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Subbak comments on Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality discussion thread, March 2015, chapter 114 + chapter 115 - Less Wrong
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Comments (423)
Something that could indicate trying to dodge, or consciousness leaving the body. It's not unreasonable for Voldie to think "I've lost here, no matter what I do this body will be unusable in the near future, in case he has a plan to incapacitate me without triggering my Horcrux wards I'd better go someplace else".
All in all I'd assign a high subjective probability to Voldie's spirit being intact. Voldemort is a thorough planner, so total Oblivation is something he must have foreseen. And even if he did not, he is also known for not taking risks even when other people would be certain their precautions were enough. For example, he went through the trouble of resurrecting Hermione AND having Harry swear an Unbreakable Vow before attempting to kill him. Therefore, seeing something in his plan going terribly awry, there is a very high probability Voldemort would just retreat to a safe haven like the Horcrux Network.
We don’t know enough details about how the Horcrux Network and the Special Connection between V and H work, but …
… this is highly unusual for an obliviation, so I think it is very likely that V has not left his body.
Those are Tom Riddle's memories.
It appeared to be clear to me that this was some sort of sign that the Prophesy had been completed.
It seemed strange, but that was my reading of the text.
That's the resonance effect from casting a spell on another Tom Riddle, I think. (Was it also there for the transfiguration? Why not?)
While it would be amusing if the resonance created fire for Dark Lord Tom and mini-Patroni for Harry, I don't think magic is quite that symbolic.
Magic is extremely symbolic. I don't know if this is what EY intended, but it makes sense to me.
That attack wasn't actually magic. Not at the point where he attacked Voldemort. He was literally pulling on a physical thread.
He was not pulling, he was transfiguring it shorter. And IIRC transfigured materials cause the resonance regardless.
But it was transfigured by Harry's magic. There does not appear to have been a resonance from it, though, which surprised me.
I mean when he transfigured Voldemort into something to take with him. (That did happen, right? Or did I misinterpret that?)
Yes, and the resonance weakened as the transfiguration progressed. Make of that what you will.
It is implied that while Voldemort can stop possessing a victim at will, he cannot stop inhabiting his own body at will.
[EDIT]Though Harry internally states the opposite:
This is the part I was thinking of:
Voldemort had the ability fly free from his body. The last sentence you quote is Harry thinking that he mustn't allow that to happen, not that V doesn't have the capability. If V goes free then he must be defeated again; Harry is avoiding that outcome.
At least, Harry thinks that he did. (The last sentence I quoted is the section that I had misinterpreted as evidence that he couldn't, but I wouldn't take Harry's speculations as the most likely possibility instead of a conservative estimate.)
Ch. 107
Ah, right. Thanks!
Let's suppose for a moment that Voldemort realises in time that he's about to be got rid of in some way he'd not predicted and loses his body before Stuporfy hits him.
Are there still any justifiable ways for Harry to win [i.e. incapacitate V at least as much as in 115 by all justifiable means]? He would probably have to get back in time as fast as he can, before he witnesses death and/or torture of his parents/friends (which V is going to start), so he can create a time loop where they are safe. But what to do next? Harry has an hour to protect a lot of people he cares about from a bodyless spirit. It won't do to gather them all in a safe place only to have V enter one of them and kill the others. It's going to be harder to devise a plausible mistake for V because now some of the plot devices planned from the beginning won't help us.
ETA: I mean, Harry only needs to hit Voldemort with a spell strong enough to knock V out, but light enough not to knock Harry out and not to exhaust him. And V now knows that and may escape the body even if he can't evade the bolt. Unless there are extra-fast sniper magic wands, there needs to be a trick.
As stated in 108, V is now free to select whom to possess from a lot of weak/willing people. I wonder if Hermione can be possessed at this point: is she sufficiently weak? (no idea) does possession mean harm? (probably yes, because the body of Quirrell aged too fast) does V's promise not to hurt Hermione still stand? (maybe yes, but if not, V now has a very young and durable body to live in)