Harry Potter And The Methods Of Rationality

That is an interesting point, now you mention it. So, Riddle did do it, and our assessment of his motivations, or the intended effect of the curse is off, or there is another hand at work here.

There's a possibility that in this version of the setting, the Bumblebee is in league with whoever cast the "let's make the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher's life a fucking misery" spell. That is, of course, if he isn't the one solely responsible. Don't forget, to be a really good DADA teacher, you have to be an extremely powerful and competent spellcaster, and Dumbledore is getting old. Age can do weird things to men of power. He might not want the competition.

Then again, I never liked Dumbledore to begin with, and reading this story has just hardened that mindset. I may be biased.

Definitely. When it comes to Dumbledore, you're amazingly quick to imagine the worst even when it doesn't make sense.

>A wizard getting less powerful with time.

>Not wanting the competition.

• What competition, against the most powerful genius wizard in the world?
• Dumbledore being obsessed with status to the point of denying his students valuable training in wartime.

You're being, quite frankly, ridiculous. Dumbledore may be a bleeding-hearted sentimental old fool with Skewed Priorities, but you have to go through some pretty egregious mental gymnastics to cast him as a freaking villain.

I assumed that he cast a curse on the position so that he could get it when he needed it (ie, when Harry got old enough).

...Isn't he literally in charge of picking the staff? I mean, sure, it's not like he could get away with firing all of the teachers and replacing them with incredibly sloshed party-magicians, but he shouldn't have to hospitalize/kill/traumatize them on a yearly basis just so he can pick whomever he wants.

My theory is that there was no curse. Either it was coincidence or. I don't know. Peeves was a lot more dangerous than anyone thought, maybe? (Speaking of which, couldn't Peeves just...like, straight-up murder anybody? Voldy, for example? Poltergeists op, plox nerf)

Luck isn't actually a thing. You can't give someone, "Bad luck."

Two words: Felix Felicis.

My theory is that there was no curse. Either it was coincidence or. I don't know.

It could be. The interesting thing is that the curse would quickly turn into a Self Fufilling Prophecy once it became widely known.

Wasn't the curse active for like decades or something? That isn't coincidence.

It could have been coincidence for however long it took to become a Self Fufilling Prophecy.

edited 12th Apr '14 9:48:42 PM by storyyeller

A Self Fufilling Prophecy shouldn't be expected to work without fail every year for decades. Actually, I feel like Tom shouldn't have been powerful enough to cast a curse like that, seems like he or someone else must have used an effect built into hogwarts by the founders.

...What, we're counting canon now?

It isn't? Sure, it's unlikely, but there's no real reason why it can't happen. I could roll a hundred d20 and get, "11" on all of them. I probably won't, but if I do, it's not proof of god or whatever.

The Red Sox "curse" lasted decades. I mean it's not quite comparable, but coincidences can happen.

I think if it follows the canon timeline the curse was cast while Tom was still trying to unite the country via Monroe. He couldn't have known he'd need a teaching position at Hogwarts back then.

If the curse was cast by Tom and our assessment of his goals is right, then the curse must have been cast later than it was in the canon timeline and it has to be a very specific curse that pretty much only works on teaching positions, because Tom would certainly be able to think of more munchkiny applications of destiny magic. Otherwise the curse was cast accidentally, cast by somebody else, or it doesn't really exist.

My gut feeling is that the curse was indeed placed by Tom, later than it was in the canon timeline, but it's not really a destiny curse, just some sort of trick or known spell applied in a clever way. I believe this because Tom was the one who cast it in canon, because he does have a motive to do so after he horcruxed Harry and because the whole thing sounds a lot like Harry's modus operandi.

Think about it, if someone just assassinated all defense professors after a year of teaching, people would try to prevent it, to fight it. But if it seems like the work of a curse then no one will bother to even try, because then any attempt to stop it is doomed to failure, right? This appearance-of-omnipotence business and the way it plays of human biases and superstition sounds a lot like what Harry does, and Tom is his copy and probably favors similar strategies.

edited 13th Apr '14 12:18:57 AM by lendary

Hmm, sounds plausible. So it's a faked curse. Dumbledore must suspect, perhaps that is the source of the tension between the two.

HP and the Natural 20 updated with an epilogue for its second part.

Well, that solved a few loose ends, but leaves open other questions. Clearly something happened to Milo, although I really have my doubts that he actually died, considering they Never Found the Body and all that. I suppose he could have, but he could also have left a way out - for instance (and this is just mindless speculation), he could have rerolled another character, or his mother could come to the HP universe to find him...

Regardless, this really feels like a satisfying epilogue while we wait for the next part. It would have been simple to have Milo squeeze out of that problem the easy way, which is precisely why it is interesting that he didn't. By leaving other problems still active, like Fiona realizing The Masquerade all over again, or Voldemort coming back to power, it really feels like the story is going to places we cannot predict, and I like that.

What makes you think he suspects anything? And if he does, why should he suspect Quirrel?

There are too many reasons to suspect Quirrell to count! On any topic, in any situation!

But suspect him of casting the "curse"? Why?

I would suspect him of misplacing my socks, if we shared a building!

What nefarious cause could Quirrel possibly further by stealing socks?

Step Three: Profit

Alternately, Gaslighting; both he and Harry (and Dumbledore!) delight in the practice.

edited 14th Apr '14 4:32:05 AM by TheHandle

Framing you for the emancipation of the House-elfs? Or for setting up a portkey?

Regarding Milo. My theory is that he really died, and that his death will allow him to go home because now his old party can cast True Resurrection. Somebody has to deal with Bellatrix, somebody who is knowledgeable and experienced in fighting that type of magic user.

Edit: Although that has a potential hole. Avada Kedavra doesn't destroy the body. Would True Resurrection restore him to his body, or create a new one for him back home?

edited 18th Apr '14 8:42:27 AM by CDRW

Or throwing socks at the House Elves to free them? Didn't that work for Harry with Dobby back in vanilla?

It worked because Lucius threw the sock. It has to be the elf's owner that gives them clothing, not just some random person. (It's why Harry didn't just give Dobby the sock himself.)