Xachariah comments on Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality discussion thread, part 16, chapter 85 - Less Wrong

9 Post author: FAWS 18 April 2012 02:30AM

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Comment author: ChrisHallquist 22 April 2012 04:38:29PM *  3 points [-]

This may have been addressed already, but why doesn't Harry suspect at this point that Quirrell is Voldemort, or at least working for Voldemort?

This is especially puzzling after we get to hear Harry's thoughts on what happened to Hermione in 85.

Now, maybe I'm suffering from obvious-in-retrospect syndrome here, given that I did not realize Quirrell was Voldemort until V ernq Ryvrmre'f fvapr-ergenpgrq fgngrzrag gung Dhveeryy vf Ibyqrzbeg. But that was before the Stanford Prison Experiment arc. Relevant facts in that and the Taboo Tradeoffs arc:

  • Quirrell broke Bellatrix out of Azkaban
  • Voldemort is the only person in the world with an obvious motive for wanting to break Bellatrix out of Azkaban, and is who everyone else thinks is responsible
  • Quirrell uses at least one alternate identity, and Harry suspects him of having many more
  • Quirrell's explanation of his motives for breaking Bellatrix out of Azkaban (she might know something useful, also a whim, see Ch. 60) aren't terribly satisfying
  • During Hermione's trial (Ch. 80), Harry thought that it "seemed horribly and uniquely plausible that the entity who'd Memory-Charmed Hermione was the very same mind that had - made use of - Bellatrix Black."
  • In Ch. 85, we see Harry is taking the possibility that Quirrell was behind the plot against Hermione seriously.

What pieces of evidence doesn't Harry have here? He doesn't know about horcruxes so he can't make the connection to Quirrell's story about the Pioneer Plaque, and Hermione hasn't (yet?) told Harry what she's realized about what Quirrell did and why (Ch. 84). But Harry still has a lot of evidence.

The one thing that may be tripping Harry up--and was tripping me up until the moment I mentioned in rot13 above--is that Quirrell seems very serious about his "I don't want to be a Dark Lord, I want you to be a Dark Lord, Harry!" line, and it's hard to make sense of Voldemort taking that attitude.

Maybe Ridvolquir interpreted the prophecy as saying he can't defeat Harry until Harry becomes a Dark Lord???

Comment author: Xachariah 22 April 2012 08:46:03PM 15 points [-]

I think you're missing the mundane explanation. Harry really likes Quirrell. He's the person he most relates with in the world; he's the person he looks up to; he's the smart/strong/cool teacher Harry wants to be when he grows up.

Surely there were other people, maybe better people, to trust and befriend? Professor McGonagall, Professor Flitwick, Hermione, Draco, not to mention Mum and Dad, it wasn't like Harry was alone...

Only...

A choking sensation grew in Harry's throat as he understood.

Only Professor McGonagall, Professor Flitwick, Hermione, Draco, they all of them sometimes knew things that Harry didn't, but...

They did not excel above Harry within his own sphere of power; such genius as they possessed was not like his genius, and his genius was not like theirs; he might look upon them as peers, but not look up to them as his superiors.

None of them had been, none of them could ever be...

Harry's mentor...

That was who Professor Quirrell had been.

Any person, especially a child, will gladly ignore and forgive a million counter-indications as long as they really like the person.

Comment author: Quirinus 23 April 2012 08:22:07PM 11 points [-]

For it is a sad rule that whenever you are most in need of your art as a rationalist, that is when you are most likely to forget it.

Comment author: chaosmosis 27 April 2012 04:54:38AM 0 points [-]

Regarding the initial sensation of doubt he had: I don't remember ever figuring out what caused it.

Does anyone have any theories?