Little Questions Answered v.2

If you have a tiny, niggling question about the books, ask it here. You can see what other people came up with in version one (http://www.cosforums.com/showthread.php?t=11328).

The last questions were: do Fred and George have a time-turner, whether the duration of spells has to do with the strength of the caster, and who can perform the Unforgivables.

Why don't the DE's drink Polijuice potion or just use a transfiguration charm on themselves before they go roung murdering people? Then they couldn't be identified.

I suspect, but can not prove, that all the DEs (and Voldemort, their leader) can/do/have cast the Unforgiveable Curses. We have been told that many people were under the Imperius Curse the last time Voldemort had a rise in power. We know the Longbottoms were Crucio'd into insanity and have seen Voldemort perform that spell with great success--we have even seen Harry attempt the spell, without much success (because he doesn't have the hatred required), and he had no practice with it, only one demonstration from Crouch/Moody. Voldemort has certainly used Avada Kedavra with great success and Crouch/Moody demonstrated it on a spider and presumably used it to kill his father (implied, but not stated that AK was the spell used to do so).

The DEs certainly have the proper attitude/emotions to use any of the three Unforgiveable Curses, and if they didn't know the spells prior to joining Voldemort I can not imagine Voldemort not updating their education in that regard....

Can anyone do the spells? Hmmm, no, I don't think so. At least not with the intended effect. Crouch/Moody made the comment that the fourth year students could all cast the AK at him and not cause so much as a nosebleed (but I'm not sure how much we can trust his judgment in the matter!). That was strengthened by Harry's curse failure in his fight with Bellatrix--she says one must want to cause the pain. So I would see someone like Arthur also failing to use Crucio to produce the spell's intended effect. And there must be a large number of people who would have no desire to cast AK (or any desire to learn the spell) or the other two Unforgiveables, they would be repugnant to them (as they are to most readers).

For all we know, they do, muahahahah! Seriously, they probably try to kill all witnesses if they are unmasked. But like all terrorists, the DEs don't want to be identified individually, but by their organization. That way, their reputations are not ruined, meanwhile everyone fears Voldemort and his ruthless band of DEs.

Since the DEs are always masked though, any disguises are redundant. Now the REAL Question is: Why are they dumb enough to keep calling each other by name while masked? Ever see Resevoir Dogs? It's a violent movie, (anyone who hates violence stay away, it's terribly violent by my standards, and this is from someone who studies History) whenever the DEs use each other's names I always think of the characters from that movie "Mr. Pink, what do we do now?" "I don't know Mr. Blond, what do you say Mr. White?" and how the DEs Should do that.

Why don't the DE's drink Polijuice potion or just use a transfiguration charm on themselves before they go roung murdering people? Then they couldn't be identified.
They could still be caught, and the Polyjuice would wear off within an hour of their capture (revealing their true identity). Certainly a Disillusionment Charm should be useful, but noticeable if they had to move rapidly...Surely the Aurors are trained to look for such? (Well, that's probably debateable, especially any trained with Fudge as Minister.)

It does take getting caught, but there is also the Priori Incantatem spell to find out which spells were cast with their wands--murder victims would exit the wand and be proof-positive that the wand was used for their murder (but that doesn't prove the wand's owner was the caster, just makes him/her the most likely to have performed the spell).

Actually Nicole, I don't think that the unforgivables are any more difficult to cast than any normal spell. All it takes is practise. Memory Charms, need the caster to think of Obliviating someone's memories, perhaps all their memories, while they cast it. So it's not too far a stretch to say that you need to imagine and concentrate on torturing someone before and during the casting of Crucio. I don't think that desire and ability to torture is any more or less perverse than the desire and ability to surgically remove memories from others.

Really, there are spells that normal people can't do. Cho Chang, a sixth year at Hogwarts, once said "Thanks Harry, before I couldn't stun anything." Most wizards and witches probably don't use the same spells that Harry is already learning, and they plan on getting through life without any trouble or any need to stun anything.

The unforgivables were made unforgivable because the Death Eaters used them a lot. Impostor Moody made the offhand comment about a lot of people using these spells a long time ago. They weren't made illegal because only a few Death Eaters used them, think Global Takeover Attempt In Progress. Those spells would be most useful for carrying out Dark plans, which is why they were used most often and banned.

Actually Nicole, I don't think that the unforgivables are any more difficult to cast than any normal spell. All it takes is practise. Memory Charms, need the caster to think of Obliviating someone's memories, perhaps all their memories, while they cast it. So it's not too far a stretch to say that you need to imagine and concentrate on torturing someone before and during the casting of Crucio.
You are right, Duranda, they have no practice and therefore do not do well when casting the rather unfamiliar spells in their 'real' world. (I didn't make that point clear, did I? Hmmm, shouldn't have erased my argument about how well Crouch/Moody could do them--having been in Azkaban or under his father's Imperius for so long, without a wand...No chance to practice, incarcerated not long out of Hogwarts....But, getting 12 OWLs shows that he was intelligent, at least. Guess he could have gotten enough practice in between school and prison, though.)

But you do support the argument that the caster would have to want to cause the effects in order to successfully perform an Unforgiveable Curse, so not everyone would be 'able' (maybe 'willing' would be a better choice of words) to cast the spells effectively, right?

But you do support the argument that the caster would have to want to cause the effects in order to successfully perform an Unforgiveable Curse, so not everyone would be 'able' (maybe 'willing' would be a better choice of words) to cast the spells effectively, right?

Torture is more gruesome than most spells, but I think that even unwilling DEs can get started using it with some well-worn twisted rationalizations. Just look at how Muggles justify torture and you'd get the same reasons the DEs use Crucio. "Hey, if I don't torture this poor person, the Dark Lord will torture me." or "This information will save my friends' lives. We need it, even if we have to hurt someone to get it." those are both pretty common.

Avada Kedavera would be extremely easy to get started on. It kills people quickly and (theoretically) painlessly. I'd imagine that the Purple Smoke curse that Dolohov used on Hermione used would be tougher to master, because you'd want to severely hurt someone while leaving them alive long enough to die painfully from the spell's wounds.

If the Death Eater Crucio rationalizations seem twisted, how to rationalize memory charms "Oh, if I don't damage this Muggle's memory, then they'll discover that there's a magical world, then they'll all be bothering us to solve their problems and frankly we'd all rather see them continue wallowing in their own misery because Wizards have better things to do on the weekend than solve world hunger and whatnot, so Obliviate." That's what the logic behind memory charms breaks down to anyway.

Maybe that's why Cho couldn't stun anything. Once you get started stunning things, who knows what you'll move on to next. Some people are just too moral to get started down that rocky road, and stick with spells that don't harm others.

But you do support the argument that the caster would have to want to cause the effects in order to successfully perform an Unforgiveable Curse, so not everyone would be 'able' (maybe 'willing' would be a better choice of words) to cast the spells effectively, right?
I would think that the Aurors would be able to cast these spells as well ... 007, licensed to kill. Even though we like to think the good guys, like Kingsley and Tonks, wouldn't use a crucio or imperius, they would have to have the same weapons as the bad guys.

I would think that the Aurors would be able to cast these spells as well ... 007, licensed to kill. Even though we like to think the good guys, like Kingsley and Tonks, wouldn't use a crucio or imperius, they would have to have the same weapons as the bad guys.

Actually, one of my favourite parts in HP is when you learn that Moody didn't descend to the Death Eaters' level, he still tried to capture them alive. Even after one took his leg, another his nose, another his eye... I think it just shows how much he is committed to justice and the ideals of being an Auror.

The rest of the Aurors were allowed to use unforgivables, and as you point out, some probably did. Dumbledore himself probably used them at one point or another. Didn't he use imperio on Kreacher to persuade him to reveal where he sent Harry?

Dumbledore himself probably used them at one point or another. Didn't he use imperio on Kreacher to persuade him to reveal where he sent Harry?
I think he might have used the cruiciatus curse. U.S. paperback, Page 832, OotP, "He did not wish to tell me," said Dumbledore. "But I am a sufficiently accomplished Legilimens myself to know when I am being lied to and I --- persuaded him --- to tell me the full story before I left for the Department of Mysteries." That hesitation before "persuaded him" speaks volumes. But I admit, it might have been the imperius curse. At any rate, we both think it was one of the unforgivables.

I would think that the Aurors would be able to cast these spells as well ... 007, licensed to kill. Even though we like to think the good guys, like Kingsley and Tonks, wouldn't use a crucio or imperius, they would have to have the same weapons as the bad guys.
In GoF, it is clearly stated that the use of the UCs by Aurors was authorized by Bartemius Crouch, Sr., during the 'first' Voldemort war. I don't suppose that meant Aurors did not use them prior to that, just that they were legally (while Crouch was in charge of their department--not sure if the authorization was revoked by his successors or is still in place) allowed to use them without repercussions. (For me, the issue is like what police in the US face. How much force is required in the particular situations they find themselves in? The policemen/policewomen face suspension and firing if it is determined that they used 'excessive' force. It's a very touchy subject every time a cop uses a gun and someone is killed, though there is usually less outcry if the victim is a known felon or had also been using a gun [but not the case if it wasn't fired].)

We also note that Moody did not use the UCs, even though he was authorized to do so. Dumbledore also does not/will not use them. I have the feeling that both have at least been tempted to use them. Moody and the other Aurors may have even undergone some training just after the authorization to use the UCs (practice on non-humans, for instance, or, given what Bartemius was willing to authorize in the hunt for DEs and Voldemort, maybe on prisoners--shudder), after all, they weren't supposed to know how to use them prior to the authorization, were they? [Or did they all say they didn't need any practice, they knew the spells quite well, thank you for the training offer, hope you won't hold our knowledge against us or bring us to trial for having already used them?]

I think he might have used the cruiciatus curse. U.S. paperback, Page 832, OotP, "He did not wish to tell me," said Dumbledore. "But I am a sufficiently accomplished Legilimens myself to know when I am being lied to and I --- persuaded him --- to tell me the full story before I left for the Department of Mysteries." That hesitation before "persuaded him" speaks volumes. But I admit, it might have been the imperius curse. At any rate, we both think it was one of the unforgivables.

I've never even thought of that one. You may be right. Ooohhh, that is disturbing, Dumbledore torturing someone. He's usually so nice and all. I always imagined Crucio being used by psychos like Bellatrix, or cowards like Pettigrew.

I have a question that I've been thinking about for a long time. I have to admit. I didn't read thru the entire last thread for this question, so please bear with me if it's been asked before.

In SS/PS, when Snape was bitten by the three headed dog, why didn't he go see Madam Pomfrey to help him. If he didn't want her to know about the dog, he could have made up something, besides you would think all teachers including her would know the dog was there. Why would he go to Filtch to help him wrap it up. He is the Potions Master, why couldn't he just come up with a quick fix himself.

I think he might have used the cruiciatus curse. U.S. paperback, Page 832, OotP, "He did not wish to tell me," said Dumbledore. "But I am a sufficiently accomplished Legilimens myself to know when I am being lied to and I --- persuaded him --- to tell me the full story before I left for the Department of Mysteries." That hesitation before "persuaded him" speaks volumes. But I admit, it might have been the imperius curse. At any rate, we both think it was one of the unforgivables.
Funny, I never ruled out the use of Veritaserum in that case. Or the use of threats. Surely Kreacher knew the effects of Crucio, he glorified the dark witch and wizard who were his masters. Though Dobby seems to have suffered physical violence at the hands of the Malfoys (no mention of magical torture, but can't rule it out knowing what we do about Lucius), I somehow imagine Mrs. Black using her wand to mete out punishment (but no canon to support this). If Kreacher feared the Crucio curse, Dumbledore would not actually have to use it, just threaten to do so. [But I have to admit I could be wrong, we have seen Dumbledore do his own thing despite government regulations (portkey), so it isn't impossible that he didn't use the spell. It just seems like after the Barty Crouch, Jr. masquerade that Dumbledore may have started toting some Veritaserum with him, he thinks ahead on so many other things. The Veritaserum is like the portkey use, both controlled/regulated, but not actually illegal.]

