Discussion: Ancient Runes, Arithmancy, and Divination

[rja.carnegie at excite.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 19336

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., browneyes1420 at a... wrote:
> In a message dated 5/22/01 6:38:52 PM Central Daylight Time, 
> hermionegranger.gryffindor at j... writes:
> > 
> > 
> > Arithmancy
> >     More is known on this class than Ancient Runes, though we have
> > never seen a class in action. Hermione has taken this both her
> > Third and Fourth years; she tells Harry that this is her favorite
> > class. It is taught by Professor Vector, <one of> [sic] which
> > indicates that words may factor in this class along with numbers.
> > The homework includes a variety of complicated number charts, and
> > probably corresponds to Muggle algebra.
> 
> Daer Hermoine, I read that Arithmancy is the prediction of the
> future through  numbers and number charts. However, though this was
> the actual use of the  subject a long time ago, this does not sound
> like something hermoine would  like, I was under the impression that
> she hated divination in all forms. I agree however that the word
> Vector implies the use of (muggle?) numbers.
>
> Joe

Then he should be Professor Scalar :-)

I was going to say that Hermione (in the books) might like Arithmancy
because although it's a kind of Divination - or, perhaps, a study
of how underlying numerological laws influence events - it's the sort
of Divination where you get an exact answer, if perhaps not
necessarily an accurate one, instead of the vague hints that
Professor Trelawney likes to give.

Second thought: Hermione probably prefers subjects where you can get
nine or ten out of ten if you've memorised and understood the facts.
So do I ;-)

Third thought: Hermione doesn't like not being good at subjects.

Fourth thought: Arithmancy may be more scientific in style, too,
involving a lot of collection of data.  Perhaps, with sufficient
data, Arithmancy can accurately predict _anything_.

Fifth thought: But Arithmancy probably predicts that if you spend
all your time studying Arithmancy tables to find the Dark Lord's
weakness, the Dark Lord will get to you before you get to him.

Btw, Terry Pratchett's Unseen University has a subject called
Recent Runes, suggesting that the subject of Ancient Runes
is older - well, yes, but I mean older than Pratchett's or
JKR's series.

Robert Carnegie
Glasgow, Scotland

"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)