Operation Redo Mods (![[info]](http://www.insanejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} mods_or) wrote in ![[info]](http://www.insanejournal.com/img/community.gif){kind=small} operation_redo,@ 2007-12-18 01:20:00 |
 |
|||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Canon FAQ
1. You said this game's taking place after Harry's sixth year, right? I know it's been awhile since I read HBP, but I don't remember seeing anything about a battle like the one you described in the prologue...
This is an AU (alternative universe) game that originally started before HBP was released. After much discussion, the mods decided we wanted to include Harry's hunt for Voldemort's Horcruxes in the game, so at this point, we basically pick up from the end of chapter 26 of HBP and replace the canon battle in chapter 27 of HBP with our battle in the prologue. If you're still not clear, we have more specific canon issues below.
2. So ... Draco was still trying to kill Dumbledore in this game?
Yes, he was. He also nearly killed Katie Bell and Ron Weasley in the process and had Madam Rosemerta under the Imperius Curse for most of his sixth year at Hogwarts. Our Draco's player liked his development in HBP and wanted to keep those aspects of his character.
3. Wait -- but Snape killed Dumbledore, didn't he? Didn't he?
Not is this game; he never had the chance. Bellatrix gave Voldemort concrete evidence that he was a spy for the Order before the battle, and Snape fought alongside the Order until Voldemort killed him.
4. What evidence did Bellatrix give Voldemort?
Only Bellatrix and Voldemort know for sure.
5. Isn't Mr. Lovegood's first name supposed to be Xenophilius? And wasn't Andromeda a Slytherin?
These are two instances in which our game precedents trump canon. Before HBP and DH came out, our Luna's player had her father's name as Otto, and our Andromeda's player had Andromeda in Gryffindor. We aren't going to make them change things for such minor canon details. If either of those discrepancies really bother you, you can tell yourself that Slughorn made a mistake with regards to Andromeda's sorting (he was getting old, after all), and Mr. Lovegood adopted a nom de plume when he started publishing The Quibbler.
6. What about Dumbledore? You do know he's gay, right? And was in love with Grindelwald? And had a sister who died? And was kind of manipulative and stuff?
Yes, we know all that ... and for the time being, we're ignoring it. Not because we're homophobic (the mod who plays Dumbledore is genderqueer and in a committed lesbian relationship). It's more because Dumbledore's bio is the longest in the game, and it would be a major pain to rewrite. Plus, well ... we thought Dumbledore's backstory and characterization in DH kinda sucked (not the subsequent Q&A session in which Rowling outed him, mind. We have no problem with Dumbledore's being gay).
The way Dumbledore's romantic history is now -- his wife died in childbirth with a stillborn baby -- isn't mutually exclusive with the idea of his being gay. In fact, many gay men married and had children, especially during that rather repressive time period (see: Oscar Wilde). It wasn't all that unusual. At a later date, Dumbledore's bio may be changed to include some more mentions of Grindelwald in a romantic light, but for now, the mods have other, more pressing matters to attend to. As Dumbledore himself would say, it will do to be going on with. ;-)
With regards to Dumbledore's shameless emotional manipulation of Snape? That didn't sit very well with us -- especially considering that Rowling has described Dumbledore as the "epitome of goodness". Goodness and Machiavellian manipulation rarely make good bedfellows. Not to mention, exploiting the grief/guilt of one's own spy to guarantee his continued loyalty is dangerous. If Snape ever decided he'd had enough (or if he simply got over Lily's death), and went back to Voldemort in earnest, the Order would have been in serious trouble. Therefore, our Dumbledore will be much less prone to emotional blackmail, even if he is a tad myopic when it comes to his Gryffindors.
7. So ... you're just ignoring Rowling's interviews?
For the most part, yes. Because Rowling doesn't bring notes to her interviews, she has contradicted herself on numerous occasions (see the question above), to the point that the mods don't really consider interviews to be a reliable source of information any longer. We'll take what the Lexicon says over her off-the-cuff comments any day.
8. Are you just ignoring DH, too?
Not completely, no. There are certain ideas we're keeping and others we've discarded. Our policy is not to force new canon on players who don't like it.