There have been mentions that Dumbledore will not use Dark Magic, even though the speaker believes he is capable/powerful enough to use any spell he wishes to use. (No access to the books at the moment, but I think both McGonagall and Dobby made such comments, and maybe Moody?) The episode with Kreacher certainly sheds doubt on the truth of what others believe about Dumbledore.

Ha, I've never known the answer to that one. Especially since Madame Pomfrey would fix him up without asking questions. I imagine that he did it to make it seem more like he isn't working for either Dumbledore or Voldemort. It sorta makes him seem like he is on his own side, whereas going to Pomfrey sorta proves that he doesn't care if Dumbledore might hear that he was trying to get past Fluffy. So Quirrell sees Snape going to Filch and he thinks "Okay, he's still trying to hide his actions from Dumbledore, he's either on my side or his own side." But that answer is the best that I can think of and never satisfies me.

i think that in ss snape is trying to trick quirrell and only quirrell. i dont think there is any reason to believe that snape may be still on the dark side...especially since he has made it so far through the books without being "found out".

I have a question that I've been thinking about for a long time. I have to admit. I didn't read thru the entire last thread for this question, so please bear with me if it's been asked before.

In SS/PS, when Snape was bitten by the three headed dog, why didn't he go see Madam Pomfrey to help him. If he didn't want her to know about the dog, he could have made up something, besides you would think all teachers including her would know the dog was there. Why would he go to Filtch to help him wrap it up. He is the Potions Master, why couldn't he just come up with a quick fix himself.
It was brought up in the thread Poppy Pomfrey: Angel of Mercy or spy?
(http://www.cosforums.com/showthread.php?t=32539), but that seems to have been more about Pomfrey and her loyalty than about why Snape in particular wouldn't go see her...You might like to check it out, though.

Fluffy is similar to Cerberus, the three-headed dog of Greek myth. Hagrid bought him from a "Greek chappie", so that's a pretty clear reference. Just like Arthur's wound wouldn't heal properly because of the snake venom, neither would Snape's bite from Fluffy (Cerberus's saliva is poisonous, according to some versions of his tales, anyway). Snape may well have been using some potion or antidote, but would still have to rely on normal healing time without Pomfrey (who has surely had some highly specialized healer training for spells that wouldn't be taught to those not in the profession).

Madame Pomfrey also tends to fuss over people a bit, something I can't see Snape appreciating much.

It's odd that he needs Filch though. You'd think that he'd be able to use his own wand to wrap a dressing, like they did to Ron's leg in PoA. And he wouldn't need Filch to heal the wound, unless the cleaners that Filch uses have Dragon blood in them and Snape happened to need some to cure the venom but was fresh out. Filch just doesn't fit, unless Snape was hoping that Filch would tell people (Quirrell) that Snape tried to get past Fluffy.

Another question I had, is why Percy who graduated from Hogwarts at the end of book 3, didn't have a graduation ceremony. If it was held at end of term, why didn't Ron attend or say something about it. He and the twins surely would have attended it at the demand of their mom.

Another question I had, is why Percy who graduated from Hogwarts at the end of book 3, didn't have a graduation ceremony. If it was held at end of term, why didn't Ron attend or say something about it. He and the twins surely would have attended it at the demand of their mom.
Maybe he got out of attending because of his leg? Or Hogwarts doesn't have a matriculation ceremony?

Yes, I forgot about his leg.
I have another question and am embarassed to even ask it because the answer is probably very simple. What does Tonks mean when she says "Wotcher Harry"? Is it just a greeting?

Yes, I forgot about his leg.
I have another question and am embarassed to even ask it because the answer is probably very simple. What does Tonks mean when she says "Wotcher Harry"? Is it just a greeting?I'm sure there's a thread around here on British slang, but I think it means "hello".

Confirmed by the group in the British Slang thread (not sure which version, though) to be a common greeting. In the US we might say "Whassup?" instead. Or maybe, "How's it going?" , or "Hey!".

Another question I had, is why Percy who graduated from Hogwarts at the end of book 3, didn't have a graduation ceremony. If it was held at end of term, why didn't Ron attend or say something about it. He and the twins surely would have attended it at the demand of their mom.

I'm sure it just not all that important to the overall story line (I know that's a pretty lousy reason, but hey...it is Harry's story, not Percy's or Ron's). If we are to see a graduation, it will most likely be the one at the end of Harry's 7th year. Either that, or Hogwarts doesn't have graduation ceremonies, and merely has the End of the Year Feast.

Confirmed by the group in the British Slang thread (not sure which version, though) to be a common greeting. In the US we might say "Whassup?" instead. Or maybe, "How's it going?" , or "Hey!".

Thanks Nicole and others that helped with this one.

I think the answer to whay percy didn't graduate is that we don't really have graduation ceremonies from school in the UK. We have them when we leave uni but school is a bit of an anti climax!

I'm sure it just not all that important to the overall story line (I know that's a pretty lousy reason, but hey...it is Harry's story, not Percy's or Ron's). If we are to see a graduation, it will most likely be the one at the end of Harry's 7th year. Either that, or Hogwarts doesn't have graduation ceremonies, and merely has the End of the Year Feast.
So good to see you, FirefightingMuggle! It's also true that we didn't hear about the invasion of Examiners (what should be an annual event) until Harry took his OWLs.

I think the answer to whay percy didn't graduate is that we don't really have graduation ceremonies from school in the UK. We have them when we leave uni but school is a bit of an anti climax!

That's really interesting. In the US, graduating from school is a big deal. Thanks for the information. I learned something new.

I think the answer to whay percy didn't graduate is that we don't really have graduation ceremonies from school in the UK. We have them when we leave uni but school is a bit of an anti climax!
Very useful knowledge, we know the series parallels the UK school system rather closely. :agree:

If you guys payed attention the fifth book isn't that tragic. i'll elaberate in a while :p

I think he might have used the cruiciatus curse. U.S. paperback, Page 832, OotP, "He did not wish to tell me," said Dumbledore. "But I am a sufficiently accomplished Legilimens myself to know when I am being lied to and I --- persuaded him --- to tell me the full story before I left for the Department of Mysteries." That hesitation before "persuaded him" speaks volumes. But I admit, it might have been the imperius curse. At any rate, we both think it was one of the unforgivables.

Being a legilimens means that you can enter another's mind and see their thoughts -- I think the careful choice of words was because DD was aware that Snape had probably entered Harry's mind countless times and DD probably didn't want Harry to go off on a tangent about Snape again. I doubt he needed a spell, although maybe he had some veritaserum on him, or perhaps DD summoned Snape.

Very useful knowledge, we know the series parallels the UK school system rather closely.It is useful. Funny also, 'cause here in America, the kindergarteners get to graduate, pictures, cap & gown & diploma. Being a legilimens means that you can enter another's mind and see their thoughts -- I think the careful choice of words was because DD was aware that Snape had probably entered Harry's mind countless times and DD probably didn't want Harry to go off on a tangent about Snape again. I doubt he needed a spell, although maybe he had some veritaserum on him, or perhaps DD summoned Snape.I have to agree, Dumbledore knows the Unforgivable Curses, but McGonagall tells us DDs too noble to use them. It was legilimency--not torture. Exactly how LV knew that Harry wasn't truthful in PS/SS, legilimency.

Being a legilimens means that you can enter another's mind and see their thoughts -- I think the careful choice of words was because DD was aware that Snape had probably entered Harry's mind countless times and DD probably didn't want Harry to go off on a tangent about Snape again. I doubt he needed a spell, although maybe he had some veritaserum on him, or perhaps DD summoned Snape.
DD already said he knew Kreacher was lying because he was a legilimens. Why then would he hesitate before using the word "persuaded" unless he used other than legilimency?

DD already said he knew Kreacher was lying because he was a legilimens. Why then would he hesitate before using the word "persuaded" unless he used other than legilimency?We know house-elves use a different kind of magic than humans. Kretcher could have a natural deffence to legilimency that a wizard wouldn't, meaning Dumbledore would have had to use much more force with his power than normal. He might have had to shatter Kretcher's mind to get the information he needed. Dumbledore doesn't say where the elve is now, and no-one asks. I doubt they would have let the traitor go after they were done questioning him. He could have been.. gotten rid of?

We know house-elves use a different kind of magic than humans. Kretcher could have a natural deffence to legilimency that a wizard wouldn't, meaning Dumbledore would have had to use much more force with his power than normal. He might have had to shatter Kretcher's mind to get the information he needed.We heard of just this thing...when LV broke through a powerful memory charm placed on Bertha Jorkins...when all useful info had been extracted from her, her mind and body were both damaged beyond repair, so LV did a 'mercy killing', if you can believe that.

We heard of just this thing...when LV broke through a powerful memory charm placed on Bertha Jorkins...when all useful info had been extracted from her, her mind and body were both damaged beyond repair, so LV did a 'mercy killing', if you can believe that.Excellent point! I'd forgotten we had a previous example with Bertha.

I have a question that I've been thinking about for a long time. I have to admit. I didn't read thru the entire last thread for this question, so please bear with me if it's been asked before.

In SS/PS, when Snape was bitten by the three headed dog, why didn't he go see Madam Pomfrey to help him. If he didn't want her to know about the dog, he could have made up something, besides you would think all teachers including her would know the dog was there. Why would he go to Filtch to help him wrap it up. He is the Potions Master, why couldn't he just come up with a quick fix himself.

If he'd gone to the infirmary, there was the chance that he'd be seen and questions would be asked. Mme. Pomfrey would have been outside of the circle protecting the stone; she was not on a "need-to-know" status. In the interest of security to the stone, which he and Filch knew was present, they would have tended to the wounds privately.

Fluffy probably only got a nip or two in before Snape got out of the room, the wounds were probably not serious (he was walking on it shortly afterward), but may have required some help dressing them--legs and feet are difficult to treat alone.

As for a healing elixir, undoubtedly there are some, but Snape may not have had any on hand and they might take time to prepare.

I wonder if Fawkes would shed a tear or three for Snape?

We know house-elves use a different kind of magic than humans. Kretcher could have a natural deffence to legilimency that a wizard wouldn't, meaning Dumbledore would have had to use much more force with his power than normal. He might have had to shatter Kretcher's mind to get the information he needed. Dumbledore doesn't say where the elve is now, and no-one asks. I doubt they would have let the traitor go after they were done questioning him. He could have been.. gotten rid of?
Yes, that could very well have happened. But wouldn't shattering someone's mind have to be done by using dark magic? I still think it would have to be done by something much stronger than legilimency. If Kreacher's mind is shattered, that might be the equivalent of having "gotten rid of" him.

Yes, that could very well have happened. But wouldn't shattering someone's mind have to be done by using dark magic? I still think it would have to be done by something much stronger than legilimency. If Kreacher's mind is shattered, that might be the equivalent of having "gotten rid of" him.Occlumency and Legilimency are obscure branches of magic...nothing said about them being dark magic, ever. If we assume that legilimency was all LV used on Bertha, and it had such horrific results...though left her alive, until LV did his Dr. Kevorkian impersonation, then we should also assume that the same results could have been done by DD using legilimency on Kreacher. Note that just performing it, and the strength used by the wizard causes the damage, but it doesn't end the life. JKR has stated that we will learn of what happened to 12 Grimmauld Place and Kreacher in the HBP....fingers crossed, please, please, pretty please.... ;)

On a completely unrelated note:

Did anyone else remember Ted the Weatherman when Nymphandora Tonks mentioned that her Muggle father's name is Ted? Anyone else think that they are the same person, or am I out to lunch?

On a completely unrelated note:

Did anyone else remember Ted the Weatherman when Nymphandora Tonks mentioned that her Muggle father's name is Ted? Anyone else think that they are the same person, or am I out to lunch?I don't remember Ted the Weatherman at all :scared: What chapter was that?

Oh, Ted the Anchorman from Chapter 1 of Book 1. I have that book here now, had to get it for another post. Anyway, he's not the Weatherman, the Anchorman I mean. He reported the story about the Owls acting strangely.

Ok...my answer to Ted the Weatherman is the same answer I give to Is this nameless redhead a weasley?...Is this plump woman Molly? Is this tall skinny man DD? And now is Ted the weatherman Tonk's dad. There are many men named Ted. They are not all one person. It would make no difference if Ted the weatherman, Ted the milkman or Ted the business mogul were Tonk's father. What a waste of time it would be if haryr was watching the weather and thought my, that weather man looks like Tonks. hmmm I wonder if they're related. The series has more important things to worry about that showing the lineage of each and every minor character.

