It would simply be bad writing to set up a mysterious and malevolent figure like Hat and Cloak and then reveal him as one of the story’s established villains. It’s redundant, a wasted move, to reveal that the villain was secretly a villain. It drains tension from the story to reveal that the heroes were only facing one opponent, not two. I would rule out the possibility just by assuming a competent author.
A point in favor of Hat and Cloak being Grindelwald: the playing card he chose to represent Dumbledore was the King of Hearts. ♥
It would simply be bad writing to set up a mysterious and malevolent figure like Hat and Cloak and then reveal him as one of the story’s established villains.
Unless the reveal involved learning about the Voldemort-Quirrell symbiosis, or Voldemort-Hat-and-Cloak outsmarting Voldemort-Quirrell, or any of a dozen other dramatic reveals.
A point in favor of Hat and Cloak being Grindelwald: the playing card he chose to represent Dumbledore was the King of Hearts. ♥
At first I wanted to say “reading too deeply”, but you have a point: the choice of card was not a throwaway line, it was intended to be mysterious, so it should have some depth worth plumbing.
Unless the reveal involved learning about the Voldemort-Quirrell symbiosis, or Voldemort-Hat-and-Cloak outsmarting Voldemort-Quirrell, or any of a dozen other dramatic reveals.
You’re postulating increasingly complex (ie unlikely) explanations to defend your theory. Donny’s statement is strong evidence for H&C not being one of the existing villains.
That Santa Claus is Hat and Cloak was the implication I took from this exchange. Still seems correct to me. It’s the combination of his paranoid advice and ignorance of current events. Why would Lupin tell Harry to avoid Dumbledore? (That’s the letter with the ‘more trouble than James’ reference.)
This is a good question, and we do in fact have evidence that Lupin doesn’t totally trust Dumbledore—he worries that Dumbledore may have sent Harry off to evil step-parents.
It would simply be bad writing to set up a mysterious and malevolent figure like Hat and Cloak and then reveal him as one of the story’s established villains. It’s redundant, a wasted move, to reveal that the villain was secretly a villain. It drains tension from the story to reveal that the heroes were only facing one opponent, not two. I would rule out the possibility just by assuming a competent author.
A point in favor of Hat and Cloak being Grindelwald: the playing card he chose to represent Dumbledore was the King of Hearts. ♥
Unless the reveal involved learning about the Voldemort-Quirrell symbiosis, or Voldemort-Hat-and-Cloak outsmarting Voldemort-Quirrell, or any of a dozen other dramatic reveals.
At first I wanted to say “reading too deeply”, but you have a point: the choice of card was not a throwaway line, it was intended to be mysterious, so it should have some depth worth plumbing.
I like it here! Everyone’s so gracious. Upvoted and thank you.
You’re postulating increasingly complex (ie unlikely) explanations to defend your theory. Donny’s statement is strong evidence for H&C not being one of the existing villains.
That’s a disjunction of several unlikely explanations; any one alone is enough to ‘defend’ my theory.
Why do you think that particular Santa Claus was H & C ?
Sounded more like Lupin to me, with the ‘getting into more trouble than James’ reference.
That Santa Claus is Hat and Cloak was the implication I took from this exchange. Still seems correct to me. It’s the combination of his paranoid advice and ignorance of current events. Why would Lupin tell Harry to avoid Dumbledore? (That’s the letter with the ‘more trouble than James’ reference.)
This is a good question, and we do in fact have evidence that Lupin doesn’t totally trust Dumbledore—he worries that Dumbledore may have sent Harry off to evil step-parents.