[HPforGrownups] The Location of Dumstrang (Was: Re: Focaccia and Harry Potter)

[Aberforth's Goat]

No: HPFGUIDX 913

I've just always assumed that Durmstrang is in the northern wastelands of
Russia.  I mean everybody who grew up in the 80's ought to know that tough,
cold & cynical bad-guys almost always come from Russia.  Germany would ahve
the resonances, but it's not cold enough.  (Neil said that too.)

Notice also the presence of a Bulgarian student (Krum) and one other student
with a slavic name: this reinforces the eastern block image.  It seems to me
as though JKR drew up a wizarding parallel to the old east-west stereotypes
(note the French as the arrogant independents!), then pierced it by having
Krum and (presumably) many of his fellow students turn out to be nice kids.

Baaaaaa!

Aberforth's Goat (a.k.a. Mike Gray)
http://profiles.yahoo.com/aberforths_goat