Sex, Drugs, and Heartache (was We're British)

[o_caipora]

No: HPFGUIDX 83900

Grannybat overflowed:
> The availability of so many kinds of bubble bath and water 
> effects makes me think this room is the only one of its kind,
[...]
> Maybe in Britain perfumed baths are more common for young men.
> In my part of the Western U.S., Real Men(tm) don't use bubble bath.

In your part perhaps, but not F. Scott Fitzgerald's:

"... a warm rain began to fall, apparently from overhead, but really, 
so John discovered after a moment, from a fountain arrangement near 
by. The water turned to a pale rose color and jets of liquid soap 
spurted into it from four miniature walrus heads at the corners of 
the bath. In a moment a dozen little paddle-wheels, fixed to the 
sides, had churned the mixture into a radiant rainbow of pink foam 
which enveloped him softly with its delicious lightness, and burst in 
shining, rosy bubbles here and there about him."

- from _The Diamond as Big as the Ritz_ 

The story is set in Montana, which may not be your part of the West. 
Worth noting that the château - Fitzgerald prefers the French to 
plain "castle" - was raised by almost magical wealth, and concealed 
from the outside world, though not from airplane pilots. Limitless 
money isn't quite magic. Though it has its charms.

The story can be found online at 
http://www.sc.edu/fitzgerald/diamond/diamond.html 

There are differences from Hogwarts: the tutor with the Italian name 
teaches language rather than divination; the transport from the train 
station to the castle is by fancy automobile rather than horseless 
carriage; the enslaved domestic staff usually wears clothes; and the 
potions have but one effect. 
   
Still, it may be a source for Rowling.

Grannycat said:
> Certain purely physical injuries–broken bones, deep cuts, 
> burns–can be healed faster and more conveniently by 
> magic, but wounds caused by magic seem to affect the body far more 
> seriously and take much more time to cure, even with access to 
> Magical medicine.  (How many WEEKS did Hermione need to lose her 
> polyjuiced cat form?) 

Note that the magical injury to Dudley's behind was quickly cured by 
Muggle medicine. Presumably a wave of a wand could have dealth with 
that, though.

> Mind-altering potions and spells 
> exist, but so far they've been employed only for personal,
> ultimately destructive purposes (Lockhart's memory charms,
> the Imperius Curse, love potions).

Grannybat has brought up something odd about the magic. Some seems 
clearly beneficial such as the elixir vitae and the Mirror of Erised, 
but either Rowling or Dumbledore explain to us why they are not as 
neat as they appear. Many others are simply counters to other magic. 
The Patronus is great if you're being attacted by Dementors, but 
absent them they're similar to lawn ornaments in utility.

Granted, Fred and George's tricks seem worth a trip to their novelty 
shop. But nearly all of the magic described is rather like the 
services of the Ankh-Morpork Assasin's Guild: something you purchase 
for someone else.
 
I said:

> > In medicine and psychiatry it's easier to believe that 
> > wizards can get results Muggles cannot. 

Grannybat gave a series of examples of maladjusted denizens of the 
WW, and a tour of St. Mungo's that highlighted the ways in which it 
was more comfortable than but no more medically advanced than Bedlam, 
and concluded:
 
> The Magical World has no organized way to deal with heartache.

Grannybat wins this one by a knockout. Certainly she's persuaded me.

Coming back to Gryffindor's sword, it may be the only sword we're 
told about, but there's no shortage of suits of armor.  IIRC there's 
one in the corridor where the Room of Requirement appears, and kids 
are always hiding behind them or stumbling into them in the dark. The 
HP lexicon lists quite a few sets, and even a "long gallery full of 
suits of armor."  

They could be hunting trophies, remembrances of Muggles who attacked 
wizards. Else they're wizard armor. Armor against magic is bizarre. 
Amulets, yes. Charms. Voldemort conjures up a magic shield. But not 
armor.

The existence of many sets of conventional armor is either proof that 
wizards use conventional weapons, or that they do the equivalent of 
collecting scalps. 

Or that their decorating sense (or Rowling's)is medieval, and they 
ape Muggle architecture just as the Hogwarts Express apes a steam-
engine.  

 - Caipora