(Discussion with spoilers in ROT13)
Gvzr geniry furanavtnaf va guvf puncgre:
Uneel ragref gur fgberebbz jurer Urezvbar'f obql vf. Ur jrnef gur Pybnx bs Vaivfvovyvgl naq jnvgf sbe n juvyr. Fpnag zvahgrf yngre, nabgure Uneel nccrnef, bcraf gur qbbe naq rkvgf gur fgberebbz. Vafvqr, gur svefg Uneel urnef Zvarein bhgfvqr frnyvat gur qbbe fuhg. Gung Uneel cebprrqf gb Genafsvther Urezvbar'f obql vagb n gbr evat jvgu gur fnzr funcr nf uvf bgure bar gung pbagnvarq n cbegxrl. Guvf gnxrf n srj ubhef. Nsgre ur vf svavfurq, ur Genafsvtherf fbzrguvat vagb fbzrguvat ryfr jvgu gur bhgjneq nccrnenapr bs Urezvbar'f obql. Guvf nyfb gnxrf n srj ubhef. Rkunhfgrq sebz nyy gur Genafsvthengvba, Uneel hfrf uvf Gvzr-Gheare gb tb onpx gb qvaare'f gvzr. Jrnevat Urezvbar'f obql nf n gbr evat, ur rkvgf gur fgberebbz, yrnivat n cnfg irefvba bs uvz oruvaq.
Harry didn't want to say in front of Professor McGonagall that the existence of brain damage implied that there were no such things as souls.
Harry is wrong here. Yes, the existence of brain damage implies that there are no such things as souls, but that is true only in worlds where we don't observe people behaving like their normal selves in the absence of their (uninjured) brains.
In this magical universe, we do see people behaving like their normal selves in the absence of their brains, just take a look at Animagi for example. And while just saying "souls" does not explain how this happens, we can at least perceive that brains are not the only possible forms for people's consciences.
Harry has not yet evicted his cached thoughts about souls, he has not yet given the matter sufficient attention in the presence of new evidence.
I think what's blocking his progress on figuring out souls is that he still believes that a "soul" has to be immortal, which is incompatible with the effects of brain damage.
An alternative interpretation is that "souls" are not immortal in the sense of being independent from people's brains, but rather that their "instantiations" track the form of the brain as a person goes on thinking with it, but put it on pause during those moments where the brain is absent from the material world (or something equivalent).
(Discussion with spoilers in ROT13)
Uneel unq nfxrq jul Cebsrffbe Dhveeryy pbhyqa'g or gur bar gb cynl gur cneg bs gur Qnex Ybeq, naq Cebsrffbe Dhveeryy unq cbvagrq bhg gung gurer jnf ab cynhfvoyr ernfba sbe uvz gb or cbffrffrq ol gur funqr bs Ur-Jub-Zhfg-Abg-Or-Anzrq.
V guvax V sryg na hetr gb qevax Pbzrq-Grn evtug orsber V ernq guvf cnffntr...
(Sigh. Ignore this. Just one more comment that insists in running away from the correct chapter due to some glitch...)
The thirtieth defensive Charm that Quirrell performs in the empty showroom but not in Mary's Room must be an anti-Time-Turner Charm, but Harry doesn't know those exist apparently.
(Ignore this. Yet another comment that got posted to the wrong chapter due to some glitch)
(Discussion with spoilers in ROT13)
Dhvgr n srj vagrerfgvat guvatf va guvf puncgre. Yrg'f frr...
1.
"V unq cynaarq gb nfx lbh gung dhrfgvba gbqnl va nal pnfr, naq fvzcyl pubfr na bccbeghar zbzrag. V unir fhfcrpgrq fvapr Qrprzore, va snpg -"
"Qrprzore?" fnvq Uneel. "V sbhaq bhg lrfgreqnl!"
"Nu, fb lbh qvq abg ernyvmr gur Fbegvat Ung'f zrffntr gb lbh jnf va Cnefrygbathr?"
Dhveeryy fnlf gung ur fhfcrpgrq Uneel jnf n Cnefryzbhgu fvapr Qrprzore, juvpu vf boivbhfyl snyfr, ohg gur vagrerfgvat guvat urer vf ubj ur erirnyf gb Uneel nobhg xabjvat bs gur Fbegvat Ung'f zrffntr.
Qhevat gur Jrypbzvat Srnfg, Dhveeryy irel yvxryl urneq gur Fbegvat Ung fcrnxvat gur zrffntr va Cnefrygbathr gb Uneel, fvapr ur vf nyfb n Cnefryzbhgu uvzfrys. Ubjrire ur pnaabg erirny guvf snpg gb Uneel orpnhfr vg jbhyq or n oyngnag uvag gb uvf gehr vqragvgl.
Gurersber Dhveeryy unq gb jnvg hagvy ur unq n oryvrinoyr ernfba gb univat svtherq bhg gung gur Fbegvat Ung unq fcbxra fhpu n zrffntr. Whfg gubhtug guvf jnf na vagrerfgvat qrgnvy.
2.
Pna lbh xrrc n frperg, Ze. Cbggre?"
Uneel abqqrq.
"N frevbhf frperg, Ze. Cbggre," Cebsrffbe Dhveeryy fnvq. Uvf rlrf jrer vagrag, uvf snpr tenir. "Bar juvpu pbhyq cbgragvnyyl fraq zr gb Nmxnona.
