One interesting idea I don't think I'd thought of, before, based on the rumors about Harry being a potential Dark Lord. Harry wasn't just a possible option because he'd (apparently) demonstrated considerable power...
...he'd specifically demonstrated more power than their previous, vicious master, and Harry would most definitely not be allying himself with him. Harry isn't just a chance at "world domination," or a replacement -- he's a chance at protecting Voldemort's former followers from a returned Voldemort.
Well, I think it's an awesome idea! Seconding the request for more fic from Terri (but I want more of both "Unlikely Allies" and "Headmaster Snape", so I'll be patient.)
I'm just surprised that people, grown adults, apparently thought it was something that Harry himself did, and also that if it was it might mean he'd be a dark lord. I mean, he was ONE YEAR OLD! You'd think the speculation would be more along the lines of his parents finding some powerful magic to protect him. And even if they did think it was accidental magic on his part (manifesting pretty early, too, I guess!), how could he possibly be a dark wizard at that age? As a baby, barely even able to communicate or understand things around him, he was already evil somehow?
"As a baby, barely even able to communicate or understand things around him, he was already evil somehow?"
To be fair, that's pretty much how we're supposed to understand Voldemort. So I guess it does follow logically, in a way, from the determinism in this series.
Those with weak nerves deplore Peeves' fondness for suddenly materialising an inch from the end of their noses, hiding in suits of armour or dropping solid objects on their heads as they move between classes.
But normal, non-pansy people are fine with heavy objects suddenly being dropped on their heads out of nowhere...? I don't think I've ever met anyone who would find that a non-issue or something that added "zest" to their lives. I have a feeling that JKR and I are coming from entirely different planets.
As I recall, poltergeists are often believed to manifest around troubled teenagers. So perhaps if they actually cracked down on the rampant bullying so that the students felt safer and less troubled, and didn't have monsters and mass murderers attacking the school every other year, Peeves would be less powerful. I wonder if anyone has ever tried documenting Peeves's abilities through the centuries and comparing them with various social factors at Hogwarts to see if there's any correlation with the degree of "troubled-ness" of the
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/But normal, non-pansy people are fine with heavy objects suddenly being dropped on their heads out of nowhere...? I don't think I've ever met anyone who would find that a non-issue or something that added "zest" to their lives./
Neither have I. Unless the people who don’t have “weak nerves” don’t mind the head injuries.
/I wonder if anyone has ever tried documenting Peeves's abilities through the centuries and comparing them with various social factors at Hogwarts to see if there's any correlation with the degree of "troubled-ness" of the student body with Peeves's powers, ability to manifest physically, etc.?/
Huh. If that’s true, then I wonder what Peeves was doing during Tom Riddle’s years at Hogwarts. Or during the Marauders’ years. Did his powers increase during those periods?
But normal, non-pansy people are fine with heavy objects suddenly being dropped on their heads out of nowhere...? I don't think I've ever met anyone who would find that a non-issue or something that added "zest" to their lives. I have a feeling that JKR and I are coming from entirely different planets.
You rule! This really made me laugh. It's true, besides. I can't imagine any normal person enjoying that sort of assault. But hey! this is Hogwarts!
I agree with Sunnyskywalker in that Draco (and the Death Eaters) should have realized what Harry’s priorities were when he befriended the Muggle-born Hermione, not the pureblooded Ron.
I don't understand. Harry and Ron were already bonding over their food when Hermione stopped by asking about Neville's toad. Of course Harry didn't know anything about Ron being a pureblood, nor did he care.
It's just that Harry and Ron bonding over food, and Harry picking his new buddy over another kid he also doesn't know well, shouldn't make anyone think that Harry isn't dark lord material. If, as JKR claims, they believe that purebloods have an instinctive reaction against Muggles, then Harry would have no instinctively bad reaction to pureblood Ron to warn him that this kid wasn't as good as a Malfoy, and could still be a great dark lord once he got some "proper" guidance. But after Halloween, one of Harry's best friends was a Muggleborn, so that would be a red flag that maybe he wasn't what they thought.
Well, publicly of course they'd deny the association, what with (known) death eaters getting thrown in Azkaban and all. If they came right out and said they thought he had the right idea it would make their claims of being imperioused (and not being a death eater and committing crimes willingly) look even more dubious.
And then after he does come back, they find out he's angry at them for not trying to find him/for lying rather than going to Azkaban for him, and basically considers them traitors. Suddenly he's dangerous to them.
I think they had a rather rose-colored view of what it would be like if Voldemort had won or if he came back, and then what actually happened was completely different. But at that point they were stuck.
So how many contradiction to known canon and pseudo-canon in these tidbits?
I count the following:
- known pureblood families not included in the list. - the timing of the Statute of Secrecy: was 1692 in Quidditch through the Ages, changed to 1689 in DH (quoted from Bathilda Bagshot's book), now 1692 again - Greg Goyle not listed as a childhood friend of Draco's, Theodore Nott listed instead.
