If I didn’t have self-monitoring against becoming a quack, I would have great confidence in this theory. My state of cognitive dissonance remains unchanged.
My best guess had been that the Dark-Magus-Formerly-Known-As-Baba-Yaga made the Philosopher’s stone and hid it in Mount Etna. But this chapter says:
Sstone’s ssuppossed maker wass not one who made it.
So my best guess was wrong. Next best guess is I’m a quack. Next after that is that someone else, like the Percival brothers, made the Philosopher stone. The stone was hidden in the Earth’s mantle and Nicholas Flamel extracted it through Mt. Etna. Overall confidence down.
Quirrell teaching Avada Kedavra to a student (probably Lestrange) still sounds like an important plot point. But is Lesath Lestrange particularly indifferent? Confidence still high, but down slightly.
Harry could even have cast a Memory Charm, if it had been good for someone to forget every memory involving their left arm.
This repeats almost word-for-word a line from 100.
Harry had been studying Memory Charms, these last couple of weeks—though he couldn’t have helped cast the spells, unless he was willing to exhaust himself almost completely, and for some reason they wanted an Auror to lose every single life memory involving the color blue.
Harry’s ability to cast mind magic is important. Whether it will be important in the future or was important in the past I do not know. Confidence up.
Harry seems to now know what the word Horcrux means, which he shouldn’t. He was talking in parseltongue at the time and the text went to pains to say he didn’t know the parseltongue word for what he was describing. If EY wanted to clearly write about Horcruxes without Harry knowing the exact terminology, that would be a way. I prefer to think that Harry researched Horcruxes in the library off-screen because it would super cool.
Quirrell all but confirmed how he smuggled the troll. Confidence in that part goes way up.
Quirrell couldn’t have cast the anti-sunlight charms on the Troll and without Harry touching his magic. Best guess is Quirrell Legilimened Sprout to cast those spells for him. Confidence lowish and unchanged.
But did Quirrell mean to kill Hermione? It isn’t my best guess, but my pet theory is that the troll was truly intended as a distraction. Quirrell was trying to get at the Philosopher’s stone through Snape. Baba Yaga has a history of setting powerful wizards up against one other, as Nicholas Flamel trained Dumbledore against Grindelwald and as Mr. Hat & Cloak made Quirrell think Dumbledore was plotting against him. She killed Hermione and framed Quirrell.
I go camping for a weekend and HUGE PLOT STUFF happens. Brain dump of how this chapter affects my pet predictions.
Mr. Hat & Cloak is Baba Yaga
If I didn’t have self-monitoring against becoming a quack, I would have great confidence in this theory. My state of cognitive dissonance remains unchanged.
Mr. Hat & Cloak is Nicholas Flamel
From 102:
Best guess: the person who holds the stone now (Baba Yaga) not born to the name now used (Nicholas Flamel). Confidence up slightly.
A Horcrux or Philosopher’s stone was hidden Mount Etna
My best guess had been that the Dark-Magus-Formerly-Known-As-Baba-Yaga made the Philosopher’s stone and hid it in Mount Etna. But this chapter says:
So my best guess was wrong. Next best guess is I’m a quack. Next after that is that someone else, like the Percival brothers, made the Philosopher stone. The stone was hidden in the Earth’s mantle and Nicholas Flamel extracted it through Mt. Etna. Overall confidence down.
Lesath Lestrange will cast Avada Kedavra
Quirrell teaching Avada Kedavra to a student (probably Lestrange) still sounds like an important plot point. But is Lesath Lestrange particularly indifferent? Confidence still high, but down slightly.
The Remembrall went off because Harry forgot to study mind magic
Chapter 102 has the line
This repeats almost word-for-word a line from 100.
Harry’s ability to cast mind magic is important. Whether it will be important in the future or was important in the past I do not know. Confidence up.
Before Quirrell strengthened the security on the Restricted section, Harry used Library magic to collate information on Horcruxes from scattered tales
Harry seems to now know what the word Horcrux means, which he shouldn’t. He was talking in parseltongue at the time and the text went to pains to say he didn’t know the parseltongue word for what he was describing. If EY wanted to clearly write about Horcruxes without Harry knowing the exact terminology, that would be a way. I prefer to think that Harry researched Horcruxes in the library off-screen because it would super cool.
Horcrux hijinks made Amycus Carrow go slightly Voldemorty
Consistent with what we now know about Horcruxes. Up slightly.
Quirrell was responsible for releasing the troll, but a third party redirected it to Hermione
Quirrell all but confirmed how he smuggled the troll. Confidence in that part goes way up.
Quirrell couldn’t have cast the anti-sunlight charms on the Troll and without Harry touching his magic. Best guess is Quirrell Legilimened Sprout to cast those spells for him. Confidence lowish and unchanged.
But did Quirrell mean to kill Hermione? It isn’t my best guess, but my pet theory is that the troll was truly intended as a distraction. Quirrell was trying to get at the Philosopher’s stone through Snape. Baba Yaga has a history of setting powerful wizards up against one other, as Nicholas Flamel trained Dumbledore against Grindelwald and as Mr. Hat & Cloak made Quirrell think Dumbledore was plotting against him. She killed Hermione and framed Quirrell.