GeeJo comments on Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality discussion thread, part 14, chapter 82 - Less Wrong

7 Post author: FAWS 04 April 2012 02:53AM

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Comment author: GeeJo 05 April 2012 08:40:18AM 11 points [-]

Considering that he was winning the war before making his untimely exit in the early 80s, this strategy seems overly complicated.

Comment author: Percent_Carbon 05 April 2012 09:53:16AM 2 points [-]

Father had told Draco that to fathom a strange plot, one technique was to look at what ended up happening, assume it was the intended result, and ask who benefited.

Comment author: ArisKatsaris 05 April 2012 12:08:12PM *  15 points [-]

You seem to be doing the opposite than what the quote indicates, trying to find ways in which Voldemort supposedly benefitted, in order to present him as the person behind every ploy.

If Voldemort benefitted from his supposed defeat at the night of Godric's Hollow, we've not yet seen how.
If Voldemort benefitted from the burning of Narcissa Malfoy, we've not yet seen how.

You are following the exact opposite process than the quote indicates. Which may be okay, after all it's only one technique, not the ONLY possible technique, but nonetheless quoting it as an explanation for your reasoning seems misguided.

Comment author: ChrisHallquist 05 April 2012 01:17:02PM 0 points [-]

Mostly agree with this comment, but it seems likely to me that HPMOR!Voldemort's intentions in going to Godric's Hollow were different than Canon!Voldemort's, given that HPMOR!Voldemort is a lot smarter than Canon!Voldemort.

I don't think similar reasoning applies to Narcissa's death, because it's less likely that Voldemort would have been able to foresee its effects.

Comment author: ArisKatsaris 05 April 2012 01:23:27PM 1 point [-]

Mostly agree with this comment, but it seems likely to me that HPMOR!Voldemort's intentions in going to Godric's Hollow were different than Canon!Voldemort's, given that HPMOR!Voldemort is a lot smarter than Canon!Voldemort.

I agree with this. For that, and also for other reasons, I assign less than 20% probability that Voldemort went to Godric's Hollow for a purpose as simple as "attempt to kill baby Harry".

Comment author: ChrisHallquist 05 April 2012 02:17:56PM -1 points [-]

Oh, but even Canon!Voldemort meant to make a Horcrux when he went to Godric's Hollow (or so speculated Dumbledore in book 6, IIRC). So I think there must have been more to it than even that.

Comment author: ArisKatsaris 05 April 2012 04:33:52PM 1 point [-]

Canon!Dumbledore speculated that Voldemort was going to kill Harry, and then create his last Horcrux using that death -- but killing Harry was his primary purpose for going there; the fact that Voldemort also meant to make the last Horcrux at the time was incidental.

If you need further clarification about what I believe, I don't think HPMoR!Voldemort purposed to kill Harry at all that night - atleast not physically.

Comment author: thomblake 09 April 2012 04:05:35PM 1 point [-]

quoting it as an explanation for your reasoning seems misguided.

This line seems to have caused some confusion downthread. On Percent_Carbon's view, t's a very good explanation for the reasoning, in that it seems to have generated understanding of the reasoning.

Perhaps equivocating on 'explanation'?

Comment author: Percent_Carbon 10 April 2012 05:41:47AM -1 points [-]

Well, I don't know about "very good." But it worked this time. I don't think that was a good way to do what I wanted done, though. So I'll probably not do that again.

Thanks for the defense, though.

Comment author: Alsadius 05 April 2012 05:39:23PM 6 points [-]

So Dumbledore was hiding behind a curtain, aced Voldemort, and carved a tasteful little scar into Harry's forehead? Because that seems to be the closest thing to a conclusion one can draw from that method as applied to Godric's Hollow.