[HPforGrownups] Re: These are interesting predictions

[Vivamus]

No: HPFGUIDX 120631

> > > moony myst bumped to the front this message from jo - Mooseming:
> > > 
> > > > > OK folks here are my predictions:
> > >  OWLs
> > >  Hermione will pass everything she takes, come top in everything
> > >  except:
> > >  Neville will come top in Herbology
> > >  Harry in DADA
> > >  Luna in Ancient Runes
> > snip
> > > 
> > > Jo again:  
> > > > > Neville however, will get an 'O' in Potion
> > 
> > Related to these predictions:  Does anyone else think that 
> Neville is 
> > going to be a Healer?  I had this thought after reading 
> OOTP and these 
> > guesses about Neville's grades would square with it.
> 
> Hickengruendler:
> 
> I think it is possible. And it would be especially nice, if 
> he is able to cure his parents. However, I just don't think 
> he will become a healer. Ever since reading JKR's statement 
> that one of Harry's classmates (not Harry, not Ron and not 
> the one we probably think about [Hermione, probably]) will 
> become a teacher, I think she meant Neville. Especially since 
> Harry's dream in OotP, where McGonagall is playing the 
> bagpipes and Neville is dancing with Professor Sprout. Of 
> course he just could have been associated with Sprout because 
> of his love for Herbology, however, Harry's dreams often 
> involve a lot of foreshadowing, and I'm interpreting this 
> dream this way, that McGonagall will have the command (in 
> other words, she'll be headmistress), and Neville will become 
> the Herbology teacher.

Vivamus:

The qualifications list for Healer seemed kind of like Med school
requirements, so Neville qualifying does seem surprising, but he has always
excelled at Herbology, and if he gets an O in Potions (not all that
surprising, if you think about it, as his fear of Snape has always kept him
back there, and Potions and Herbology seem fairly closely related,) that
certainly enhances his chances.  In addition, he has the strongest possible
motivation for becoming a Healer, and we have seen something of his strength
of will.  

I do like him becoming an Herbologist better, though -- and who is to say
that isn't the path by which the cure for his parents is found?
 
> About the predictions: well, the part about Luna is obviously 
> wrong (and in such an obvious way wrong, that JKR can't have 
> made a mistake, I really don't think so). Therefore either 
> the poster wasn't JKR, or she made some nonsense predictions 
> on purpose. And in this case we just don't know which 
> predictions to believe and which not. 
> While I think that Neville will get an Owl in Potions, I 
> really doubt that he gets an O. This is IMO as unlikely as 
> Luna suddenly being in Harry's year. ;-)

Vivamus:

I've been expecting someone else to post this, but . . . Why does everyone
expect that the prediction means that Luna would be taking OWLs this year?
I assumed mooseming was talking about next year -- just as if she had made a
prediction about Ginny's OWLs.  

Hmmm.  Going back to look at the original post, I see that she posted it
such that Luna's being tops in Ancient Runes would mean that Hermione ISN'T
tops in that area.  That could only be possible if they take their OWLs at
the same time.  Okay, now I know why no one else posted it.  Junk what I
just said.  ;-)

For those of you in British schools, is there any tradition of students
taking qualifying exams (whatever you call them) ahead of their year?
I.e., could a highly precocious student (as Luna clearly is) take exams in a
subject a year early?   It's common in American schools, but I don't see any
references to such in canon, and Ginny definitely introduces Luna as being
in her year.

Vivamus, who wonders why everyone thinks Luna is unusual, as she talks and
acts like several in his family