replies to altogether too many posts

[Catlady (Rita Prince Winston)]

No: HPFGUIDX 124053


http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/123248

<< Vivamus['s] ca[t] Snickersqueak claims to have learned the
cat-bogey hex from Ginny Weasley >>

Well, we WERE told in CoS that Ginny is very fond of cats.

Charme wrote in
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/122140 :

<< It's that "staring at each other" and Snape's "curious, almost
satisfied" expression that unnerves me. Especially what is Snape
satisfied *with* exactly? That Harry knows? That Harry has a backbone?
That Harry doesn't know he's a double agent? Hm? >>

I tend to feel that Snape is satisfied because Harry is deceived about
what Snape is doing. I don't know WHAT Snape is doing if he hasn't
returned to Voldemort as DD's spy and I *like* the 'spy' plotline, but
there are all those arguments  on-list that Snape CAN'T return to V
because V now knows of S's loyalty to DD, so S must be doing Something
Else for the Order. If S *is* doing Something Else, he does not want
blabbermouth Harry to know about it, so he would be glad that H
believes he is "just" a double agent.

On the other hand, since the 'satisfied expression' came AFTER the
long exchange of stares, it may be that Snape was Legilimensing Harry
(in the more subtle Dumbledorean style rather than the wand and
incantation style he uses during the lessons) and was gratified by
discovering that Harry was afraid of him.

Betsy wrote in
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/122144 :

<< But I do think it was a moral epiphany that took Snape out of
Voldemort's camp and into Dumbledore's. Moral epiphanies do not create
perfect human beings, they set them on a better path. >>    

I agree; I think Snape had a moral epiphany that killing people just
for kicks is wrong. He has not yet had a moral epiphany that
non-physical hurting people just for kicks is wrong. I suspect he
knows that being unfair is wrong, but doesn't realize that he is being
unfair. 

I think his perceptions are sufficiently skewed by his curdled
emotions that he doesn't notice that he is being unfair. Hey!
Curlyhornedsnorkack agrees with me, in post #122342.

Kethryn wrote in
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/122145 :

<< in the beginning of GoF, Voldemort and the Rat are talking about
murdering someone ...someone other than Harry from the way that the
sentances are phrased. Now, my question is, who did Voldemort/Rat
murder? Bertha was already dead at this point and the other murders
(because they came out of the only wand Voldemort/Rat had available to
them) were Cedric and Frank. >>

Here are three options: 1) the proof-reader erroneously changed
'curse' to 'murder' (so what curse would 'one more curse' be?), 2) LV
planned at that time to murder Real!Moody rather than keep him alive
as a source of Polyjuice ingredient, 3) the author erroneously didn't
change that statement when she changed from a hypothetical original
plot in which they were going to murder Barty Sr and have Barty Jr
impersonate him rather than Moody.

Juli wrote of Snape teaching Occulmency to Death Eaters in 
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/122153 :

<< But what purpose would it serve the Order other than the brief
moments of Severus inside the DE's brains? Maybe some DEs are now in
the good guys' side and just like Snape they need to lie to LV. >>

Once a bad guy has Occlumency, someone can try to recruit him to the
good side without LV finding out about it. But that is useful to the
good guys only if those Death Eaters want to turn against LV.
Otherwise they would refuse to be recruited and maybe even tell LV who
tried to recruit them, despite him not being able to read it from
their minds. I don't think we've seen any Death Eater who walked free
or escaped from Azkaban who has had a change of heart, so they would 
turn against him only for self-interest. Such as if they expected LV
to be defeated this time and they wanted to be on the winning side. 

Otoh what would be the effect of bad-guy Death Eaters with Occlumency?
Would LV perceive the Occlumency, get paranoid that it meant they were
plotting against him, and kill them all? If he killed all his own
followers, that would reduce his power. Would Death Eaters with no
interest in joining the good guy take advantage of this new privacy of
their minds to plot against each other (for advancement in LV's
esteem, for vengeance for imagined personal insults, whatever) to the
extent that LV's commands were not properly carried out because of
being sabotaged by other DEs to make the commandee looks like a
failure?

Tonks_op wrote in
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/122174 :

<< the nasty man in the pensive (Snip) we do not know who that man was
or his relationship to Snape. He sounds like his father or close male
relative because of the description of his crooked nose >>  

If he wasn't Snape's father, he may have been Snape's mother's
brother, bringing financial assistance to the sister who had disgraced
the family by having a baby without being married.

