House-elves - SB's/RL's regret - Blowing up the house - Quidditch

[Amy Z]

No: HPFGUIDX 37208

Pippin wrote:

>What is topsy turvy about the Potterverse is that the Elves regard freedom 
>as a social disgrace. That, I think, is unknown in human society. Slaves 
>are always lowest on the social totem pole. That argues that Elf psychology 
>is significantly different from  that of human beings.

Pippin, aren't you the person who suggested the parallel to housewives once 
long ago?

I find Elf psychology very familiar:  it reminds me of women in the days 
when marrying stripped women of their few rights (they lost their property, 
their bodies became property of their husbands so that "marital rape" was an 
oxymoron, etc. etc.) yet remaining unmarried, or being deserted by one's 
husband, was shameful.  Fortunate women had just and kind husbands.  If your 
husband was cruel you were out of luck--but you would still be ashamed, not 
to mention financially devastated and homeless, if your husband left you.  
Why was being single ("free" in the Elf parallel) shameful, then?  Good 
question--but it was.

lilahp wrote:

>After all, Sirius, while indeed the godfather, is always beating himself up 
>about not being around for Harry.

<snip>

>Remus consoles Sirius that Sirius couldn't have done anything different for 
>Harry, since he was in prison

Could you give some chapters or pages?  This isn't ringing a bell.  I see 
some regret in Sirius in the "consider it thirteen birthdays' worth of 
presents from your godfather" (22), but that's pretty mild.  (Once again, 
JKR proves that she can't do math.  He missed twelve birthdays.  Or is he 
saying "I bought you the damn Firebolt so I certainly hope you're not 
expecting anything for your fourteenth birthday!"?)

Anna wrote:

>Which is a good enough explanation for the party, but
>it's also possible that they think the house *will*
>get blown up. Petunia knows a little bit about magic,
>and you know what they say about a little knowledge.
>She's awfully skittish.... Maybe she has reason to be?

Yes, she certainly does:  her sister's house got blown up (4).  When Harry 
says "I won't blow up the house" (2) he's just using an expression; Petunia, 
on the other hand, thinks "Sure you won't.  Your parents managed to blow 
themselves up with that magic of theirs."

Kendra wrote:

>Rule # 5 states "In the case of injury, no substitution of players will 
>take place. The team will play on without the injured player."

>I'm not sure if this rule only applied to players injured in the game or 
>players not playing because of injuries. *S*

It's got to mean players injured in the game.  Otherwise the rule would be 
that a Quidditch team can have only, and exactly, seven players:  no second 
string allowed.  Rule 5 suggests that one *can* have a second string but 
that the original squad must play the entire game without substitutions.  
(What an insane rule.)

We never hear about any reserves either, but Harry alludes to their not 
having a reserve Seeker in PS/SS 13, which to me strongly suggests that they 
have other reserve players and that it's the Law of Conservation of 
Extraneous Detail that keeps JKR from telling us all about the other players 
at practices.

But we do know that they play in the final game of PS/SS without him (17).  
Maybe they put in any old reserve who, poor thing, had to be Seeker even 
though he/she's really a better Beater.  They also could have fielded a 
six-person team (no rule against that) but of course someone would have had 
to have a go at the Snitch or else they couldn't possibly win.

Amy Z

------------------------------------
"Yeah, Dumbledore's barking, all
right," said Ron proudly.
    -HP and the Philosopher's Stone
------------------------------------

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