Harry Potter and the convoluted MacGuffin
I'm an audiobook junkie--I admit it. Never leave home without one, in fact. And lately I've been working my way back through the Harry Potter series. Sure I've read these books multiple times, but listening is a new way of enjoying them for me, and they're great in the car.
Well, I'm about to finish Goblet of Fire (SPOILER ALERT) and I can no longer stay quiet about something that has been bothering me for ages: there's no need for Harry to be in the Tri-Wizard Tournament.
Now, I love JK Rowling, and I worship her talent, and drool over her creative powers. You won't find many bigger fans, so that's why I have to wonder why Barty Crouch, Jr./fake-Mad Eye Moody would go to all the trouble of getting Harry into the tournament and helping him reach the cup first if the goal is to transport him to Voldermort via a portkey.
Can't anything be a portkey? There must have been hundreds of times that the fake Mr. Moody could have summoned Harry to his office, said, "Pass me that quill, will you Potter?" and achieved the exact same end result.
But for the author and the readers that would have been less dramatic.
Still, for the characters it would have been far more practical.
Maybe I'm wrong. Can anyone tell me what bonus was achieved by making the TriWizard Cup the portkey?
Waiting on book 7,
Ally
ps....I'm not Harry Potter-bashing--I swear!
Well, I'm about to finish Goblet of Fire (SPOILER ALERT) and I can no longer stay quiet about something that has been bothering me for ages: there's no need for Harry to be in the Tri-Wizard Tournament.
Now, I love JK Rowling, and I worship her talent, and drool over her creative powers. You won't find many bigger fans, so that's why I have to wonder why Barty Crouch, Jr./fake-Mad Eye Moody would go to all the trouble of getting Harry into the tournament and helping him reach the cup first if the goal is to transport him to Voldermort via a portkey.
Can't anything be a portkey? There must have been hundreds of times that the fake Mr. Moody could have summoned Harry to his office, said, "Pass me that quill, will you Potter?" and achieved the exact same end result.
But for the author and the readers that would have been less dramatic.
Still, for the characters it would have been far more practical.
Maybe I'm wrong. Can anyone tell me what bonus was achieved by making the TriWizard Cup the portkey?
Waiting on book 7,
Ally
ps....I'm not Harry Potter-bashing--I swear!
posted by Ally Carter at Saturday, July 29, 2006
13 Comments:
Yes, however had the fake Moody said that, then his cover would have automatically been blown, had there been a chance that Harry could get out of (wherever the portkey led).
I didn't think anything could be a portkey. Why then do the Weasley's hurry outside, up some hill (if I remember right) to touch some old boot or something to be transported to London.
My memory could be WAAAY off here, but if it's not, wouldn't it be more convenient to simply have something lying around the house?
Why wouldn't everyone have a pocket-portkey?
That still doesn't explain why the Tri-Wizard Cup had to be used...
I tend to think it had to do with the condition of Voldemort, for one thing--that up till that point he was not progressed sufficiently to be restored by the spell that was used, powerful as it was. They may have needed to wait till "the blood of an enemy" could be used appropriately Voldemort needed a really striking return to strike fear into the hearts of his minions. Also, the TriWizard cup had a bloody history to it--we learned in Book 6 that Voldemort had a real jones for things with a history.
You have to remember that this is, in reality, a single enormous book. ;)
Alyssa,
I think that any item can be a portkey, but the use of portkeys is monitored by the Ministry of Magic. In 5, I believe, Dumbledore makes one on two occasions, once he's warned not to by someone from the ministry because he doesn't have a permit or something.
(I love how there's stupid red tape and people drunk on bureaucratic power in the wizarding world--one of my favorite aspects of the books!)
I always thought that they wouldn't have minded if Harry got killed in the tournament. I'm sure they could have gotten another enemy's blood just as easily, if necessary, and then the unkillable Harry would be gone ... dragon chow or whatnot.