9. What are you keeping, then?
Lots of things -- probably too many to list. Most of the things that occurred before our game opens in November of 1975 (such as Snape and Lily's friendship) are staying, but some aren't. As for things that occurred after November of 1975? We can't really say. This is an AU game, so changing history is par for the course.
10. Things that happened after November of 1975? Does that include the Shrieking Shack prank and Snape's Worst Memory?
Yes, it does. Both of those events seem to have transpired around June of 1976. If they do end up being played out at all in the game -- and there's no guarantee that they will be -- they may turn out entirely different. We'll just have to wait and see.
11. Which things aren't staying?
Ravenclaw's diadem, for one. The backstory for the Bloody Baron and the Grey Lady, for another, although we seriously doubt that will come into game play. (The running-off-to-Albania plot contrivance was already overused before DH came out. Voldemort hid there, Quirrell visited there, Wormtail escaped to there, Bertha Jorkins vacationed there, and then Rowling had to go there again with the Grey Lady and the Bloody Baron. Enough with Albania, already!) And lastly, the Deathly Hallows as magical objects.
12. Whoa -- wait! No Deathly Hallows? What?!? Why?
Dumbledore is a powerful enough wizard without an unbeatable Elder Wand. The Peverell ring already is significant enough as a Horcrux without housing the Resurrection Stone. And since Rowling contradicted herself in DH about Death's Invisibility Cloak being able to defeat magical penetration (Moody's eye saw right through the thing in GoF), we don't see how it's all that special. Therefore, the Invisibility Cloak is just a regular Invisibility Cloak (and James has it in 1975, not Harry).
13. You're leaving out Ravenclaw's diadem? What does that do to the Horcruxes?
The Horcruxes are tricky subject anyway in a Time Travel game, since we don't know exactly when Voldemort made them all. Therefore, we've made a handy list of the existing Horcruxes (as of November, 1975).
This way, the Founders' objects follow the Tarot suits: Gryffindor = swords; Hufflepuff = cups; Ravenclaw = wands; Slytherin = pentacles (round metal objects, so the locket qualifies). The locket won't become a Horcrux and be hidden in the seaside cave until Regulus Black (currently a fourth year) is out of school, so its present location is unknown. It is also safe to assume that Hufflepuff's cup is not in Bellatrix's Gringotts vault in 1975 and Lucius is not yet in possession of the diary.
Possibilities for the last Horcrux include Nagini, Gryffindor's Sword (if Voldemort gets the opportunity to knick it during game play), lots of other Super Special Objects or Creatures, or just ... never being made. All that depends on how quickly Harry and Dumbledore locate and destroy the others, and if Voldemort gets wind of their plans.
14. If you aren't including Ravenclaw's diadem, then what was that diadem thingie hidden in the Room of Requirement?
Just an ordinary headdress.
15. And Voldemort didn't hide any of the Horcruxes in the Room of Requirement when he came to interview for the DADA job?
No. None of the Horcruxes will be hidden in the Room of Requirement. If Voldemort could walk into that room -- with literally centuries' worth of stuff hidden there -- and conclude that he was the only one who had ever found the room ... well, we have a word for a person like that 'round these parts: an idiot. It's especially dumb considering he could have hidden the Horcrux in a location on the school grounds that most people think is a myth to start with, that he knows only a select few can enter (and he has personally killed his last remaining relative who could), and that he suspects no one else had entered since Salazar Slytherin (and at the time, Harry hadn't been born, so Voldemort's suspicions would have been correct).
16. You didn't list Harry as a Horcrux. Why is that?
For this game, there will be no accidental Horcrux in the form of Harry because we don't want to kill Harry a second time. If that bothers you, just tell yourself that a soul fragment cannot traverse time, so it was destroyed when the students were sent back.
17. If Harry doesn't have a portion of Voldemort's soul in him any more, is he still a Parselmouth?
Yes, he is. Voldemort transferred some of his powers to Harry on October 31, 1981 in Godric's Hollow, but not a portion of his soul.
