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[heidi8]

So, recent discussions about readings of the HP series have brought to my attention the fact that a lot of people here may not have read the two 2001 schoolbooks that JKR wrote for Comic Relief UK. In a few days, I'll explain more of the why behind this post, but I don't want to skew the results, so I won't at this point. If you've read the six HP

Comments

[jlh]

Someone above said something about elaborate conspiracy theories and while I wouldn't go that far, I do think there is important knowledge in them. I definitely think all that background about being a creature or not and the unicorns is crucial for understanding why some of the beings would want to put their lot in with Voldemort. Given Remus and Hagrid's missions, and the symbolic destruction of that statue in the MoM, I bet the magical creatures book is key.

The thing about QTTA is that it's so much more than Quidditch, about which I couldn't care less for the most part. But that glimpse into wizarding history-I mean, look at Tess' fic!

[a_t_rain]

Oh yeah, I think things that are stated outright in FB and QttA are definitely canon -- e.g., that a person can become a werewolf only when bitten by one. What I would consider not-canon are more complicated theories extrapolated from statements in the textbooks plus additional information from elsewhere. I've seen people posit, for example, that since FB states that the Ministry classifies werewolves in the Beasts Division, and since GoF states that no non-human creature is allowed to carry a wand, then it is an Absolute Canon Fact that Lupin has been breaking the law ever since he started Hogwarts and would be thrown into Azkaban if the Ministry caught him at it. No, I'd say the obvious conclusion is that JKR made these statements in separate books, for separate reasons, and probably didn't think about the possible implications if you put them together.

[shaggydogstail]

I've seen people posit, for example, that since FB states that the Ministry classifies werewolves in the Beasts Division, and since GoF states that no non-human creature is allowed to carry a wand, then it is an Absolute Canon Fact that Lupin has been breaking the law ever since he started Hogwarts

Huh? FB says that there is a Werewolf Support Services office in the Being Division and a Werewolf Registry and Capture Unit in the Beasts Division, so I'd conclude that they are variously considered beasts and beings (humans, in this case of course). In fact, the confused legal position of werewolves was sort of the point as far as I can tell. It fits in with the way some wizards treat werewolves as ordinary humans with an affliction, yet others refer to them as 'half-breeds.'

Here from Daily Snitch

[bizarity]

See, personally I would take that statement to mean that Werewolves are not allowed to carry a wand while in their transformed state (since FB actually says that eg the classification only applies in transformed state and that otherwise a werewolf is as any other human). This makes some sense, although I'm not sure a transformed werewolf could use a wand even if it had one.

[ani_bester]

I enver read QA. I assumed it would be liek all sports books and boring seeing as how I was already bored with Quidditch in the books. Is there interesting Wizarding hisotry hidden in there beyond the hisotry of Quidditch? if so, I may pick it up next time I see it at half priced ^^

or heck any store seeing as it goes to charity if I don't buy it cheap.

[lls_mutant]

I actually find them most useful as fanfic resources. I've used Fantastic Beasts a lot more than Quidditch, but it's nice because it gives me some variety in the critters, especially as it gets tiring to always read about the same creatures in every fanfic, y'know? And that's really what I use them for more than anything. They're fun little books, but I probably wouldn't touch them much if I didn't write fanfic.

[kimmyblair]

I considere them cannon, because Lexicon Steve does. I feel whatever Steve says goes...

[shaggydogstail]

Here via the Snitch.

Sorry, I messed up and clicked submit when I hadn't actually finished my answer to the last question, which is why it looks ridiculous. What I meant to say was that Fantastic Beasts was especially useful to be for information on writing fan-fiction, because I've used the animals a couple of times, and some of the extra information about dragons and things.