That's why I posted this in the Little Questions Answered thread. Harry may not notice that the Anchorman is related to Tonks, because she is a metamorphmagus. Her father would only resemble her default form. If you want to have a debate about whether or not she has a default form, you'd find that in another thread.

I just thought it'd be ironic if the guy reading the news every evening in both Books 1 and 5 is aware that his daughter is involved in fighting a covert war where his fate and the fate of all Muggles hangs in the balance while he is reading insignifigant lead stories about baggage handler's strikes in Spain and water-skiing birds. But perhaps this is just some guy who happens to share the name Ted, who knows? (JKR knows I guess.) But it'd be a big hint if he mentions "You-Know-Who is dead! But for tonight's real top story: low-carb diets may not be as healthy as..."

I don't think the newsreader Ted is Tonks' dad, because she says Andromeda got blasted off the tapestry for marrying a muggleborn , Ted Tonks. I don't think he was a muggle, but a wizard born to muggle parents - just as bad as a muggle from a pureblood supremacy point of view, but unlikely to be living in the muggle world with a muggle job.

Hi, I am new in this forum and I´d like to say hi to everyone:)

I do have one question. I must be demented or something because I have no recollection about Sirius´motorbike.

"We will find out what happened to Sirius's motorbike." that is posted in the Mugglenet. So what is it? Is it a huge disaster if I can´t remember, how important is it to the plot?

I thank you in advance
-Mond-

That's the motorbike Hagrid used to take Harry to the Dursleys' house at the beginning of book 1. Apparently Sirius was very fond of it. Hagrid said Sirius gave it to him, and said that that he wouldn't be needing it anymore.

That's the motorbike Hagrid used to take Harry to the Dursleys' house at the beginning of book 1. Apparently Sirius was very fond of it. Hagrid said Sirius gave it to him, and said that that he wouldn't be needing it anymore.
In Book 1, Hagrid says he will be returning the bike to Sirius. In Book 3, Hagrid says Sirius didn't want/need it back. Why the change in story?

Mond, you may like the threads Sirius's Motorcycle & Hagrid (http://www.cosforums.com/showthread.php?t=1256)
and Dumbledore and the Motorcycle (http://www.cosforums.com/showthread.php?t=46850)

Ok...my answer to Ted the Weatherman is the same answer I give to Is this nameless redhead a weasley?...Is this plump woman Molly? Is this tall skinny man DD? And now is Ted the weatherman Tonk's dad. There are many men named Ted. They are not all one person. It would make no difference if Ted the weatherman, Ted the milkman or Ted the business mogul were Tonk's father. What a waste of time it would be if haryr was watching the weather and thought my, that weather man looks like Tonks. hmmm I wonder if they're related. The series has more important things to worry about that showing the lineage of each and every minor character.So I'm not the only one who had the idea that Ted the anchorman, is Ted Tonks...yes, I know Tonks dad is a wizard, but that doesn't mean he can't have a non-wizard job.
So who here thinks that the milkman who handed Petunia 2 dozen eggs through the living room window -(which later had a note from Hogwart's in each shell)-is Colin Creevey's dad? Colin's dad is a muggle milkman.

In Book 1, Hagrid says he will be returning the bike to Sirius. In Book 3, Hagrid says Sirius didn't want/need it back. Why the change in story?

Mond, you may like the threads Sirius's Motorcycle & Hagrid
and Dumbledore and the Motorcycle
Oops, pardon my confusion! :blush: Thanks for clarifying, Nicole!

Oops, pardon my confusion! :blush: Thanks for clarifying, Nicole!
Not a problem, TaraBrady! I often run two similar events together in my mind (and sometimes still erroneously use a movie quote that doesn't exist in the book). I hope it isn't uncommon :scared:

In Book 1, Hagrid says he will be returning the bike to Sirius. In Book 3, Hagrid says Sirius didn't want/need it back. Why the change in story?

I don't think the story changed, Hagrid is just telling it the way he remembers it. After all, we know he isn't the most accurate source of information. It's always a bit twisted (not necessarily in a bad way), we might call that Hagridvision :D

So I'm not the only one who had the idea that Ted the anchorman, is Ted Tonks...yes, I know Tonks dad is a wizard, but that doesn't mean he can't have a non-wizard job.
So who here thinks that the milkman who handed Petunia 2 dozen eggs through the living room window -(which later had a note from Hogwart's in each shell)-is Colin Creevey's dad? Colin's dad is a muggle milkman.

You're picking on me, aren't you? ;)

You're picking on me, aren't you? ;)No, NO, SWEAR :rotfl:

I don't think the story changed, Hagrid is just telling it the way he remembers it. After all, we know he isn't the most accurate source of information. It's always a bit twisted (not necessarily in a bad way), we might call that Hagridvision :D
Yeah, but I would believe it more if one of the tellings wasn't right after speaking with Sirius. Hagrid isn't the kind to hide his whereabouts from Dumbledore (though maybe he was headed to the pub and didn't want McGonagall to know...), so saying he was returning the bike doesn't make a lot of sense if Sirius had just told him he wouldn't be needing it.

The second conversation about the bike also takes place in McGonagall's presence, and she doesn't correct him or question the story change either. Granted, it's been 12 years, so I can't blame anyone for not recalling the details. But it had a very real affect on where Hagrid went after leaving the Dursleys. One book has him taking the bike to Sirius (and he evidently didn't find him before Sirius was sent to Azkaban), the other taking it.....??? Wouldn't it have been relevant for Hagrid to mention trying to track Sirius down to return the bike instead of 'remembering' that Sirius had said, "I don't need the bike, you can keep it." (or something like that)?

oh well..if your serious....sigh....blahblahblah (that's me repeating what I said about Ted and plump women and redheads.....now adding that there is more than one milkman for all of England)

If Colin's dad was the Dursley's milkman, most likely he'd live nearby. And most likely harry would have gone to school with Colin. He'd have recognized him.

And again...if the milkman was Colin's dad...it'd make no difference to the story....Hermione had a sister at one point, but b/c her existence made no difference to the story JKR gave her the ax.

Well, Hagrid ain't the brightest crayon in the box, ya know. He knew how much Sirius set in store with that bike...if he didn't pick up on the "I won't be needing it", well that's just Hagrid. Remember he wasn't privy to Sirius supposedly being secret keeper and thereby betraying the Potters--even DD didn't warn Hagrid of the danger of facing Sirius again...for some odd reason... We learn in POA that Sirius caught up with Wormtail "the next day"--the mystery 24 hours of where is Harry?--
I can just see Hagrid getting back to Godric's Hollow and scratching his chin, with his tongue between his teeth, thinking....Eh? Sirius ain't here? Well, I'll just take this to me cottage and send an owl ter him, let him know where to find his motorbike.

I always assumed that Sirius told Hagrid he wouldn't be needing the bike when Hagrid brought it back after delivering Harry to the Dursleys. Hagrid found Sirius after Sirius figured out what had happened (traiter Pettigrew) but before the ministry found Sirius. :huh:

And again...if the milkman was Colin's dad...it'd make no difference to the story....Hermione had a sister at one point, but b/c her existence made no difference to the story JKR gave her the axI was thinking more along the lines of JKR pulling our collective leg, like she did with the goat clue and the barkeep in the Hog's Head.

My question about the motorbike (and maybe i need to go poke around the sirius/motorbike thread) is....Harry is being delivered to the Dursley's after the Potters are betrayed......Did Sirius blowing up the square full of people not happen until after harry was at the Dursleys? Otherwise why is Hagrid not suspicious of a flying motorbike given to him by a guy headed for Azkaban?

Yes, but DD brother is concievably able to make a difference in the story...Not a muggle milkman.

My question about the motorbike (and maybe i need to go poke around the sirius/motorbike thread) is....Harry is being delivered to the Dursley's after the Potters are betrayed......Did Sirius blowing up the square full of people not happen until after harry was at the Dursleys? Otherwise why is Hagrid not suspicious of a flying motorbike given to him by a guy headed for Azkaban?

Yes, but DD brother is concievably able to make a difference in the story...Not a muggle milkman.

You mean Pettigrew blowing up a square full of people. ;) And yes, that's what I assumed.

I always assumed that Sirius told Hagrid he wouldn't be needing the bike when Hagrid brought it back after delivering Harry to the Dursleys. Hagrid found Sirius after Sirius figured out what had happened (traiter Pettigrew) but before the ministry found Sirius. :huh:
No, they met before Hagrid took Harry away from Godric's Hollow in both versions of Hagrid's story, and I can't imagine Sirius hanging around GH with Pettigrew on the loose....just MHO, though.

I don't think the story changed, Hagrid is just telling it the way he remembers it. After all, we know he isn't the most accurate source of information. It's always a bit twisted (not necessarily in a bad way), we might call that Hagridvision Maybe Sirius told Hagrid when he handed over the Motorbike that he wouldn't be needing it, and Hagrid either didn't take him seriously, or thought he was upset about loosing his best friend, or whatever. The reason Sirius said that would not have hit Hagrid until after Sirius was arrested.

My question about the motorbike (and maybe i need to go poke around the sirius/motorbike thread) is....Harry is being delivered to the Dursley's after the Potters are betrayed......Did Sirius blowing up the square full of people not happen until after harry was at the Dursleys? Otherwise why is Hagrid not suspicious of a flying motorbike given to him by a guy headed for Azkaban?

It may be that Hagrid wasn't in position to hear the news, he was protecting Harry somewhere (or flying in circles until the time was right).

Did Hagrid have to change any diapers before flying over Bristol? :elaugh:

Yeah I meant Peter....I thought about which wayt o write it...I settled on using quotes around Sirius blowing up the square part...and then promptly for got

I always thoguht that happened relativly soon after Pettigrew betrayed them....but before they died...but perhaps they died, and Sirius found out it was Peter's fault and went to find them and all that went down after Lily and James died....I also think its interesting that Hagrid calls him "young Sirius Black"...I mean he was 20 something....as am I ...and I'd think it was weird if someone referred to me as young Sarah,

Here's a question.....

If two muggles get married and have a wizard kid....and the wizard kid marries a witch....Is their kid a pureblood? If not, can muggle blood be bred out of a family so that they're pureblood enough to be called pureblood?

I also think its interesting that Hagrid calls him "young Sirius Black"...I mean he was 20 something....as am I ...and I'd think it was weird if someone referred to me as young Sarah,

Here's a question.....

If two muggles get married and have a wizard kid....and the wizard kid marries a witch....Is their kid a pureblood? If not, can muggle blood be bred out of a family so that they're pureblood enough to be called pureblood?But remember Hagrid was at least 45-50 years old, so Sirius would have been the "young Sirius Black".
Well, no, the child would be half-blood. I mean, James was pure-blood & Lily was muggleborn--Harry is a half-blood.

But if harry marries a witch and their kids marry all magic....at what point does pure blood become pure blood? I guess without knowing the origin of magic, we can't answer my question...making it a not so little question....if magic was a variation from muggle then noone is pureblooded....but if muggle was a variation from magic...then all muggles would be squibs sort of.....hm.

I thought Hagrid was 50 when Harry was 11....

I thought Hagrid was 50 when Harry was 11....
Hagrid was in his 3rd year when he was expelled--12 or 13--and that was approx 1941-43

Well, no, the child would be half-blood. I mean, James was pure-blood & Lily was muggleborn--Harry is a half-blood.
At this point in the series, we do not know James' heritage. There is no proof he was a pureblood. (I'm not saying he wasn't and I do consider it quite likely, but no one has given him that kind of ancestry to date.)

Yes, the most recent infusion of muggle blood seems to be from Lily's side of the family.
Therefore Harry would be considered only 'half' wizard, because of his mother's grandparents.


And because James is left out of the description (though his heritage doesn't make a bit of difference in the way Harry would be described--Harry will be a half-blood if James is one or not), we are left to presume that his parentage is pure wizard....And I really hate to make an assumption based on missing info. :evil:

But if harry marries a witch and their kids marry all magic....at what point does pure blood become pure blood? I guess without knowing the origin of magic, we can't answer my question...making it a not so little question....if magic was a variation from muggle then noone is pureblooded....but if muggle was a variation from magic...then all muggles would be squibs sort of.....hm.

