House qualities + Dursley memory modification

[saintbacchus]

No: HPFGUIDX 36621

Elirtai writes:
<<
> I disagree with this, because I don't think competence
> is an inherent Ravenclaw trait. I've known plenty of
> people who got through school without the brains to fill
> a thimble just because they studied hard.

Yes, but wouldn't you rather think those belong in
Hufflepuff?
>>

My fault for being unclear. I'm thinking of a specific
guy here, as my example. He's adept at anything that has
some kind of formula - he's infinitely better at math and
science than I am - but critical reasoning is beyond him.
Most of our arguments ended in me shouting, "But that
doesn't make any sense!!!" He's quite able to learn
anything clear-cut (unlike me), but he's not good at
applying the book knowledge to the actual world. That's
what I meant.


<<
My impression is that Fudge *is* slowly getting himself
(and everyone else) in deep trouble. I think the
situation will become bigger in every sense than he can
handle, and that he won't have a happy end. That's a
prediction.
>>

I agree. Do you suppose he'll be killed or exiled? I
could see him becoming a tyrant in order to hold onto
power, but that could just be the lingering effects of
my Poli Sci class. :)


Gwen writes:
<<
I am here to declare for most Slytherins everywhere
(glares knowingly at the one person who submitted
answers), that we clearly have better things to do than
count all our greenness. We'd rather sit back and let
you other houses do the work.
>>

See? I *knew* hard work wasn't a Slyth trait! ^_~


Brian asks about three specific times when the Dursleys
were not memory-modded:

1. The pig tail - I don't know if it's the same in
England, but a doctor in the U.S. would have his license
taken away if he discussed any details. I'd be willing
to be the Dursleys would hound him until that happened,
too.

2. The owl on Mrs. Mason's head - I agree, it was
completely ridiculous to send a post owl into a roomful
of Muggles in order to inform someone that he may have
been seen doing magic. Cripes. The Masons didn't suspect
that something magical was afoot, though, so their
memories wouldn't need to be modified.

3. Blowing up Aunt Marge - Aunt Marge knows nothing
about magic whatsoever, so it would make sense that
she'd need her memories modified. The other three
Dursleys are painfully aware, though. I agree with Liz
Giz - they know too much already, so it would be
pointless to modify their memories. Besides, it's not
like they're anxious to tell the neighbors all about
their magical nephew.


<<
- Are muggle parents of wizards (i.e., the Grangers)
EVER subjected to memory modification, or are they,
like the Dursleys,now part of the wizard world and to be
trusted to keep the wizard world secret.
>>

I think they must be trusted - imagine having your
memory modified every time your children told you how
their day went! OTOH, it's possible that the Ministry
keeps tabs on possible blabbermouths. 


<<
- We have discussed the possibility of memory
modification on Neville, but is memory modification
santioned by the MOM for use on/against a wizard and/or
a muggle with wizarding relatives?
>>

When it's necessary, I think. It seems kind of silly to
me to modify the memory of an infant, but if Harry has
the occasional nightmare about his parents, Neville
could too. In Neville's case, it might be a form of
protection - if he doesn't know anything, he's less
likely to be tracked by the remaining Death Eaters.
 

<<
- If the MoM does not sanction memory modification of
wizards NOR muggle parents of wizards, then aren't there
an awful lot of muggles that know about the wizarding
world? After all, most wizards now come from a mixed
background of muggle/magic.
>>

If there are only 1,000 magical kids a year in the
British Isles, that suggests that the wizard population
isn't altogether very high. Comparatively, there are a
lot of people with knowledge of the Wizarding World, but
overall it's not so many.

--Anna (still wants to know where Aunt Petunia would get
Sorted)