O.W.L.s (and the importance of blood)

[davenclaw]

No: HPFGUIDX 132442

Juli:
>  Now let's
> consider Hermione, she has the same classes that HArry
> does escept Divination, she has Acient Runes, (the one
> with the numbers..oops). that gives us 10 classes, so
> how could Bill have gotten 12 owls, which means 12
> classes? > 

That's arithmancy... and you forgot Muggle Studies.  That's 11 courses 
I can think of.  I keep thinking that it's some sort of average score 
though.  Didn't Fred & George only manage 3 OWLs?  That seems pretty 
awful if you can get two per course (written/practical).  And if it's 
one per course, I have no idea how Bill got 12 - if there is a twelfth 
class, how was he taking all of them?  Maybe this will all be better 
explained when we find out how H/R/H did.

On another note, since I'm at my limit for daily posts (sorry!), 
regarding blood: isn't it interesting how on the one hand, sharing 
someone's blood is extremely important to the story (e.g. protection 
from Lily via Petunia), but on the other hand JKR stresses that 
having "pure blood" is meaningless in terms of character or magical 
ability?  I wonder if there is some further point to this.

- davenclaw