Book 1 Questions

[Richard]

No: HPFGUIDX 146699

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Donna" <donnawonna at w...> 
wrote:
<snip><All cited text is from Donna>
> 1.   On the list of supplies needed for first years is the 
> note, "PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED
> THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS".  (Chap. 5, Pg. 67).  Harry receives
> his Nimbus 2000 broomstick from Prof. McG (Chap. 10, Pg. 164)
> because of "special circumstances" (Pg. 165).  Does special
> flying abilities warrant the school breaking its own rules?
> Wouldn't a school broomstick been adequate?

Richard here:

I think the issue of first-years and brooms is along the lines of 
protecting the first-years from themselves.  If you recall the first 
flying lesson, and the HBP Quidditch tryouts, first-years are 
portrayed as pretty much incapable of controlled flight without 
being taught and having considerable supervised practice.  The 
exceptions shown are Draco and Harry.  Even Hermione is shown as 
having some difficulty getting a broomstick from the ground to her 
hand.

In the case of a first-year of exceptional flying ability sufficient 
to being placed on the Quidditch team, a school broom would work, 
but certainly would not be competitive, and a school may certainly 
have more in the rule than was stated in the letter, such as an 
additional clause stating, "... unless such is require for a member 
of a house quidditch team."  Letters are more likely to state the 
general rule than the fine print.

Schools may also change their rules, or amend them slightly, if 
circumstance prove them either inappropriate or not sufficiently 
flexible to handle the variable circumstances that arise.

There is also a purely legalistic argument that the broom belonged 
to professor McG, not Harry, as there was nothing in the packaging 
that we were told of stating that this was Harry's broom.

> 2.   The Malfoy's are suppose to be "upper crust" in the WW and,
> according to Draco,"...mother's up the street looking at wands,"
> (Ch. 5, Pg 77).  Mr. Ollivander states, The wand chooses the 
> wizard." (Ch. 5, Pg 85).  Is Mrs. Malfoy buying Draco's wand while
> he's being fitted for robes?  Would a wand that did not choose the
> wizard be good enough for the Malfoy's son, considering their
>  standing in the WW?

Richard again:

I always saw it as either of two things: Narcissa making sure that 
Olivander's had wands in stock suitable to someone of the Malfoy's 
standing, or Narcissa shopping for another wand to go with some new 
robes she may have purchased.  After all, there is nothing in the 
books that indicates that there can be only one wand for each 
wizard, and the Malfoy's strike me as folk who would want even their 
wands to be coordinated with their clothes and jewelry.

> 3.  How did Hagrid get the key to Harry's safe in Gringott's (Ch. 
5, Pg.
> 73)?

Richard yet again:

One of Hagrid's titles is "Keeper of the Keys," so having a key 
seems appropriate from that perspective, but also, we have the fact 
that Dumbledore was effectually Harry's guardian in the Wizarding 
World, following the death of his parents and Sirius' arrest and 
imprisonment, so it makes sense that Dumbledore would have had 
access to a minor's vault, and even the key ... which he could hand 
to Hagrid as "Keeper of the Keys."

> 4.  What was the green smoke that came out of Harry's safe when
> the door was opened?

Richard still another time:

A narrative special effect, perhaps?  As we are not told anything 
explicit about the smoke we are free to speculate.  I presume it was 
there as much to keep things a little strange for Harry as anything, 
but the base-line presumption would certainly have to be that it was 
in some way tied to the magical protections of the vault.

> 5.  Why wasn't the dark wizards that broke into Gringott's vault  
> (Ch. 8, Pg 141) sucked through the door and trapped in the vault
> (Ch. 5, Pg.76)?  How would the dark wizards know the counter-curse
> to prevent being sucked through the door?  Did the dark wizards
> have a goblin accomplice?

Richard ... again ... (aren't you getting tired of me yet?):

That seems to be part of what is supposed to make this so alarming 
to the Wizarding World.  "Who would have the nerve to do such a 
thing?"  "Who would have the skill and knowledge to do such a thing?"