Glasses

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 95102

 "justcarol67" (who also wears 
> glasses and knows too well how difficult life would be without them) 
> wrote: ...First, they give kids who read the books a weakness in 
> Harry to identify with... He's like them in some ways, despite his 
> great success at Quidditch (which would not be possible without the 
> glasses) and his heroic adventures. I also guess, based on JKR's 
> remark, that Harry will get into a dangerous situation where his 
> peril is increased by having his glasses broken....>>>
> 
> The Sergeant Majorette responded:
><snip> Why don't they have a spell or a potion to 
> correct vision? Aren't glasses sort of Muggle? Why do Lily's eyes 
> need James' glasses?
>
Carol:
Interesting way of phrasing that last question, though I assume that
Harry inherited Lily's eye color (and shape) but James's faulty
vision. ("Lily's eyes," so often remarked on, seem to be the only part
of her that he inherited, setting aside her love, which is not an
inherited trait.)

As for the Muggle glasses (which Harry had before entering Hogwarts),
I wondered the same thing. Why do so many wizards and witches (Mr.
Weasley and Professor Trelawney, for example) wear glasses? If they
can regrow bones, why can't they correct astigmatism or ambliopia?

But it's not just glasses. The WW doesn't seem to have any better
remedy for the common cold than we do; half the wizards in the WW seem
to have either yellow or crooked teeth, or both; wizards may live
longer than Muggles, but they still have lined faces and grey hair as
they age (Lupin prematurely so, probably because of the ordeal of his
monthly transformation). . . . There are probably other, better
examples but I think you see my point. Yes, Madam Pomfrey can
instantly mend a broken bone, but otherwise it seems to me that she
mostly mends magically caused ailments, and the Healers at St. Mungo's
are specifically trained in healing magically caused injuries and
illnesses--it's right there in the name of the hospital.

My conclusion is that the WW is no better off than we Muggles are
regarding the natural weaknesses and illnesses that humankind is prone
to. In fact, we Muggles have contact lenses (for eyes that can
tolerate them--mine can't) and orthodontists and laser surgery and
Botox--we're probably better off than the WW with regard to these
ordinary problems and ailments. At any rate, they clearly don't have
all the answers even if they never have to deal with computer crashes.

Carol, who has thought about sending Snape a bottle of shampoo by
anonymous owl