questions on FBAWTFT

[tub_of_earwax]

No: HPFGUIDX 96833

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "khilari2000" <hannah at r...> 
wrote:
> I was re-reading this recently and there were a few things I was 
> wondering about. As people on this board are good at coming up 
with 
> interesting, and often plausible, theories I thought I would post 
> them.
> 
> 1 What does the House Elf Relocation Unit do? If it helps freed 
house 
> elfs find work why does Winky not appear to have recieved any help?
> 
> 2 Dementors do not appear in the book. Does this mean they are 
> classified as beings? Or are they spirits?
> 
> 3 Ditto for poltergiests.
> 
> 4 Why does Snape not know where kappas are found? In POA he says 
they 
> are more commonly found in Mongolia, but in FBAWTFT they are 
> described as japanese water demons.
> 
> Khilari.


Now me:

Question # 1:
This is a very good question. Maybe Winky didn't want any help, 
since she obviously is not happy about her situation as sacked-by-
Crouch. Furthermore, I think she didn't even ask, as I think Dobby 
found her when he was going to visit her, most probably in a very 
depressed and maybe even drunk state. She probably didnd't ask, and 
even if they offered, she may not have taken it. I also think that 
when Dobby found her, as he said his thought were along the lines 
of: where would two house-elves be able to find work? Or, where is 
there enough work, and where would they be willing to take in two 
house-elves. Plus, they might have refused Dobby, as it is a great 
shame for a house-elf to be asking for money. 

Question # 2:
This question has also come up. Personally I do not think they are 
spirits, as JKR (or should I say Newt) would have mentioned it. He 
only says spirits (i.e. ghosts) are in the spirit devision. I also 
thought they were beasts, but then someone (sorry, don't remember 
who) pointed out to me that they apparently do take sides in a war, 
and seem to be able to listen to commands (up to a certain point, a 
la Harry's Quidditch game and their self-re-location). So this would 
classify them in the Being devision, as they apparently can listen 
to speech etc. BUT, they do very much act on "primal urges". They 
get restless when they can't "feed", and sometimes need a Patronus 
charm to "make them" listen, like Lupin did in the train at the 
start of PoA. This, even from a prof, who would be an authority 
figure here. They're more like really evil and scary cats, who can 
listen to commands and choose certain people in a way, but are still 
animals, and may attack on their primal urges. So, even though the 
best bet is probably them being part of the being devision, there 
are definitely ambiguities. 

Question # 3:
Poltergeists are a bit more "human" than dementors, as they also 
talk. They're recalcitrant nature can be seen as just that, rather 
than the "primal urge" characteristic of the dementors. They're 
probably like marauding, rebellious and very annoying ghost-like 
creatures. Although they might be in the spirit devision, even 
though IIRC Poltergeists never lived. But then again, this is JKR's 
world, and they might be different from RL. 

Question # 4:
I think Our Dear Severus was trying to find something wrong with 
what Luin gave as information. He might just say that to say 
something to the contrary of what Lupin said. It could be that 
Kappas also "went to" Mongolia, like Fries, which are Belgian 
originally, but can be found everywhere in many different countries. 
(not that good of an analogy, but the best I could come up with). 
Either way, it's kind of irrelavant. 

My two knuts worth, 

*Lara*.