JKR as Butler; James' Blood Status; Mea Culpa on Wagga Wagga; Werewolf Cure

[Phyllis]

No: HPFGUIDX 58532

Hanna wrote:

> I find that J.K.R. has kept character descriptions vague for a 
> couple of reasons. <snip> The details were left sparce to 
> boost our imaginations, but the plot remains thick because that's 
> what really matters most!

Now me:

There's a terrific essay on the Lexicon on this very topic (JKR 
as "butler"):

http://www.i2k.com/~svderark/lexicon/descriptions.html

I agree with you that JKR's details are sparse at times, and I think 
she keeps them limited in order to keep the plot moving at its 
terrific pace.  However, it's not as if she leaves us with no details 
about what places or persons look like; she just does it in a way 
that's extremely subtle.  The descriptions are woven into the story, 
so they don't slow you down, they're just part of the movement of the 
plot (e.g., Lucius' cold grey eyes are referenced as he glares at 
Dumbledore; Dudley's fat bottom is referenced as he clutches it while 
running out of the room when faced with the Weasleys; Hermione's 
large teeth are referenced when hit with Malfoy's hex; Ron's 
freckles, red hair and long nose are referenced when the Polyjuice 
Potion starts to wear off, I could go on and on...).  In contrast, 
for example, I just finished Margaret Atwood's "Oryx and Crake," and 
the only description she gives of Crake is that he's: (1) thin; (2) 
wears dark clothing; and (3) hasn't lost his hair as he ages.  That's 
it!

Linda asked:

> Do we know from canon that James Potter was a pure blood?

Now me:

Canon doesn't tell us whether or not James Potter was a pure blood.  
I believe that Bowman Wright was one of James Potter's ancestors 
(based on the statement in QTTA that Wright was from Godric's Hollow, 
where the Potters were living when Voldemort attacked them).  So, 
assuming this is correct, and assuming the Chocolate Frog card about 
Wright is also correct, James would not be a pure blood (since 
Wright's Chocolate Frog card states that Wright was born to a non-
wizard father and a witch).  But this conclusion requires a lot of 
assumptions, and I'm not sure how much stock to put in the Chocolate 
Frog cards (although reportedly JKR approved them).

Pippin wrote (in response to my saying that "Wagga Wagga" was a made-
up name):

> Lockhart did not invent Wagga Wagga and neither did JKR. It is 
> a real place.

Me again:

Whoops!  I should have known better than to make such an assumption 
before doing my homework.  My apologies.

Serena wrote:

> Most likely, Lockhart charmed this wizard early in his research so 
> he could take credit for it. So the one wizard who maybe could have 
> cured all the werewolves in the world doesn't remember how. This 
> goes to show just how truly depraved Lockhart was.

Me again:

This is a terrific theory – much better than my "he made it all up" 
one!  I had never thought about it this way – thanks for the insight!

~Phyllis