Little Questions Answered v.20

[Goddess_Clio]

Originally Posted by twinsrule26

perhaps there was some kind of permanent weightlessness charm on her bag?

Or maybe that was just the magic of the spell she used; it not only magically expanded the confines of the bag itself but it would never be heavier than the weight of the bag itself (the fabric, the clasps, the strap). That would sort of be a useless spell if all of a sudden you couldn't drive the car you magically expanded or lift the bag you magically expanded because it was too heavy.

[willfitz]

Originally Posted by horcrux4

Wouldn't the bag have weighed a ton though? And was it the same spell that they used occasionally to fit extra seats in cars or more luggage in the boot?

As far as I can tell, the same spell was used on the car as was used on the tent, but I don't think it is ever stated that the same spell was used on the bag. Would Harry have been able to fit into the bag in the first place?

[Dedalus Diggle]

Originally Posted by abl385

Why do six people take potion to look like Harry Potter in Deathly Hallows rather than Harry take polyjuice potion to look like someone else (like a random muggle)?

The DEs, and especially Voldy and Snape, would have been able to detect the signs of a magical person passing through, so a muggle disguise would not have worked. They could perhaps all have become Mundungus Fletchers, or someone else, but the effect is the same, isn't it? And the choice to all become Harry might have been in part a realization that the Polyjuice for becoming Harry would be more palatable than a beaker of Dung. Really, though Harry is the focal point of the books, so of course it was Harry, and I am sure JKR was influenced at least a tad by the movies, and pictured how effective this scene could be with Radcliffe playing all these different imitators.

Originally Posted by Goddess_Clio

Or maybe that was just the magic of the spell she used; it not only magically expanded the confines of the bag itself but it would never be heavier than the weight of the bag itself (the fabric, the clasps, the strap). That would sort of be a useless spell if all of a sudden you couldn't drive the car you magically expanded or lift the bag you magically expanded because it was too heavy.

The tent apparently had the same expansion charm, and it was never noted to be particularly heavy when folded up, though it had cots, a table, a stove, and other stuff that should have made it at least a hundred pounds. If the same charm were applied to the bag, the weight as well as the bulk of the objects within should be undetectable while affected.

[katielouise]

Originally Posted by twinsrule26

perhaps there was some kind of permanent weightlessness charm on her bag?

I imagined it sort of like just a normal bag. So it wouldn't feel or look any different than normal, but it could hold whatever you needed it to.
I didn't think about it weighing any more because of the items that were in it. Hmmm.

[snapes_witch]

Originally Posted by katielouise

I imagined it sort of like just a normal bag. So it wouldn't feel or look any different than normal, but it could hold whatever you needed it to.
I didn't think about it weighing any more because of the items that were in it. Hmmm.

It's a pretty small bag since Hermione was able to hide it in her sock.

-eta-
. . . whilst wearing the sock, of course.

[twinsrule26]

I was wondering about Giants, half-Giants and the Werewolf curse . I believe it was said in the books that Giants had natural protections built into their skin against many spells & curses. So if a werewolf bit a Giant or half giant would the curse effect them or would the Giants natural magical skin defences protect them ? Any Ideas please?

[Goddess_Clio]

Originally Posted by twinsrule26

I was wondering about Giants, half-Giants and the Werewolf curse . I believe it was said in the books that Giants had natural protections built into their skin against many spells & curses. So if a werewolf bit a Giant or half giant would the curse effect them or would the Giants natural magical skin defences protect them ? Any Ideas please?

Or you'd get a giant werewolf.

It might be an instance that the giant wasn't necessarily saved from a werewolf bite because of the magic in its skin but rather the disparity in size, like the werewolf bite injected poison into the giant that, in a normal person, would have turned them into a werewolf but in a giant just gave them a head cold because there wasn't enough werewolf juice in that giant's system to fully convert them. This might also be a secondary reason for why children often die when bitten rather than transform - they get such a big dose the werewolf juice kills them before they are or can transform (the primary reason the child would die being they were simply ravaged by the werewolf and suffered lethal injuries)

[gabriele87]

Working my way through Pottermore (yay!) and wondered something while rereading Chapter 3 of Philosopher's Stone. When Harry gets his letter, he says that no one had ever written to him before. I find that odd since he is so popular and admired in the Wizarding World. I'm sure people wrote him letters, but what happened to those letters? Could the owls not deliver them due to Dumbledore's charm on the Dursleys' house? Or did the Ministry of Magic prevent letters from going to Harry when he was still a child?

[snapes_witch]

Originally Posted by gabriele87

Working my way through Pottermore (yay!) and wondered something while rereading Chapter 3 of Philosopher's Stone. When Harry gets his letter, he says that no one had ever written to him before. I find that odd since he is so popular and admired in the Wizarding World. I'm sure people wrote him letters, but what happened to those letters? Could the owls not deliver them due to Dumbledore's charm on the Dursleys' house? Or did the Ministry of Magic prevent letters from going to Harry when he was still a child?

If he did indeed get fan letters, I'm sure Uncle Vernon destroyed them.

[Schlubalybub]

Was Dumbledore's funeral the last time we saw Fudge? If so, what happened to him during the last book and beyond?

Forgive me, I have a mind blank

[merrymarge]

We don't know what happened to Fudge. All we know was that he was going to be a liason betwwen Scrimgeour and the Muggle Prime Minister. There was a thread on this Forum that asked whatever happened to Cornelius Fudge?

[mirrormere]

Originally Posted by Schlubalybub

Was Dumbledore's funeral the last time we saw Fudge?

Yes.

Originally Posted by Schlubalybub

If so, what happened to him during the last book and beyond?

Unknown. The last mention of his name is in King's Cross, when Harry tells Dumbledore that he would have made a better Minister of Magic than Fudge or Scrimgeour.

[xhanax315]

Wow, I didn't ever realize that until now. What did happen to Cornelius Fudge?

[Hes]

We do have a lovely neglected thread to discuss that

What happened to Fudge?

[BurrowGhoul]

In SS/PS, any guesses as to why JKR felt the need to get Ron out of the way for Norbert/detention? It seems like it served a purpose, but I can't quite figure out what.

[merrymarge]

Neville went instead. this was the first time Ron wasn't with Harry for an important assignment. Maybe a bit of foreshadowing for DH?

[GrimeldaDursley]

Where was Ron anyway? I forget.

[snapes_witch]

Originally Posted by GrimeldaDursley

Where was Ron anyway? I forget.

Ron was helping Hagrid feed 'baby' Norbert and the little dickens bit him. His hand was badly swollen so he was in the hospital wing when Charlie came for Norbert.

[Arcus]

Originally Posted by BurrowGhoul

In SS/PS, any guesses as to why JKR felt the need to get Ron out of the way for Norbert/detention? It seems like it served a purpose, but I can't quite figure out what.

Seems to me Rowling used the Norbert adventure to better establish the relationship between Harry and Hermione and to show that she was every bit as willing as Ron to go that extra mile. Had Ron still been in the picture, it may have looked like she was just tagging along.

[mirrormere]

On the harrypotter.wikia.com it mentions that Dumbledore and Grindelwald dueled for 3 hours. Does anyone know where that is stated in the books?