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Jodel has a very nice analysis about what was going on behind the scenes in PS:
http://www.redhen-publications.com/Quir
I agree with a lot of it, but as a Snape fan I have a problem.
Quirrell was first an agent of Riddle’s and then possessed by him. He was working in Riddle’s interests, and trying to steal the stone.
And trying to kill Harry, on the side.
Now, in retrospect it’s clear why that fact wouldn’t much worry Dumbles. But Snape? The man who’s pledged his life to “help [Dumbles] protect Lily’s son”? Why did Snape continue to go along with Dumble’s insistence on setting a clever little trap and spending months trying to lure Riddle into it rather than getting rid of the man, after the first time Quirrell tried to murder Harry?
When did Snape realize Quirrell was Tom’s agent? When did he realize Quirrell was Tom’s possession? And why was he content to do no more than just “keep an eye on Quirrell” and interfere with such murder attempts as he spotted? I mean, keeping his cover only goes so far: what's Snape care if his reputation with Tom is intact when Lily's child is dead?
What did Snape think was going on?
Answers, anyone?
http://www.redhen-publications.com/Quir
I agree with a lot of it, but as a Snape fan I have a problem.
Quirrell was first an agent of Riddle’s and then possessed by him. He was working in Riddle’s interests, and trying to steal the stone.
And trying to kill Harry, on the side.
Now, in retrospect it’s clear why that fact wouldn’t much worry Dumbles. But Snape? The man who’s pledged his life to “help [Dumbles] protect Lily’s son”? Why did Snape continue to go along with Dumble’s insistence on setting a clever little trap and spending months trying to lure Riddle into it rather than getting rid of the man, after the first time Quirrell tried to murder Harry?
When did Snape realize Quirrell was Tom’s agent? When did he realize Quirrell was Tom’s possession? And why was he content to do no more than just “keep an eye on Quirrell” and interfere with such murder attempts as he spotted? I mean, keeping his cover only goes so far: what's Snape care if his reputation with Tom is intact when Lily's child is dead?
What did Snape think was going on?
Answers, anyone?
Altho' I also believe he turned to Albus while Lily was still pregnant. That however, would be winter79-80. In 'my' interpretation the eavesdropping on the prophecy takes place in Fall79, Especially since Sybil was apparently teaching for 'almost' 16 years during her interview with Sybil in Sept95 - beginning to teach in Spring80 can hardly be called almost 16 years, but sometime in Oct79 CAN be -- Hwyla
*headdesk* sorry, my brain. (and probably, the spiked cider I was drinking.) I was also totally wrong to say "a child yet to be born" - they both speak of Harry as already existing (they know the sex of the child, for instance, and Severus refers to "them all" rather than "both of them" as he would if Lily were pregnant). So forget everything I said, basically. :P
In 'my' interpretation the eavesdropping on the prophecy takes place in Fall79, Especially since Sybil was apparently teaching for 'almost' 16 years during her interview with Sybil in Sept95 - beginning to teach in Spring80 can hardly be called almost 16 years
It can if she's past 15 and a half, and is stretching things a bit in order to give herself more "weight" (as I imagine she is in this scene). The Lexicon agrees with you that it was 1979. Unfortunatelly all Dumbledore says is that it was a "cold, wet night", which could be either season in that part of the world. We want the prophecy and the hilltop scene to be as close together in time as they can be, I think, because the gap between them is time Voldemort sat on the prophecy apparently doing nothing, and the longer that is, the less believable.
Sybil adds a qualifyier. She says 'almost' 16 years ago. In a formal interview with a Ministry employee regarding her tenure. There is no reason for her to lie or 'shade' the truth. It should be public record. She is also referring specifically to 'school years' - to imply it was almost 16 years when it was barely 15 would actually disadvantage her especially when the matter can be easily checked
It is also difficult to see how Albus could add a class with 3/4 of the school year already passed. Less difficult if only 1/4 year has gone by (or a fifth really - if one presumes it might have taken place on Halloween (approx time of conception) - then 2 months gone out of close to 10).
Personally, I cannot see Umbridge not doing her homework ahead. If Sybil was stretching the truth, Dolores would have called her on it. As we see thru the rest of the school year, part of her purpose at Hogwarts is too rid the school of Albus' appointments and bring in more Ministry appointments. Hence the quick replacement of Sybil with Firenze, blocking Umbridge from bringing in her own choice. -- Hwyla
I didn't mean June 1980. My suggestion of "splitting the difference" lands somewhere like February or March, which is halfway around the year from September when Sybill gives her quote of her tenure. Not "barely 15", but 15 and 6 months, or a little more.
It is also difficult to see how Albus could add a class with 3/4 of the school year already passed.
He speaks of "continuing" with the subject, not picking it up again after a hiatus, so I expect there was an outgoing current instructor he was looking to replace (or perhaps let the subject drop if he found no one suitable). Teachers apparently can and do switch during the year: McGonagall says she began teaching during a December. (Or perhaps Trelawney was some sort of assistant to an outgoing retiree for a little while, not that we see any evidence of such an arrangement in other subjects.)
I don't think he 'did nothing'. First he had to wait for the boys to be born to see which one of them actually was born in late July (rather than in early July or early August). But even after that, he waited because he was plotting to use the momentum from the killing of the prophecy boy to take over the entire Wizarding Britain within less than a year - ie he needed a man at Hogwarts (Severus) and access to major players at the Ministry (Barty Jr). Which means he wasn't going to move on Harry before September 1981 in any case.