18. Can Harry still see into Voldemort's mind?
He will be able to with some practice, yes, but the connection isn't as strong as it was before. As Snape said in OotP, time and distance matter in Occlumency/Legilimency. Being so far removed, time-wise, from the event that transferred Voldemort's powers (i.e., it hasn't happened yet) has somewhat muted the effect. Harry will also have to learn to block Voldemort from sensing his presence before he goes traipsing around in Voldemort's mind. In other words, he will have to actually work on his Occlumency and Legilimency this time around and not just luck into it working when it's convenientfor the plot for him.
19. Umm ... Snape won't be teaching Harry Occlumency, will he?
No. Snape is still only learning it himself (for health reasons). Dumbledore will be teaching them both.
20. Together?
Possibly. We haven't decided.
21. What other powers did Voldemort transfer to Harry?
Perhaps his great flying ability? ;-) Any other powers remain to be seen. (In other words, we haven't decided yet. If/when we think of some, they will end up here.)
22. So, Parseltongue is a power, not a language?
Right. Parseltongue is not a regular language that can be learned, like French or Mermish or Welsh. It is a rare telepathic ability that allows one to communicate with snakes (which are deaf) and other Parselmouths. The hissing and spitting noises are incidental, probably because human beings are accustomed to communicating via sounds, and those are the noises snakes tend to make. (A mute Parselmouth, for example, would not make those noises but could still "talk" to snakes with no trouble.)
23. Then how come the Chamber of Secrets and the locket opened for Harry when he made the noises, and the Chamber opened for Ron in DH?
Because the Chamber and the locket were enchanted with spells triggered by the hissing and spitting noises. It wasn't actually Parseltongue, as there weren't any snakes involved, and our previous example of a mute Parselmouth would not have been able to do either of those things. If getting into the Chamber depended on real snakes (e.g., a cobra that guarded the entrance), Harry would have been able to do it, and so would a mute Parselmouth, but Ron would not. (We can't think of an example of opening the locket that requires the presence of a real, live snake, but you've probably already gotten the point.)
24. You didn't answer my question!
Then leave us a comment, e-mail us at operation_redo@yahoo.com, or send a PM tomods_or with your question. We answered the questions we could think of, but most of these weren't "real" questions, so we're sure there are some things that aren't completely clear.
1. You said this game's taking place after Harry's sixth year, right? I know it's been awhile since I read HBP, but I don't remember seeing anything about a battle like the one you described in the prologue...
This is an AU (alternative universe) game that originally started before HBP was released. After much discussion, the mods decided we wanted to include Harry's hunt for Voldemort's Horcruxes in the game, so at this point, we basically pick up from the end of chapter 26 of HBP and replace the canon battle in chapter 27 of HBP with our battle in the prologue. If you're still not clear, we have more specific canon issues below.
2. So ... Draco was still trying to kill Dumbledore in this game?
Yes, he was. He also nearly killed Katie Bell and Ron Weasley in the process and had Madam Rosemerta under the Imperius Curse for most of his sixth year at Hogwarts. Our Draco's player liked his development in HBP and wanted to keep those aspects of his character.
3. Wait -- but Snape killed Dumbledore, didn't he? Didn't he?
Not is this game; he never had the chance. Bellatrix gave Voldemort concrete evidence that he was a spy for the Order before the battle, and Snape fought alongside the Order until Voldemort killed him.
4. What evidence did Bellatrix give Voldemort?
Only Bellatrix and Voldemort know for sure.
5. Isn't Mr. Lovegood's first name supposed to be Xenophilius? And wasn't Andromeda a Slytherin?
These are two instances in which our game precedents trump canon. Before HBP and DH came out, our Luna's player had her father's name as Otto, and our Andromeda's player had Andromeda in Gryffindor. We aren't going to make them change things for such minor canon details. If either of those discrepancies really bother you, you can tell yourself that Slughorn made a mistake with regards to Andromeda's sorting (he was getting old, after all), and Mr. Lovegood adopted a nom de plume when he started publishing The Quibbler.
6. What about Dumbledore? You do know he's gay, right? And was in love with Grindelwald? And had a sister who died? And was kind of manipulative and stuff?
Yes, we know all that ... and for the time being, we're ignoring it. Not because we're homophobic (the mod who plays Dumbledore is genderqueer and in a committed lesbian relationship). It's more because Dumbledore's bio is the longest in the game, and it would be a major pain to rewrite. Plus, well ... we thought Dumbledore's backstory and characterization in DH kinda sucked (not the subsequent Q&A session in which Rowling outed him, mind. We have no problem with Dumbledore's being gay).
