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HungryHippo comments on Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality discussion thread, February 2015, chapters 105-107 - Less Wrong
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Comments (353)
Quirrell's Parseltongue statements could use a close reading.
This could just mean that the Pioneer horcrux prevents him from being "truly killed".
This seems quite explicit. Quirrell thinks that he can bring Hermione back to life.
(Not in Parseltongue.) Quirrell later asks Harry in Parseltongue to promise to help get the Stone, but he never says in Parseltongue that help getting the Stone is what he actually wants from Harry.
Does this rule out Quirrell transferring his soul into Harry's body (wiping out Harry's identity and reuniting with the Tom Riddle groundwork that he laid in Harry's mind)? Because without this line, that would be my leading hypothesis for what Quirrell actually wants Harry for.
I thought it was worth revisiting Quirrell's past uses of Parseltongue. Most are nothing noteworthy, but there are a few interesting ones in Chapter 58.
Quirrell was telling the truth about not trying to kill Bahry.
While this could be literally true, or only true in the context of the hypothetical scenario suggested by Harry, it is worth noting that Quirrell never says in Parseltongue that the healer waiting for Bellatrix is real.
This one sounds important now that we know it is definitely true (or at least was at the time).
What does "you" mean, though? Tom Riddle? In which case Quirrell could just as well be speaking of himself. The physical body others designate "Harry"? In which case Quirrell could just permanently transfigure himself into Harry's body using the stone, shoot Harry and vanish the body and claim "Quirrell" had urgent business elsewhere.
If Voldemort (or whatever created both Voldemort and Harry) consideres Potter the same person as himself, then "I do not intend to raisse my hand or magic againsst you in future, sso long ass you do not raisse your hand or magic againsst me." is a tautology and always true.
This is probably not the case however, as it would feel like a very cheap language trick given that Quirrel has used "you" and "I" in parseltongue in a non-ambiguous manner several times already. Even worse, if Quirrel was going by this then he'd risk Harry picking up the trick and promising to help himself get the stone, and not consider it a betrayal.
What if Quirrell is so good at dissociation that he can lie through parseltongue by convincing himself that what he's saying is true?
Canon!Voldemort, maybe. MoR!Voldemort, not a chance.
But rationalists should win, so MoR!Voldie should self-modify to be less Spock-rational and more capable of deceiving himself.
Only if the ability to lie to Harry Potter is more valuable than having a clearly-functioning mind that accurately represents the real world.
Well, I'm not denying that it's a Dark Art. He'd have to apply this very selectively. I couldn't pull it off. Eliezer probably couldn't pull it off. But this is Quirinus Quirrell we're talking about!
Edit after Ch 109: That's actually pretty similar.