Unu! Bar juvpu pbhyq cbgragvnyyl fraq uvz gb Nmxnona vaqrrq...
3.
"Navznthff zhffg or ertvffgrerq. Cranygl vf gjb lrneff vzcevffbazrag. Jvyy lbh xrrc zl ffrperg, obl?"
"Lrff," uvffrq Uneel. "Jbhyq arire oernx cebzvffr."
Gur fanxr frrzrq gb ubyq fgvyy, nf gubhtu va fubpx, naq gura ortna gb fjnl ntnva.
Lrf, Dhveeryy vf fubpxrq gb urne Uneel fubjvat fb zhpu yblnygl gb Dhveeryy va fhpu na hadhrfgvbanoyr znaare (lbh pnaabg yvr va Cnefrygbathr).
(Discussion with spoilers in ROT13)
Gur pbairefngvba orgjrra Uneel naq Yhpvhf bayl znxrf frafr vs Yhpvhf guvaxf ur'f gnyxvat gb n Ibyqrzbeg gung "ervapneangrq" va gur obql bs Uneel Cbggre. Yhpvhf vf greevsvrq orpnhfr ur'f gelvat gb cebgrpg uvf fba sebz cbffvoyr unez naq gelvat abg gb nagntbavmr Ibyqrzbeg ng gur fnzr gvzr.
The living room was every bit as large as it had looked from outside, with a huge vaulted ceiling dangling a gigantic chandelier, and a Christmas tree that must have been murder to maneuver through the door. The lower levels of the tree were thoroughly and carefully decorated in neat patterns of red and green and gold, with a newfound sprinkling of blue and bronze; the heights that only a grownup could reach were carelessly, randomly draped with strings of lights and wreaths of tinsel.
This is probably the cutest exposition I've read in the whole book.
(Discussion with spoilers in ROT13)
Gvzr geniry furanavtnaf va guvf puncgre:
1.
Uneel fyrrcf jvgu gjb gbr evatf nggnpurq, bar bs juvpu vf gur Genafsvtherq obql bs Urezvbar. Syvgjvpx pbzrf vagb gur ebbz naq jnxrf Uneel, gryyvat uvz gung gur urnqznfgre jnagf gb frr uvz vzzrqvngryl. Uneel fybjyl fvgf hc va orq naq, orarngu gur pbiref, qvfperrgyl erzbirf Urezvbar'f obql'f gbr evat naq yrnirf vg gurer va gur orq. Ur sbyybjf Syvgjvpx gb frr gur urnqznfgre.
2.
Uneel qryvorengryl yvrf va nyy dhrfgvbaf nobhg gur ybpngvba bs Urezvbar'f obql, rkprcg gur bar nfxvat uvz vs ur unf ure obql va uvf cbffrffvba, juvpu ur va snpg qbrf abg (ng gung zbzrag). Frirehf qrcnegf gb Uneel'f qbez gb frnepu sbe rirel zntvpny qrivpr juvyr Uneel vf ceborq ol Nyohf naq obgu uvf evat'f trz naq uvf gbr evat ner qrrzrq pyrne bs orvat n Genafsvtherq Urezvbar'f obql. Uneel gevrf gb pnyy nggragvba sbe uvf trz evat ol frggvat vg sne sebz gur trz ba gur gnoyr, ubcvat Nyohf jvyy purpx vg nf jryy naq svaqvat Uneel vaabprag bapr zber (ubjrire, vg vf yvxryl gung Nyohf qvq grfg gur evat vgfrys nybat jvgu gur trz naq Uneel qvqa'g abgvpr guvf). Svanyyl, Frirehf ergheaf jvgu nyy bs Uneel'f zntvpny guvatf ur sbhaq va uvf qbez, nyy bs gubfr ner qrrzrq pyrne nf jryy, naq nsgre nyy gur pbairefngvbaf jvgu Nyohf Uneel qrcnegf gb gur jnfuebbz.
(Abj guvatf orpbzr zber inthr nf gb jung cerpvfryl Uneel qvq, ohg bar cynhfvoyr rkcynangvba vf:)
3.
Uneel neevirf ng n jnfuebbz arne uvf qbez, jnvgf hagvy ab bar vf jngpuvat orsber qbaavat gur Pybnx bs Vaivfvovyvgl, naq tbrf onpx va gvzr gb nebhaq 6nz (hfvat bar be gjb gheaf ng zbfg, V guvax, tvira ubj zhpu gvzr ur unq fcrag orvat grfgrq naq qvfphffvat guvatf). Juvyr jrnevat gur Pybnx, ur tbrf onpx gb uvf qbez naq jnvgf arne uvf orq hagvy Syvgjvpx pbzrf naq jnxrf hc Cnfg Uneel naq obgu yrnir gur qbez. Cerfrag Uneel gura cvpxf hc gur gbr evat gung vf uvqqra haqrearngu uvf orq pbiref naq tbrf onpx gb gur jnfuebbz, fgvyy haqre gur Pybnx. Gurer, ur jnvgf hagvy Cnfg Uneel pbzrf vagb gur jnfuebbz naq tbrf onpx va gvzr orsber Cerfrag Uneel erzbirf gur Pybnx naq tbrf ba jvgu uvf ohfvarff (fgvyy yrnivat ng yrnfg sbhe gheaf va uvf Gvzr-Gheare sbe yngre va gur arkg puncgre).