convinced some members of the Wizengamot that Harry is Voldemort, which probably doesn’t have a place in Quirrellmort’s plans.
Quirrellmort has already pontificated on the benefits of ambiguity, and his desire to let both sides think Harry is on their side.
Harry: “On our first day of class, you
tried to convince my classmates I was a killer.”
Quirrell: “You are.” Amusedly. “But if your question is why I told them that,
Mr. Potter, the answer is that you will find ambiguity a great ally on
your road to power. Give a sign of Slytherin on one day, and contradict
it with a sign of Gryffindor the next; and the Slytherins will be enabled
to believe what they wish, while the Gryffindors argue themselves into
supporting you as well. So long as there is uncertainty, people can believe whatever seems to be to their own advantage. And so long as you
appear strong, so long as you appear to be winning, their instincts will
tell them that their advantage lies with you. Walk always in the shadow,
and light and darkness both will follow.”
Now that I think about it, it’s odd that he stated that with such certainty. It’s not like Voldemort or Dumbledore used that strategy—maybe he’s thinking of Grindelwald? Apparently his motto was “for the greater good”...
Yet that’s not exactly what happened as a result of Harry’s actions. The “afterword” of the trial suggests that any members of Lucius’ faction who follow story-book logic will see Harry as a dangerous enemy, as will members of Dumbledore’s faction who have “walked the path of a powerful wizard.”
Though that actually raises an interesting question—what happens when, say, Alastor Moody goes to Dumbledore and says, “Albus, I think Harry is Voldemort”? Does Dumbledore tell Alastor he’s wrong, and convince Alastor that there is a better explanation for Harry’s actions? Or does Dumbledore say, “dear God, Alastor, you’re right!”
On a related note, what does Dumbledore know about horcruxes? Dumbledore’s dialog has suggested that Voldemort may have gone around destroying a lot of information on horcruxes, so Dumbledore may know less in this story than he did in canon. Hmmm...
Quirrellmort has already pontificated on the benefits of ambiguity, and his desire to let both sides think Harry is on their side.
Now that I think about it, it’s odd that he stated that with such certainty. It’s not like Voldemort or Dumbledore used that strategy—maybe he’s thinking of Grindelwald? Apparently his motto was “for the greater good”...
Perhaps it’s the whole “People fought like crazy to stop me, and even though they failed, it was really annoying” thing?
Yet that’s not exactly what happened as a result of Harry’s actions. The “afterword” of the trial suggests that any members of Lucius’ faction who follow story-book logic will see Harry as a dangerous enemy, as will members of Dumbledore’s faction who have “walked the path of a powerful wizard.”
Though that actually raises an interesting question—what happens when, say, Alastor Moody goes to Dumbledore and says, “Albus, I think Harry is Voldemort”? Does Dumbledore tell Alastor he’s wrong, and convince Alastor that there is a better explanation for Harry’s actions? Or does Dumbledore say, “dear God, Alastor, you’re right!”
On a related note, what does Dumbledore know about horcruxes? Dumbledore’s dialog has suggested that Voldemort may have gone around destroying a lot of information on horcruxes, so Dumbledore may know less in this story than he did in canon. Hmmm...
EDIT: See also JenniferRM’s comment below.
Please link the comment you mean. I don’t know which one.
Edit (so to not raise the comment count): Thanks.
Done.