Latin, the "old crowd", Javert

[Elizabeth Dalton]

No: HPFGUIDX 30848

Thanks to Eric for the link to the article describing the translation 
of PS/SS to Latin and Ancient Greek! But as the article notes, 
"Rowling, who studied classics at Exeter University before switching to 
French, has strewn classical references through the four Potter books, 
and many spells are spun in Latin."

Soo... in the Ancient Greek version, they could leave the spells in 
Latin, I suppose (though it would be chronologically weird), but what 
are they going to do with the spells in the Latin version? It would be 
pretty weird to leave them as is. (And might not be correct Latin, 
either-- JKR did say that she did the research for their names on her 
own.)

(I think they should translate them into ancient Greek... or maybe 
Aramaic. That is, except for those that are in other languages, like 
Hawiian. ;)

"quasisnow" writes:

> By the way, what do you all think about the old crowd? What does it 
> do exactly? I am thinking that it was a group of wizards headed by 
> Dumbledore to fight against Voldemort's 'reign'. A rather simplistic 
> view, I suppose.. I can't wait to find out. Book5(fiveeee).

I assumed when I read GoF and heard the title for the next book that 
"the old crowd" and "the Order of the Phoenix" were the same, and, as 
noted above, a group of wizards who had fought Voldemort with 
Dumbledore in the past.

I think it's significant that all the members of "the old crowd" that 
we know (Dumbledore, Sirius, Lupin) use Voldemort's name, not an 
elusive euphimism, the way everyone else does. Does anyone remember 
McGonnagal ever saying "you-know-who"? Moody also says Voldemort, 
though of course it's really Crouch. But I would expect the real Moody 
to do the same (assuming he says anything printable about Voldemort at 
all).

I really liked Molly's comparison between Percy and Javert, but I think 
Barty Crouch, Sr., is a better fit. Percy still seems too small-minded 
to me, with his focus on leaky cauldrons, etc. (Meaning no disrespect 
toward the fine website of the same name, of course.)

Elizabeth
(Yes, it's after lunch here on the East Coast of the US... but now I 
should avoid reading any more digests until after work....)