Eric Oppen wrote in
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/122183 :

<< I'd like it if some of the characters she obviously likes were put
into _some_ other house...Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and, dare I mention,
Slytherin, but that's another rant) >>

Herself likes Luna, and Luna is a Ravenclaw.

Tonks_op wrote in
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/122199 :

<< First Harry is a child. Normally he would never have been told all
of the things that he knows about because he is a child and has no
business in adult affairs. >>

I always hate that garbage about not letting children know about adult
affairs. How are they going to grow up with your values if you conceal
all examples from them? Sometimes I recall a story about a school
where the teacher gently assigned the children to write an essay about
what their parents said and did during El Presidente's speech on TV
the night before, and the students understood that it was a trap and
wrote incredibly boring accounts of how their parents watched the
speech with a silent look of adoration on their faces. I always think
that it would have served those parents Bloody Well Right if their
chldren had written truthful essays about them saying "what a pack of
lies". Then when the not-so-secret police took the parents away
forever, the kids should have said: "Well, how were we supposed to
know it was a trap, when you never tell us anything except that
children have no business in adult affairs?"

Betsy wrote in
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/122200 :

<< I think the deal breaker on both sides of the argument is, can you
accept that a person can be good, can fight on the side of good, and
still have some nasty habits and bad social skills? >>

The adult Snape DOES NOT have bad social skills. He has excellent
social skills. In the matter of no available Veritaserum, we saw
himself sweet-talk Umbridge so well that she couldn't take her anger
out at him even tho' he aimed a not-particularly-veiled insult at her
about having so incompetently used up all the previous bottle. In the
matter of Sirius Black, he knew exactly what to say to make Sirius
lose his temper so much that Sirius would rush to duel him. The 
problem is that one of things that Snape chooses to do with his
excellent social skills is to say the precise things to people he
dislikes to cause them the most pain -- I'm sure he DOES enjoying
causing that kind of emotional pain. I believe he doesn't even try to
resist the temptation to that kind of pleasure. That's why I don't
think the argument that "he's trying as hard as he can to be good,
but it's very difficult for him" applies to Snape -- I don't think
he's trying as hard as he can. 

Betsy wrote in
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/122316 :

<< I think, based on Neville's smile and Harry's confidence, that both
boys ended up doing well on their Potion's exam in OotP. In which
case, Snape is a good teacher. >>

To me, being a good teacher is more than having students do well at
exams. Just now I'm not making the point about exam-taking being a
separate skill from whatever it is an exam in, nor the point of
students (like Hermione! like what the DA started for!) who learn the
material on their own, without a teacher, so why give the teacher
credit. My point this time is that the good teacher teaches the
student the material WITH NO MORE physical or psychological (or
financial, for that matter) PERMANENT DAMAGE than necessary.

Juli wrote in http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforG
rownups/message/122343 :

<< So, my question is if Snape faced Quirell a few times and told him
to stop chasing the Stone, to decide in whom is his loyalty, then why
didn't Voldemort also know about it? He was already sharing Quirell's
body and soul, so he must have known and heard all their onversations,
right? So how come Snape does not know that Snape has changed sides?
that he is actually working for the Order and Dumbledore? >>

IIRC Snape didn't say anything about Voldemort to Quirrel. So I have
no trouble thinking that V didn't know that S knew that Q wanted to
steal the Stone for V, that V thought that s thought that Q wanted to
steal the Stone for himself, and that S wanted to stop Q in order to
impress DD because at that time, DD was in charge of S's career
prospects.

Chancie asked in
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/122348 :

<<  I also asked why, if Voldemort is such a wonderful Legimins (sorry
for spelling) does he not realize Snape's lying. >>

Presumably Snape is *such* a superb Occlumens that he can not only
conceal his thoughts from LV, but can do so without LV knowing that
he's doing it -- that must mean putting up some kind of cover
thoughts.

Elizabeth summarized Chapter 36 in 
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/122444:

<< Witches and wizards emerge from the fireplaces, Cornelius Fudge
among them, led by the house elf and goblin statues. >>

Why did Fudge and other bureaucrats believe a pair of walking statues?
(Did they talk as well as walk?)