I thought Hagrid was 50 when Harry was 11....

Your question is starting to go beyond a "little" question. A ton of people still have a hard time with this question!! :lol:

So, let me try to help a bit. JKR says this on her site:
Why are some people in the wizarding world (e.g., Harry) called 'half-blood' even though both their parents were magical?
The expressions 'pure-blood', 'half-blood' and 'Muggle-born' have been coined by people to whom these distinctions matter, and express their originators' prejudices. As far as somebody like Lucius Malfoy is concerned, for instance, a Muggle-born is as 'bad' as a Muggle. Therefore Harry would be considered only 'half' wizard, because of his mother's grandparents.

It seems that to be full-blood it goes through to great grandparents. If that didn't fully answer your question, we actually have a thread for this topic which may offer more insightful posts than what I just posted. :D
Blood Status in the Magical World (http://www.cosforums.com/showthread.php?t=45237&highlight=blood)


Hope this has helped, even if just a little. :p

But if harry marries a witch and their kids marry all magic....at what point does pure blood become pure blood? I guess without knowing the origin of magic, we can't answer my question...making it a not so little question....if magic was a variation from muggle then noone is pureblooded....but if muggle was a variation from magic...then all muggles would be squibs sort of.....hm.

Ernie MacMillan claims he can trace his ancestry back nine generations and his blood is as pure as anyone's....I don't think Draco was around to contradict him, but the definition most likely is whatever the current generation of purebloods think it is. Say that the average 'generation' is 30 years, that makes Ernie's ancestry of all wizards/witches 270 years long....Is that enough for the Black family whose tapestry suggests their magical ancestry goes back more than 500 years (and maybe as far back as 1000)? Good enough for Ernie, trying to protect himself from basilisk attack, but good enough for the rest of the pureblood families--I don't know.

[Any bets on a muggle or muggleborn in the tenth generation back? :evil: ]

Edit: Thanks, atherella, I hadn't seen that thread!

I didn't realize it was such a complicated question i guess LOL.

I do know one thing....it's all i can do not to eat that baby! SOOOO Sweet!

Can someone please tell me how to do a link? My son refuses to teach me, he just shakes his head and laughs. Kids!

You mean how do you put one in a post? Click on 'go advanced' under the message window at the bottom of the thread. You'll get a whole bunch more options, including an icon that looks like a globe with two links (as in chain) at the bottom. It's right under the 'color' dropdown menu, at least that's where it shows up in my browser. The first option that'll pop up is for the text that you want displayed with the link, (Like a thread title) and the second is for the URL itself. Does that make sense?

You mean how do you put one in a post? Click on 'go advanced' under the message window at the bottom of the thread. You'll get a whole bunch more options, including an icon that looks like a globe with two links (as in chain) at the bottom. It's right under the 'color' dropdown menu, at least that's where it shows up in my browser. The first option that'll pop up is for the text that you want displayed with the link, (Like a thread title) and the second is for the URL itself. Does that make sense?Yes!!! And thanx TaraBrady...it had me stumped. :rotfl:

Sure, no problem!

In Book 1, Hagrid says he will be returning the bike to Sirius. In Book 3, Hagrid says Sirius didn't want/need it back. Why the change in story?

Mond, you may like the threads Sirius's Motorcycle & Hagrid (http://www.cosforums.com/showthread.php?t=1256)
and Dumbledore and the Motorcycle (http://www.cosforums.com/showthread.php?t=46850)





Thanks a lot. I do remember the motorbike but not that it was Sirius´. Odd... I´ll read the part about it from the first book:)

Maybe Sirius told Hagrid when he handed over the Motorbike that he wouldn't be needing it, and Hagrid either didn't take him seriously, or thought he was upset about loosing his best friend, or whatever. The reason Sirius said that would not have hit Hagrid until after Sirius was arrested.

:agree:

This might go beyond a little question, but since we are on the subject of Sirius' motorcycle....
We know that Sirius told Hagrid that he wouldn't be needing the motorcycle anymore...
So was this before or after the incident with Pettigrew? I'm guessing that it was before, so does this mean that Sirius was planning on getting revenge on Pettigrew when he gave Hagrid the bike?

I'd say so.

This might go beyond a little question, but since we are on the subject of Sirius' motorcycle....
We know that Sirius told Hagrid that he wouldn't be needing the motorcycle anymore...
So was this before or after the incident with Pettigrew? I'm guessing that it was before, so does this mean that Sirius was planning on getting revenge on Pettigrew when he gave Hagrid the bike?
It was at the Potter's house right after their deaths, so by then Sirius would have known that Peter had betrayed them and would have been heading after him. I believe Sirius felt he would probably be killed getting his revenge or later by DEs, and that's what he meant when he said he wouldn't need the bike anymore. He was expecting to lose his life.

This might go beyond a little question, but since we are on the subject of Sirius' motorcycle....
We know that Sirius told Hagrid that he wouldn't be needing the motorcycle anymore...
So was this before or after the incident with Pettigrew? I'm guessing that it was before, so does this mean that Sirius was planning on getting revenge on Pettigrew when he gave Hagrid the bike?
It has to be just after the Potters were killed. Hagrid is rescuing Harry from the ruins of the house, Sirius shows up on his motorbike and realizes Peter has betrayed his friends....Hagrid and Sirius don't meet again until many years later.

Planning to 'get Peter' must certainly have been on his mind, though it did sound like Sirius would have delayed the hunt for Peter if Harry was placed in his care....

It may be that Hagrid wasn't in position to hear the news, he was protecting Harry somewhere (or flying in circles until the time was right).
I thought that Sirius found James and Lily dead and then handed Harry and his motorcycle over to Hagrid so that he could protect Harry. He then went to find Peter so he could kill him for betraying James and Lily.

To the best of my knowledge, there was no mention of Sirius ever holding baby Harry. (Though he may well have done so; as godfather he may have had to hold Harry for (part of) the ceremony). Although in this instance, Hagrid is telling two slightly different versions of events, it seems that Hagrid was the first to arrive at the Potters and it was he who pulled Harry from the rubble. Sirius arrived shortly after on his motorbike and tried to persuade Hagrid to give Harry to him (Sirius). When Hagrid refused (claiming he was acting on Dumbledore's orders--and we have no reason to doubt that), Sirius offered him the bike. Then the stories differ--Book 1 has Hagrid attempting to return the bike; Book 3 has him saying Sirius told him that he (Sirius) wouldn't need the bike back....Others in this thread have offered plausible reasons for the discrepancy. :)

I thought that Sirius found James and Lily dead and then handed Harry and his motorcycle over to Hagrid so that he could protect Harry. He then went to find Peter so he could kill him for betraying James and Lily.

That makes sense. If Sirius couldn't keep Harry like he probably wanted, then he would want to get Harry out of there ASAP for his safety. Sirius is a pretty caring guy, you know.

What would make Dobby think a tea cozy would make a good hat? (And just what the heck is a tea cozy? An insulator for a tea cup?)

What would make Dobby think a tea cozy would make a good hat? (And just what the heck is a tea cozy? An insulator for a tea cup?)

House-elves have no clue about fashion. After all, they don't get clothes until they are freed. So my guess is that Dobby doesn't know any better. It's not like he's driving the fashion train or anything.

What would make Dobby think a tea cozy would make a good hat? (And just what the heck is a tea cozy? An insulator for a tea cup?)Actually, it's an insulator for the whole pot. :)

Designer Tea Cozy:
http://photobucket.com/albums/y25/Vary/th_teacozy.jpg
No kidding, that's what the web site said. Designer.

You know, I actually had a professor in college (pre GoF) who, on a dare, showed up to a fundraiser wearing a tea cozy as a hat. So it's not entirely without precedent.

Now that I know what a tea cozy is, maybe Dobby is really on to something. He could be the next Versace or something!!

Originally Posted by Nicole
What would make Dobby think a tea cozy would make a good hat? (And just what the heck is a tea cozy? An insulator for a tea cup?)
Apparently it is an insulator for a teapot, and from the picture I saw it looks like it would be a pretty decent hat for a house elf, it seems like it would have room for his ears from where the handle and spout would normally extended (although I did a search and some of the pictures i saw didn't have the holes, in which case they wouldn't seem to make great hats, I'm not sure which kind are the "normal" ones as I have never seen one in person).

Some looked more like they could be hats than others

Some looked more like they could be hats than others
And come in all shapes and colours :lol:

Actually, it's an insulator for the whole pot. :)

You know, I actually had a professor in college (pre GoF) who, on a dare, showed up to a fundraiser wearing a tea cozy as a hat. So it's not entirely without precedent.
Okay, thanks (once again!), TaraBrady! So that's big enough to fit over a teakettle. Wouldn't it have slipped down over Dobby's ears? If it fits nicely on a human head? Or do I just have a very large teakettle in the cupboard? :huh:

The tassels do make me think of a fez!

Edit: Thanks to everyone else, as well! What a variety!

:lol: She had a rather small head, and it was a knit one, so it had a bit more stretch than the fancy one in the picture. I just picked that one because I liked the tassels; I thought of a fez, too.

How did Mrs. Weasley get money out of Harry's vault? Is there something about Harry's key that tells the goblin that she has permission? :shrug: I am trying to figure out the legallities.

I have a question about O.W.L.s I was going to open a new thread but figured i would just post it here instead. Ok, my question is if anyone know how do they actually grade the O.W.L.s. First off what is considered an Owl is it just an O or is it any passing grade? and secondly is there only one grade per class or what, because if percy and bill and charlie got 12 owls that would mean they were taking all the classes at hogwarts which is 12 in total, and we know from PoA that you can't take all the classes at once with out a time turner and I don't think that they would have allowed a bunch of kids running amock with time turners. So if anyone knows or has any idea please tell me.

How did Mrs. Weasley get money out of Harry's vault? Is there something about Harry's key that tells the goblin that she has permission? :shrug: I am trying to figure out the legallities.

Maybe Dumbledore arranged for her to do it. I know it seems unlikely, but he always seems to be on top of things like that.

I have a question about O.W.L.s I was going to open a new thread but figured i would just post it here instead. Ok, my question is if anyone know how do they actually grade the O.W.L.s. First off what is considered an Owl is it just an O or is it any passing grade? and secondly is there only one grade per class or what, because if percy and bill and charlie got 12 owls that would mean they were taking all the classes at hogwarts which is 12 in total, and we know from PoA that you can't take all the classes at once with out a time turner and I don't think that they would have allowed a bunch of kids running amock with time turners. So if anyone knows or has any idea please tell me.

There's a thread discussing what O.W.L.s did Fred and George get, you can find it here (http://www.cosforums.com/showthread.php?t=47270&highlight=Fred). Shortly, there was an idea that you get separate OWL for the writing part and for the practical part, which would make it possible for Percy to get so many of them. And yes, we don't know if OWL is just an O, but then Hermione said that A is the last acceptable mark which would mean that you don't have to get Outstanding to get an O.W.L.

I didnt think she did, she took him with her there and he saw how much was in the vault and then they went to his an d he tried to make it so they couldnt see in at how much he had.

Originally Posted by McPherson
There's a thread discussing what O.W.L.s did Fred and George get, you can find it here. Shortly, there was an idea that you get separate OWL for the writing part and for the practical part, which would make it possible for Percy to get so many of them. And yes, we don't know if OWL is just an O, but then Hermione said that A is the last acceptable mark which would mean that you don't have to get Outstanding to get an O.W.L.
I agree that the way Hermoine said it makes it sound to me that getting an O, E or A would be considered passing, but you might need a certain grade to be able to do what you want, like you need an O to get into NEWT potions, etc.

Originally Posted by MadameSparks
I didnt think she did, she took him with her there and he saw how much was in the vault and then they went to his and he tried to make it so they couldnt see in at how much he had.
But in one of the books, maybe the fifth one or the fourth because she buys his dress robes (or both I suppose), didn't she go to Diagon Alley alone and pick up necessities for him? Maybe all you need is the key to get let in, that doesn't sound particularly safe as all someone would need to do is steal your key and they could get your money, or she did what Sirius did when he bought Harry the broom and just somehow authorized the money to be taken out of his vault, I'm not quite sure how that worked.

