I would love to know what they actually learn in Muggle Studies. Does Hermione occasionally comment that in all fairness, stitches work for non-magical woulds?
Nobody can accuse him of not fulfilling at least that goal.
It doesn't count if you suicide-by-dark-lord because your headmaster told you to!
Muggle accountants would nab Sirius as soon as he made that withdrawal from Gringotts. Follow those pets!
You know what else is nice about the Sirius = Grim fakeout? In the ww, there could be genuine history behind that superstition, long enough ago that everyone's forgotten the origin. Perhaps there used to be another animagus with a black dog form who also happened to be a serial killer.
Muggle accountants would nab Sirius as soon as he made that withdrawal from Gringotts.
***But Muggles wouldn't be so stupid to let people who are constantly rebelling against them be in charge of their economy. I doubt the MoM has any insight at all in the Gringott's affairs.
True. (Oppressed and resentful, yes, rebellious no. And even that only lasted a few centuries.) But if they did end up in that situation because their grandparents were idiots, they'd be on it.
And they'd look into what happened to Ludo Bagman, last seen fleeing from the goblins, too. The goblins have to be one of the biggest unfired Chekhov's Guns in the series. We hear about goblin rebellions every book, spend most of GoF watching people get into debt and worry about the goblins, see a character run off by goblins, and then... see goblins not mention the sword's a fake when they might have and get cranky around Harry? Seriously now? All that escalation for nothing. I'm going to imagine that they rebelled the day after the last battle at Hogwarts while the wizards were hurting and distracted.
Definitely. They send out the debt collectors just when wizards can't possibly pay them back and in fact need loans to rebuild, then use the wizards' defaulting on payments as justification for seizing their property and sentencing them to work off their debts. And then just take over altogether, citing a need to stabilize the economy.
Meanwhile, the Dementors are still roaming around breeding... Yeah, all is not well by a long shot.
Like I said above, sometimes I imagine it being like race teachings all too familiar in racist societies with bogus biology proving that Muggles are more like animals.
But when you think about her reaction to Divination it's hard to know how she made it through Muggle studies. You'd think as a Muggleborn she'd be jumping up correcting Wizards and calling them stupid. But of course as we see with lines like the one about stitches, Hermione seems to share their view on Muggles already.
I love the idea that there was an actual serial killer animagus named Grim. Like, Carl Grim, the beast of Bristol back in 928.
Like I said above, sometimes I imagine it being like race teachings all too familiar in racist societies with bogus biology proving that Muggles are more like animals.
Well, considering what Voldemort says about Charity Burbage in DH...
"Yes... Professor Burbage taught the children of witches and wizards all about Muggles... how they are not so different from us..."
...it probably wasn't *that* bad.
Although I suppose that he might have been making that up. Charity could have been very pro-Muggleborn, but still not very pro-Muggle -- in theory, at least, a professor of Muggle Studies could use the class to highlight the difference between Muggles and Muggleborns. Voldemort wouldn't've cared about the distinction
( ... )
Oh, I don't seriously think it's supposed to be that bad. But logically, I feel like it would be. Though now that I think about it, Voldemort's saying she teaches that they're "not so different from us" could refer to a sort of paternalistic teaching. As you say, pro-Muggleborn=/=pro-Muggle in terms of Muggles being anything like equals. The books are filled with lots of criss-crossing prejudices, but the only one that actually matters is that anybody who can do magic and wants to fit in to Wizard culture is considered a Wizard.
Although considering the statement in Fantastic Beasts that "we are all familiar with the extremists who campaign for the classification of Muggles as 'beasts,'" there would probably have to at least be a discussion of the fact that some wizards do consider Muggles to be animals.Right, I mean, the fact that such "extreme" rhetoric is even mentioned in a book like Fantastic Beasts says it's not so very extreme, just against the author's views. (Of course it's in there so JKR can bring up the theme, I know,
( ... )
I agree that pro-Muggleborn and pro-Muggle are too different things. Well, if we look at the epitome of goodness Dumbledore, we see that he's very pro-Muggleborn, but acts in the most insulting, paternalistic way to actual Muggles.
Then we get Slughorn, who thinks nothing of appropriating a Muggle house--and has the paternalistic attitude toward Muggleborns. And then we have Lucius Malfoy, who is completely derogatory towards the Muggleborn and yet seems to have no prejudice against Halfbloods. Whereas Bellatrix uses "filthy halfblood" as an insult against Harry.
So, we're either looking at a very subtle variation among views towards Muggles, Muggleborn, and Half-bloods--or it's like Dark Magic. It's just whatever it needs to be at the moment.
Even Arthur Weasley (much as I love the character otherwise) comes off, not as a true supporter of wizard-Muggle equality, but as rather 'benevolently' condescending towards Muggles. And utterly clueless about them despite his job. Bad place for comic relief, JKR.
Muggles are prone to funny bumps on their skulls which indicate criminal personalities.
Hermione has a tendency to fold and take on others opinions' after periods of shunning or other threats to people approving of her, starting with lying about the troll the day Ron said how awful she was. (She could have just told McGonagall she didn't hear the announcement because she was in the bathroom and the boys rescued her. Lying served no practical purpose.) It seems like the only validation she's used to getting is for meeting adults' expectations of her - getting good grades, being outwardly obedient and eager, etc. So adopting wizarding attitudes about Muggles makes sense for her. And maybe she's so used to being labeled "gifted" that when she discovers she's magical, she figures that since she's gifted, and she's magical, therefore magical = better than everyone else. It's sad how the kids in this series have their worst traits encouraged and even celebrated.
