replies to: 1500-some posts, scroll for your name or topic

[Catlady (Rita Prince Winston)]

No: HPFGUIDX 115823


I've been away from this beloved list for a while, due to my annoying
job requiring night and weekend overtime work lately (and I'm in a pay
grade that doesn't get paid by the hour). I last was on list September
20, post number 113448. This weekend I have read up to 114810 of
115822 from October 4. So my comments are made without having yet seen
the latest thousand posts.

It seems to me that there has lately been a tremendous number of posts
which did not snip the unnecessary parts of the quoted material.

Phoenixgod2000 wrote in
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/114025:

<< I agree that Rowling was using a fairy-tale trope with the
Philosopher's stone but as the books became more realistic, Harry's
relatives stopped being the evil step-parents and started being
abusive. To me that makes Dumbledore look bad. I don't see how his
leaving Harry with the Dursleys could have possibly, *realistically*,
be seen as anything other than a terrible act. It stretches credulity,
but I'm still not sure how to justify it in my mind. >>

Some people have already replied to that Phoenixgod's post, but I
believe that that question was best answered by Pippin in post
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/96244 .

KJ wrote in http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGro
wnups/message/114035 :

<< 4. Suppose the wording of the prophecy was changed to read "neither
can live *if* the other survives". Not much difference but it changes
the whole meaning. >>

I was expecting a prophecy, but I expected it to say "neither can
*die* while the other survives", thus explaining Dumbledore's
reluctance to let Harry know about it.

Bex wrote in http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGr
ownups/message/114040 :

<< This is a VACATION for Arthur and the boys and Ginny! But Molly has
to stay at home, tending the house, shopping for school, and enjoying
the peace. She doesn't even get a real break, just a break in the
chaos. >>

Molly's vacation comes AFTER September 1, when the young-uns have been
packed off to school and the older ones have gone back to work.

By now everyone has forgotten this thread, but I felt sorry for
EVERYONE in the dress robes conversation (Ron faced with such horrible
robes, Molly embarrassed by her poverty, AND Harry embarrassed by
overhearing it), and I don't understand why Molly can't sew when she
can knit, but apparently she can't.

Caesian wrote in
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/114043 :

<<There is one (and only one, I think) other prominent Underground
local which has been mentioned thus far, and it is strongly associated
with Hagrid. Though odd and fantastical, this place has been
completely ignored since first mentioned in passing in PS: the
underground entrance to Hogwarts from the lake. That little cove in
the wall of the cliff with the underground staircase that the first
years come to in the boats. >>

Another prominent underground locale is Gringotts bank's vault, said
to be miles under Muggle London.  

Kim wrote in http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGr
ownups/message/114091 :

<< Has anyone wondered though why Harry is such a well-adjusted child
despite all the emotional abuse from the Dursleys from (it seems) the
time he was only one yr. old? I mean, the poor kid doesn't have a
friend in the world, not even a dog or cat, til he goes to Hogwarts.>>

Yes. And I have a theory. I think I think Lily was able, with her
magic, to put an image of herself in her baby's mind, that would be
like an 'imaginary mum' (by analogy with 'imaginary friend') who would
cuddle Harry and tell him that he's a good kid who doesn't deserve
Dursley abuse and tell him about how decent people behave, thus being
that one caring adult ("example of goodness" in previous paragraph)
said to be necessary to even a 'resilient' child's survival of serious
abuse... I kind of think Lily used her last magic to put this image in
his head intentionally, instead of using her last magic in one last
attempt to escape Voldemort. That is the heroic self-sacrifce that
canon credits her, accepting her own death because it was more
important to her to give this protection (from abusive Dursleys) of
her love. I don't know why she would do that if she really believed
that he would be dead seconds after she was, so I am left sympathetic
to the theories that Harry survived AK because of some magic that had
been done on him (presumably by Lily) or that he had been born with. 

When Harry resisted the Imperius Curse, the Curse's Moody-voice in his
head told him to jump up on the desk, and "another voice had awoken in
the back of his brain. Stupid to do, really, said the voice." I
believe that that other voice is what's left of the image-Lily after
all these years; she doesn't appear often, she appears as Harry's
voice instead of her own, but she still is caring for Harry -- and
still has free will.

In addition, so far we've always seen Harry wondering and trying to
find out about his father, and not about his mother. Some say that's a
plot device because JKR is saving some big surprise about Lily, and
some say it's normal because Harry is 11 to 15 so far, puberty and
adolescence, and much more concerned about a male image to identify
with. But *I* say that he doesn't search so much for Lily because,
unknown to himself, he already has her with him.

Demetra wrote in
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/114141 :

<< But is Winky really innocent and harmless? She aided and abetted
her master in committing an Unforgivable crime against his own son
(who also happens to be part of Winky's "family") for over a decade.
We have seen that HE's can sneakily disobey their master's orders. But
Winky chooses blind devotion to Mr. Crouch, and there is nothing noble
in that action. >>

I read Winky as blindly loyal to both old Master Barty and young
Master Barty. The reason Old Master cast on Unforgiveable on Young
Master was to keep him alive and out of Azkaban, a project that Winky
agreed with for Young Master's sake. 

Kneasy wrote in
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/114166 :

<< There are clues there, jumbled as in any dream - but if they can be
teased out it might (should!) give us a guide to what has happened
and what might yet happen. I find Draco melding into Snape
particularly intriguing - especially because at this point in the
story Harry has not met Snape, he's only seen him from a distance || A
tight turban insisting that he must transfer to Slytherin - Malfoy -
Snape - and a green light. >>

I read much of that dream as memories of that night of his parents'
death. The green flash and the high-pitched laughter are familiar from
his Dementor-induced memories. The presence of Draco and Snape is a
Clue that Lucius and Snape were present at the murder party.
Presumably Lucius was brought by LV and Snape may have been brought by
LV or come on his own to try to rescue Lily and/or Harry.

Salit wrote in
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/114192 :

<< Incidentally I always wondered about the fact that some of the
people in the Mirror had Harry's eyes but they were referred to as
"the Potters" in the book >>

That's what I thought, but then someone on this list explained to me
that "the Potters" who smiled and waved meant James and Lily, not the
whole crowd.

<< That said, could muggles actually see anything or show in the
Mirror? My guess is no, just like they can't ride a broom, use a wand
or see the Leaky Cauldron. >>  

I don't know that Muggles can't ride a broom, altho' I believe they
can't brew a potion even if given the ingredients. However, oneself
not being able to see anything in the Mirror of Erised doesn't mean
that an image of oneself wouldn't appear in the Mirror ... the image
comes not from oneself but from the viewer whose "heart's desire" is
shown.

Kneasy wrote in
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/114251 :

<< "And how do you propose to keep my daughter in the manner to which
she's accustomed?" "Well, I've got this underground vault that's
guarded by goblins and their pet dragon..." Yerrsss. Not quite the
same as a savings account with the Halifax, is it? >>

Parents who are thrilled that their daughter is a witch might also be
thrilled with a well-stuffed vault at Gringotts.