Going after the Philosopher's Stone

[brimtoast.livejournal.com]

I realized today that the big adventure with the philosopher's stone that happens at the end of Book 1 will have to come soon. I looked it up, and it seems like it happened right after the end of exams, which would possibly put it tonight.

Then just now, Sally-Anne saw Macnair practicing the tinwhistle and looking guilty, which might make Harry suspect that Macnair is going after the stone tonight.

Anyway, I wonder how it will play out, who will be involved, and how the book events will be changed in this world. I'm pretty sure Quirrell won't be involved. Macnair might, unless he's playing the red herring like Snape was...

Anybody want to make any last-minute guesses about this event before it happens?

Comments

[brimtoast.livejournal.com]

My guesses:

Participants will be Harry, Hermione, and Ron, with no extras.

Macnair will try to steal the stone for his own resistance movement, and Harry will stop him. It will be celebrated in the school as a big victory, but since it will be a victory for Voldemort the Order will be unhappy.

Although I can't imagine how this scenario would happen without McGonagall being kicked out as Headmistress of Hogwarts, and I don't think that will happen.

[spiffariffic.livejournal.com]

I don't know about anything else, but I'm hoping McGonagall didn't let the Carrows contribute to protecting it. I can't even imagine what they'd cook up.

[brimtoast.livejournal.com]

I hadn't really thought about the Carrows. Maybe Amycus will actually be the one to go after the Stone instead of Macnair, and Harry will stop and/or kill him. That would be a suitably major event for the end of the book, not least because it would advance Terry's story quite a bit to have his master gone.

[spiffariffic.livejournal.com]

Oh, true! Maybe Terry could stay at Hogwarts permanently then (because I can't imagine him wanting to leave when Hermione will still be around at least during the school year - he wouldn't escape without her). I think Macnair is more likely to be the Alternity Snape, to be honest. Well, unless you consider that McGonagall's not sure where he stands. That's rather different.

[borgin.livejournal.com]

I just wanted to say that I had the exact same thought last night. :) I can't wait to see what happens.

[longstrider.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure whether Macnair or Lupin is a more likely stand in for Snape's role. I see no shady character that has McGonagall's complete trust the way Snape had Dumbeldore's.

[longstrider.livejournal.com]

I have a hard time seeing Harry participating with Draco being involved in some way. Neville, Sally-Anne and Terry are all much more likely to be involved through various connections to the core trio.

[brimtoast.livejournal.com]

I could actually see the participating cast going many ways. I just wanted to make one official guess on record, so if I happen to be right later I could point to my fancy predicting skills.

And I would like it if it were just the three of them, because they've never had an adventure alone, have they? And I'd like if it they had something to bond over. I know Harry is sort of friends with Ron and obviously spends a lot of time with Hermione, but Ron and Hermione barely interact. Even though I would be also happy with a world where that particular trio never forms, I think it would be cool if it did, and the three of them being involved in this big adventure together could be enough to do it.

I really *hope* Hermione is along, as she will be the only one of the three who can write about what is happening from the inside, since she has access to both the journal locks.

[brimtoast.livejournal.com]

But from Harry's eyes it would seem that Macnair did, since he went to warn McGonagall about Macnair yesterday morning, just as he warned her about Snape in the books.

I agree the situations aren't all that similar. I think the farther we go in the game, the more difference big events will be from canon. But so far they're still similar enough that we can at least have fun trying to map this world onto the events that we know took place in that one.

[spiffariffic.livejournal.com]

And it looks like it's Harry, Draco and Hermione!

Randomly, do you know who the Deputy Headmistress is? Sinistra? Sprout? Please say it's not Alecto, that would be horrifying.

[spiffariffic.livejournal.com]

Speaking of events staying close to canon, do you think they'll have a Prisoner-of-Azkaban-like story the third year? I was just thinking about that and wondering who the "prisoner" would be in that case - does anyone know what happened to Peter and Snape? They'd be my first bets. (With Peter they could still say he was James' friend, with Snape they could say he was Lily's and betrayed her somehow... or hated James so much that he helped them both be killed. Of course I don't know who'd tell Harry this since it doesn't seem to be common knowledge that Voldemort's not his real father.)

[spiffariffic.livejournal.com]

Oh, and speaking of the Snape/Macnair similarities, it'd be interesting if Macnair turned out to be Voldemort's man all along, like Snape was Dumbledore's.

[brimtoast.livejournal.com]

I wondered that about the deputy headmistress, too.

It's happening right now! I wonder who will be in that last chamber?

[brimtoast.livejournal.com]

And in the last chamber is... McGonagall?

[spiffariffic.livejournal.com]

Well, I guess that would keep it safe...