The Dresden Files > DF Spoilers
Why did Dumorne put the mental whamy on when he did?
g33k:
--- Quote from: Mira on December 28, 2023, 02:39:45 PM ---... But was he equally tough on Elaine? We know nothing of his lessons with her. Why weren't her and Harry taught together? ...
--- End quote ---
I think Harry&Elaine were (largely) being taught together.
They certainly shared a lot of homework assignments!
I'm sure there were some lessons specific to each of them, while the other did bookwork &c. Their respective strengths and weaknesses differ, after all (not that we know a lot about Elaine's, but we see their preferred methods aren't identical).
I presume Elaine got largely-similar treatment to what Harry got; if Justin was notably harder or easier on her, we'd have heard about it by this time: it's the sort of thing kids remember even into adulthood.
Mira:
--- Quote from: g33k on January 02, 2024, 06:00:42 AM ---I think Harry&Elaine were (largely) being taught together.
They certainly shared a lot of homework assignments!
I'm sure there were some lessons specific to each of them, while the other did bookwork &c. Their respective strengths and weaknesses differ, after all (not that we know a lot about Elaine's, but we see their preferred methods aren't identical).
I presume Elaine got largely-similar treatment to what Harry got; if Justin was notably harder or easier on her, we'd have heard about it by this time: it's the sort of thing kids remember even into adulthood.
--- End quote ---
However at this point, we don't know.. The subjects taught might have been the same so that homework assignments can be worked on together.. However if the slant on that same subject is a bit different, the outcome can be different. Also we presume it was magical homework they shared, it could have been a math assignment from school. For some reason Justin attempted to enthrall Elaine first, if she was in fact enthralled. Target of opportunity? As he taught them did he find her more vulnerable? Here is another thing that really doesn't add up.. Supposedly Elaine stayed home from school that day because she was sick.. Harry cut class to return home to be with her.. Where did Harry think Justin would be during this? Did Justin have some kind of day job? Was Justin so involved with his magical research that he wouldn't notice that Harry cut school? Did Justin even care if Harry cut school? Apparently it was no surprise that Harry would cut school, Justin and "enthralled Elaine" were waiting for him with a straight jacket.. The point I am getting at is, Justin counted on Harry cutting class and coming home when he did, and then trapping him. Would he have attempted it if Harry had not cut class that day?
g33k:
--- Quote from: Mira on January 02, 2024, 03:29:23 PM ---... Also we presume it was magical homework they shared, it could have been a math assignment from school ...
--- End quote ---
I'm pretty sure it would have been both! ;D
But IIRC Harry specifically cited some magical homework, where they each did half & then copied one anothers' answers.
--- Quote from: Mira on January 02, 2024, 03:29:23 PM --- ... For some reason Justin attempted to enthrall Elaine first, if she was in fact enthralled. Target of opportunity? As he taught them did he find her more vulnerable? ...
--- End quote ---
"Target of opportunity" works as a viable theory; maybe Justin had been looking for a "natural" opportunity to get one of them alone, and just took the chance he was given. Maybe he even rushed his own plans a bit, noting a better chance than anything he had seen in a long while.
Honestly, though, I don't think we have enough info to make even mildly-informed guesses, only unsually-Wild WAG's.
--- Quote from: Mira on January 02, 2024, 03:29:23 PM --- ... Here is another thing that really doesn't add up.. Supposedly Elaine stayed home from school that day because she was sick.. Harry cut class to return home to be with her.. Where did Harry think Justin would be during this? Did Justin have some kind of day job? Was Justin so involved with his magical research that he wouldn't notice that Harry cut school? Did Justin even care if Harry cut school? Apparently it was no surprise that Harry would cut school, Justin and "enthralled Elaine" were waiting for him with a straight jacket.. The point I am getting at is, Justin counted on Harry cutting class and coming home when he did, and then trapping him. Would he have attempted it if Harry had not cut class that day?
--- End quote ---
Cite please? I recall it as Harry getting home from a normal school-day, not that he had cut class. But maybe I misremember.
I can't imagine Justin had a "day job," though. He wouldn't have had a mundane job, and he was intentionally off-radar to the rest of the wizarding world.
Does it matter (why does it matter) whether Justin had been planning for Harry to get home early, or just get home at the regular time?
Mira:
--- Quote ---Cite please? I recall it as Harry getting home from a normal school-day, not that he had cut class. But maybe I misremember.
--- End quote ---
Ghost Story page 267
--- Quote ---I never suspected a thing about what he really wanted,until the day Elaine stayed home sick. Concerned about her, I skipped my last class and came home early. The house seemed too quiet, and an energy I had never sensed before hung in the air like cloying perfume.
--- End quote ---
Further down on the same page Harry says he now knows that Justin had put a "mental whammy" on Elaine.
Next page more interesting;
Justin says
--- Quote ---"You skipped class again." He sighed. "I should have seen that coming."
--- End quote ---
This implies that Justin was surprised that Harry came home when he did.. However further down after Justin speaks about needing people he can trust, Harry notices something..
--- Quote ---Their expressions gave me nothing. That was when my eyes fell to the coffee table and to the object lying quietly next to my well-mauled copy of The Hobbit.
A straightjacket.
--- End quote ---
This implies to me at any rate that Justin wasn't really surprised that Harry skipped class.. He was ready for him.
Then on page 269 rereading just now is a really strange sentence;
--- Quote ---"Boy!" Justin said, projecting his voice loudly. I looked over my shoulder at him as I ran. His eyes were more coldly furious than I had ever seen them. "You are here with me--with Elaine. Or you are nowhere. If you don't come back right now, you are dead to me"
--- End quote ---
The "nowhere" in italics are Jim's not mine. Now it could be that Justin was super confident that Elaine was with him because he had enthralled her... Or it really was a planned act to get Harry from the get go, and him coming home early broke up their plans before they were ready for him.
--- Quote ---Does it matter (why does it matter) whether Justin had been planning for Harry to get home early, or just get home at the regular time?
--- End quote ---
I think it does matter, Harry completely trusted both Elaine and Justin, so under some pretense they may have been able to trick him into the straightjack or otherwise put the mental whammy on him. Harry says he never suspected anything, but by coming home early he walked right into the middle of Justin's application of black magic, though at that moment he didn't know what he was sensing, except that it wasn't good for him. An hour or two later, especially since at that moment Harry didn't know he was sensing black magic, Harry may not of realized that something was very wrong and that he was in danger.
The_Sibelis:
The straight jacket was meant to scare him intentionally, only thing that'd make sense. We even have a whole how to do in SK about how Elaine used magic to bind him in spot. What, did the straight jacket get busted up? Other than physical, what exactly was it supposed to stop from a wizard, even a teenager wizard of little skill yet developed?
Whole things rigged on another level I say.
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