Sionna Raven explained the origin of the Grim, and - it's Muggle! She says that, during the Black Death, if you saw a large yard dog wandering loose, it meant that all that dog's household had died. I thought that was an interesting little factoid. She added that these yard dogs were kept, basically, for their bark, not their bite. They were generally poorly socialized and poorly trained, but would bark at strangers.
Now, how all that reflects on poor Sirius is another question!
That's excellent! I imagine there were a lot of stray dogs.
Hmm... well, Sirius's family is dead, leaving him to wander alone, and given his mother's portrait's behavior (and the ww in general) I don't think him being poorly socialized is impossible. He might have grown up like the Weasleys, basically isolated from everyone outside his family - if they don't visit their wizarding neighbors, who would the snobby Blacks socialize with?
I would love to know what they actually learn in Muggle Studies.
Wasn't there something about a diagram showing Muggles lifting heavy objects ...which would suggest Wizards can't, or something. "Look at the poor Muggles lifting things, class! Remember we discussed opposable thumbs last week?"
Nobody can accuse him of not fulfilling at least that goal.
It doesn't count if you suicide-by-dark-lord because your headmaster told you to!
Muggle accountants would nab Sirius as soon as he made that withdrawal from Gringotts. Follow those pets!
You know what else is nice about the Sirius = Grim fakeout? In the ww, there could be genuine history behind that superstition, long enough ago that everyone's forgotten the origin. Perhaps there used to be another animagus with a black dog form who also happened to be a serial killer.
Reply
Muggle accountants would nab Sirius as soon as he made that withdrawal from Gringotts.
***But Muggles wouldn't be so stupid to let people who are constantly rebelling against them be in charge of their economy. I doubt the MoM has any insight at all in the Gringott's affairs.
Reply
And they'd look into what happened to Ludo Bagman, last seen fleeing from the goblins, too. The goblins have to be one of the biggest unfired Chekhov's Guns in the series. We hear about goblin rebellions every book, spend most of GoF watching people get into debt and worry about the goblins, see a character run off by goblins, and then... see goblins not mention the sword's a fake when they might have and get cranky around Harry? Seriously now? All that escalation for nothing. I'm going to imagine that they rebelled the day after the last battle at Hogwarts while the wizards were hurting and distracted.
Reply
Reply
Meanwhile, the Dementors are still roaming around breeding... Yeah, all is not well by a long shot.
Reply
But when you think about her reaction to Divination it's hard to know how she made it through Muggle studies. You'd think as a Muggleborn she'd be jumping up correcting Wizards and calling them stupid. But of course as we see with lines like the one about stitches, Hermione seems to share their view on Muggles already.
I love the idea that there was an actual serial killer animagus named Grim. Like, Carl Grim, the beast of Bristol back in 928.
Reply
Well, considering what Voldemort says about Charity Burbage in DH...
"Yes... Professor Burbage taught the children of witches and wizards all about Muggles... how they are not so different from us..."
...it probably wasn't *that* bad.
Although I suppose that he might have been making that up. Charity could have been very pro-Muggleborn, but still not very pro-Muggle -- in theory, at least, a professor of Muggle Studies could use the class to highlight the difference between Muggles and Muggleborns. Voldemort wouldn't've cared about the distinction ( ... )
Reply
Although considering the statement in Fantastic Beasts that "we are all familiar with the extremists who campaign for the classification of Muggles as 'beasts,'" there would probably have to at least be a discussion of the fact that some wizards do consider Muggles to be animals.Right, I mean, the fact that such "extreme" rhetoric is even mentioned in a book like Fantastic Beasts says it's not so very extreme, just against the author's views. (Of course it's in there so JKR can bring up the theme, I know, ( ... )
Reply
Then we get Slughorn, who thinks nothing of appropriating a Muggle house--and has the paternalistic attitude toward Muggleborns. And then we have Lucius Malfoy, who is completely derogatory towards the Muggleborn and yet seems to have no prejudice against Halfbloods. Whereas Bellatrix uses "filthy halfblood" as an insult against Harry.
So, we're either looking at a very subtle variation among views towards Muggles, Muggleborn, and Half-bloods--or it's like Dark Magic. It's just whatever it needs to be at the moment.
Reply
Reply
Hermione has a tendency to fold and take on others opinions' after periods of shunning or other threats to people approving of her, starting with lying about the troll the day Ron said how awful she was. (She could have just told McGonagall she didn't hear the announcement because she was in the bathroom and the boys rescued her. Lying served no practical purpose.) It seems like the only validation she's used to getting is for meeting adults' expectations of her - getting good grades, being outwardly obedient and eager, etc. So adopting wizarding attitudes about Muggles makes sense for her. And maybe she's so used to being labeled "gifted" that when she discovers she's magical, she figures that since she's gifted, and she's magical, therefore magical = better than everyone else. It's sad how the kids in this series have their worst traits encouraged and even celebrated.
Reply
Now, how all that reflects on poor Sirius is another question!
Reply
Reply
Hmm... well, Sirius's family is dead, leaving him to wander alone, and given his mother's portrait's behavior (and the ww in general) I don't think him being poorly socialized is impossible. He might have grown up like the Weasleys, basically isolated from everyone outside his family - if they don't visit their wizarding neighbors, who would the snobby Blacks socialize with?
Reply
Wasn't there something about a diagram showing Muggles lifting heavy objects ...which would suggest Wizards can't, or something. "Look at the poor Muggles lifting things, class! Remember we discussed opposable thumbs last week?"
Reply
Leave a comment