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Diary problems

Unread postPosted: April 8th, 2019, 11:53 pm
by thrawnca
I'm doing a full re-read, partly to celebrate chapter 43, and partly to help with kaotik's eBook, and there's a significant plot element that I'm a bit stuck on.

What is the Watsonian explanation for Harry keeping the Diary such a secret?

It wouldn't have been all that hard for him to explain it away. He could have told Ginny about finding it in her cauldron, and made sure that this time she remembered not to trust anything that can think for itself if you can't see where it keeps its brain. He could have talked to Mr and Mrs Weasley about it, especially after it proved to be fireproof. He probably could even have found a way to get it into Professor Dumbledore's hands; not only would Dumbledore doubtless have ways to destroy it, but he might even have been able to wring more information out of it first. And in doing so, Harry might well have gained more of Dumbledore's trust. Why did he feel a need to hide it, when he was constantly trying not to keep secrets?

Re: Diary problems

Unread postPosted: April 9th, 2019, 2:29 pm
by PaddyMurphy
He's been essentially on his own ever since Future!Harry sent his memories and magic back and they merged. He's been doing everything more-or-less solo since then. If you combine that with all the time he spent working alone after Future!Ron died, you have someone who is firmly set in the "go it alone" mold. At least until his friends have their occlumency perfected. So it could simply be that he's so used to doing everything himself that he didn't think to try and work with anyone on the problem of the diary once he had it (he thought) contained.
Furthermore, Harry is 12. He might have the memories and magic of his 30-year-old self, but he's still—in many ways—an adolescent, with all the poor decision making that implies. He could have simply made a mistake.
As for Dumbledore, Harry likely doesn't trust him enough to give him the diary. Especially when doing so could generate questions Harry isn't prepared to answer. Remember, Portrait!Dumbledore told Harry not to tell Past!Dumbledore about the time travel.