Love / Bagman / Hagrid / Erised / Religion

[sing2wine]

No: HPFGUIDX 34207

Eileen writes:
JKR said very clearly that in the fourth 
book the kids all fall for the *wrong* people.

This makes lots of sense - young (and old) people do this all the 
time. That's why it will be all the more poignant when Hermione 
realizes Ron is the best partner for her and Harry & Ginny finally 
get together. By then they will all have matured, we will see Ginny 
grow up and do something that shows her skill and ultimately the trio 
will be part of the same wonderful family....


Jo writes:
Cindy, You are absolutely right about Bagman and all your excellent 
points from GoF confirm that Bagman is just as much a DE as Crouch Jr 
was. I fully expect that he will be a big player in book 5, and that 
the "dumb jock" act is a cover for his true evil nature. 

This would also fit well with JKR's propensity to surprise us with 
the true "character" of her characters. In GoF, when Voldemort's 
speaks of having someone at Hogwarts - might he actually mean Bagman, 
not Crouch Jr.?

Ian Diddams writes:
Hagrid has now outlived his purpose in the story-line... he could
be a perfect candidate for the chop.

Unfortunately, I agree with Ian. I shall be as sad as Harry, Ron & 
Hermione when this happens. And I hope all you Hagrid Haters feel 
guilty when he dies a noble death and is proclaimed a hero. I also 
hope he and Madame Maxime get to have a meaningful and passionate 
relationship before it does happen....Maybe Madame Maxime could be 
pregnant with Hagrid's child....

Re Aragog & the spiders, Ian also writes:

...this episode seems almost irrelevant... rather
like the deathday party and the mirror of erised. 

I just wanted to mention that the mirror of erised has a lot of 
purpose. Dumbledore warns Harry that many a student has wasted his 
time before it (I must say I felt guilty as I thought of that since I 
am writing from work and feel like this list has the power of the 
mirror of erised over me...).  So Harry learns to exert control over 
his relationship with the mirror which contributes to saving his life 
at the end of SS.

Too many names to mention source here but I've been fascinated by the 
discussion of HP & religion. Where I work in Naples, N.Y. - there was 
an issue brought up by a Wiccan woman who objected to her child 
having to sing religious Christmas Carols in the public school. Most 
of the community defended this practice as merely "American" - as 
some list members described Christmas as just "British" at Hogwarts.
I just wanted to add another possible explanation: JKR may have 
expected a harsh reaction to Witches & Wizardry from the 
Fundamentalist Christian community and chose not to exacerbate it by 
playing up the Pagan themes. (Like my fellow Jewish Ravenclaw, 
Jenny,  I think of Hermione as being an assimilated Jew and I'd still 
like to see Kabbala taught at Hogwarts....) 
Bonnie / sing2wine