Chat stuff, scabbers, character identification

[Simon J. Branford]

No: HPFGUIDX 3825

Susan wrote: "Might someone feel moved to compile all our suggested
questions for JKR's upcoming chat into a file? We could revise it in the
next 48 hours....all questions might start As a member of
HP4grownups at egrous.com......"

I want too know character ages - Marauders, Arthur, Molly, Bill and Charlie
(not least cause I am writing an FAQ on the Weasley Family and would like my
information to be correct).

I wrote: "Hagrid refers to Sirius as being young at some stage (I believe
when he is taking Harry to the Dursley's at the beginning of PS - at this
stage he is about 50). This would suggest that the Marauders are about 25 at
this stage"
Amanda replied: "It might also simply suggest, as we know later, that Hagrid
is older than Sirius. Such appellations often outlive their
appropriateness."

But as I said earlier, Molly did not know about the Whomping Willow - so the
Marauders have to be at least 7 years younger than Molly and Arthur.

Penny wrote: "Yeah . . . it would be excruciatingly like any graduation
ceremony where you've got more than a handful of students.  :--)
Also -- if you have approximately 250 Gryffindors -- how large would the
common room need to be?  And, would it really ever be deserted so that the
Trio can plots all sorts of adventures?  I'm still not believing this one."

I think 40 students (school size 280) to be sorted would take about 30
minutes (some are instantly sorted, some take a couple of minutes and they
have to get to the stool and then onto their house table). 150 (school size
1000) would take 90 minutes to 2 hours. Also they arrive in the dark
(Chapter 6 in PS makes a couple of comments about it being dark) - in
September this would have to be 8:30 pm or maybe later. If they then sort
for 2 hours (allows them some time to get into the hall, which would take a
while with so many students), then have dinner (at least an hour probably 2)
then it would be midnight of after before they went off to bed. 11 year olds
with work to do the next morning up that late?

Also if there were nearly 40 students per house per year then there would be
a couple of 6/7th years who would stay up very late (i.e. 2 am) - the
prefects would be friends and so would just leave them to go to bed when
ever they wanted as long as they disturbed no one. Harry and the others
would never find the common room deserted if this was the case.

200 people in nice comfy armchairs would take a massive room. Maybe not
everyone would be in there all the time - but it is able to fit everyone
eating their dinner in there in PS (troll incident). There are also plenty
of tables in there. It would be incredible - always very noisy - impossible
to get any sort of quiet.


Kelley wrote: "JKR laughed about Lily being related to Vold, saying it was
very 'Stars Wars-ish', so do we take this as a "no"?"
Susan replied: "An obvious no, and I really hope it puts an end to that
speculation. I think there are so many rich textured interpretations of
Potterland that we don't need the obvious ones..."

I am not so sure. JKR deflected a valid question with a joke. This is a
classic way of avoiding a subject you do not want to get into. Having said
this - I think the answer is no as well - I would be disappointed if it was
yes.


Joywich wrote: "How come no one except Lupin ever noticed while looking at
the Marauders Map that Ron is always accompanied by Peter Pettigrew?"
Amanda wrote: "Well, Scabbers wasn't at the school til Ron was, and by that
time Fred and George were just using it to check on Filch and Snape, pretty
much, right?"

Scabbers belonged to Percy before Ron. If I understood correctly, Percy got
an owl at the start of PS for being made a prefect and then gave Ron
Scabbers. So Scabbers would have been at Hogwarts before.


Dee wrote: "Who am I?  Sighs."

A very difficult question! Can you not remember (j/k).
I have a similar problem. I am similar to Hermione in many ways (good
grades, some sort of political conscience - well this was the case while I
was at school) but I was never into books in the same way, in fact I avoided
books for many years, I never spent so long each day working. Also even
though I played some sport I was never any good at it - so I cannot even say
Harry. I do have messy hair like Harry (even if it is blonde) - it stands up
at the back as well.

Simon (sending this without checking it properly as have a 30 minute walk to
my lecture and it starts in 40 minutes and I still need to get dressed - so
apologies for any glaringly obvious mistakes)