Hello all, I have a quick question.

WoodenCoyote and myself are trying to find a comprehensive list of all the changes in the POA movie that might be that bit of foreshadowing the JKR talks about in her interview. However, for the life of us we cannot find such a list. Does anyone here know if one exists, and where we could find it? Thanks for your help!

If there is such a list, which I don't know if there is one or no, I would start looking in the Muggle Studies area of these forums. If the list isn't out and out posted there, or those changes aren't being discussed there, someone may have a link to the information you are searching for.
If the list doesn't exist, you could sit down and try to come up with one on your own. I bet there are a lot of people who would really enjoy seeing something like that and discussing it.

Phew, I finally finished with the previous version of this thread and there are some things I want to answer if I can.

I agree with you Pucko, i still have a million more. Like if the Dursleys want nothing to do with magic, how do their christmas gifts reach Harry? And where did Sirius get a wand? Did he keep his old wand? Its not like he can walk into a wand store...so many questions. I'm still wondering why Hagrid's dad died and what are those crumpled-horn [no book near-by] things Luna keeps talking about. I ended up with more questions than answers :(
Perhaps he sent Crookshanks to buy one? Crookshanks did buy the Firebolt but then again a wand is a very personal thing and mr Ollivander should have been suspicious as to why someone would send a cat. It’s just a thought.

A question on my mind is why does Peter need a wand to turn into Wormtail, whilst the other marauders don't. Is it because the POA film is lying or that Peter wasn't Magical enough?
The film is not canon. Nowhere is it said that he needed a wand. :)

The passage says:

"Expelliarmus." Harry yelled, pointing his own wand at Pettigrew; Lupin's wand flew high into the air and out of sight. "Stay where you are!" Harry shouted, running forward.
Too late. Pettigrew had transformed. Harry saw his bald tail whip through the manacle on Ron's outstretched arm and heard a scurrying through the grass.

We don't really see if Wormtail needs the wand to transform but he is holding it when he does.

2. Again about Sirius and the Ministry of Magic obvius laziness: being the "last of the House of Black" is not evident that he would return to Grimmaud Place? the Ministry of Magic never tried to search or place agents around the mansion! Now it is impossible since Dumbledore has set a Fidelius charm over the place, but this is pretty recent (my guess because Dumbledore didn't know Sirius was innocent before the Ministry of Magic began the search for him).
According to Sirius the house is protected to several charms that his father put there plus the Fiddelius Charm put there by Dumbledore.

'It's ideal for Headquarters, of course,’ Sirius said. ‘My father put every security measure known to wizardkind on it when he lived here. It’s unplottable, so Muggles could never come and call - as if they’d ever have wanted to - and now Dumbledore’s added his protection, you’d be hard put to find a safer house anywhere. Dumbledore is Secret Keeper for the Order, you know - nobody can find Headquarters unless he tells them personally where it is - that note Moody showed you last night, that was from Dumbledore…’ Sirius gave a short, bark-like laugh. ‘If my parents could see the use their house was being put to now… well, my mothers portrait should give you some idea'


is there a way to see your post count? that's a little question...although not about hp history.
Yep, click on your pseudonym and then on "find all posts by" :)

But some of these post maybe posted at the Quidditch Pitch or other threads where the post counts is off. This means that even though it looks like you have 300 posts, you won’t be upgraded to 3rd year. Only post in regular threads count and as far as I know, only prefects can see the difference.

I have a question... Where does it say that James is a pure blood? I've seen several posts where people refer to James saying he is a pure blood, but I can't recall reading anything that confirms this. Then again, maybe there is nothing confirming it, but I thought I'd ask anyway!
It's hard for a muggleborn to know that much magic before starting school, so students from magical families will propably been practising for a lot longer. We're told by many characters that both James and Sirius were the cleverest students at school (Lupin) and exceptionally bright (McGonagall). Since Sirius is a pureblood and James is as bright as Sirus, it's quite logically to assume that James was a pureblood too.


Now I have a question: In chapter 11 in Prisoner of Azkaban, where Harry, Ron and Hermione eats Christmas dinner with the teachers, Trelawney makes another wierd statement:

"Certainly, certainly," said Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling. "Let me draw you up a chair --"
And he did indeed draw a chair in midair with his wand, which revolved for a few seconds before falling with a thud between Professors Snape and McGonagall. Professor Trelawney, however, did not sit down; her enormous eyes had been roving around the table, and she suddenly uttered a kind of soft scream.
"I dare not, Headmaster! If I join the table, we shall be thirteen! Nothing could be more unlucky! Never forget that when thirteen dine together, the first to rise will be the first to die!"
"We'll risk it, Sibyll," said Professor McGonagall inpatiently. "Do sit down, the turkey's getting stone cold."

The two first to rise from the table are Harry and Ron which makes Trelawney freak of course. Could this be that either (or even both) Harry or Ron will die before the end of the series?

I always thought the name Death Eater was a bit strange. Where did this come from? How does one eat death? :huh:

They might die but I can't answer that question! :D Thanks for clearing up that thing about posts!

The passage says:

"Expelliarmus." Harry yelled, pointing his own wand at Pettigrew; Lupin's wand flew high into the air and out of sight. "Stay where you are!" Harry shouted, running forward.
Too late. Pettigrew had transformed. Harry saw his bald tail whip through the manacle on Ron's outstretched arm and heard a scurrying through the grass.

We don't really see if Wormtail needs the wand to transform but he is holding it when he does.



I don't think he needs it to transform, but he feels safer knowing that others don't have wands. If he transformed in front of the others and the others had wands, they'd kill him. If he has a wand while he transforms, he can defend himself.



But some of these post maybe posted at the Quidditch Pitch or other threads where the post counts is off. This means that even though it looks like you have 300 posts, you won’t be upgraded to 3rd year. Only post in regular threads count and as far as I know, only prefects can see the difference.


You can see how many posts you have in different areas too; if you do an advanced search for posts by your user name, you can select which areas you want to search in, so you can pick only post-count-is-on areas if you want to see how close to the next year you are.


It's hard for a muggleborn to know that much magic before starting school, so students from magical families will propably been practising for a lot longer. We're told by many characters that both James and Sirius were the cleverest students at school (Lupin) and exceptionally bright (McGonagall). Since Sirius is a pureblood and James is as bright as Sirus, it's quite logically to assume that James was a pureblood too.


But if James is super-brainy, he can do well without having learnt it all at home. Look at Hermione, she's behind the others in experience yet she's bright and hard-working so she does very well at school. Contrast her with Neville, whose a pureblood but pretty inept at least at first. James did well because he was very clever, not necessarily because he was a pureblood.


Now I have a question: In chapter 11 in Prisoner of Azkaban, where Harry, Ron and Hermione eats Christmas dinner with the teachers, Trelawney makes another wierd statement:

"Certainly, certainly," said Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling. "Let me draw you up a chair --"
And he did indeed draw a chair in midair with his wand, which revolved for a few seconds before falling with a thud between Professors Snape and McGonagall. Professor Trelawney, however, did not sit down; her enormous eyes had been roving around the table, and she suddenly uttered a kind of soft scream.
"I dare not, Headmaster! If I join the table, we shall be thirteen! Nothing could be more unlucky! Never forget that when thirteen dine together, the first to rise will be the first to die!"
"We'll risk it, Sibyll," said Professor McGonagall inpatiently. "Do sit down, the turkey's getting stone cold."

The two first to rise from the table are Harry and Ron which makes Trelawney freak of course. Could this be that either (or even both) Harry or Ron will die before the end of the series?



That's what I've always thought - my money's on Ron :upset: . However, it could just be Trelawney finding yet another way to prophesy Harry's death - it's her hobby :)

Originally Posted by Avalon
I agree with you Pucko, i still have a million more. Like if the Dursleys want nothing to do with magic, how do their christmas gifts reach Harry? And where did Sirius get a wand? Did he keep his old wand?

I think that even though the Dursley's don't LIKE Harry, they probably still CARE about him. Although you wouldn't know it from the way they treat him. I'm sure that an owl would take the presents to Harry or they have someone come pick them up to avoid suspicion.

I think Sirius might have kept his own wand. He could have stashed it somewhere before he went to Azkaban unless it was snapped apart. He probably figured that since he wasn't guilty, he should hide it for when he escaped (yes, I think he knew he would escape from the moment he was sentenced).

I don't think he needs it to transform, but he feels safer knowing that others don't have wands. If he transformed in front of the others and the others had wands, they'd kill him. If he has a wand while he transforms, he can defend himself.I agree with Tiphany, he didn't need the wand to transform...in POA, when recounting how the Marauder's learned to be animagus', it was said that Peter needed all the help he could get, but I think he's quite capable to transform without a wand...I always thought the reason he had the wand in the first place was to stun Ron and Crookshanks...

If there is such a list, which I don't know if there is one or no, I would start looking in the Muggle Studies area of these forums. If the list isn't out and out posted there, or those changes aren't being discussed there, someone may have a link to the information you are searching for.
If the list doesn't exist, you could sit down and try to come up with one on your own. I bet there are a lot of people who would really enjoy seeing something like that and discussing it.The Hp Lexicon has a comprehensive list of all the changes from book to movie...you can find it here (http://www.hp-lexicon.org/about/films/film3_changes.html)...

Not sure how much help it will be though. What I found odd were all the clocks...the one at the Dursleys, the grandfather clock by Fudge in the Leaky Cauldron, the new clock tower at Hogwarts, you hear a clock chime...can't remember if you see it--In the Three Broomsticks--when Fudge and McGonagall tell Rosmerta about Sirius Black...it's chiming as Harry leaves the room...then there's a clock on the wall in the hospital wing...seems Cuaron keeps beating you over the head with time....

The Hp Lexicon has a comprehensive list of all the changes from book to movie...you can find it here (http://www.hp-lexicon.org/about/films/film3_changes.html)...

Not sure how much help it will be though. What I found odd were all the clocks...the one at the Dursleys, the grandfather clock by Fudge in the Leaky Cauldron, the new clock tower at Hogwarts, you hear a clock chime...can't remember if you see it--In the Three Broomsticks--when Fudge and McGonagall tell Rosmerta about Sirius Black...it's chiming as Harry leaves the room...then there's a clock on the wall in the hospital wing...seems Cuaron keeps beating you over the head with time....

*HUGS YOU* Thank you so much for this link! I have been searching these forums for it but never even thought about searching the lexicon! Doh!

First off what is considered an Owl is it just an O or is it any passing grade?
A passing grade is an A, E or O. Any of those will mean you can get an Owl. The weaseley twins got three owls a piece i think, and for some reason i highly doubt that they got three O's :D

There's a thread discussing what O.W.L.s did Fred and George get, you can find it here (http://www.cosforums.com/showthread.php?t=47270&highlight=Fred). Shortly, there was an idea that you get separate OWL for the writing part and for the practical part, which would make it possible for Percy to get so many of them. And yes, we don't know if OWL is just an O, but then Hermione said that A is the last acceptable mark which would mean that you don't have to get Outstanding to get an O.W.L.

Thanks.
The idea for a separate grade for practical and written makes sense. thanks again.

and thanks PLIMPY for your response as well

Thanks.
The idea for a separate grade for practical and written makes sense. thanks again.

and thanks PLIMPY for your response as well

So in other words, getting an O.W.L. is a lot like taking your driver's test. First you take the written test, then the road test.

An OWL--is an Ordinary Wizarding Level exam---the Grades that can be achieved in an OWL exam are:
O = Outstanding
E = Exceeds Expectations
A = Acceptable (this is the last passing grade)
-----
P = Poor
D = Dreadful
(T = Troll---George's interpretation--don't know for sure if there is a T grade)

What exactly is the O.W.L exam? Is it just to see how much knowledge you've attained so far? Or is it kind of like the PSAT? Something that gets you ready for the N.E.W.T exam?

It is the exam that all 5th year students undergo...at 5th year most students are 15-16 years old, with 2 more years of school ahead.
When Percy & Charlie received 12 "OWLS", it simply means that they achieved 12 passing grades in their exams..

