Too many topics to list

[Amy Z]

No: HPFGUIDX 19100

Robert wrote:

>Lupin's promise could also account for his not attacking Peter as
>soon as he transformed to wolf.

Lupin doesn't think too clearly in the middle of a transformation.  
Nor do werewolves necessarily attack every single human they come 
across; they must sometimes have other things they'd rather do that 
moment, like run, howl, or sprinkle a tree.  I don't think anything he 
does at that moment requires a rational explanation.

Robert again:

>Houses don't seem to mix much socially up to POA,
>an exception being Percy's Ravenclaw prefect girlfriend - I presume
>that prefects are set apart from their Houses, and have one prefects'
>common-room.

I don't think so--Percy is often seen in the common room (putting a 
damper on the fun, of course).  He does eat breakfast at her table, 
though (PA 13).  And we know prefects have their own bathroom[s], 
apparently mixed by house.

and again:

>someone objected to footage of The Film
>showing students with House badges on their robes, on the grounds
>that our friends see Penelope and don't recognise her as Ravenclaw
>by a badge - but upon Percy's first appearance in PS, it seems that
>prefects wear prefect badges.  I suggest that this is instead of
>house badges.

It's also something they just might not register.  They're looking for 
Slytherin, they're in the dungeons, they're in a rush--when they see 
someone they assume (hope) she's in Slytherin. 

Robert wrote:

>The electric broomstick, even the innovative design by that clever 
Mr. Dyson, seems to have
>missed the point...

Eh?  Explain?

Robert wrote:

>"I read them all when I was seven and I hated them" - unnamed 
American 
>office worker on the Harry Potter books (www.dilbert.com, List of
>Stupid Things Overheard)

>- on reflection, one also wonders why she read them _all_, in that 
case

Not to mention that she must be about 11 years old.

Rita wrote:

>Houses don't seem to mix much socially, but there are Doubles class

My inner nitpicker emerges (she's never far below the surface) to say 
that Double refers to time, not shared-with-another-house.  I asked 
the Brits some time back and they said so.  Also, Double Divination 
appears to have only Gryffindors in it (GF).

Rita wrote:

>There has been much talk of why Hermione isn't in Ravenclaw. It is 
>generally agreed that, much as she loves books and loves to just know 
>stuff, she loves even more to use her knowledge to save the world, 
>and that Ravenclaws tend to be more passive than she is.

Also, there are many kinds of courage.  Hermione has plenty of 
physical courage, but even if she didn't, she has other kinds:  she's 
honest with herself and other people, she isn't cowed by ridicule, she 
stands up for her convictions, etc.  I've known people who fearlessly 
ice-climb but can't admit they're wrong or express their feelings.  I 
wouldn't term them particularly brave.

Marianne wrote:

>And IIRC, there's never any mention of vegetables, other than 
potatos.

Sprouts (bleah).  Somewhere in GF, when Hermione's stuffing herself 
before running off to the library.  The Lexicon, Bible of HP 
nitpickers everywhere, has a lot of information on food (see "Food and 
drink" under "The wizarding world"), though it doesn't yet list every 
dish served at Hogwarts.  Steve will of course quit his job and remedy 
that omission.

I agree with Claire on "Marauders."  There's no canon evidence thus 
far that MWPP (my preferred shorthand) called themselves "The 
Marauders."  The map is the Marauder's Map, not the Marauders'.  (OT, 
Claire, you appear never to have seen "The Trouble With Tribbles."  
You must go rent it immediately.  It's one of the funniest hours of 
television ever produced, IMNSHO--of course, you do have to like ST to 
enjoy it.)

little Alex wrote:

>I don't think of it as a club, more like, a secret society, a bit 
like... The Dead Poets Society.

--who were American.  I think Marauders sounds pretty clubbish too.  
Does a group of friends have to be a clique?  Heaven forbid.

But anyway, it might well have been in character for them to call 
themselves that (though I prefer to think otherwise), but it still 
isn't canon.

BTW, "the Order of the Phoenix" has entered fandom as the name of an 
anti-Voldemort league, often with the assumption that it goes back to 
the 70's.  This seems likely enough, but it isn't canon either.  The 
name of the book isn't even canon, for that matter, until it's 
published, though Jo probably wouldn't have spilled it unless she was 
pretty sure she wasn't going to change it.

Barbara, Ron's birthday is March 1, making him a Pisces (Comic Relief 
chat IIRC).

Amy Z
for L.O.O.N.

-----------------------------------------------------
  "I like them.  They're nice, they're soft, they're 
 furry, and they make a pleasant sound."
  "So would an ermine violin, Doctor, but I see no 
 advantage in having one." 
     --McCoy and Spock, "The Trouble with Tribbles"

  "Storage compartments?  Storage compartments?"
                             --Kirk, ditto
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