HPDH Chapter Four: The Seven Potters (Spoiler)

What was the value of having the other wizards look like Harry versus Harry looking like the other wizards? Wouldn't it have been safer if Harry took the potion and looked like Fred or George? What am I missing, other than it's funny thought to have 7 Harry Potters running around?

Do you think it was that 7 was symbolic -- consistent with the number of Voldermort's Horcruxes?

oooh - you people ask great questions.I think seven has always been a mystical number. the seven natural wonders, seven colours of the rainbow, seven notes in the musical scale.

anyways, if Harry took the polyjuice to look like Ron - surely it would be easier for the death eaters to realise not to follow Hermione, Fred, George etc... and it would put Ron and the Harry/Ron at greater danger sooner.

I think to do seven Harry's is the only way it could have been really.

7 was indeed magical--which is why Voldemort chose to have 7 horcruxes. I don't think it would have worked to have Harry change to one of the Weasley's at that point. It is interesting though that they had that much Polyjuice potion on such short notice. Didn't it take a couple of months to brew in the second book?

AHacker

given that Dumbledore had planned it though... i'm not surprised that there was plenty on hand. the timing was to coincide with Harry's birthday... they had 17 years notice for that one. plenty of time (if you ask me)

Didn't the polyjuice potion belong to Mad-Eye? He'd have stuff like that around being an Auror.

Why would Mad-eye keep plenty of that around? Remember, this would be the real Mad-eye, not Barty Jr.

Yes, Mad Eye brought the potion. "From inside his cloak Moody now withdrew a flask of what looked like mud. There was no need for him to say another word; Harry understood the rest of the plan immediately."

That isn't my question though. I just thought it was an odd choice for Rowling to select 6 others to look like Harry versus Harry looking like someone who already has a twin. The way it was written was comical. I enjoyed it, but it was a more complex solution than a more simple way of keeping Harry safe - that's all.

Harry had to be seen leaving Privet Lane--ultimately, that was Dumbledore's plan all the way down to You-Know-Who being there! Do I understand that? Not really. And cursing off someone's ear? Yuck!

AHacker

Dumbledore told Snape to tell Volde the correct date. I think Dumbledore also told Snape to confound Mundungus so it would appear that Mundungus came up with the idea of seven Harrys.
so, given that Dumbledore planned it all... not sure it would have been any other way.

to make many Harry's would have been the only way to buy enough time to get Harry close enough to his destination I think.