Hans wrote in http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforG
rownups/message/122619 :

<< Buckbeak is a hippogriff, a creature that is half horse, half
griffin. >>

Yes, the name "hippogriff" is half horse (hippos) and half griffin
(gryphos), but No, the creature is half horse (the back half) and half
EAGLE (the front half). While griffins are (as you said) half lion
(the back half) and half EAGLE (the front half). Btw griffins are
nests of Oviraptor dinosaurs killed by sandstorms in the IIRC Altai
Mountains of -- is it the Gobi desert? -- some red desert in what is
now Chinese Mongolia. Nomads who hunted gold that had eroded out of
those mountains traded it to Scythians to the west and other nomads to
the east, who traded it further west and east, along with the stories
about that griffins who guarded the gold in its original habitat.

<< It is, of course, the name of Harry's House: Griffin d'or - Golden
Griffin. >>

Yes, except my friend insists that Gryffindor is Griffin Finder,
Griff-Finder. 

<< On another note, please forgive if this has previously been
discussed and/or explained, but what or who is "Fandon" and why would
Ginny be called Mary Sue? >>

"Fandon" was probably a typo for "fandom"; we are part of Harry Potter
fandom. Another part of this fandom writes fanfic (fan fiction --
stories about the characters or settings) and it is a tradition in
fanfic communities that "Mary Sue" means an original character who is
the author's unabashed wish fulfillment fantasy self -- y'know, she is
so clever that it was she who taught the Marauders how to become
Animagi, so beautiful they're all in love with her, a better Seeker 
than Charlie Weasley or Harry Potter, a Metamorphamagus, her grandmum
is the Minister of Magic, her other grandmum is Dumbledore's
daughter, etc

Geoff wrote in
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/122645 :

<< Until a few years ago, it was even more vague because they would be
summoned by a maroon - assuming they were within hearing range. >>

To me, 'maroon' is a color, a purplish red. The American Heritage
dictionary agrees with me: http://www.bartleby.com
/61/80/M0118000.html . 

A certain amount of searching around in onelook found 
http://www.askoxford.com/concise_oed/maroon_1?view=uk 
"noun 1 a dark brownish-red colour. 2 chiefly Brit. a firework that
makes a loud bang, used as a signal or warning. — ORIGIN from
French marron `chestnut'; sense 2 is so named because the
firework
makes the noise of a chestnut bursting in the fire."

Chancie wrote in
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/122659 :

<< How does Hedwig know to go to the Dursley's to get Harry's gift?
Harry surly wouldn't send her. And why since Uncle Vernon hates
Hedwig to begin with, would he atactch a present for Harry whom
he also hates? Something just doesn't add up to me. >>

Well, Hedwig knew to go to Hermione on holiday in France to pickup the
broomstick maintenance kit she had bought for his birthday present.
That seems *less* plausible than knowing to go to Privet Drive -- is
it possible that post owl magic includes not only being able to find
any addressee, but to know some distant person has mail for your
person and no owl to carry it?

As for why the Dursleys give Harry such absurdly unwanted presents
instead of no present at all, it has been speculated that Dumbledore's
instructions to them specified that they had to give him birthday and
Christmas presents (but not that they had to be normal presents) as
part of treating him like a member of the family in order to make the
blood protection charm work.

vmonte wrote http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGr
ownups/message/122738 :

<< "Well, I always thought he was a bit of an idiot," he said,
prodding his queen forward toward Harry's quivering castle. "Good for
you. Just choose someone - better - next time."

Did you notice what was going on during the chess game? Does the
Queen chess piece symbolically represent Ginny? >>

It sure sounds like it, even at first reading.

<< Is the quivering Castle Cho Chang? >>

A chess Castle is just a Tower, and towers very much fit the category
of things which are taller (longer) than they're wide. 

Magda wrote in
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/122822 :

<< There are several instances throughout the books that Snape has
only the most rudimentary concept of normal human relationships. His
belief in POA that Lupin is still friends with Sirius Black despite
Sirius' apparent betrayal of the Order and the Potters shows us that
he doesn't have a clue what real friendship is about. >>

To me, that shows, not Snape's incomprehension of friendship, but
Snape's belief that Lupin was in cahoots with Black to betray the
Potters to Voldemort -- perhaps Snape even believes that it was Lupin
who recruited Black to work for Voldemort. 

First thing, even tho' it was Potter and Black who were inseparable at
school, when they left school, James married Lily, so he would have
been a little less close with Black, so by default Black and Lupin got
closer after James and Lily married, so Snape could have used the
argument: "Black and Lupin were always hanging out together, so how
could one have turned spy without the other getting suspicious? So it
must be that both turned spy." 

