a scene where Hermione walks into Borgin's shop immediately after Malfoy and just plays dumb, even though it's obvious why she's there...Tom Riddle would yell at her for being stupid again...if you want to pretend you're not tied up then wait 5 minutes... and if you want open information, use gold or threats...

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                                                                            1. Yes.. And that reminds me of an interesting book called "Harry Potter: the Anti-Peter Pan" or something similar where the author commented on how Voldemort was like a mix of Captain Hook and of Peter Pan because of his role of the MC's nemesis and his refusal to die that can be akin to Peter Pan's refusal to grow up. And I remember her explanation on why part of the fans expected Harry Potter to die, because it was in a way their refusal to see their favorite character to escape the clutch of youth through growing up. I'm sure there are other reasons, but I like the idea.

                                                                              Hermione, Hermione, Hermione (I'm sure you would know which character I'm imitating...). Subtetly is not your strength. Amusing you commented on Tom yelling on her as I would have thinking of Kreia that would have scolded her for not using manipulation to reach her purposes, especially considering how she uses blackmail to bring Rita to write Harry's interview in the fifth book (which makes me think... How Rita manages to write such article on Dumbledore as Hermione could have leaked the truth on her being an animagus at this point...). In a way Hermione is like Thomson and Thompson from Tintin in that field.

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                                                                              1. Yes, and she even started shouting at Ron when he told her it wasn't very good...

                                                                                I also don't like how no one believed Harry... I understand that Ron and Hermione didn't know anything about Death Eaters and only saw them from a distance in the Department of Mysteries... but Arthur Weasley disappointed me a lot...

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                                                                                1. Hermione's hypocrisy... Even Katara wouldn't be so rude to Aang or Sokka for failing.

                                                                                  This is a big issue of the two last books. The fact that everyone dismisses Harry when he says something big (Malfoy being a potential death eater... when Sirius has mentionned his late brother Regulus being one at 16! or his wand acting on his own when facing Voldemort during the Battle of the Seven Potters). I found rather ironic that JKR made Harry's friends and allies acting the same way that the Ministry of Magic did in the fifth book.

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                                                                                  1. Yes, especially since why wouldn't Voldemort want a spy at Hogwarts like Malfoy... only thing to do it was to roll up his sleeve and see his arm...

                                                                                    I'm a bit surprised by Dumbledore's cheerfulness, e.g. during the feast when the students see his dead hand... I just want to shout at him that out of stupidity you just potentially ruined your plans...

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                                                                                    1. Exactly! And considering the precedent of Ginny (even though she had been possessed) or how they had been "betrayed" by Marietta, they should be more cautious of the possibility of a student being a spy for Voldemort.

                                                                                      Dumbledore is a bit like "David Goodenough" (a meme from "Joueur du Grenier" videos, a French Youtuber that has been making videos on video games since 2009, including one on Harry Potter games) in the sense that he is "nonchalant" when his mistakes and neglect created issues for everyone else.

                                                                                      Here is the link to David Goodenough wiki page on the fandom (French one): https://joueur-du-grenier.fandom.com/fr/wiki/David_Goodenough and I know some Youtubers made compilations of the gag from the different videos he is present.

                                                                                      And here is the JDG video on Harry Potter games: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ugs9HASX4rA&pp=ygUQamRnIGhhcnJ5IHBvdHRlcg%3D%3D.

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                                                                                      1. I don't understand why Snape wanted to be a DADA teacher if there was a curse there... And a very effective one at that... I just don't understand what the difference is, what subject he would teach and he hated being a teacher so much...

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                                                                                        1. Perhaps it was his unconscious attempt to escape his role and to face the punishment he felt he deserved. As nasty and dislikable Snape was, there is one thing I can acknowledge with him, the fact he fell he couldn't be redeemed. Sure, redemption is a personal effort, but considering the fact he didn't mature and was petty with many people around him, he was partly true.
                                                                                          Or perhaps he believed he could have lifted the curse with his knowledge of dark arts. But I personally think it might be a bit of both.

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                                                                                          1. I was reading the chapter now where Dumbledore shows a memory of meeting Tom Riddle...

                                                                                            Dumbledore says that Tom didn't want to go to Diagon Alley with him because it's his nature... I think he didn't want to go with him because he didn't trust him... Tom would really like to charm the new teacher and find out everything... . Except that Dumbledore made a mistake...

