Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality discussion thread, part 9

Oscar_Cunningham

(The HPMOR discussion thread after this one is here.)

The previous thread is over the 500-comment threshold, so let's start a new Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality discussion thread. This is the place to discuss Eliezer Yudkowsky's Harry Potter fanfic and anything related to it. The latest chapter as of 09/09/2011 is Ch. 77.

The first 5 discussion threads are on the main page under the harry_potter tag. Threads 6 and on (including this one) are in the discussion section using its separate tag system. Also: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. The fanfiction.net author page is the central location for information about updates and links to HPMOR-related goodies, and AdeleneDawner has kept an archive of Author's Notes.

As a reminder, it's often useful to start your comment by indicating which chapter you are commenting on.

Spoiler Warning: this thread is full of spoilers. With few exceptions, spoilers for MOR and canon are fair game to post, without warning or rot13. More specifically:

You do not need to rot13 anything about HP:MoR or the original Harry Potter series unless you are posting insider information from Eliezer Yudkowsky which is not supposed to be publicly available (which includes public statements by Eliezer that have been retracted).

If there is evidence for X in MOR and/or canon then it's fine to post about X without rot13, even if you also have heard privately from Eliezer that X is true. But you should not post that "Eliezer said X is true" unless you use rot13.

(The HPMOR discussion thread after this one is here.)

You do not need to rot13 anything about HP:MoR or the original Harry Potter series unless you are posting insider information from Eliezer Yudkowsky which is not supposed to be publicly available (which includes public statements by Eliezer that have been retracted).

If there is evidence for X in MOR and/or canon then it's fine to post about X without rot13, even if you also have heard privately from Eliezer that X is true. But you should not post that "Eliezer said X is true" unless you use rot13.

I don't understand Draco's exchange with Lucius at the end of Chapter 7. Anyone know what's going on?

Here are my thoughts, which of course may easily be completely wrong.

Facts: 1) Harry states, "So during the Incident at the Potions Shop, while Professor McGonagall was busy talking to the shopkeeper and trying to get everything under control, I grabbed one of the customers and asked them about Lucius."

2) Harry states, "So you really are his one weak point. Huh."

3) Draco's letter to his father asks about Harry's "weak point" comment, Lucius's reply reads, "I would say that you had been so fortunate as to meet someone who enjoys the intimate confidence of our friend and valuable ally, Severus Snape."

Conclusions:

The wording of Harry's statement in fact 2 suggests that Harry's source put him on to the "weak point" assertion. The "so you really are" bit sounds like a hypothesis that has just been confirmed.
A bit of a reach: Harry's source in the potions shop was Severus Snape, and Snape is allied with Lucius. If the first conclusion is true, then this would explain the speed of Lucius's response to Draco. That is, Snape tells Harry about Lucius, including that Draco is his only weak point, and then reports the conversation to Lucius; when Draco reports the "weak point" comment, Lucius understands that Harry has spoken to Draco.
Snape is the potions teacher and hence might reasonably be found in the potions store.

This is not very satisfying to me because Harry doesn't later recognize Snape as being someone he has seen before, and his appearance is quite distinctive to Harry. Polyjuice seems like a stretch.

No secret information is required for Harry to come to his conclusion of "So you really are his one weak point. Huh."

Available evidence:

Lucius is well known as a hard bastard (initially supplied by random customer, reinforced by Draco)
Draco is well cared for (he is healthy, very well dressed, displays no social anxieties, worships his father)
Draco is probably indulged or even spoiled (Draco's behaviour)
Draco is being groomed to be Lucius' successor and therefore his equal (very clear by this point)

From this evidence it can be reaso... (read more)

-1TomM14y

Harry saying that Draco was Lucius' only weak point was probably just an (accurate) surmise given the available evidence: * 1. Lucius is well known as a hard bastard (information from random customer) * 1. Draco is visibly well cared for (and his behaviour suggests that he is indulged or even spoiled in many ways) * 1. Draco is being raised to be his father's successor and equal Therefore Lucius probably loves Draco, making him a weak point. No secret information is actually required to make this assessment, though it might be considered a bit close to a guess.