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Alsadius comments on Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality discussion thread, part 20, chapter 90 - Less Wrong Discussion

9 Post author: palladias 02 July 2013 02:13AM

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Comment author: Alsadius 03 July 2013 06:13:41PM 2 points [-]

The trinkets line referred primarily to

In the event that Mr. Longbottom's guardian was so negligent as to keep him in Hogwarts, Mr. Potter wanted him to have a Time-Turner, an invisibility cloak, a broomstick, and a pouch in which to carry them; also a toe-ring with an emergency portkey to a safe location, in case someone kidnaps Mr. Longbottom and takes him outside Hogwarts's wards. I told Mr. Potter that I did not think the Ministry would consent to such use of our Time-Turners, and he said that we should not ask. I expect he will want Miss Granger to receive the same, if she stays. And for himself Mr. Potter wants a three-person broomstick to carry in his pouch." She wasn't awed by the list of precautions. Impressed with the cleverness, but not awed; she was a Transfiguration Mistress, after all. But it still sent shivers of disquiet through her, that Harry Potter now thought Hogwarts as dangerous as spell research.

as well as the fact that she unlocked his Time-Turner basically for the asking.

At the time she locked it this was not the case, granted. But at the time she locked it Harry was abusing it wildly, and there was no obvious danger. Stopping him was the main priority, and the shell did that quite effectively.

Comment author: Velorien 03 July 2013 06:32:36PM 2 points [-]

I see. I hadn't made the association between Harry asking for those things and him actually getting them, since generally throughout the story his requests for sensible safety measures end up ignored by the authorities.

Comment author: ikrase 04 July 2013 01:15:17AM 0 points [-]

Those are far from unlimited. (except for the invisibility cloak). What about Muggle artifacts, though?

Comment author: Alsadius 04 July 2013 03:41:46AM 1 point [-]

Has he asked for any? And if Harry's imagination has not discovered the limits yet, I think "unlimited" is a fair approximation.

Comment author: ikrase 04 July 2013 03:49:09AM 0 points [-]

He bought a bunch of stuff at the hardware store. But nothing beyond that. One can imagine giving them Muggle comms and possibly weapons.

Comment author: Alsadius 04 July 2013 04:01:46AM 1 point [-]

Magic in the Potterverse(as is most modern fantasy settings) is incompatible with modern technology. See http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Electricity

Comment author: ikrase 04 July 2013 04:06:58AM 1 point [-]

Huh. On the other hand, Harry was able to use his car battery to waste Draco's shield bubble. It could be only sufficiently complicated stuff, rather than just a brute current.

Might be useful if they get kidnapped out of Hogwarts though, like the portkeys.