Veelas / Wizarding Elections / Elements of Founders / Mixed Up King's X

[Catlady (Rita Prince Winston)]

No: HPFGUIDX 99164

Just Carol wrote in
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/98797 :

<< Fleur's mother is mentioned, but she doesn't seem to have a father,
which again raises the question of whether there are male Veelas and
if not, how a girl could be only part (presumably a quarter) Veela. >>

I think that Fleur being quarter-Veela comes from her *father* being
half-Veela, because the one mention of Fleur's mother doesn't say
anything about her being unusually pretty for her age or looking like
Fleur. 

If there are no male Veelas and the female Veelas reproduce their kind
by sex with human men, then it could be that their daughters are
Veelas and their sons are half-Veela. If there are no male Veelas, it
could be that the female Veelas grow on trees and any chldren they
bear in the human way are half-Veela.

I *loved* the suggestion Neri made of Veelas and Leprechauns being
females and males of the same species, but I had thought that the
males of the Potterverse Veela species are kobolds or some other kind
of ugly underground miner dwarf who live in the same geographic
region, and they come up to orgy with the females every Midsummer
Night.

I've also considered the possibility that Potterverse Veelas are not
non-humans, but rather are a lineage of witches with a little
something extra: a built-in Imperius "desire me" and the ability to
transform to a big dangerous flying bird.

Geoff wrote in http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPfor
Grownups/message/98976 :

<< I'm not sure whether the minister of Magic is elected? Canon seems
a bit vague, certainly when Crouch is discussed... >>

I'm inclined to think that the Wizengamot elects the Minister and the
Minister appoints the members of the Wizengamot: a nicely
self-perpetuating oligarchy (tempered mainly by fear of riots: a mob
of angry wizards surely could do a great deal of damage; perhaps also
tempered by fear of duels). Giving the vote to the wizarding general
public is another reform Hermione could campaign for in her career as
a political activist (remember, her career plan was to do more with
SPEW?).

Adi wrote in http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGr
ownups/message/99160 :

<< We know that The Sorting Hat has elements of all the four founders
of Hogwarts in it. If Godric Gryffindor's element was his sword which
Harry pulled out, true to Gryffindor's essential quality which is
supposed to be bravery, what could be the element of Salazar
Slytherin that is hidden in it? Would this have to be pulled out to
defeat Voldemort or at least tame him in one more battle? Even if its
not used as a plot device I would even be interested in what each of
the founders put in the Hat. >>

I don't think the Founders put physical objects into the Sorting Hat,
but at least Gryffindor left his tool around somewhere, maybe in the
Headmaster's office, and I like to think that the others did so also.
I think they are a wand for Slytherin (since wizardry was such a big
deal to him), a pen for Ravenclaw, and a broom for Hufflepuff - meant
to represent a sweeping broom.

Geoff wrote in http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPfor
Grownups/message/99161 :

<< I'm interested in your comments on King's Cross and how JKR has
mixed up the station with another.

I know that in the film, they used exterior shots of St.Pancras which
is right next to KX but used the correct interior shots. I have one
or two suspicions in canon about the station - particularly about the
platform numbering - but would like to hear your ideas. >>

She said somewhere that she was thinking of Euston Station. Off I go
to Goat Pad to find the quote ...
http://www.angelfire.com/magic/aberforthsgoat/index.html

http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/quickquotes/arti
cles/2001/1201-bbc-staff.htm
"BBC Special Christmas 2001" "She wrote platform 9 3/4 when she was in
Manchester and wrongly visualised the platforms of Euston and Kings
Cross."