The Dresden Files > DF Spoilers
Harry's lack of research
Mira:
--- Quote ---
As for knowing his mother, why should he be any different than anyone else. You know your mother because she was there as you were raised. And at that you know your mother, not the person she was. If she had died before you were born, she would be a collection of photographs and stories told to you by the people who knew her. And look at who Harry's mother ran with. A bunch are dead, or inhuman. The ability to research implies a record to examine. In a lot of ways Margaret was an International Women Of Mystery.
--- End quote ---
Knowledge was also deliberately kept from him. His mother died when he was born, his father, when he was six, instead of stepping forward and claiming him, his maternal grandfather let him be
dumped in an orphanage for the next four years with no clue of anything except vague memories of his loving father in the old station wagon they traveled the country in. When he was adopted by Justin he had no reason to believe he had any living family. What little he knew of his mother is what he was told by his adoptive father, whom he loved and trusted until he was sixteen. Then the
crap hit the fan, his fae god mother didn't or couldn't tell him the truth... When he was saved at the
trial by Eb, he basically learned nothing about his mother other than she was a killer rebel who
was under sentence of death. Eb then took him in for the next three years, never even hinting that he was really his grandfather... Later in Blood Rite when a wounded Harry confronts him about a lot of things, Eb still couldn't or wouldn't tell him the whole truth about who he was or his mother.. Harry was shocked and pissed about what had been kept from him, but really had no basis to probe further.. He finds out from Thomas that they are half brothers in the same book... He sees and talks with his mother in a soul gaze but beyond confirming that he and Thomas are indeed brothers she gives him very little information save she was sorry about the future she set him up for... Thomas is no real help either, because he was also a small child when she ran away.. He gets bits and pieces, hints about his mother, but they are fleeting like what Chancy told him.. But the price of getting the full story from him is was way too dear... Lash promised to tell him everything she knows, but then she was killed.. But you have to ask, why didn't she volunteer this information sooner to him? Finally in Cold Days Rashid finally sees fit to tell Harry that he was good friends with his mother, that they had dinner together and swapped information about the ways, but it wasn't the time to probe futher... There is a hint of a conspiracy, one to keep Harry as safe as possible, the other to keep information from him as long as possible until needed... One having a lot to do with the other.. Research into what happened to his mother? It isn't like Harry hasn't been a very busy man the last thirty or so years.. He cannot simply "google" what he wants to know and when he wants it.. Those who do have information kept that they ever knew his mother at all from him until it oozes out, but then they keep most of what they know from him... He really hasn't had the luxury of time to obsess about it..
toodeep:
It is true that in many cases, asking people for answers would have a cost - obviously with the fae, etc., but also with asking other wizards about some things, like soulfire. I don't think he wants to advertise he has it, which asking other people about it would be tantamount to doing.
But, there have been sources that could be plumbed more easily.
1. Follow up with Goodman Gray about what he knows about his mother
2. Follow up with the gatekeeper about half a million things, including his mother; but most certainly about being starborn since that appears to be right in his expertise
3. Follow up with his brother about getting access to information from Papa Raiths forbidden library. We know he had stuff about outsiders and we know he was in cahoots with Harry's mom about something but he has done nothing to find out more about that despite having an ally in the court and possible access to a mindbent papa Raith.
4. Two words - The Archive. Sooooo much he can ask her about. There are some things she can't answer, but I would assume she would be very useful at deep background or even just pointing him to where he should look, even if she can't answer the really important questions because of her restrictions.
Mr. Death:
--- Quote from: toodeep on November 07, 2018, 04:56:54 PM ---It is true that in many cases, asking people for answers would have a cost - obviously with the fae, etc., but also with asking other wizards about some things, like soulfire. I don't think he wants to advertise he has it, which asking other people about it would be tantamount to doing.
But, there have been sources that could be plumbed more easily.
1. Follow up with Goodman Gray about what he knows about his mother
--- End quote ---
Doable -- but probably has a price. Then again, Gray's prices so far have been straightforward and manageable.
--- Quote ---2. Follow up with the gatekeeper about half a million things, including his mother; but most certainly about being starborn since that appears to be right in his expertise
--- End quote ---
He might be willing to tell Harry what he needs to know, but not necessarily what he wants to know.
--- Quote ---3. Follow up with his brother about getting access to information from Papa Raiths forbidden library. We know he had stuff about outsiders and we know he was in cahoots with Harry's mom about something but he has done nothing to find out more about that despite having an ally in the court and possible access to a mindbent papa Raith.
--- End quote ---
It's not Thomas he'd have to go through for that. It's Lara. Going to her for information is damn near on par for danger with going to Lea for it.
--- Quote ---4. Two words - The Archive. Sooooo much he can ask her about. There are some things she can't answer, but I would assume she would be very useful at deep background or even just pointing him to where he should look, even if she can't answer the really important questions because of her restrictions.
--- End quote ---
This is a non-starter. The Archive can't just give out information -- it was pulling teeth to get her to give a single hint in Changes, which was only possible because of the intensely personal nature of the request and how Harry put it to her. That tiny piece of information that Harry got for a much more important reason than mere curiosity is implied to have been huge for her to give out.
dspringer1:
Here is a thought about all those magical questions: Starborn, Soulfire, Specific Outsiders, Black Council, Nature of Mantels/Queens,
His new spirit of Intellect - Bonnie I think - has a very large set of information copied from a fallen angel. Information that clearly pre-dates creation itself. And she is likely to be perfectly willing to answer.
Unless of course some of those rules that limit immortals or angels also apply to this new spirit of intellect -- or if those rules simply kept that information from the spirit in the first place. After all, Lash's spirit was in Harry's brain. On some level that might mean accessible to a mortal. I suspect there are rules limiting that.
Snark Knight:
--- Quote from: Mr. Death on November 07, 2018, 05:06:01 PM ---It's not Thomas he'd have to go through for that. It's Lara. Going to her for information is damn near on par for danger with going to Lea for it.This is a non-starter.
--- End quote ---
Thomas is in pretty good standing with the Court now - I don't see why the library would be off limits to him in his own right. And if he's bringing Bob for a ridealong in his head at the time, how's Lara going to be any the wiser?
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