[HPforGrownups] PS/SS Chapter Eleven Summary and Questions

[Tandy, Heidi]

No: HPFGUIDX 28391

Great summary!

> -----Original Message-----
> Questions
> 
> 1. If you were brand new to the wizarding world and a brand new 
> seeker and you read that the most serious quidditch accidents 
> happened to people playing your position, would you reconsider 
> playing?
Ah, time for a history of golf, as I researched it for a silly one-liner in
a long-ago chapter of Surfeit of Curses. 

Golf existed long before the split between the Muggle and Wizarding worlds.
>From one of the history sites, I found this - the earliest known instances
of playing golf was in the 15th century using wooden clubs.
http://www.golfsite.com/golfhistory.html Wooden shafted golf clubs were
handmade in various shapes and sizes and very expensive. Many different
kinds of wood were used with hickory being the most popular, hence, most
wooden shafted clubs are call "hickorys." Considering the clubs were also
easily broken, only the wealthy could afford to play. 

I also found this about golf balls: The leather cased and internally stuffed
(feathery) golf ball period may have begun as early as the 1400s or as late
as the 1600s and lasted into the early 1850s. The golf balls used during the
pre-1700s period may have been wooden balls or leather cased balls that were
stuffed with uncombed wool flock (the sajet ball?) or hair. The use of hair
or flock as stuffing was most likely a short-lived process as the flock
quickly lost its' resilience. Ultimately, early ball makers found using
feathers produced a lively, longer lasting golf ball.

A feathery golf ball? Sounds vaguely like a Snitch - even looks a bit like
one - see http://www.webcom.com/oldgolf/opfeath1.jpg or read about them at
http://webcom.com/oldgolf/feathery.html - clearly, golf existed when the
wizarding and muggle worlds were more interrelated and there was
interraction between the two groups. Further, even though matches were
played with Snidgets, it's unlikely that they were commonly used in
practices - it would've made more sense to use the feathery golf balls that
the wizards used while playing golf for this purpose as well. I believe that
Hogwarts, which exists in the Land Where Golf Was Created (Scotland) has
traditionally used golf balls in play, perhaps from St Andrews' course,
which is the oldest of the prestigious - maybe they traditionally send a
gross of balls to some post box annually, from which they are delivered to
Hogwarts, without either side interacting with each other. This is the kind
of transaction that could have its roots in time immemorial, and it's Just
Done That Way.

If you're still reading...on to the other questions!


> 
> 2. Snape takes away points for having a library book "outside the 
> school".  Wouldn't all the grounds be considered "the school"?  Is he 
> just being mean?
He's being mean, but possibly merely stretching a rule rather than creating
one on the spot. I've always assumed points are taken magically - in other
words, a prof or prefect says the words, the points are then taken - no
further action necessary. If that's the case, won't it have to be tagged to
a real rule, otherwise nothing would actually be taken?
> 
> 4. Earlier in the chapter, they decide that having flames in a jar 
> wouldn't be allowed.  Why do they not have a problem with Hermione 
> performing a charm to make paint flash?  Is it not the same kind of 
> principle? (Wouldn't they be much more likely to be questioned in 
> front of that many people than they would by themselves?)
It might be the kind of charm. A firecharm could be dangerous - a flashing
paint (and I take this to mean changing colors, not flashing sparks) charm
could only drench spectators in red and gold inks.

> 
> 5. For most sports events you have the announcers' booth with 
> microphones and such, but we know they wouldn't work at Hogwarts.  
> What does Lee Jordan use to commentate?  
I agree - a sonorus charm.

> 6. Hermione gets to Snape and light her little fire.  He notices it 
> and then she scoops it back up and leaves.  How does she do that?  
> How does Snape notice he is on fire, but not notice Hermione 
> crouching by his side?
Perhaps the creator of the flame can touch it, but nobody else? Hm. This
would be useful on snowfort-building-day...

> 
> 7. What does a Golden Snitch taste like?
A partriage in a pear tree?

> 
> 8. And a random question for anyone that has ever done a summary.  Do 
> you use MS Word?  And if so, did you add all those words it didn't 
> recognize?
Nah - I'd already added all of them while writing & beta reading fanfics