I always thought the name Death Eater was a bit strange. Where did this come from? How does one eat death?

Maybe it's a metaphor. I haven't figured out what the metaphor could mean though. I know that LV thinks the worst thing in life is to die, and yet he inflicts it continuously on others. I also had a look around HP Lexicon and Mugglenet but couldn't find anything there.

Originally Posted by lilly_potter
What exactly is the O.W.L exam? Is it just to see how much knowledge you've attained so far? Or is it kind of like the PSAT? Something that gets you ready for the N.E.W.T exam?
I think that in some ways it does measure how much you have learned so far, but taking the O.W.L. is enough to be able to leave school. I sort of think of it as like ending high school exams and that the last two years more like college training as you are taking classes that are more specified to what you want to do as a career. I think that they are unlike the PSATs because, at least for some classes, you need to achieve a certain score to be able to do N.E.W.T. level work (like getting an O to get into N.E.W.T. potions).

It is the exam that all 5th year students undergo...at 5th year most students are 15-16 years old, with 2 more years of school ahead.
When Percy & Charlie received 12 "OWLS", it simply means that they achieved 12 passing grades in their exams..

I know that. What I meant to ask was what the purpose of the O.W.L. exams were.

I always thought the name Death Eater was a bit strange. Where did this come from? How does one eat death?

I agree it is some sort of metaphor. I don't think they "eat" death, mearly that they live off of it.

And with this post, I am now third year!!!!!! :D

I know that. What I meant to ask was what the purpose of the O.W.L. exams were.
I agree it is some sort of metaphor. I don't think they "eat" death, mearly that they live off of it. And with this post, I am now third year!!!!!! :DWell, the importance of the outcome of OWL exams, and the subsequent grades achieved, are very important to the final 2 years at Hogwarts. Depending on how high a student scored on a given exam, determines whether that student will be able to continue education in a given subject for NEWT levels. McGonagall takes no student into her NEWT level Transfiguration class who scores below the OWL grade of E. Snape refuses to take students into his NEWT level Potions class who score below O. The OWL grades, in essence determine continuation of education...as do NEWTs (Nastily Exhausting Wizards Test) and can affect the types of jobs you will be qualified to do, once a student has left Hogwarts...
As for Deatheater...eat death
The Dark Mark spell which is used to conjure the skull with the snake protruding from it's mouth: Morsmordre--the closest I could come to it in Latin was this: mors = death morsus = to bite.
What always strikes me with the name is the Snake connection: Slytherin/LV the Parselmouth/The statue of Slytherin whose mouth opens and the Basilisc comes out of it...venomous pet snake, Nagina...
That and the fact that the DEs, like LV are seeking immortality--IMO.

So the O.W.Ls are a bit like placement tests. They are used to determine eligibility for N.E.W.T. level classes.

Yes, the O.W.Ls are quite important when it comes down to it. Do you guys think Ron is going to be better than he thought? Or maybe Hermione will do a little worse?

So the O.W.Ls are a bit like placement tests. They are used to determine eligibility for N.E.W.T. level classes. :agree: That's right...trying to find a quote...here it is:
OoP, Professor Umbridge, pg. 228:
"Oh, yeah," said Ron. "Bound to be, isn't it? O.W.L.s are really important, affect the jobs you can apply for and everything. We get career advice too, later this here, Bill told me. So you can choose what N.E.W.T.s you want to do next year."Took me forever to find it, cause I thought Hermione had said it, for some odd reason. :huh:

I think both Harry and Ron will both do better than either thinks they will...As for Hermione...I don't think she finished the Astronomy practical test...I don't think a lot of the students finished it, because of Hagrid and the toad. And I'm not sure how she or Ron faired on the History of Magic test...they had to be weirded out and very worried over Harry...

Ah yes that's right, i was going to try and find that quote but I got too lazy :p

Say someone like Hermione gets her OWL marks back, and she's gotten an OWL for every class she's in.
Does this mean that Hermione now HAS to take every class, or does she get to choose the ones she wants to be in? (like if she doesn't want to take potions anymore, or something)
Also, Ron says that Fred and George got only three OWLs each. Does this mean then, that they were only in three classes in their last two years?

I'm not sure...I once heard about schooling in England...please correct me if I'm wrong...but there's a test that is taken at 12 or 13, to determine what a student's gifts/preferences are, and their schooling is then structured to enhance that potential, instead of just throwing everything at you, like they do here in America public schools. Does that sound weird? As for what classes Fred & George took, and how many they were??? I'm sure that there will probably continue to be compulsory and elective subjects, regardless of what NEWT classes are chosen by students.

Thanks for clearing that up, everyone. *HUGS*


Say someone like Hermione gets her OWL marks back, and she's gotten an OWL for every class she's in.
Does this mean that Hermione now HAS to take every class, or does she get to choose the ones she wants to be in? (like if she doesn't want to take potions anymore, or something)
Also, Ron says that Fred and George got only three OWLs each. Does this mean then, that they were only in three classes in their last two years?

From what I gathered on my newly found knowledge, Hermione's O.W.Ls would determine what subjects she would be able to take in N.E.W.T level. It all depends what type of field she would like to get into when she graduates. So if she got an O.W.L. in all her subjects, she could have her choice of what she wanted.

Since Fred and George only got three O.W.Ls, then they would only be able to take the N.E.W.T. level classes for those subjects. The rest would be regular classes.

Did I get that right?

Originally Posted by lilly_potter
Since Fred and George only got three O.W.Ls, then they would only be able to take the N.E.W.T. level classes for those subjects. The rest would be regular classes.
I don't know. I sort of figured that N.E.W.T. level classes weren't the equivalent of say honors classes, but that they were just the continued study of any subject beyond the fifth year and that part of their goal would be to train you to take and do well on the N.E.W.T. I figured that not every class would require you to get a certain O.W.L. score, but now that I think about it I'm not sure that makes any sense because I'm not sure that you could get a N.E.W.T in a subject you didn't get an O.W.L. in, but if you were to not pass very many like Fred and George would leave you with few classes that you would be able to take unless they were like general education electives or something, not neccessarily anything that would further your careeer. So I guess that you could be right (I really did go into this with my mind made up, but I have managed to confuse even myself, sorry :blush: ).

I just used my generalzied high school thinking on this one.

Say Fred and George scored well in Geometry, Chemistry, and Physics. That means they qualify to take the advanced courses of those subjects next year. But all the rest like Biology, English, History, Accounting, etc., they would have to take the regular course for that particular grade.

I just used my generalzied high school thinking on this one.

Say Fred and George scored well in Geometry, Chemistry, and Physics. That means they qualify to take the advanced courses of those subjects next year. But all the rest like Biology, English, History, Accounting, etc., they would have to take the regular course for that particular grade.

There's a whole thread about OWLS somewhere which you might find useful.

Anyway, OWLS and NEWTs are based on the British school system, which I gather is quite different to the American one. In Britain you take GCSE exams at fifteen or sixteen years old, usually in about ten subjects - some are compulsory and some are electives. These are qualifications in their own right, and you can leave school after them. If you choose to stay on, you do A-levels. There are no compulsory A-levels, you choose which you will do, but you need certain grades in certain subjects at GCSE to get onto A-level courses. Normally people do four A-levels, I think (the system's changed a bit since I left school). Your A-level subjects and grades affect which jobs or universities you can go on to.

So, to get into NEWT class, you need to have passed the OWL in that subject. I don;t think you do classes other than NEWTs in sixth and seventh year; if you do, we'll find out next year when Harry does.

I hope that was some help :)

There's a whole thread about OWLS somewhere which you might find useful.
Here's the link: Fred and George's OWLS (http://www.cosforums.com/showthread.php?t=47270)

Anyway, OWLS and NEWTs are based on the British school system, which I gather is quite different to the American one. In Britain you take GCSE exams at fifteen or sixteen years old, usually in about ten subjects - some are compulsory and some are electives. These are qualifications in their own right, and you can leave school after them. If you choose to stay on, you do A-levels. There are no compulsory A-levels, you choose which you will do, but you need certain grades in certain subjects at GCSE to get onto A-level courses. Normally people do four A-levels, I think (the system's changed a bit since I left school). Your A-level subjects and grades affect which jobs or universities you can go on to.

So, to get into NEWT class, you need to have passed the OWL in that subject. I don;t think you do classes other than NEWTs in sixth and seventh year; if you do, we'll find out next year when Harry does.

I hope that was some help :)
Thank you, Tiphany, for helping to explain to US students (and grads!) about the major difference between UK and US schools. The two years that UK students spend in A level classes can almost be considered 'pre-college' (or pre-university); whereas in the US, students are still required to be taking general courses (though there are often a variety of courses that satisfy that requirement; ie, a course in journalism could satisfy a requirement to take an English class, a course about the Civil War would satisfy a general history requirement) in things like English (composition, literature, speech, journalism, creative writing, etc.), History, Physical Education, and Social Sciences (it varies by school district and/or state which courses are deemed as requirements). The rest are electives.

The other difference lies in the tests themselves. The national (standardized) exams for college/university admittance do not cover all subjects being studied. The SAT covers English and Mathematics. The ACT covered five topics when I took it (25 years ago). The UK students are taking a set of tests (CSGEs~OWLs) on all the courses they are taking (generally nine) and a second set of tests (A levels~NEWTs) in the courses where they focused their studies (usually four courses, as per Tiphany).

So, I think a lot of US people think Harry should have to take History of Magic regardless of how he did on his OWL exam (and I have seen several thinking of Astronomy along the same line). However, Harry attends a UK school (as did JKR), and I think the UK system takes precedence in determining which courses Harry will be studying in the next two books.

Yeah, I keep forgetting the school system is different. Us Americans will get is sooner or later!

Can the ministry detect Unforgivable Curses? If so, why didn't anyone come to the Department of Mysteries in Book 5?

Originally Posted by GryffondorGrl
Can the ministry detect Unforgivable Curses? If so, why didn't anyone come to the Department of Mysteries in Book 5?
I don't think that we know how the Ministry of Magic detects anything, whether they have the ability to track magic by by area, say they can tell someone did magic in a certain neighborhood, but not who if there are many wizards in that area, or if they can somehow detect by wand. We know that they at least attempt to track magic because we see Harry get warnings, but I would guess that they either don't track adults or have no way to. If the Ministry could detect Unforgivable Curses, then they would have easily been able to catch Voldemort and his Death Eaters in the First Wizarding War because they would be the among the only people using it, so I would have to say that they either can't or don't detect the Unforgiveable Curses and that is why nobody was alerted.

I don't think that we know how the Ministry of Magic detects anything, whether they have the ability to track magic by by area, say they can tell someone did magic in a certain neighborhood, but not who if there are many wizards in that area, or if they can somehow detect by wand. We know that they at least attempt to track magic because we see Harry get warnings, but I would guess that they either don't track adults or have no way to. If the Ministry could detect Unforgivable Curses, then they would have easily been able to catch Voldemort and his Death Eaters in the First Wizarding War because they would be the among the only people using it, so I would have to say that they either can't or don't detect the Unforgiveable Curses and that is why nobody was alerted.I agree...the books say that the MOM has it's own way of detecting underage magic, nothing about adults. As for detecting the unforgiveable curse that Harry tried to use--cause he didn't do it correctly--there's a thread on that, here. (http://www.cosforums.com/showthread.php?t=45642)

Say someone like Hermione gets her OWL marks back, and she's gotten an OWL for every class she's in.
Does this mean that Hermione now HAS to take every class, or does she get to choose the ones she wants to be in? (like if she doesn't want to take potions anymore, or something)
I wouldn't think that she has to take all those classes. But if she wanted to take those classes then she would be accepted because of her top grade.

I don't think that we know how the Ministry of Magic detects anything, whether they have the ability to track magic by by area, say they can tell someone did magic in a certain neighborhood, but not who if there are many wizards in that area, or if they can somehow detect by wand. We know that they at least attempt to track magic because we see Harry get warnings, but I would guess that they either don't track adults or have no way to. If the Ministry could detect Unforgivable Curses, then they would have easily been able to catch Voldemort and his Death Eaters in the First Wizarding War because they would be the among the only people using it, so I would have to say that they either can't or don't detect the Unforgiveable Curses and that is why nobody was alerted.