The way Dumbledore's romantic history is now -- his wife died in childbirth with a stillborn baby -- isn't mutually exclusive with the idea of his being gay. In fact, many gay men married and had children, especially during that rather repressive time period (see: Oscar Wilde). It wasn't all that unusual. At a later date, Dumbledore's bio may be changed to include some more mentions of Grindelwald in a romantic light, but for now, the mods have other, more pressing matters to attend to. As Dumbledore himself would say, it will do to be going on with. ;-)
With regards to Dumbledore's shameless emotional manipulation of Snape? That didn't sit very well with us -- especially considering that Rowling has described Dumbledore as the "epitome of goodness". Goodness and Machiavellian manipulation rarely make good bedfellows. Not to mention, exploiting the grief/guilt of one's own spy to guarantee his continued loyalty is dangerous. If Snape ever decided he'd had enough (or if he simply got over Lily's death), and went back to Voldemort in earnest, the Order would have been in serious trouble. Therefore, our Dumbledore will be much less prone to emotional blackmail, even if he is a tad myopic when it comes to his Gryffindors.
7. So ... you're just ignoring Rowling's interviews?
For the most part, yes. Because Rowling doesn't bring notes to her interviews, she has contradicted herself on numerous occasions (see the question above), to the point that the mods don't really consider interviews to be a reliable source of information any longer. We'll take what the Lexicon says over her off-the-cuff comments any day.
8. Are you just ignoring DH, too?
Not completely, no. There are certain ideas we're keeping and others we've discarded. Our policy is not to force new canon on players who don't like it.
9. What are you keeping, then?
Lots of things -- probably too many to list. Most of the things that occurred before our game opens in November of 1975 (such as Snape and Lily's friendship) are staying, but some aren't. As for things that occurred after November of 1975? We can't really say. This is an AU game, so changing history is par for the course.
10. Things that happened after November of 1975? Does that include the Shrieking Shack prank and Snape's Worst Memory?
Yes, it does. Both of those events seem to have transpired around June of 1976. If they do end up being played out at all in the game -- and there's no guarantee that they will be -- they may turn out entirely different. We'll just have to wait and see.
11. Which things aren't staying?
Ravenclaw's diadem, for one. The backstory for the Bloody Baron and the Grey Lady, for another, although we seriously doubt that will come into game play. (The running-off-to-Albania plot contrivance was already overused before DH came out. Voldemort hid there, Quirrell visited there, Wormtail escaped to there, Bertha Jorkins vacationed there, and then Rowling had to go there again with the Grey Lady and the Bloody Baron. Enough with Albania, already!) And lastly, the Deathly Hallows as magical objects.
12. Whoa -- wait! No Deathly Hallows? What?!? Why?
Dumbledore is a powerful enough wizard without an unbeatable Elder Wand. The Peverell ring already is significant enough as a Horcrux without housing the Resurrection Stone. And since Rowling contradicted herself in DH about Death's Invisibility Cloak being able to defeat magical penetration (Moody's eye saw right through the thing in GoF), we don't see how it's all that special. Therefore, the Invisibility Cloak is just a regular Invisibility Cloak (and James has it in 1975, not Harry).
13. You're leaving out Ravenclaw's diadem? What does that do to the Horcruxes?
The Horcruxes are tricky subject anyway in a Time Travel game, since we don't know exactly when Voldemort made them all. Therefore, we've made a handy list of the existing Horcruxes (as of November, 1975).
| Object | Status | Location |
| Marvolo's ring | Horcrux | Known (to Harry) |
| Tom's diary | Horcrux | Unknown |
| Hufflepuff's cup | Unknown | Unknown |
| Slytherin's locket | Unknown | Unknown |
| Ravenclaw's wand | Unknown | Unknown |
| Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
This way, the Founders' objects follow the Tarot suits: Gryffindor = swords; Hufflepuff = cups; Ravenclaw = wands; Slytherin = pentacles (round metal objects, so the locket qualifies). The locket won't become a Horcrux and be hidden in the seaside cave until Regulus Black (currently a fourth year) is out of school, so its present location is unknown. It is also safe to assume that Hufflepuff's cup is not in Bellatrix's Gringotts vault in 1975 and Lucius is not yet in possession of the diary.
