I was reading the quote you cite as “too much trouble usually” rather than “absolutely impossible”, because canon indicates that both can be removed, albeit not easily:
The canonical False Memory Charm is obviously not the same thing as the MoR!FMC, given what canon!Hermione did with it. I don’t think we can draw conclusions from that.
Good point. They’re obviously at least somewhat different from canon. The rules on fixing their effects are unknowable without the author’s say-so.
I suppose it isn’t critical whether Obliviates and FMCs are normally removable in this universe—Harry would still be able to use a delay in carrying out sentence to either attempt to find a counterspell or find the real perpetrator or both.
So no matter what, for Harry, a one-year delay in carrying out sentence has a really good cost/benefit tradeoff.
And if Dumbledore won’t exert himself sufficiently to secure that, there’s no one Harry will be left trusting excerpt McGonagall—and Quirrell.
On reflection, it doesn’t even matter whether Obliviates and FMCs are normally removable in this universe—Harry would use a delay in carrying out sentence to either attempt to find a counterspell or find the real perpetrator or both.
This is a good point; agreed.
So no matter what, for Harry, a one-year delay in carrying out sentence has a really good cost/benefit tradeoff.
I would have said a one-week delay.
And if Dumbledore won’t exert himself sufficiently to secure that
I see no reason to think that Dumbledore is even remotely capable of that. Politically, Lucius and Dumbledore are near-evenly matched, and Lucius is presumably willing to exert all his influence on his end of the trial. Even assuming Dumbledore calls in every favor he’s owed, I don’t see that it would accomplish anything but get the situation to default to normal procedure- which is what’s happening now.
I agree that Dumbledore doesn’t seem able to get Lucius to delay the trial. But I suggest that Harry could suggest an agreement to delay the (irreversible part of the) punishment.
Since the only fixed rule of the wizards’ council is there are no fixed rules, such an agreement could be made. “She’s guilty, and we’ll house-elf her in a week.” Since Lucius’ priority is protecting Draco, genuine proof that someone else tried to killed Draco would be plenty of reason to release Hermione—in exchange for Harry/Voldemort’s help against the villain.
From Harry’s point of view, especially, why should Lucius exact a high price to postpone the house-elfing of Hermione by a week or a month, as long as he has the formal verdict and the young villain is under secure observation somewhere?
I was reading the quote you cite as “too much trouble usually” rather than “absolutely impossible”, because canon indicates that both can be removed, albeit not easily:
http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Memory_Charm
http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/False_memory_charm
I just realized- if Obliviation can be broken, Harry (but not Quirrell) is implicated in the Azkaban breakout.
The canonical False Memory Charm is obviously not the same thing as the MoR!FMC, given what canon!Hermione did with it. I don’t think we can draw conclusions from that.
Good point. They’re obviously at least somewhat different from canon. The rules on fixing their effects are unknowable without the author’s say-so.
I suppose it isn’t critical whether Obliviates and FMCs are normally removable in this universe—Harry would still be able to use a delay in carrying out sentence to either attempt to find a counterspell or find the real perpetrator or both.
So no matter what, for Harry, a one-year delay in carrying out sentence has a really good cost/benefit tradeoff.
And if Dumbledore won’t exert himself sufficiently to secure that, there’s no one Harry will be left trusting excerpt McGonagall—and Quirrell.
This is a good point; agreed.
I would have said a one-week delay.
I see no reason to think that Dumbledore is even remotely capable of that. Politically, Lucius and Dumbledore are near-evenly matched, and Lucius is presumably willing to exert all his influence on his end of the trial. Even assuming Dumbledore calls in every favor he’s owed, I don’t see that it would accomplish anything but get the situation to default to normal procedure- which is what’s happening now.
I agree that Dumbledore doesn’t seem able to get Lucius to delay the trial. But I suggest that Harry could suggest an agreement to delay the (irreversible part of the) punishment.
Since the only fixed rule of the wizards’ council is there are no fixed rules, such an agreement could be made. “She’s guilty, and we’ll house-elf her in a week.” Since Lucius’ priority is protecting Draco, genuine proof that someone else tried to killed Draco would be plenty of reason to release Hermione—in exchange for Harry/Voldemort’s help against the villain.
From Harry’s point of view, especially, why should Lucius exact a high price to postpone the house-elfing of Hermione by a week or a month, as long as he has the formal verdict and the young villain is under secure observation somewhere?