You're looking at Less Wrong's discussion board. This includes all posts, including those that haven't been promoted to the front page yet. For more information, see About Less Wrong.

gwern comments on Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality discussion thread, part 15, chapter 84 - Less Wrong Discussion

3 Post author: FAWS 11 April 2012 03:39AM

You are viewing a comment permalink. View the original post to see all comments and the full post content.

Comments (1221)

You are viewing a single comment's thread. Show more comments above.

Comment author: gwern 11 April 2012 05:58:51PM *  3 points [-]

So in this scenario, why is he dying? Before, we were unsure that his cataplexy was getting worse; I pointed out that on-screen he seems as active or more active than ever. But Bones says: "And you seem to be resting more and more frequently, as time goes on." and she would know. Are we speculating that whatever dupe's body that Riddle stole is breaking down 60-odd years later after Albania?

Comment author: LucasSloan 11 April 2012 07:23:36PM 2 points [-]

Quirrell's body is in its 30s.

Comment author: Percent_Carbon 12 April 2012 08:24:28AM 2 points [-]

So in this scenario, why is he dying?

That is a good question. I don't know why he appears to be dying.

Maybe Riddle was put Scion of X's body on ice when he put an Albania with a nail through it up side his head. Then he trotted it out for a few years in the seventies, then put it back on ice. And it turns out that's not good for a body and so it's kind of falling apart or something.

Maybe Quirrell wants the appearance of weakness, for all the right reasons.

Maybe Scion of X has been alive the whole time, imprisoned in his own usually motionless flesh. And since the only thing he could do was wait there, motionless, he practiced being lethargic. And he became strong and wise in the ways of lethargy, so that Voldemort must ration his own strength and only force Scion of X to action when absolutely necessary.

Maybe when Quirrell is 'resting' he's actually busy in the Dream Place leading the Crunch Rebellion against the Evil Empire of Sogg.

Comment author: DSimon 16 April 2012 05:08:22AM 1 point [-]

And he became strong and wise in the ways of lethargy[...]

I will definitely have to put that in my General-Purpose Excuses File. :-)

Comment author: trlkly 24 April 2012 07:33:55AM 0 points [-]

My interpretation of the book is that the Defense Professor looks just like Quirrell. If this is the case, then maybe it takes more and more out of him to maintain the illusion that he is someone else. Or maybe he actually inhabits the body Quirrell, and Quirrell is slowly fighting back.

Then again, I still have a hard time reading the DP as actually being Voldemort, so take my instincts with a grain of salt.