Possibilities for the last Horcrux include Nagini, Gryffindor's Sword (if Voldemort gets the opportunity to knick it during game play), lots of other Super Special Objects or Creatures, or just ... never being made. All that depends on how quickly Harry and Dumbledore locate and destroy the others, and if Voldemort gets wind of their plans.
14. If you aren't including Ravenclaw's diadem, then what was that diadem thingie hidden in the Room of Requirement?
Just an ordinary headdress.
15. And Voldemort didn't hide any of the Horcruxes in the Room of Requirement when he came to interview for the DADA job?
No. None of the Horcruxes will be hidden in the Room of Requirement. If Voldemort could walk into that room -- with literally centuries' worth of stuff hidden there -- and conclude that he was the only one who had ever found the room ... well, we have a word for a person like that 'round these parts: an idiot. It's especially dumb considering he could have hidden the Horcrux in a location on the school grounds that most people think is a myth to start with, that he knows only a select few can enter (and he has personally killed his last remaining relative who could), and that he suspects no one else had entered since Salazar Slytherin (and at the time, Harry hadn't been born, so Voldemort's suspicions would have been correct).
16. You didn't list Harry as a Horcrux. Why is that?
For this game, there will be no accidental Horcrux in the form of Harry because we don't want to kill Harry a second time. If that bothers you, just tell yourself that a soul fragment cannot traverse time, so it was destroyed when the students were sent back.
17. If Harry doesn't have a portion of Voldemort's soul in him any more, is he still a Parselmouth?
Yes, he is. Voldemort transferred some of his powers to Harry on October 31, 1981 in Godric's Hollow, but not a portion of his soul.
18. Can Harry still see into Voldemort's mind?
He will be able to with some practice, yes, but the connection isn't as strong as it was before. As Snape said in OotP, time and distance matter in Occlumency/Legilimency. Being so far removed, time-wise, from the event that transferred Voldemort's powers (i.e., it hasn't happened yet) has somewhat muted the effect. Harry will also have to learn to block Voldemort from sensing his presence before he goes traipsing around in Voldemort's mind. In other words, he will have to actually work on his Occlumency and Legilimency this time around and not just luck into it working when it's convenient
19. Umm ... Snape won't be teaching Harry Occlumency, will he?
No. Snape is still only learning it himself (for health reasons). Dumbledore will be teaching them both.
20. Together?
Possibly. We haven't decided.
21. What other powers did Voldemort transfer to Harry?
Perhaps his great flying ability? ;-) Any other powers remain to be seen. (In other words, we haven't decided yet. If/when we think of some, they will end up here.)
22. So, Parseltongue is a power, not a language?
Right. Parseltongue is not a regular language that can be learned, like French or Mermish or Welsh. It is a rare telepathic ability that allows one to communicate with snakes (which are deaf) and other Parselmouths. The hissing and spitting noises are incidental, probably because human beings are accustomed to communicating via sounds, and those are the noises snakes tend to make. (A mute Parselmouth, for example, would not make those noises but could still "talk" to snakes with no trouble.)
23. Then how come the Chamber of Secrets and the locket opened for Harry when he made the noises, and the Chamber opened for Ron in DH?
Because the Chamber and the locket were enchanted with spells triggered by the hissing and spitting noises. It wasn't actually Parseltongue, as there weren't any snakes involved, and our previous example of a mute Parselmouth would not have been able to do either of those things. If getting into the Chamber depended on real snakes (e.g., a cobra that guarded the entrance), Harry would have been able to do it, and so would a mute Parselmouth, but Ron would not. (We can't think of an example of opening the locket that requires the presence of a real, live snake, but you've probably already gotten the point.)
24. You didn't answer my question!
Then leave us a comment, e-mail us at operation_redo@yahoo.com, or send a PM to
mods_or with your question. We answered the questions we could think of, but most of these weren't "real" questions, so we're sure there are some things that aren't completely clear.