Anything else?
BTW I notice the support to some of jodel's analysis, for instance that before 1692 most wizards were of known mixed heritage.
The HP lexicon also has this information on Hannah Abbot:
Ancestry: In a 2001 BBC interview, Rowling flashed a notebook that showed her notes on the students in Harry Potter's year and Hannah is noted as being a Muggleborn in Hufflepuff House. However, in 2007, Rowling said that she had always thought Hannah was pureblood and decided to compromise, stating for the record that Hannah was Half-blood (PC/JKR1).
I guess since the list is from 1930 the Abbots used to be pureblood, but aren't anymore.
That notebook was canon-shafted in book 1 already. She changed names and Houses of some students on the list. So I don't see why we should take the blood status as canon either.
----known pureblood families not included in the list.
To be fair, Rowling does say that the list came from an "unknown authority" and that "a larger number of families were protesting that they were not on the pure-blood list."
I believe that this list is meant to be Cantankerous Nott's personal opinion on the matter rather than a definitive list from Rowling. After all, Rowling's argument is that there's no such thing as a true pure-blood, so any attempt to identify the "purest" families is futile.
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Crabbe, Goyle, Wilkes, Dolohov, Karkaroff, Mulciber, Macnair, Rookwood, Jugson, Gibbons (as well as Snape, of course).
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...he'd specifically demonstrated more power than their previous, vicious master, and Harry would most definitely not be allying himself with him. Harry isn't just a chance at "world domination," or a replacement -- he's a chance at protecting Voldemort's former followers from a returned Voldemort.
Terri? Please say I've inspired some fic? ;)
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To be fair, that's pretty much how we're supposed to understand Voldemort. So I guess it does follow logically, in a way, from the determinism in this series.
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But normal, non-pansy people are fine with heavy objects suddenly being dropped on their heads out of nowhere...? I don't think I've ever met anyone who would find that a non-issue or something that added "zest" to their lives. I have a feeling that JKR and I are coming from entirely different planets.
As I recall, poltergeists are often believed to manifest around troubled teenagers. So perhaps if they actually cracked down on the rampant bullying so that the students felt safer and less troubled, and didn't have monsters and mass murderers attacking the school every other year, Peeves would be less powerful. I wonder if anyone has ever tried documenting Peeves's abilities through the centuries and comparing them with various social factors at Hogwarts to see if there's any correlation with the degree of "troubled-ness" of the ( ... )
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Neither have I. Unless the people who don’t have “weak nerves” don’t mind the head injuries.
/I wonder if anyone has ever tried documenting Peeves's abilities through the centuries and comparing them with various social factors at Hogwarts to see if there's any correlation with the degree of "troubled-ness" of the student body with Peeves's powers, ability to manifest physically, etc.?/
Huh. If that’s true, then I wonder what Peeves was doing during Tom Riddle’s years at Hogwarts. Or during the Marauders’ years. Did his powers increase during those periods?
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You rule! This really made me laugh. It's true, besides. I can't imagine any normal person enjoying that sort of assault. But hey! this is Hogwarts!
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I don't understand. Harry and Ron were already bonding over their food when Hermione stopped by asking about Neville's toad. Of course Harry didn't know anything about Ron being a pureblood, nor did he care.
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And then after he does come back, they find out he's angry at them for not trying to find him/for lying rather than going to Azkaban for him, and basically considers them traitors. Suddenly he's dangerous to them.
I think they had a rather rose-colored view of what it would be like if Voldemort had won or if he came back, and then what actually happened was completely different. But at that point they were stuck.
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I count the following:
- known pureblood families not included in the list.
- the timing of the Statute of Secrecy: was 1692 in Quidditch through the Ages, changed to 1689 in DH (quoted from Bathilda Bagshot's book), now 1692 again
- Greg Goyle not listed as a childhood friend of Draco's, Theodore Nott listed instead.
Anything else?
BTW I notice the support to some of jodel's analysis, for instance that before 1692 most wizards were of known mixed heritage.
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Ancestry: In a 2001 BBC interview, Rowling flashed a notebook that showed her notes on the students in Harry Potter's year and Hannah is noted as being a Muggleborn in Hufflepuff House. However, in 2007, Rowling said that she had always thought Hannah was pureblood and decided to compromise, stating for the record that Hannah was Half-blood (PC/JKR1).
I guess since the list is from 1930 the Abbots used to be pureblood, but aren't anymore.
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To be fair, Rowling does say that the list came from an "unknown authority" and that "a larger number of families were protesting that they were not on the pure-blood list."
I believe that this list is meant to be Cantankerous Nott's personal opinion on the matter rather than a definitive list from Rowling. After all, Rowling's argument is that there's no such thing as a true pure-blood, so any attempt to identify the "purest" families is futile.
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