Little Questions Answered

[Desraelda]

Someone opened a thread that I thought was about little questions but turned out not to be. I did a search and didn't find anything, As always, mods, feel free to close or move or merge.

I had a little question about the mouth organ on Dumbledore's table and I didn't know what mouth organ he was referring to. Someone also opened a thread on why Fleur was called Phlegm and that was answered.

So it seemed like we needed to start this thread for HBP.

[justaHPfan]

umm... young Tom Riddle at the orphanage had a mouth organ (I assume that's a harmonica?) in his possession when DD set Tom's dresser on fire - a mouth organ was one of the things that rattled in the box thus showing it belonged to someone other than Tom and that he stole it, basically.

But, I actually had a question as to why Harry expected it to be sitting on the place where the ring was the time before? DD says that it's very "astute" of him - why? I completely missed it! Was it because Harry thought that DD was placing real objects to remind him of the memory he had just seen?

[Desraelda]

Originally Posted by justaHPfan

But, I actually had a question as to why Harry expected it to be sitting on the place where the ring was the time before? DD says that it's very "astute" of him - why? I completely missed it! Was it because Harry thought that DD was placing real objects to remind him of the memory he had just seen?

That's what confused me. Except for the mouth organ/harmonica in Riddle's box of stolen items, I don't think it was mentioned.

The quote is on Page 278. "Very astute, Harry, but the mouth organ was only ever a mouth organ."

"And on that enigmatic note, he waved to Harry, who understood himself to be dismissed?"

That's the part I don't understand. How does "enigmatic" fit in. Is Dumbledore hiding something that I missed after that?

[antiQueen]

I'm so glad this question asked because I'm utterly stumped when it comes to the mouth organ comment. I also assumed that it had to do with the mouth organ in the Riddle's box at the orphanage, but what on earth did Harry mean by saying he expected it to be there?

Unless, but I find this a bit unlikely, Harry was referring to Dumbledore having held onto something (Voldemort's ring in this case) that didn't belong to him, and now having returned it. But... I don't know. That passage was a bit obscure to me.

[Pnk]

I thought of something that made sense when I was reading..But now I forget ><

[Canis]

Originally Posted by Desraelda

That's the part I don't understand. How does "enigmatic" fit in. Is Dumbledore hiding something that I missed after that?

One, I always go on the assumption that Dumbledore knows and means more than he says outright, so "enigmatic" really should be a constant implication.

Two, there have always been what might be considered a non-dearth of adjectives and adverbs floating around these books. Not complaining! Just an observation.

EDIT: HAS always been. Argh.

[PLIMPY]

I am having a little difficulty in placing this scene and how much Harry knew at this point, but these are my first thoughts, please let me know if they don't make sense in the timeline (I really do need to finish my re-read ).
I think that the reason Dumbledore said it was astute was because Harry was sort of thinking that his trophies were to become Horcruxes (or at that point at least something of importance) and he remembered one of Tom's trophies that he saw in the memory. The reason I would think that Dumbledore is described as waving Harry off on an enigmatic note is because he doesn't say more than that, perhaps it is only meant to be enigmatic to us because Harry seems to understand what they are talking about.

[house elf 13]

The first item from the pensieve memory (the ring) was then on DD's table. So the second time an object struck Harry's interest, he again looked for it on DD's table. DD praises Harry (for learning to be observant?) but also tells him that the mouth organ was nothing more than it appears to be. Since Harry didn't yet know all of the things the ring was (for example, a Horcrux), DD's remark is "enigmatic" because Harry doesn't quite know what DD's implying about the ring.

[LarkRaven]

"Very astute, Harry, but the mouth organ was only ever a mouth organ."

What I think Dumbledore meant by this was that the mouth organ was just a mouth organ, but the ring was there last time because it was a horcrux. The mouth organ wasn't.

[Starrlight]

I think it just means that some of Voldemort's trophies might be a Horcrux, but the vast majority of them will not be. Red herrings can distract you from focusing on the important clues. Harry will have to investigate and judge and plan to find them all.

There might be more, though--why the mouth organ in particular? Why does Dumbledore think it's a good guess? Maybe just because it's one of the few things Jo actually named, or maybe something more.

