replies to: two weeks of main list posts; search for YOUR hand or topic

[Catlady (Rita Prince Winston)]

No: HPFGUIDX 84432

Caipora wrote in
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/83839 :

<< We don't see much - or any - abstraction in any Hogwarts class. 
The kids memorize spells, but no one ever says, "Today we're going to
look at the principle of similarity and see how it's used in several
basic spells." >>

I'm sure that the students are studying Theory (they even have a
textbook MAGICAL THEORY by Adalbert Waffling in PS/SS) and many of
those essays (so many feet of parchment) that they are assigned to
write as homework are about how a theoretical principle is used in
several basic spells. I'm sure that somewhere McGonagall gives the
assignment specifically to write about how Switching Spells must be
modified to Transfigure an animate object into an animate object
rather than between animate and inanimate.

Lola Laura strike-the-pose wrote in
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/83845 :

<<The Minister of Magic is a member of the Prime Minister's cabinet>>

Like some others who have replied, I don't think that the Minister of
Magic is a member of the Prime Minister's cabinet. Is there ANY
evidence that he is, other than the "Minister for X" pattern of the
titles of some cabinet ministers?

Ray Heuer wrote in
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/83888 :

<< I'm assuming that the WW recognizes the person and power of the
Sovereign (ancient instutions tend to respect each other, however
grudgingly), >>

I think they consider a Muggle sovereign to be not sovereign over
magical people. I think in ancient times, Muggle sovereigns had
wizarding advisors and champions to politick and fight for them, 
thus forcing wizarding folk to recognize the Muggle sovereign against
their will. But sovereigns gave up employing wizards even before the
Decree of Wizarding Secrecy.

btw, a friendly wave to the Lion Goddess of
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/83960

<< there must be a representative legislature of the WW, perhaps the
Wizengamot or something like it. >>

Yes, when I invented the Witchingamot (only a detail of spelling away
from a correct Book 6 prediction!), it was their legislature, not
their Supreme Court.
 
Paula "Griff" wrote:

<< Remember that Phineus is already dead, so wouldn't he have known
if Sirius had died? >>

I believe that the painting of Phineas is a separate person from the
real Phineas who is dead. It may have been a complete copy of his
personality when it was created, but the painting and the person
developed on their separate paths since then.

Kirstini wrote in
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/83963 :

<< I know all the evidence for Hogwarts being in Scotland, and firmly
believe with all the rational parts of my brain that it is, but as a
Scot I have two huge problems with the Hogwarts location. 
1.) Hogsmeade. This isn't a Scottish name. (snip) 
2.) If it's in Scotland, the Giant Squid doesn't live in a lake,
 it lives in a loch. (snip) I have my doubts that "Hog" is an
authentic-enough Scottish word for location anywhere in the country.>>

IMHO Hogwarts is IN Scotland but was founded and its surroundings
named by four non-Scots. According to me, Godric Gryffindor was Welsh
(despite his Saxon and Norman names), Rowena was Saxon, Helga was from
the Danelaw, and Salazar was left over from the Roman Empire (why
couldn't he have been 600 years old? Flamel was). Thus the non-Scots
names. Also, thus why I think Barb's fanfic was erroneous in giving
Scots accents to the residents of Hogsmeade.

btw friendly wave to Geoff in
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/83994

JKR said in an interview that someone reminded her that "hogwarts" 
had been the name of a kind of lily at Kew, but my Websearching found
only references to an herb eaten by hogs, and no picture of it. Does
that herb grow in Scotland?

Elfundeb wrote in
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/84010 :

<< would infinitely prefer Molly's smothering to the Dursleys' 
neglect >>

I think it is stated somewhere in canon that Harry much prefers the
Dursleys neglecting him to them harassing him.

Bobby Jones wrote in
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/84033 :

<< So the Penseive may come up in Book6 or 7. Harry may stumble onto
more knowledge of the past if he ends up in Snape's office when Snape
is on a mission. >>

I would LOVE if Harry found the Pensieve in Snape's office and
reminded himself how much *he* hated having someone go through *his*
memories.