Potions/Charms - Foolish AD - MM as Mother - Prefects

[Amy Z]

No: HPFGUIDX 27734

> Cindy (who has observed that there does not appear to be a good
> weight loss potion or charm)

There *is* a potion, but I don't recommend it:  ipecac.

Great observations.  From your notes, it certainly seems as if there 
is no rule to distinguish what kinds of things one can do with a charm 
but not a potion, or vice versa.  Potions can also bring about 
transfigurations, judging from Polyjuice and the unintended 
cat-transformation in CoS.  Then, switching to another area of study 
altogether, there's gillyweed, which one would study in Herbology and 
effects a transfiguration.  As in Muggle areas of study, things 
overlap and there are often different ways of approaching the same 
problem--like learning both woodworking and metalworking even though 
many of the things one learns and can do with the two skills overlap.

Cindy also wrote:

>And the times he
> appears to be a bit careless (leaving the Pensieve out when he knew
> Harry would be in his office)

Though we may never know, I strongly suspect he made this particular 
"mistake" on purpose.  He didn't know Harry was coming, but once Harry 
arrived he could have shut the cabinet, and didn't.

As soon as I read Amanda's composite-father-figure post, especially 
the Snape part, I thought of McGonagall as a mother figure, again as 
the part of Mom that upholds the rules.  She isn't going to hold Harry 
like a mother, as Molly does, but if you break motherhood into 
components, she definitely provides some of what he is missing.  (In 
GoF especially, we do start see a softer side of MM as well, in her 
worry about Harry before the 1st and after the 3rd tasks.)

One hesitates to add anything to a post as thorough as Luke's prefect 
analysis, but here are my thoughts on Ron as prefect.  I don't know 
how the choice looks from the prefect-selection-board's point of view 
(probably better to go with someone well-behaved like Dean or Seamus), 
but from an author's point of view the possibilities are tremendous.  
Fred, George, and Ron tend to be allied against Percy and 
Percyishness, and it would create interesting tension between Ron and 
the twins for him to be prefect, especially since he would then 
outrank them.   Because Ron is very ambivalent about achievements like 
this (wanting a distinction but also not wanting to be like Percy, nor 
a rule-keeper), there would be interesting internal conflict as well. 
 As for conflict with Harry (here I'm assuming Prefect Ron = 
Nonprefect Harry), I think Ron might feel some even if Harry genuinely 
doesn't want to be prefect.  He might even feel guilty, having been 
envious of Harry and now having a status that Harry lacks.  And while 
Hermione is used to walking the line between being a good, 
rule-abiding kid and being Harry and Ron's best friend, Ron would be 
uncomfortable with that balancing act.  How would he deal with Harry's 
breaking a rule?  All in all, I think Ron would have to stretch to be 
a prefect, which makes him an intriguing authorial choice--it might be 
a good reason for the selection board to choose him also.

Amy Z

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 . . . Professor Flitwick went whizzing resignedly
 past them, landing on top of a large cabinet.
                      -HP and the Goblet of Fire
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