[Dirse]

Harry knew the ring was once a horcrux, and the ring was on the table the last time Harry visited Dumbledore. This time Harry says, "The ring's gone...But I thought you might have the mouth organ or something." Harry remembers that Voldemort likes to keep trophies from his crimes against people, and Harry knew Voldemort turned one trophy into a horcrux, so why not another? However, Harry doesn't know (or doesn't remember Dumbledore telling him -- I can't recall when Dumbledore brought this to Harry's attention) that Voldemort only uses valuable trophies.

So, Harry was being astute. He was using his critical thinking skills. I find that to be reassuring -- that he was in fact taking the horcux business very seriously.

[Ursurper]

Well i think that as somebody said Harry was thinking maybe DD put items from the scenes on the table to remind Harry of what he had seen and the reason the word "enigmatic" fits in is where DD says "Very astute, Harry, but the mouth-organ was only ever a mouth-organ" implying that the ring was something more and so thats why it had been, at this point we dont know what the ring could have been since we havent heard about horcruxes yet, therefor it makes the comment unclear, or enigmatic.

[SquibOnline]

The mouth organ comment I thought was a dig at fans. Basically saying that we seem to make a fantastic theory out of every single object in harry potter. So why can't objects just be objects

[alas_ear_wax]

I was baffled by this at first also.

Do you think Harry was thinking that, perhaps, all of LV's otherwise meaningless material possessions could be horcruxes? Was he recalling the harmonica in Tom Riddle's box of stolen things at the orphanage?

I still don't understand.

[practo]

Originally Posted by SquibOnline

The mouth organ comment I thought was a dig at fans. Basically saying that we seem to make a fantastic theory out of every single object in harry potter. So why can't objects just be objects

That makes a lot of sense!!

[Starrlight]

Originally Posted by SquibOnline

The mouth organ comment I thought was a dig at fans. Basically saying that we seem to make a fantastic theory out of every single object in harry potter. So why can't objects just be objects

Hee! Perhaps, but not a nasty one. Others have used it--sometimes a cigar is just a cigar, in a ST:TNG episode: sometimes a cake is just a cake.

[Fuchsia]

JK Rowling has said that she liked our theories (read on the Leaky Cauldron website). I don't think she'd take a nasty dig.

It was meant for Harry to use his thinking skills as was previously said.

[johnnyandme]

Little question:
Felix Lucky Potion, Six months to make
how is it that sluggy had this potion when...
1:he has been on the run for the past year
2:he only accepted the job less than six months ago


sorry its just been bothering me... i hardly think it was already there... maybe snape prepared it before he knew he wouldnt be the teacher...

[MugglyBrit]

Originally Posted by justaHPfan

But, I actually had a question as to why Harry expected it to be sitting on the place where the ring was the time before? DD says that it's very "astute" of him - why? I completely missed it! Was it because Harry thought that DD was placing real objects to remind him of the memory he had just seen?

This made me think that perhaps Dumbledore was getting the objects out of the memories but looking back... Dumbledore thought it was astute of Harry to realize that the point of each of the memories was to direct Harry's attention to a certain object or objects of Voldemorts... Dumbledore's comment that a mouth organ was only ever a mouth organ is his quirky way of saying that he doubted the organ was one of the horcruces... the clue in this particular vision turned out not to be the object but the cave mentioned earlier... Harry of course had no idea what Dumbledore meant.

[Desraelda]

Originally Posted by Fuchsia

JK Rowling has said that she liked our theories (read on the Leaky Cauldron website). I don't think she'd take a nasty dig.

No she wouldn't, but maybe a little tongue in cheek poke.

Originally Posted by johnnyandme

Little question:
Felix Lucky Potion, Six months to make
how is it that sluggy had this potion when...
1:he has been on the run for the past year
2:he only accepted the job less than six months ago


sorry its just been bothering me... i hardly think it was already there... maybe snape prepared it before he knew he wouldnt be the teacher...

Good question.

Somehow I don't see Snape brewing a lucky potion. Not his style. Anybody else with some ideas? It would have to have been started some time in March, I think.