Tom-Harry-Choices / Wand-Transformation / Questions / Wzdg Primary Education

[Catlady (Rita Prince Winston)]

No: HPFGUIDX 54845

Devika wrote:

<< I believe that all of the references to the physical similarities 
between Harry and Voldemort, as well as their similarities in 
upbringing only serve to strengthen JKR's (and Dumbledore's) point 
that it is our choices that shape who we are. Harry and Voldemort 
provide a perfect example of this. As Tom Riddle pointed out in CoS, 
there were likenesses in his and Harry's pasts. However, Tom chose 
one path and Harry quite clearly has chosen another for his future. 
Harry and Voldemort, so similar at first glance, even physically, are 
two very different people, and this is as a result of their choices 
and not their upbringings. >>

I agree with Devika and everyone else who said that that was the 
point that JKR was trying to make. I personally believe that she 
failed to make that point in this case, because to me the Tom Marvolo 
Riddle revealed by the Diary is very obviously a sociopathy, which
 the kind of sociopathy that results from slight but physicala brain 
abnormalities and is present from birth. In which case, Tom really 
didn't HAVE much of a choice. Hey, even Harry wouldn't have had much 
of a choice if SOMETHING (and I believe it was a Charm that Lily cast 
to put her memory in his mind like an AI) hadn't shielded him from 
the normal physical effects on the brain of a child being raised in 
such an abusive manner. 

<< The fact that Harry's and Voldemort's wands share cores seems 
to me to imply that there was a possibility that the two of them 
had similar potentials when they each began at Hogwarts. (I'm making 
the assumption that Voldemort's wand was the first one he bought 
before he went to Hogwarts for the first time.) Tom Riddle had just
as great a potential for good as Harry had for evil (Gryffindor vs. 
Slytherin). >>

Gryffindor versus Slytherin? Gryffindors can be evil (Pettigrew). So 
can't a Slytherin be good? So couldn't Harry have been good even if 
he had been Sorted into Slytherin and regularly encouraged to think 
about his personal greatness? Couldn't he have been ambitious to be 
greatly good? 

Couldn't Tom have been evil even if he had been Sorted into 
Gryffindor? I haven't seen any evidence that he lacked courage, 
altho' admittedly much that he lacked chivalry (in terms of defending 
the weak).

Anyway, I don't think that Good vs. Evil is part of the 'resonance', 
or 'shoe size', that makes the particular wand fit the particular 
wizard.

Sirius Kase replied to Devika:

<< Poor old Harry worries too much about whether something outside of 
his control makes him a bad guy, when we all know it is really his 
choices. >>

A few months ago, someone made the Excellent point (and I Wish I 
remembered who it was), that Dumbledore said: "It is our choices, 
Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities." He 
didn't say: "It is our choices that make us what truly are." 

"Show", not "make us". Thus JKR's emphasis on choices doesn't rule 
out essentialism or some form of predestination. It could be that TMR 
was innately evil and fore-ordained to do evil, and this was shown by 
his choice to do evil. 

Thus, it could be that Harry is innately good and fore-ordained to 
do good, and this was shown by his choice to do good. Harry didn't 
need to worry whether something outside his control makes him a bad 
guy when he need merely look at his actions ("by their fruits you 
shall know them") to see that that thing outside his control actually 
makes him a good guy.

Devika wrote:

<< Anyway, my point is that we don't actually know whether or not 
wizards can take their wands with them when they transform, and I 
have a feeling that they can't. >>

I personally believe that one of the MANY ways in which it is better 
to be an Animagus than a Werewolf is that the Animagus can take 
anything heesh is carrying with himer when heesh transforms, and a 
Werewolf takes only the clothing, personal jewelry, and prostheses 
that heesh is wearing. 

Devika, who is not the only person whose posts I read, wrote:

<< 2) What happened to the parents of MWPP, Snape, and the other 
relevant witches and wizards of their generation? Are they still 
alive now? If Sirius's parents are still alive, do they think that he 
is guilty or innocent? >>

Add to that: which side were Snape's parents on?

Shanna wrote:

<< Does anyone have thoughts about how wizard children get educated 
prior to attending Hogwarts? I'm not referring to Muggle children, 
because they probably go to muggle schools first. I mean pure-blood 
children when I ask this. Do they attend muggle schools too, or just 
get taught at home? They obviously have to be able to read and write 
and all that, so I've always wondered how they learned! >>

This question is often asked, but JKR never answered it. I believe 
that the Ministry of Magic has a law that parents are responsible for 
their children's primary education. The parents can educate their 
children however they want -- they can send them to Muggle schools if 
they want, but probably that is very rare. Look how ignorant of 
Muggles so many wizards are, like Ron not knowing what a fellytone 
is: they wouldn't be so ignorant if they had gone to Muggle schools. 
They can home-school their children -- I feel sure that Draco was 
educated at home by well-qualified tutors, and I think that young 
Crabbe and Goyle were invited to come daily to the Manor to share his 
lessons. I believe there are also many small wizarding primary 
schools, run by witches, sometimes in their own homes. Some listies 
have suggested a wizarding version of correspondence school, in which 
the children are taught at home by a teacher who fireplace-talks to a 
whole bunch of them at one time.