My guess is that the MoM would most certainly be able to detect magic use in muggle areas. After all, the wizard world is pretty secretive when it comes to things like that.

Underage magic is also monitored, which makes sense because an underage wizard performing curses could be disasterous.

I think once a wizard becomes of age, they are no longer monitored by the MoM. It would just be a waste of time and man power. That would be like your parents checking to see if you changed your underpants long after you've left home.

Probably the only monitoring they still do for of age wizards is anything that concerns muggles. That's why they have memory charms.

I think the answer to whay percy didn't graduate is that we don't really have graduation ceremonies from school in the UK. We have them when we leave uni but school is a bit of an anti climax!

Americans even celebrate "graduation" from nursery school!

Ok...my answer to Ted the Weatherman is the same answer I give to Is this nameless redhead a weasley?...Is this plump woman Molly? Is this tall skinny man DD? And now is Ted the weatherman Tonk's dad. There are many men named Ted. They are not all one person. It would make no difference if Ted the weatherman, Ted the milkman or Ted the business mogul were Tonk's father.

ITA.

*IF* Ted the weatherman was Ted Tonks" and JKR wanted this to be important, she would have had him introduced on the news as "Ted Tonks" and not just "Ted"

My uncle's name was Ted. He's not Tonks' father either ;)


I think once a wizard becomes of age, they are no longer monitored by the MoM. It would just be a waste of time and man power. That would be like your parents checking to see if you changed your underpants long after you've left home.

Probably the only monitoring they still do for of age wizards is anything that concerns muggles. That's why they have memory charms.

However, we know that the ministry keeps a record of where wizards live. In Harry's trial, there was no record of Arabella Figg in Little Wingeing - Harry was the only wizard they had on record there.

I think the answer to whay percy didn't graduate is that we don't really have graduation ceremonies from school in the UK.
Australia's education system very closely resemble the UK system and we have graduation ceremonies for primary school, high school and Uni. So i always assumed UK was like that too. Maybe we developed that from our connection with the US but we don't go as far as graduation from nursery school :p Not as far as i know anyway. I have never been to an Australian nursery school myself, but my sister did.

However, we know that the ministry keeps a record of where wizards live. In Harry's trial, there was no record of Arabella Figg in Little Wingeing - Harry was the only wizard they had on record there.

I think that because technically, Mrs. Figg isn't a wizard. She's a squib. The fact that the ministry didn't have her on record would make sense if the ministry didn't keep track of squibs because they have no magic ability.

However, we know that the ministry keeps a record of where wizards live. In Harry's trial, there was no record of Arabella Figg in Little Wingeing - Harry was the only wizard they had on record there.
As lilly_potter pointed out, Mrs. Figg is a squib, a non-magical person. I think though, that what was said by Madam Bones in OoP, simply means the MOM was monitoring any comings/goings of witches/wizards--and any magic done-- within Little Whinging, as a protective measure for Harry alone---not monitoring the entire wizarding race to keep track of where everyday wizards live.
OoP, The Hearing, pg. 131, UK ed:
"We have no record of any witch or wizard living in Little Whinging, other than Harry Potter," said Madam Bones at once. "That situation has always been closely monitored, given....given past events."

I was bothered by this the other day. Harry breaks into Umbridges office to verify if Sirius is there or at the MoM. He's also worried about getting there quickly since he's convinced that Sirius is gone. #12 is a lot closer to the MoM than Hogwarts. By the time he's thrown in the floo powder and spoken the address, he could have been at #12 himself. He had to wait several minutes for Kreacher to pretend to search for Sirius. He could have been there and back already.

It seems a lot of people are convinced that Theordore Nott is the salvation of Slytherin (exageration there). What information do we have about him other than that his dad is a DE???

none MadameSparks, it's all pure speculation.

well, that's not very good speculation is it...IMO anyway. If all the evidence we have on him is not favorable, why are poeple convinced he's going to be a major character and a good guy? Is it from fanfic?

And how about Blaine Zabini (sp?) do we know anything other than he's a boy? I don't even know where he's been mentioned before in the books.

well, that's not very good speculation is it...IMO anyway. If all the evidence we have on him is not favorable, why are poeple convinced he's going to be a major character and a good guy? Is it from fanfic?

And how about Blaine Zabini (sp?) do we know anything other than he's a boy? I don't even know where he's been mentioned before in the books.

As far as I know, both boys were mentioned at the Sorting Ceremony in PS. IMO, I think they were just kids that JKR threw in there, like Ernie Macmillian, Susan Bones, Pansy Parkinson, etc. We have really no proof that they will have a bigger role in the next two books.

alright....thanks :)

I've been so lost reading through posts about luna/nott and nott being the good slytherin and zabini being the HBP. I thought I'd missed something major :)

I was bothered by this the other day. Harry breaks into Umbridges office to verify if Sirius is there or at the MoM. He's also worried about getting there quickly since he's convinced that Sirius is gone. #12 is a lot closer to the MoM than Hogwarts. By the time he's thrown in the floo powder and spoken the address, he could have been at #12 himself. He had to wait several minutes for Kreacher to pretend to search for Sirius. He could have been there and back already.

That bothers me SO MUCH too, I've been thinking about that obsessively ever since I read the book. However, if Harry had gone to #12, he most likely would have found that Sirius was okay, which would have then eliminated everything that happens from then until the end of the book...so I guess it's just a plot device...and JK did say there was some reason why she had to kill off Sirius.

well, that's not very good speculation is it...IMO anyway. If all the evidence we have on him is not favorable, why are poeple convinced he's going to be a major character and a good guy? Is it from fanfic?

And how about Blaine Zabini (sp?) do we know anything other than he's a boy? I don't even know where he's been mentioned before in the books.
Blaise Zabini was asked about (thinking it was last August, Edinburgh Book Festival) and JKR said we would see him again....

There is the little bit about Notts on JKR's website (Theodore is an only child born to an elderly father who is a widower...).

I was bothered by this the other day. Harry breaks into Umbridges office to verify if Sirius is there or at the MoM. He's also worried about getting there quickly since he's convinced that Sirius is gone. #12 is a lot closer to the MoM than Hogwarts. By the time he's thrown in the floo powder and spoken the address, he could have been at #12 himself. He had to wait several minutes for Kreacher to pretend to search for Sirius. He could have been there and back already.
For those interested in the topic
Why Didn't They Use Floo Powder To Get To Sirius? (http://www.cosforums.com/showthread.php?t=41878)
Floo Network and Hogwarts (http://www.cosforums.com/showthread.php?t=11155)
and
Why is 12 Grimmauld Place on the Floo Network? (http://www.cosforums.com/showthread.php?t=29977)

WEll I knew JKR said we'd see him again....I just didn't know if we'd seen him before more than in a sorting hat scene.

WEll I knew JKR said we'd see him again....I just didn't know if we'd seen him before more than in a sorting hat scene.
Okay, my misunderstanding :blush:
I think the furor over Zabini came from speculation that a Slytherin would turn out to be a 'good' guy; he also came up as an HBP candidate....Just because we know his name from the sorting in Book 1. Oh, yes, he was also a candidate for the 'stringy Slytherin' who could see thestrals until JKR cleared that one up....

I've probably missed something obvious, which is why I'm asking here, but when Dumbledore left Hogwarts in OotP when he said he wasn't going to hide, where exactly did he go?

I've probably missed something obvious, which is why I'm asking here, but when Dumbledore left Hogwarts in OotP when he said he wasn't going to hide, where exactly did he go?
Despite the title, it was discussed in Dumbledore in Hiding....
(http://www.cosforums.com/showthread.php?t=12047)

I don't think his whereabouts were obvious at all!

Hi, I have a little question: In CoS, the members of the headless horsemen arrive for Nicks death-day party. I was wondering, how do horses turn into ghosts and secondly did these horses die with their riders or did they die separately? If they died separately, where did these huntsmen find these ghost horses? I guess that was more than one question. :p

Hi, I have a little question: In CoS, the members of the headless horsemen arrive for Nicks death-day party. I was wondering, how do horses turn into ghosts and secondly did these horses die with their riders or did they die separately? If they died separately, where did these huntsmen find these ghost horses? I guess that was more than one question. :pThat is a very good question...there are only winged-horses listed in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them...
We know that only wizards can become ghosts...no muggles allowed apparantly...but nothing about animals...
Somehow I completely missed this, or it just did not register... :rolleyes:
Perhaps the horses were a winged variety or as yet an unknown magical variety...
As to how they died, or if they died with their ghostly riders, or if the ghosts just picked 'em up along the way...I confess, it's got me stumped... :huh:

In CoS, the members of the headless horsemen arrive for Nicks death-day party. I was wondering, how do horses turn into ghosts and secondly did these horses die with their riders or did they die separately? If they died separately, where did these huntsmen find these ghost horses? I guess that was more than one question.
I'm assuming the horses didn't cast the spells to bring themselves back as a ghost :p so maybe when a witch or wizard wants to be a ghost, if they want to bring their horse back as well, they would cast a similar sort of spell for them. Then, it wouldn't matter if they died together or seperately because they'd both come back. When the wizard dies, it would either have to find his horse (if it died before him), or wait until his horse dies.

Wish I could help, but have to admit that I am also stumped by how ghost horses are made. It may be associated only with the Headless Huntsmen (duh, it's the only place we have seen ghost horses)--meaning they have some means to create a ghost horse when they acquire a new member. Nick has applied for membership with the Headless more than once, so they have some means for gaining new members. I just can't see how every headless wizard would die along with his trusty steed (probably my lack of imagination).

As for creating ghostly items, there must be some means for the ghosts to do so--Nick wrote an application and received a reply--paper, at least, can be made to exist in the ghostly realm (not a very good argument as paper is inanimate).

Sorry, that's all I can think of at the moment that might apply....

Is there any official say wether or not Lupin will be in the next book? I haven't heard anythink too close to a yes/no. Have you heard anything?

This is all the info we have so far about the next book in the series.
1] The Title: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
2] 3 chapter titles: Chap. 2, Spinner's End, Chap. 6, Draco's Detour, Chap. 14, Felix Felicis
3] The length of the book--608 pages for the UK version, 672 pages for the US version.
4] JKR has stated that we may see the name McClaggan appear in the next book(s)
5] JKR released this on her site: (He) looked rather like an old lion. There were streaks of grey in his mane of tawny hair and his bushy eyebrows; he had keen yellowish eyes behind a pair of wire-rimmed spectacles and a certain rangy, loping grace even though he walked with a slight limp.
6] Book release date: July 16, 2005---I've already scheduled my vacation---yay!!
7] Book coverart released.
That's it so far, nothing in regards to what characters will be appearing/reappearing in it.

Since Lupin is a main character and still alive, the odds of him showing up in the next book are good though. :)

Is there any official say wether or not Lupin will be in the next book? I haven't heard anythink too close to a yes/no. Have you heard anything?
There hasn't been an actual mention of a yes or a no, but i assume that he will be. He's the last marauder that's still on the side of good and he's in the Order, so I'm pretty sure we'll see him again.

I'm not very much for divination generally, but I think the railway station scene at the end of OotP strongly hints that we will see both Lupin, Tonks and Moody again. Or those of them who are still alive.

As lilly_potter pointed out, Mrs. Figg is a squib, a non-magical person. I think though, that what was said by Madam Bones in OoP, simply means the MOM was monitoring any comings/goings of witches/wizards--and any magic done-- within Little Whinging, as a protective measure for Harry alone---not monitoring the entire wizarding race to keep track of where everyday wizards live.

I don't.

The MOM has records of lots of wizarding activities. I know Mrs Figg is a squib. I read the books too ;) And the impression I gained from that scene is that the MOM keeps records of all witches and wizards. Not just Harry - but all registered magical folk. The original point was that the MOM doesn't keep track of all wizards. I believe it does.

In Goblet of Fire, at what point did Harry's dream begin (during Chapter One)? Harry seemed to be seeing things through Frank Bryce's eyes, rather than Voldemort's....A bit of an odd connection--Harry/Frank instead of Harry/Voldemort, even though some part of the dream occurred in Voldemort's proximity.