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                                                                                            1. Yes... Dumbledore is unfit to be a teacher because of his lack of understanding and of empathy. And I find very ironic from Dumbledore to says that Tom didn't want to go to Diagon Alley with him because it's his nature when himself tends to play solo. It's rather sad and amusing that the two main rivals have in common the lack of trust in their allies and their tendency to play solo.

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                                                                                              1. How do you think if my SI would go to Tom and give him letter...how it would look like

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                                                                                                1. I think Tom might be confused (with how he now regards Hogwarts) but also felt moved that Lady Sigyn was the one that gave him the letter.

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                                                                                                  1. ah..I mean I asked in different timeline...

                                                                                                    If SI become teacher, not inventor of toys...and she will go to Tom, not Dumbledore

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                                                                                                    1. I think he would have wanted to impress her and would be intrigued as she would have shown magic in a way that is not to impress him through frightening ways, but in a beautiful way, not to mention her demeanour would confuse him as it would be so different from how Mrs Cole interacted with him.

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                                                                                                      1. Yes... for the SI point she will be wearing a dress and jewelry/ she is a woman... so not a doctor/psychiatrist...

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                                                                                                        1. I just think about how much Dumbledore left out about Tom...

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                                                                                                          1. True.

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                                                                                                            1. It's just that when I read Dumbledore's explanations, I want to talk about the generalization fallacy and the hindsight fallacy...

                                                                                                              Tom Riddle was just a boy, and his fate was uncertain at that time.

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                                                                                                              1. You are right.

                                                                                                                But that's a fallacy many can fall in, especially as it can (unconciously) help them to conceal their regrets, their own mistakes. Distance can have its advantages when dealing with some situations, but it can also trick people into false sense of knowing how to react or to act.

                                                                                                                You are right that Tom was just a boy, one that was alone and raised in one of the least recommended places for a child. And Dumbledore... He was in his "median" period where the guilt for what happened to his sister and his family as a whole was likely the strongest and where the shadow of Grindelwald was further stronger (and while "The Fantastic Animals" had their issues, the idea of the blood pact is an interesting twist to me to show how far Dumbledore and Grindelwald went in this fateful summer). I think that in a way, Dumbledore was projecting those elements on Tom.

                                                                                                                And of course, when Dumbledore shows the memory to Harry, there is the fact that almost 60 years had gone by since the first encounter, meaning the memory is also altered by the personal feelings and impressions on one hand and on the other, as much as Dumbledore might remember things, those memories are also biased by whatever experiences and interactions he had known afterwards.

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                                                                                                                1. Really, Dumbledore had a bit of a bad entrance also because he was the older man in this case. Immediately an association with a doctor/professor... I don't like the fact that in fanfiction it is presented that Tom would react similarly to Harry - a time traveler... No, Tom would not behave the same towards Harry at all . Harry, who was a young adult with untidy hair and lack of typical decorum, would have a different reaction than Dumbledore. Tom wouldn't associate Harry with a representative of a mental institution at all.

                                                                                                                  My SI would also would have an easier time because Tom would be surprised by the young woman in an elegant dress who visits him at the orphanage.

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                                                                                                                  1. You are totally right. I know why Dumbledore did it, because otherwise Mrs Cole wouldn't have allowed him to visit the orphanage, but the moment he entered the room (and he could have confused Mrs Cole or waited for her to leave and turned her back), he could have change his clothes with a move of his wand, which also could have been a better way to show Tom he wasn't alone without using a terrifying move (burning-like cupboard). I think in this case, it's a comprehensive overlook as he couldn't assume Tom was conciously using his magic, even for harmful (albeit in a defensive manner) reasons.

                                                                                                                    You are right on both the time-traveller Harry and your SI. I think part of the issues with fanfictions is the temptation to recreate situations, even when the circumstances and context have shifted. The fanfiction depicting Tom reacting the same way with a time-traveler Harry as with Dumbledore is the same as the Red Wedding occuring in many fanfictions or Jon being raised as king of the Seven Kingdoms once he found his Targaryen legacy (and often turning back on his Stark raising) when there are many obstacles and challenges to overcome (and having a dragon IMO may make things easier, but also enhanced those issues of legitimacy).

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                                                                                                                    1. That would be funny... Time traveler Harry goes to the orphanage and expects to be treated like Dumbledore... and Tom immediately becomes full of joy, asks him if he is family - cousin or stepbrother... or his father sent him.

                                                                                                                      How do you think Tom felt about the closet/being told to give things to other orphans...

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