Hogwarts a nice place? (Was Re: The Movie vs. JKR?)

[Alia]

No: HPFGUIDX 100367

"dan" <darkthirty at s...> wrote:
> How many of us, from the books, have the impression that Hogwarts 
> is a nice place, or tranquil? <snip>
> 
> <snip> In Rowling, that is to say, the 
> muggle world is an exaggerated world (at least, through the home 
> life of the Dursleys), and the magical world is a fair reflection of 
> all the problems of the real world. That is her inversion. You can't 
> use magic to be fabulously rich, or to get followers, or to get a 
> political appointment. You still need to threaten, bribe, cheat and 
> steal to do that in the magical world. Magic may be part of your 
> technique, but it doesn't seem there's an incantation to be 
> fabulously rich. Wizards just have a few more tools - wands, potions 
> and such - to bribe, cheat, steal and threaten with. Bullies have 
> different weapons/methods to bully with. <snip> 
>
> Perhaps it has something to do with the value placed on self 
> control.  A wizard who loses self control can cause things to happen 
> just thinking it. (Thank goodness we can't, at least not literally.) 
> And end up in Azkaban for it. That's fine, if people don't react to 
> the value placed on self-control by finding other means to acheive 
> their inner desires. So, there's a premium on good behaviour, 
> especially where muggles are involved. That being the case, hidden 
> Hogwarts is like open season on spells and charms not allowed under 
> usual circumstances. A bit unsettling, I'd say. The trials and 
> tribulations of high school with portable power devices in everyone's 
> pocket.  Yikes.
> 
> <snip> For me, Hogwarts is a place full of menace, jealousy and other 
> such things, but also of friendship, courage and so forth. But I would 
> never call it a nice or tranquil place. Even the architecture has traps 
> (the stair in GOF).


Yes, you're right, Dan.  I do not think Hogwarts is tranquil--with 
all those students and creatures?  Ha!  But there's good and bad 
everywhere; it's just nature balancing itself out.  Now, I think 
Hogwarts has many more redeeming qualities as a whole.  I mean, let's 
look at the experience: meeting people your age who are just like you-
-especially if you're muggle-born or muggle-raised.  These young 
people can find themselves through each other.  These lead to 
possible lifelong relationships.  The education received in Hogwarts 
is quite valuable, to be applied in and out of the classroom.  
Whatever you want to achieve, you have to put in the work.  To become 
MoM, you have to pay dues, same with becoming an Auror.  These are 
life lessons!  I don't think there's anything wrong with self-control 
being maintained by means of warnings or threats.  How else will 
people know how important it is to keep your cool?

As the witch or wizard becomes older, they do learn about political 
or racial strife, etc., but this is what becoming a part of an 
existing society where good and evil coincide regularly, is.  This 
just cannot be avoided.  With school bullies or other unsavory 
characters, I think that they strenghten you.  Are you going to allow 
this person to treat you a certain way, or are you going to speak 
out?  Look at Hermione: she slapped Malfoy when he wouldn't shut up.  
I think that a place like Hogwarts help restores the youth of the 
WW's integrity.  They walk in as naive youngsters and emerge as 
adults, ready to take their place in the world.

And as far as all these "unsettling" aspects of Hogwarts...who is it 
that uncovers these things?  I can think of only one person, whose 
curiosity seems to get the better of him.  One person, who at times, 
is quite irrational.  Harry didn't have to get put in detention with 
that monster Umbridge, but he couldn't control himself, could he?  
Not to say Harry isn't the only one, of course.

I think that snow15145 was trying to put across the fact that Cuaron 
took away the essence of our favorite fictional world.  We've all 
become so familiar with Hogwarts, but this time around, it wasn't 
quite the same on film.  But there is more to the WW than just 
Hogwarts, as we all know now, and that's what the Trio are learning.  
That's what Cuaron tried to express through this film.  But I will 
not defend Cuaron for too long, simply because he ruined Quidditch.  
*hisses*

Alia, who just can't seem to grasp the non-blabbling thing and hopes 
she made a shred of sense