[HPforGrownups] Re: Why Can't Hagrid Do Magic?

[eloiseherisson at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 43920

Bboy-mn:

> 
> First, as Animagi_Raven pointed out, Hagrid's alleged crime was not
> minor. Someone suggested it was comparable to a misdemeanor or gross
> misdemeanor, however, Hagrid's alleged actions resulted in injury to
> several students and the death of one, so this was more along the line
> of gross negligence, criminal negligence or even homicidal negligence.
> Legally those may not be the right terms but they are still sufficient
> to make my point. Hagrid was accused of a felon in connection with the
> death of a student.
> 

Eloise:
OK, it was me who used the word 'misdemeanour', qualified by the word 
'major'.
We have a translation issue here, I feel! ;-)

I should make it clear,
a) that I wasn't using it in *any* legal sense and that,
b) English doesn't law in any case have a distinction between misdemeanour 
and felony as I believe US law does (not that I claim any knowlege of the 
American legal system). There *used* to be a distinction until 1967 in Eng
land and Wales (but not in Scotland). We don't use the words felon or felony 
much in everyday speech, although it wouldn't be inaccurate: in British 
English, it just has an archaic (or alternatively American) feel to it.

In other words, I think you read an implication that Hagrid's 'crime' wasn't 
serious which wasn't intended.

Bboy-mn:
>In addition to all this, as Animagi_Raven pointed out, there is the
>one glaring inconsistency in the events that took place, and that is,
>the students turned to stone. Giant spiders are certainly dangerous
>and could easily kill people, but they don't petrify them (to my
>knowledge). 

LOON point. Although the students attacked in CoS are described as 
'petrified', I don't think they are turned to stone. Otherwise it would have 
been quite obvious and the trio and Filch would have found a stone cat, 
instead of simply thinking Mrs Norris was dead and needing Dumbledore's 
diagnosis of petrification.

I have been looking for references to attacks and petrifications the first 
time the Chamber was opened, but I can't find them. Where they are? Myrtle is 
the only victim I can remember, but then my memory is notoriously bad.

Animagi_Raven actually said:
>The student death [singular] was probably blamed 
>on the spider (but how did a spider turn someone to stone?)    

Well, Myrtle was just *dead*, not turned to stone, just as Mrs Norris, 
Hermione and the other attacked students were inanimate, but *not* literally 
turned to stone.

Eloise
    



Eloise



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