Quills

[finwitch]

No: HPFGUIDX 117463


> Steve wrote:
> >So, back to Hogwarts, I can't imagine modern muggle kids putting up
> >with the tedious struggle of writing with quills; messy, slow, and
> >tedious. Personally I would have smuggled in a pen, and if the
> >teachers objected, perhaps they like the nice calligraphic writing
> >style of quills, I would have switched to a nice calligraphy tipped
> >fountain pen.

Ffred replied:
 
> That's if WW quills work in the same way as Muggle ones, of course.
> 
> There may well be magic that keeps them sharp (Umbridge-style...) 
or ensures
> that they hold more ink than your standard bit of feather otherwise 
would.
> 
> There may be exam regulations (the educational establishment being 
notorious
> for that kind of thing) which require the paper to be written with 
a quill.
> 
> And it may even be that there is some magical work (Ancient Runes 
for
> example) that just wouldn't work if it was inscribed with a biro.

Finwitch:

I have something to say: Quills are environment-friendly!

After all, the quill is a feather of a bird and therefore not in 
anyway consuming environment Nor does producing a quill require 
pollution or mining (plastic or metal).

After ink is used:
Our pens either must be thrown away once the ink is used, or change 
the ink-container (tricky business) and throw away the old one. And 
become rubbish - and part of the ink is wasted!

With Quills, you just refill your ink-bottle. (which might be 
magically refilling itself).

Also, Wizards have special inks - Invisible, Colour-changing, green...

And of course, wizard CAN use copy+paste (I recall Fred/George saying 
to use this option when writing lines for Binns in detention), 
possibly cut+paste as well. 

Oh, and Quills don't roll over like pens do...

In addition, it's not just the Quill, but *parchment* they're writing 
on. No need to cut down trees for paper, then...

Magical benefits:

I'd imagine that ink-filled ball-pointed pen is more difficult to 
charm flying than a feather of a bird.

Quills can be specially charmed: Quick Quotes Quill, Anti-cheating 
Charmed Quills for exams, the horrible Blood Quill...

It's entirely possible that QQQ enables you to put your thoughts into 
words, properly spelled with correct grammar - even if you don't know 
how to write yourself. Now THAT would be one handy tool for an 
illiterate wizard, would it not? (My guess: Aberforth has one, and  
Albus can tell that he uses it when he's sending letters).

What comes to Ancient Runes, well, whether they're like Nordic (or 
Viking) Runes or something like Chinese/Japanese, I think they are 
indeed easier to form with a Quill than with a pen.

Finwitch