Padfoot's Breed

[annoni_no]

Rowling never specified what breed of dog Sirius' Animagus form was, and 'a bear-like black dog' doesn't do much to narrow the field of possibilities. However, if we assume that the transformation closely reflects the wizard's personality, and perhaps reinforces it, I think I might have identified our mystery breed.

Comments

[hwyla]

I'm afraid I disagree. I'm sure that Sirius' form is actually a Grim

[annoni_no]

Out of all his hires we're aware of during his tenure, the only one that was truly sound was Severus Snape, and that was only in hindsight. By all rights a potions classroom under someone with Severus' background should have devolved into chaos with students who couldn't respect a teacher they'd seen humiliated in such a way, and who would spread the story of Sev's disgrace throughout the rest of the student body. It's truly a testament to his abilities that he was able to maintain control of his classes, especially after he was also dealing with the emotional fallout of Lily's murder

[lynn_waterfall]

I don't disagree that he may have wanted to dumb down the curriculum. Also, hiring Hagrid as a teacher fits with what you say: he had the opportunity to hire another minion, and instead promoted an existing minion who was already as loyal as he could possibly be

[nx74defiant]

means more people under his day-to-day authority. I don't know why he wouldn't want that.

The more people there are the harder it becomes to have complete control all of them.

You would think he would want as many people as possible to join his Order to fight Voldmort and his Deatheaters. We were told how during Voldemorts first rise to power they were badly outnumbered. Wouldn't it make sense to avoid that this time? But how many new members are there? The Weasleys, Kingsley, Hestia Jones and Tonks. Not a very big recruitment. Dumbedore may be Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards and Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot. However those organizations are to big to have under his complete control.

I think Dumbledore is very smart. He needs to be careful. Don't want an elimination causing the board to kick up a fuss. He needs Muggle Studies to show he cares about muggles. Defense against the Dark Art, well he is the champion of the light and opponent of Dark Magic.

[annoni_no]

If your goal for a school is to have the children come out of it properly educated, an adequately sized teaching staff is absolutely essential

[lynn_waterfall]

I agree that having enough teachers is necessary for a school to work well. However, I don't agree that having enough teachers is sufficient. (Well, maybe if you had one teacher for every 3-4 students and the teacher was trying at all, but that isn't what we're talking about.) If Dumbledore wanted students to be taught badly, he could do that and have a few more teachers, if he wanted more teacher-minions

[annoni_no]

Of course having more teachers isn't sufficient. However, I thought I had already shown that the teachers he did hire were largely incompetent. Having fewer teachers available exacerbated the problem. It's a question of cumulative effects

[sunnyskywalker]

Speaking of the governors vs. Dumbledore and the budget, I wonder if maybe the staffing issue is more a side effect than a goal? Dumbledore seems to have broad, near-total authority over who gets hired and fired. But does he control the purse strings and determine how many positions are available for hiring and firing? Probably not

[terri_testing]

The OWLs and NEWTs dumbed down....

Well, Fleur was openly dismissive of the British system. Of course, she's a Frog, and what do they know?

Griselda Mrachbanks personally tested Dumbledore for his NEWT practicals in Charms & Transfigurations, and he "did things with a wand I'd never seen before" to impress her.

Whereas Harry got extra credit and fawning accolades at his Defense OWL merely for casting a Patronus, which almost all of the DA members--who were NOT self-selected for exceptional ability or precocity--could master once taught.

[oryx_leucoryx]

And it was a simple casting, no dementors (not even simulated ones) were around. Quite a few more students could have received that O if they had only been given the chance.

[hwyla]

Yes. The members of the DA all knew it in time for their OWLs, but were never given the same opportunity. And notice that Harry never pipes up to tell the examiners that he has taught several other students how to cast the patronus so that they would be aware that others ought to be offered the chance. But then, if it was an automatic 'O', how would Harry be able to beat Hermione's DADA score.

[oryx_leucoryx]

But that would have been easy to arrange without this unfairness: Have the practical include dueling. Not just casting spells with nobody attempting to counter them. Hermione's only experience with actual dueling was the Ministry battle. Even the DA only practiced spell-casting in turn, there is no mention of any dueling between the kids. Harry had more experience through fighting the monsters in the maze and facing Tom in the graveyard (I don't think any of his previous experiences contributed much to dueling skills). He also had quicker instincts. Hermione was OK at the Ministry until she made a mistake that gave Dolohov a chance to take her out.

Also, having a duel in the exam would prove Umbridge wrong. As it was, she was right, the kids didn't need (much) practice to pass the OWL. All they needed was to remember which spell was which, to point their wands and chant.

[terri_testing]

Dumbing down the OWLs & NEWTS

[annoni_no]

How many students do we know the grades of to compare their general classroom performance against their OWL scores? Hermione, IIRC, consistently had top marks except in her DADA practical 3rd year, and her OWL scores were largely in line with that performance (the unfairness of Harry having been allowed extra-credit not withstanding). Harry and Ron though seemed to skate through most of their classes largely with A's and the occasional E, even through 5th year. Come OWL exams, they both managed E's in most of their subjects. The jump in Harry's potions grade was even more jarring - going from P's and D's to an E. Just being more relaxed without Snape in the room shouldn't have been enough of a difference to cause such a jump in performance

[terri_testing]

Well, we know that Hermione was best in her year first year (Lucius twitted Draco about it). Minerva said in "Career Advice" that Harry was doing A work in her class but she thought he was capable of #. And, wanting to be an Auror, he indeed did begin buckling down for the first time in his school career.

And all of the kids from WW families would receive strong encouragement to do the same--those exams determine their futures.

So seeing improvement in 5th year wouldn't be that uncommon.

OTOH--we know that at least 3 teachers allow kids with O OR E into their NEWTs calasses--if the exam grades aren't publicly released, just Pass/Fail, then only the Head of House might know which of the students taking their NEWT classes had recieved which grade.

Slughorn, for instance, might be under the impression that he has 11 E students plus Harry in his class, not 10 O's plus Harry and Ron. And note that Ron's performance is so dismal that he doesn't even remember his name.....

[dracasadiablo]

Wasn't Padfoot living in and around Hogsmeade during Harry's 4th year? If he was a Grim (and really the size of a small bear) then I doubt even the most obvious wizards living in Hogsmeade would fail to notice him. IIRC, when he was seen people would just think he's a stray dog.

To me Russian Water Dog!Sirius sounds more believable then Grim!Sirius.