Muggle clothing/Animagery/Lupin's income/schooling/Sorting Neville

[Catlady (Rita Prince Winston)]

No: HPFGUIDX 54974

Elisabeth, a rude mechanical, wrote:

<< On a side note, why is it that none (well, so few) of the adult 
wizards and witches are able to dress in proper muggle clothing, but 
their children manage it without difficulty?? 
>>

Many of the pureblood kids, who were raised without contact with the 
Muggle world (as per Gina Rosich's reply to Barb Goalieracer), 
probably don't even know that the styles they wear are Muggle styles; 
they just know that this is the 'cool' style among their friends 
(from whom they learned how to wear it). 

My theory as to why Muggle clothing became 'cool' among this 
generation of kids is that there are many more Muggle-born kids in 
the wizarding generation born in the 1970s than in most wizarding 
generations, because of my theory of the inheritance of magic (see 
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/41509 ).

Another theory is that when Voldemort was defeated (by Harry in 
1981), wizarding folk were eager to show that they had been in 
opposition to Voldemort by making a big deal of being friendly to 
Muggles, which is how the young children learned about Muggle clothes. 

Finwitch wrote:

<< I don't discount the possibility of taking many forms, even one of 
choice, but so far there's nothing to say that even the first form 
can be chosen by the wizard. >>

JKR has confirmed in interviews that the Animagus doesn't get to 
choose his/her animal form, but instead the animal form is a 
reflection of his/her personality.

http://www.geocities.com/aberforths_goat/October_2000_Live_Chat_Americ
a_Online.htm
Q: Does the animal one turns into as an Animagi reflect your 
personality?
JKR: Very well deduced, Narri! I personally would like to think that 
I would transform into an otter, which is my favorite animal. Imagine 
how horrible it would be if I turned out to be a cockroach! 

http://www.scholastic.com/harrypotter/author/transcript2.htm
Q: If you were Animagus, what kind of animal would you be?
A: I'd like to be an otter -- that's my favourite animal. It would be 
depressing if I turned out to be a slug or something.

I want to know, what happens if a person who has become an Animagus 
goes over the whole training again, from scratch, will heesh get 
another animal form, as in Briony's Polymagus theory? Can a person 
who is a werewolf become an Animagus? with an animal form other than 
wolf? Can a werewolf who is an Animagus with an animal form other 
than wolf avoid turning into a wolf monster at Full Moon by turning 
into hiser animal before the moment?

Oryomai wrote:

<< 2. How has Lupin managed to live if he can't get a paying job? >>

Not very well, judging from his shabby robes and scrawny appearance 
when we first see him in PoA. 

He might have a small inheritance or get hand-outs from his 
(still-alive) parents (whom I believe to have retired to a small 
village in Grevenna nomos of Macedonia of Greece). 

The British Ministry of Magic might give a stipend to 1) every adult 
wizard (my theory), 2) every wizard with no other means of support, 
3) werewolves who promise to stay out of the country, 4) all 
werewolves (the Werewolf Support Services unit of the Beings division 
of the Magical Creatures department should do SOMETHING). 

He might make and sell things (maybe free-lance writing rather than 
handicrafts). 

In my fanfic, when he left Hogwarts, Dumbledore got him a grant to 
prepare an updated edition of an old scholarly book.

Barb goalieracer wrote:

<< There has to be some type of uniform schooling for the WW...either 
through Muggle Schools(ie Harry)or Tutors(Malfoy's). And to get 
uniform schooling, the Tutors or parents who educate their children 
need to have the same standards. >>

Just because modern Muggle countries believe in uniform standards for 
children's education doesn't mean that wizarding folk believe that 
they need uniform standard for their children's education. Some 
readers think that Stan Shunpike and the young man who washes dishes 
at the Leaky Cauldron never got any schooling and don't even know how 
to read.

Finwitch wrote:

<< So, maybe the hat had a *chat* with Neville, tried to comfort him 
about his parents... I think the sorting hat liked him and would have 
liked to stay - it probably just talked nice until Neville asked it 
to sort him... >>

I personally think that the Sorting Hat very quickly decided to put 
Neville into Gryffindor, but Neville argued against it, claiming that 
the Hat had made a mistake, confused him with his father, claiming 
that he had so little ability that he couldn't possibly go anywhere 
better than Hufflepuff, and it took a while for the Hat to talk him 
into it.