Some mistakes in book1???

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 47794

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., Maria Kirilenko <maria_kirilenko at y...> wrote:

> MARIA:
> Hi, this is my first post...
> 
> I was flipping through PS/SS the other day and found some things
that might be mistakes.
> 
> 1. How could Fluffy bite Snape's leg? Fluffy is supposed to be a dog
that "took up the entire space between the floor and the ceiling."
Wouldn't it be rather hard for it to bite Snape's *leg*? If I were
that dog, I'd probably just bite his head off.
-end this part-

bboy_mn:
That assumes he was standing up, and standing under the dog. What if
he had fallen down? What if he stumbled as he was scrambling toward
the door? While your point is valid, it's not hard to imagine
potential alternatives where the dog could have grabbed his leg. It's
also possible that Fluffy is more growl than bite. That is, while he
is undoubtedly dangerous, he may not be as vicious or deadly as he
seems. Maybe Fluffy thought Snape had come to play, and chewing
Snape's leg off was Fluffy's way of being playful.
-end bboy_mn this part-



MARIA cont.:
> 
> 2. During the Gryffindor/Slytherin Quidditch match Lee Jordan says a
Bludger hit Katie Bell (or one of the other Chasers, don't remember)
on the back of the head. She's probably have a concussion - since
Bludgers apparently hit with a strong enough force to break an arm.
> 
> Are these really mistakes, or am I imagining things? 
> 
> Maria


bboy_mn responds:
If it hit her on the BACK of the head then, in a dynamic game like
Quidditch, it is likely that she was moving forward when it happened.
That forward movement would have softened the blow. Also, it's not
clear that it hit her square and blunt on the back of the head (from
memory), so it may have been a glancing blow.

Also, wizards and witches seem very resilient. Neville fell from 50ft
and only broke his wrist. Harry fell from a similar height (onto soft
wet ground) and was unhurt. He was unconcious because of the Dementor,
not because of the fall. That's the equivalent of falling off a FIVE
story building. Hagrid also commented that Lily and James couldn't
possibly have been killed in a car accident (paraphrased) with the
implication that a car accident wouldn't have been enough to kill them.

Just a few thoughts.

bboy_mn