Crouch was in DEEP cover. He wanted to send Harry to Voldemort and live to tell about it. It's the old shell game. Everyone was watching the Tri-wizard Cup while Crouch JR. used the other hand to slip the ball under another shell. It was a perfect distraction.
I think part of the appeal to Voldemort was watching everyone root for Harry for him only to wind up dead. Also, it proved to Voldemort that Harry couldn't achieve things on his own - he needed Moody's help to complete every task. I'm sure that will come back in book seven now that Dumbledore can't help him either.
Voldemort didn't want anyone to know about his return, at least at first. He had planned to kill Harry in the graveyard, but Harry got away. If Harry just disappeared, the people at Hogwarts would know something was up, but if he never came out of the maze, they would probably think some creature had eaten him or something since the Tri-Wizard Tournament had such a bloody history.
I agree with the portkey bit. The advantage to the Triwizard Tournament was Harry learning all those advanced hexes, spells, etc, which enabled him to fight Voldemort, lead Dumbledore's Army in HBP...
That's just my 2 cents ;)
I'm with the others who thought the reason for the portkey in the tournament was that if Harry died in the tournament, it would be expected. Also, I'm pretty darn sure that portkeys, like other methods of magical transportations (disapparation, stuff like that) do not work on the grounds of Hogwarts. We're told over and over again about all the spells that protect the children from the outside. So maybe the tournament was the only opportunity Crouch had to smuggle a portkey on?
However, most of hte Harry POtter books have plot holes big enough to drive aircraft carriers through. Don't get me started on book six, IS there ANY reason whatsoever for the "lessons" Dumbledore gives Harry? Dumbledore knows the info, and Harry contributes nothing.
Omg, my sister and I had this very conversation the other day. There is no reason for it. Even if the portkey wouldn't work in Hogwarts, he could have done it when they went to the village (the name of which I forget).
I would hate to be JKR writing the last book in the series because so many things like this you think well maybe it will be explained later... but if they don't all come together in book 7 then it's going to let the whole series down.
Well, I think there are many reasons.
1. If everyone is watching Harry, especially since he is the underage and special contestant, wouldn't they quickly notice that he was gone? If Moody had done it during the school year, someone would notice, find out that Moody was the last person Harry saw and figure things out.
2. Since Harry was transported during the maze, no one suspected a thing. They merely thought that he was still doing it, that no one had won yet. It was perfect because no one would look for Harry and Voldemort could take as long as he liked. It wasn't until Harry escaped and came back to tell them what had happened (dragging Cedric's body by the way).
3. If I was Voldemort, I would make sure that killing Harry Potter wasn't just all of the sudden. I'd want a big huge plan, which is exactly what Voldemort did.
4. I really don't think it's that important of an issue to argue over. It's a good book in a great series. Enough said.
Okay, the reason why Harry had to be in the Triwizard is because Cedric had to go with him, among lots of other reasons. Truthfully, Voldemort could have used anyone to regain a body, but he wanted to first use Harry's blood and then kill him, demonstrating his superiority and power. Yes, getting at Harry could have been much simpler, but the 'Harry, could you pass me that quill' and having Harry then just vanish would definitely expose one of Voldemort's most trusted, most helpful followers to not only the Ministry of Magic, but also to Dumbledore and consequently the Order. Voldemort would not have wanted Crouch Jr to have gone to such lengths when the number of followers free to help him were so few. Also, Cedric did need to go with Harry if only for the unfortuate need for him to die with Harry watching. Yes, there could have been a random muggle bystander that could have died and produced the same effect that is seen in the 5th book, but that would not have provided Harry the opportunity with Cho... do you see how everything is connected? JK Rowling does what she does for a reason.
Except for randomly naming the kid Dudley and his gang beat up at the start of the 5th book Mark Evans. That was just coincedence. Or a red herring that she passed off as a coincedence (to see truly how obsessed her fans are for combing her works for foreshadowing).
Okay, my little rant is over.
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