So was Harry dreaming of all the background events in Little Hangleton and all the details revealed about Frank's life? Or did his dream begin, unnoticeably, at the point where Frank went down stairs and saw the light in the Riddle house (current event)?

I always had the feeling that he just joined up with Frank Bryce when he got out of bed to go see what was going on in the house. When Harry tries to go back over what he remembers about the dream, nothing that happened in the past was mentioned at all. He only remembers three people being in his dream, none of the other people that were mentioned earlier or discussion of the death of the Riddle family. I think that the rest was background story for us, not something that Harry was dreaming about.

I always had the feeling that he just joined up with Frank Bryce when he got out of bed to go see what was going on in the house. When Harry tries to go back over what he remembers about the dream, nothing that happened in the past was mentioned at all. He only remembers three people being in his dream, none of the other people that were mentioned earlier or discussion of the death of the Riddle family. I think that the rest was background story for us, not something that Harry was dreaming about.Though the chapter starts out from Frank Bryce's perspective, it somehow becomes Harry's perspective...as though Frank was the catalyst that brought Harry to the Riddle house, figuratively speaking.
GoF, The Scar, pg. 17:
All Harry knew was that at the moment when Voldemort's chair had swung around, and he, Harry, had seen what was sitting in it, he had felt a spasm of horror, which had awoken him...or had that been the pain in his scar...However, I don't think Harry saw this through Frank Bryce, but rather like a seer would...Harry saw Wormtail, Nagini, on old man he did not recognize--even the room, fire, rug & chair...
Something akin to this occurs later in the book, in the chapter "THE DREAM"--While in Divination, Harry dreams he flies to a room on the back of an owl, then he leaves the owls back, the owl settles on the chair which holds LV, Harry sees Wormtail and Nagini, and hears the conversation LV has...LV then does the Cruciatus curse on Wormtail--the pain of which awakens Harry from his dream...The owl is the catalyst that brings Harry to the Riddle House...I'm pretty sure it's the Riddle house, because of the description--it jibes with that of the Riddle house in "The Riddle House".
We see everything from Harry's perspective, the question is how? Is Harry a seer? Is DD keeping an eye on the old Riddle House? Judging by the fact he knew of Bryce's disappearance, it would seem he was indeed keeping an eye on it. If he was, why hadn't LV been discovered...Could there be a Fidelius Charm in place, with Wormtail as the Secret Keeper, perhaps?
One more thing, in the Chapter "The Scar", Harry is thinking to himself, "he was no stranger to pain." He'd lost all the bones in his right arm in 2nd year; later that same year, his right arm (flesh) had been pierced by a footlong venomous fang. Later, in GoF, Wormtail takes blood from Harry's right arm, then cuts off his own right hand...The name of this chapter is "FLESH, BONE, AND BLOOD". Coincidence?

Is DD keeping an eye on the old Riddle House? Judging by the fact he knew of Bryce's disappearance, it would seem he was indeed keeping an eye on it. If he was, why hadn't LV been discovered...Could there be a Fidelius Charm in place, with Wormtail as the Secret Keeper, perhaps?
One more thing, in the Chapter "The Scar", Harry is thinking to himself, "he was no stranger to pain." He'd lost all the bones in his right arm in 2nd year; later that same year, his right arm (flesh) had been pierced by a footlong venomous fang. Later, in GoF, Wormtail takes blood from Harry's right arm, then cuts off his own right hand...The name of this chapter is "FLESH, BONE, AND BLOOD". Coincidence?
The Fidelius is as good an explanation as I have yet heard. :cool:

There are very few coincidences in JKR's works! *coughMarkEvanscough*
No coincidence, she is most careful with chapter titles! :p

No coincidence, she is most careful with chapter titles! :p
It's going to be very interesting to find out what's "Beyond the veil".

It's going to be very interesting to find out what's "Beyond the veil".
:agree: You're not the only one waiting in anticipation for the answer to that.

Odd, Harry didn't get a new text for DADA in PoA (not mentioned at all, anyway). Doubtful that they were using any of Lockhart's books with Lupin teaching....The text from year one was The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble, not sure if they used that book again. Yet the Gryffindor third years all arrived to DADA class and took out their books...Why were we not told the title of the third year DADA book?

Lupin's class seems to focus a lot on practical study anyway, and since they seem to concentrate on dark creatures rather than dark magic in the earlier grades, the same book might do them for a while. Maybe they're meant to stick with the same DADA book for the first few years, or maybe they'd normally keep the same text for just the first two years, but they've got some catching up to do, since they didn't really learn much second year.

I don't think it happened often in grade school (I don't really remember one way or the other,) but my college we'd sometimes use the same book for more than one course, especially in the sciences.

There are several other new textbooks mentioned for Harry in PoA, the bookshop scene. Harry realizes why Hagrid sent him Monster Book of Monsters, he needed Unfogging the Future for Divination, Intermediate Transfiguration, and The Standard Book of Spells, Grade Three....So he evidently didn't need new books for Potions, History, Astronomy or Herbology, either--good point that some text books could be used for more than one year, TaraBrady!

So did the students use Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them? It doesn't have 394 pages, so Snape could not have had them turning to page 394...

All of Lockhart's books were like mini-autobiographies about a fairly specific creature....Snape would have had to tell the students which book to use, and he didn't.

I know it must be totally unimportant, but what a lost opportunity for JKR who loves unusual names and the chance to place subtle clues and puns in the titles of the text books needed for Hogwarts...

Lupin's class seems to focus a lot on practical study anyway, and since they seem to concentrate on dark creatures rather than dark magic in the earlier grades, the same book might do them for a while. Maybe they're meant to stick with the same DADA book for the first few years, or maybe they'd normally keep the same text for just the first two years, but they've got some catching up to do, since they didn't really learn much second year.

I don't think it happened often in grade school (I don't really remember one way or the other,) but my college we'd sometimes use the same book for more than one course, especially in the sciences.


i know that when i was in school we often skipped around in our books...i know we didnt in classes like math and the like but dada seems like a subject you dont nessisarily have to go straight through. Although hermione in the movie seemed shocked that they would study such a large creature than the usual little creatures they had been studying...this would imply that they were going in some sort of order through the book.

So did the students use Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them? It doesn't have 394 pages, so Snape could not have had them turning to page 394...
Maybe The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble was intended for several school years. Only Lockhart decided to use one of his own instead. But Lupin thought it was good enough.

Maybe it wasn't mentioned because the book would hardly be used. If the class was more of a "hands-on" thing (it seems that way to me), then the mention of the book's title would be pretty insignificant.

Although hermione in the movie seemed shocked that they would study such a large creature than the usual little creatures they had been studying...this would imply that they were going in some sort of order through the book.
I think it might also be because Professor Lupin might have mentioned what they were moving onto next.

anyone else noticed that JK Rowling's birthday is on July 31? o.O She took her b-day for Harry's! o.O

I have a question. We haven't really heard anything about Harry's being a Parceltounge since CoS, why? Its a dead-useful talent, even if Voldemort can do it too.

EDIT: 5th year, baby!

We haven't seen Harry interact with any snakes since CoS, and just that one little instance in SS/PS. There weren't even any snakes in the Triwizard maze... Harry didn't bother to ask Ginny about CoS events (where Tom must have spoken Parseltongue through her somehow) when they discussed the snake and possible possession in OotP, either.

why doesnt harry ask hagrid who the 'old school pals' are that he got the pictures of mr and mrs potter from in the first book?

also, in the first book, it never actually says that quirrel dies...could he still be out there?

why doesnt harry ask hagrid who the 'old school pals' are that he got the pictures of mr and mrs potter from in the first book?
Old school friends probably means Remus, and Harry knows him already.

And it does say Quirrel is dead, although I forget where. The twins make a comment to that effect as well.

Old <a href="http://www.ntsearch.com/search.php?q=school&v=56">school</a> <a href="http://www.ntsearch.com/search.php?q=friends&v=56">friends</a> probably means Remus, and Harry knows him already.

And it does say Quirrel is dead, although I forget where. The twins make a comment to that effect as well.
actually, dumbledore says 'he left quirrell for dead' speaking of voldemort but that does not actuallly mean he died. i have actually heard that phrase used more commonly for a case in which someone is left for dead but they actually in fact did not die. someone was 'left for dead' but then survived to incriminate thier attacker...that is the only refrence i have found in ss.

Maybe I am just too tired to think straight, but it seems the answer was in an interview, too. Might have been before OotP.... I remember thinking, okay, now we know he is really dead and not just 'left for dead'...

I don't know how many people have said this, i just want to make it clear. Hermione was nearly 12 in her first year. Don't believe/trust me? Send me a message and I'll prove it to you.

I don't know how many people have said this, i just want to make it clear. Hermione was nearly 12 in her first year. Don't believe/trust me? Send me a message and I'll prove it to you.
It's not exactly a state secret. JKR posted Hermione's age on her website.

I know. Thats how I was going to prove it lol.

Maybe I am just too tired to think straight, but it seems the answer was in an interview, too. Might have been before OotP.... I remember thinking, okay, now we know he is really dead and not just 'left for dead'...
Actually Dumbledore said "He left Quirrell to die". Not "for dead".
Anyway a search for Quirrell at the Quick-Quote-Quill site gives 5 occasions where Jo has confirmed that he's dead. Two of them in her own site.

Hi all, I'm sitting here writing my part of the Cliche Clique of Doom(check out the "All about Fanfiction" thread. Great stuff.. anyway and Im having a brain fart.. what is the name of the Herbology teacher! Its on the tip of my tongue and I cant get it out!

The Herbology teacher is Professor Sprout. Here (http://www.hp-lexicon.org/wizards/sprout.html) is her file from the HPL. It's a great resource for writing fanfics. (And I believe JKR has even consulted them on occasion!)

Why is McGonagall often described as carrying books? I mean if she can make a plate of sandwiches and a pitcher of juice appear, why not appearate a book she needs?

Well I highly doubt that she (or anyone) could conjur up some of those books. As for just apperating, you cant in Hogwarts. I also suppose its for a sense of normality in everyday life. Like when rich people vacumn there own house.They could easily enough hire someone but sometimes they would rather do it themselves.

Thanks TaraBrady for helping my out with Sprout. I couldnt think of it for the life of me!

because it would probably take more effort to magic them than to just carry them.

Is there a reason that when Harry became angry in OOTP his wand shot gold and red sparks?

Why don't the DE's drink Polijuice potion or just use a transfiguration charm on themselves before they go roung murdering people? Then they couldn't be identified.

Because they are proud of what they do

We don't know to what degree transfiguration is usable for this purpose. A considerable disadvantage with Polyjuice is that it has to be taken in once an hour. If you're caught, your identity is revealed within an hour.

Does anyone know how to get in the arcade here?

Does anyone know how to get in the arcade here?
Well the questions usually posed in this thread have to do with the books. The Wizengamot is the place to go ask questions about the forum. This question is answered in the Notice Board forum, but I'll save you looking and answer: Only Hogsmeade students can go to the arcade. You need to be at least a Third Year Student with qualifying posts in the right areas. You also need to meet certain criteria for quality of posts. Most regular posters do make it into Hogsmeade eventually.

Here is a link to the Notice Board (http://www.cosforums.com/forumdisplay.php?f=2) and...

:welcome: to the forums.

Why don't the DE's drink Polijuice potion or just use a transfiguration charm on themselves before they go roung murdering people? Then they couldn't be identified.
Because they are proud of what they do
Don't forget that you need a piece of the person that you want to disguise as. If you want to incriminate someone, it would not be that easy to get that person's hair, toenails,etc.

Also, the Polyjuice potion is regarded as a very difficult potion that takes a long time to brew. I don't think that they would waste their time making a complex potion (which doesn't really seem their style) when they could just go and AK someone. It would be quicker and easier.

Why is McGonagall often described as carrying books? I mean if she can make a plate of sandwiches and a pitcher of juice appear, why not appearate a book she needs?
Good question. Couldn't she just use "locomotor?" Think I have the spell right. Like Flitwick did with Trelawney's trunk.

Did Harry get back his invisibility cloak that was left in Umbridges office when they were caught using her fire to talk to Sirius?