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pedanterrific comments on Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality discussion thread, part 12 - Less Wrong Discussion

5 Post author: Xachariah 25 March 2012 11:01AM

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Comment author: pedanterrific 26 March 2012 11:04:30PM 4 points [-]

Harry remembered Voldemort casting the horcrux spell, but filed it away as a "strange word" in Ch.45.

Doubt it.

He had regained an impossible memory, for all that the Dementor had made him desecrate it. A strange word kept echoing in his mind. And all of that could be put on hold for later, while the phoenix still shone red and gold beneath the setting sun.

[...]

Harry glanced in the Dementor's direction. The word echoed in his mind again.

All right, Harry thought to himself, if the Dementor is a riddle, what is the answer?

Comment author: DanArmak 27 March 2012 09:10:55PM -1 points [-]

Why is this evidence the strange word was not "horcrux"?

Comment author: bogdanb 27 March 2012 10:37:03PM 1 point [-]

Actually, what is the evidence that creating a horcrux involves saying that word? I mean, it could be just an (uncommon) common noun (like “hat”), perhaps in some older language, and the incantations for creating one could be completely different. You don’t really say “flight” to fly in this universe.

Comment author: DanArmak 27 March 2012 11:31:36PM -1 points [-]

No other evidence that I know of, it just seems a priori more likely than any other specific word you could pick out.

Comment author: wedrifid 28 March 2012 02:05:08AM 5 points [-]

No other evidence that I know of, it just seems a priori more likely than any other specific word you could pick out.

"Avada" is up there.

Comment author: DanArmak 28 March 2012 07:35:35AM 0 points [-]

But then why would Harry, remembering it, not recognize it and just say it was a "strange word"?

Comment author: wedrifid 28 March 2012 12:28:54PM 0 points [-]

It's almost certainly not the word Harry is thinking of. It is just a word with a rather high chance of being involved while creating horcruxes!

Comment author: loserthree 28 March 2012 03:08:37PM 0 points [-]

One more reason HJPEV cannot be allowed to learn the word, 'horcrux,' and a narrative reason, this time. When he looks up the making of them he'll realize what happened and solve or nearly solve the plot.