Second thing, Snape's famous line about "Don't ask me to fathom how a
werewolf's mind works!" suggests that Snape can believe Lupin guilty
of *any* wrongdoing, regardless of facts or circumstances. I wonder if
Snape would be so anti-Lupin for being a werewolf if Lupin hadn't been
friends with Snape's enemies Potter and Black?

Peter Felix Schuster wrote in 
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/123178 :

<< I was wondering how a wizard would marry a witch. We know that at
least Harry's parents had a wedding (Sirius being best man at). I
doubt they'd go to a church or a muggle office to do so. Since the MoM
seems to be the only administration or office (magical) Britain's got,
I presume, they'd go there. Perhaps to a Department of Registration or
Department for Magical Families? Any ideas? >>

Being as how Lily's parents and relatives were Muggles, I think it
quite possible that James and Lily had a Muggle wedding at a Muggle
church.

I like to think that there is more religion in the wizarding world
than is depicted in the books. Sure, just as among Muggles, some
people aren't religious, but some people are. All the religions
present in Britain can be brought into the wizarding world by
Muggle-born wizards and witches, but I like to think that there are
two religions which are particularly prominent due to having been the 
Established Religion among the Muggles at different times -- one is
the Church of England and the other is some kind of specifically
wizarding blend of Druidism and religio Roma. 

As Hogsmeade is the only all-wizarding village, it may have the only 
all-wizarding CoE congregation. I like to think of wizarding folk who
live in other villages going to church with the Muggles, but they
would have to be better at passing as Muggles than the Weasleys are.

I'd love to know what kind of weddings, baby-naming/blessings, and
funerals their older religion has, but JKR isn't going to tell us.
Long ago I theorized that wizarding couples don't divorce because
their wedding includes each casting a spell on themselves that they
will die if the marriage breaks up ... I was thinking of TMR's poor
mother dying because his father ditched her; I'm inclined to think
they were never married in the first place, but if they did marry and 
she cast such a spell on herself (because of taking it for granted
that that is part of any wedding), that would account for it. And the
break-up wouldn't kill him because he didn't cast such a spell on
himself because he can't cast a spell at all, even if he had wanted
to.

curlyhornedSnorky wrote in 
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/123279 :

<< If a few people from ordinary families are born with magical
abilities after the WW is stripped of magic, the internet could enable
them to get a new WW society going pretty quickly. >>  

But they wouldn't know any spells; they wouldn't know any potion
recipes; they wouldn't know how to make wands; they probably wouldn't
even know that they need wands.

LisaMarie wrote in
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/123329 :

<< Sirius -- We know they are dead, but how? Sirius is young; it seems
his parents would be too young to die of natural causes. >>

It seems to me that Sirius's parents waited very, very late to have
children -- I have a complicated theory that both pairs of parents
were living in that house with them, so they waited until their
parents died so there would be *room* for children.

(In my complicated theory, Sirius's parents were first cousins, both
Blacks, explaining how Mrs Black could call the Black house the house
of her fathers. In my universe, there were brothers Saturninus and
Scorpius Black, who both brought their brides home to 12 Grimmauld
Place. Over the course of time, Saturninus had sons Mimas (Sirius's
father) and Enceladus (Bellatrix's father) and Scorpius had daughters
Zubenalgenubi (Sirius's mother) and Zubeneschameli.) 

Pippin wrote in
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/123355 :

<< And if he knows, having lived so very long, that bribery and
threats *always* make things worse eventually, and that's *why*
they're considered illegal and immoral, then he shouldn't use
them. Do you agree? >>

Bribery and threats, far from being considered illegal and immoral,
are the way the world works, except bribery is called by names like
'salary' and 'bonus' and the threats are threats of being fired or
given a bad review.

Dungrollin wrote in
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/123762 :

<< No matter how I twist it, I can't see how Harry biting DD would
help You-Know-Who. Harry is not, as far as we know, poisonous. >>

I laugh every time I read that!

Dungrollin wrote in
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/124010 :

<< "JKR was asked if there was anything in PS/SS she wished she could
go back and change. She said that at the time it was published, she
thought boa constrictors were poisonous."
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/31778
Unfortunately I've had no luck so far – if anyone knows the quote
I'd be very very grateful for a reference (it's not on QQQ or Madame
Scoop). I think that JKR wanted the boa constrictor in PS/SS to be
Nagini, then realised her error and had to abandon it. >>

*Why* would JKR want to make the friendly snake who was freed by Harry
and grateful to him be the evil snake who fights him? I kind of hope
the snake from the zoo will appear to save Harry from Nagini at some
climactic moment...