Something I'd like to see in the Books

[oiboyz]

No: HPFGUIDX 83095

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "junediamanti" 

> All the same, I would have liked to see some ethical training in the
> Hogwarts curriculum. When it isn't appropriate to use spells, when
> it is. Is there any other effect of spells apart from the obvious.
> For instance, if you used magic to push some clouds away because
> they were raining on you, what is the effect of those clouds raining
> somewhere else and is it a good effect?
> 
> So what does anyone think? Am I just a stuffy spoilsport moralist,
> have I missed entirely on some fairly explicit treatment of
> responsibility by JKR, or does anyone agree that there should be
> ethics classes?

I have got to read that Earthsea trilogy.  I keep hearing about it.

A very interesting post, junediamanti-- the wizards in the HP 
universe do seem very wand-happy, and there's hardly any 
consideration devoted to the consequences of a spell.  Interestingly, 
Umbridge is the only teacher I've seen who ever voices concerns about 
teaching dangerous magic to children.  She teaches "the case for non-
magical response to magical attack", and questions whether Snape's 
Strengthening Solution is appropriate for children.  This seems to 
conflict with the reigning philosophy at Hogwarts, which is to stuff 
the kids' heads with all sorts of powerful and potentially lethal 
spells.

And there *are* consequences, quite nasty consequences, resulting 
from teaching extremely powerful magic to immature children.  Ron 
finds himself coughing up slugs for hours in Book 2.  Malfoy and his 
cronies get hit with an assortment of horrible jinxes and hexes at 
the end of Book 4 and again at the end of Book 5, when they are 
transformed into slug-like things and left in the luggage rack to 
ooze.  Harry uses his magical talent and magical objects (the Map, 
the Cloak) to get himself into all sorts of danger.  Think about how 
*horrible* a lot of the events in HP land would be if they occurred 
in real life.  Even the amusing Tarantellegra jinx would be hellish 
if it actually happened to you!  But danger just isn't as big a deal 
in HP-- think of how Harry, only 14 years old, found himself fighting 
a very fierce dragon in front of stands of spectators in a school-
approved event.

It's always been my feeling that being in the magical world confers 
some sort of extra strength of mind, endurance, ability to bear pain--
 *something* that enables wizards and witches to put up with (and 
recover quickly from) the horrible things that happen on a regular 
basis.

I'd love to type more but I have an appointment!  Probably just as 
well. :)

"oiboyz"