Hogwarts: A tight schedule

[grey_wolf_c]

No: HPFGUIDX 43555

I wrote:
> Olivia, we KNOW for sure that he didn't go over the maths: she 
> has said so herself any number of times in interviews. 

Amy Z asked:
> I recall *our* saying so any number of times <g> but can't find an 
> interview where she admits it.  I searched The Goat Pen using 
> "maths," "math," and "numbers" with no relevant results--can 
> you give a reference?
 
Barb added:
> I'd like this too!  Frankly, I've been afraid that folks might think
> I'm attacking JKR when I call her "innumerate."  I'm merely saying
> what I'd heard that she'd said, albeit second-hand.  I'd be very
> interested to know the first-hand source.
 
I answer:
OK, sorry for taking this long, but I just spent an frustrating evening 
trying to find the quote. And the worst is that I haven't been able to 
find it. I've racked my brains to try and remeber the context, but I 
simply cannot remember when and why I read it. In fact, I'm now not 
entirely sure I read it at all, although something in the back of my 
mind is suggesting I read it in my own language, which would mean in a 
newspaper back when I hadn't yet joined the group. That newspaper, of 
course, is long since recycled (I DO recall reading an interview with 
JKR in my own language. I'm simply not sure of what it was said in it). 
So, I think I'm going to jave to retract on those words. I can't be 
sure that JKR actually said it, or that my mind is playing tricks on 
me. Sorry.

Again, I started a minor apocalypse by saying:  
> Sinistra is a woman in my translated edition, if that helps. 

Sg. Amy Z (LOON division) answered
> Sorry, would that it did, but to the purist mind it resolves 
> nothing. Translators have to make their best guess, same as we do, 
> and AFAWK have no secret information from JKR.

Olivia added:
> I'd have to agree with Amy. Other discrepancies have been found
> between translations. And if we're all going to be as vehement about
> canon as you are, GW, I'd say, rule out anything that isn't in the
> English version as it's unknown whether it's JK's doing, or a
> translator's guess. The English language obviously doesn't require a
> feminine or masculine version of a word, while most other languages
> do. I'm not sure what language your edition is, but that kind of 
> thing could definitely be the work of a translator, unless -- going
> out on a limb here -- the translators consulted JK for discrepancies
> like that.  

Barb though: 
> I looked upon Professor Moody dancing with Professor Sinistra at the
> Yule Ball as evidence of her gender, since it seemed unlikely that
> JKR would suddenly do something so daring as depict two men dancing
> together at the Ball (::waves to slash fanfic writers::).

I did suggest that she was a woman because my translated edition said 
so *VERY* difidently, Amy, because I knew you wouldn't accept it. I 
believe it's a woman myself, but I know it's not canon. I was only 
putting it forward because not everyopne is a full-scale LOON (I'm 
myself am still working on becoming one, but adquiring scepticism is 
very hard, Someday, however, I will qualify. I look forward to it). 
About the only things I've got in favour are meta-thinking anyway, so I 
normally don't mention them. I'm going to make an exception, though:

1) Moody dances with her, and I don't think JKR would choose that 
particular comment to introduce readers to homosexual relations, as in 
passing. I'd think that Harry would find it much more shocking if she 
had.

2) She's a she in my translated edition. This doesn't count for much, I 
know, since, as both Olivia and Amy have pointed out, it's altoghether 
possible the translator made a leap of faith. In this case, however, my 
point is that, when I was translator (not fiction, but technical 
books), any time I had problems with a word/phrase and what the author 
meant with it, I had almost direct line with the author to consult 
(only two people in-between: my supervisor and a person in charge of 
forwarding the questions to the author in batches). In other 
circunstances, I'd be more sure of my point, but the trouble is that in 
this particular case, Sinistra, in my language, is very obviously a 
female name (not that it should mean anything, being a surname and 
all), but it would be quite shocking to find it preceded by a masculine 
determinant. It is the fact that the name is so obviously female that 
makes me think that the translator didn't bother to ask JKR. However, 
this takes me to the third point:

3) The name is obviously female in my language (yes I know I've said it 
in point 2, but that was a problem, while now is an advantage). It is 
so, not only in my language (which I think JKR doesn't know), but also, 
and this is important, in Portuguese. In Portuguese, I don't think a 
man would be called Sinistra. Is just ear-jaring, and I assume that JKR 
was familiar enough with the language to have the same problem (just 
like you'd find disturbing a girl named Tarzan, I supose).

So there you are, the three reasons are, as I've said, meta-thinking, 
and even then pretty circunstancial, so I can accept that a LOON 
wouldn't buy it. However, in this case I'm willing to accept that, 
until JKR says otherwise, Sinistra is a woman.

Olivia also commented:
> maybe there are teachers who simply choose not to eat at the staff 
> table. We know that Professor Trelawney chooses not to, for one.
> Maybe there are others who don't. Or maybe there are teachers there
> who Harry doesn't know because he doesn't have them in class,
> therefore doesn't mention them in his descriptions.

I know that is the main weak point on the theory that suggests 12 
teachers at hogwarts, and I normally remember to add the disclaimer 
"unless there are other eccentric teachers like Trelawny that don't 
attend the meals". However, we know that there is only one ghost, so 
there aren't Binn-equivalents to use. They have to refuse to join the 
meals (so look for other creatures that wouldn't join them. Is there a 
vampire as a teacher? Somehow I doubt it - parents had enough trouble 
with someone who'd only be inclined to bite their children one week out 
of every four).

Olivia again: 
> Question: Do Professor Sprout and Madam Hooch eat at the staff table?
> I have neither my books nor my notes in front of me and can't
> remember if they've been mentioned at meals before or not.

Sprout is definetely mentioned in the sorting ceremony of GoF, but 
Hooch is not. Of course, she could be seated in the other side of 
Dumbledore, where there are five teachers that don't get mentioned 
(except Moody, which may have sat on that side).

Olivia one last time:
> All this talk has definitely inspired me into trying to come up with
> some more definitive notes on the subject. It's a very interesting
> and thought-provoking topic you brought up, Grey Wolf. (I think
> you're the one who started it. So many messages coming and going, 
> it's hard to remember.)
>
> Olivia

It was me indeed, and that was the purpose I put it on in the first 
place: I like these discussions, and I enjoy them most when they get 
busy. As I said in the original post, I posted the full idea some time 
back, but no-one rose to the challenge, so I'm very grateful to all 
those who have decided to work out how that madhouse can work.

I am myself trying to work a workable theory, but so far I think that 
the only thing that would work would be reducing the time of the 
classes to less than an hour. Unfortunately, I feel it may be against 
canon, but I haven't the faintiest idea of were to look for it (either 
in favour or against). Sergeant Amy Z, Sir! (::Grey Wolf stands to 
attention, salutes and clicks his heels::), since you seem to be 
around, could you confirm or deny that?

Hope that helps,

Grey Wolf, who is very sorry for having introduced an unconfirmed 
rumour. He had had it inside his mind for so long that it seemed canon.