Flesh Eating Slugs

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 165699

---  "justcarol67" <justcarol67 at ...> wrote:
>
> Donna asked:
> > > <snip> 
> > > Why would Hagrid be buying flesh eating slug 
> > > repellant for slugs eating the school's cabbages?
> > >... I believe the slugs in the US eat plants and 
> > > not flesh...<snip>
> > 
> Dondee's replied:
> > I may be wrong, but I always thought that the 
> > repellent ate the flesh of the slugs - not that the
> > slugs eat flesh themselves. ...
> >
> Carol responds:
> I don't think so. "Flesh-eating" as an adjective 
> refers to "Slug" in this phrase, just as "man-eating"
> in "man-eating tiger" refers to "tiger." So, like 
> Donna, I was struck ... by the strangeness of 
> flesh-eating--i.e., carnivorous--slugs eating 
> cabbages, a vegetable. 
> 

bboyminn:

I see this from a couple of perspectives. First, it IS
entirely possible that it is the Repellant that is
Flesh-Eating and not the slugs themselves. It depends
on how you parse the phrase -

Flesh-Eating Slug / Repellant

Flesh-Eating / Slug Repellant

One good way to torture a Slug is to put salt on it.
It really is a gruesome sight to see. It looks like
you poured acid on it. So, I wouldn't go so far as to
say that it could not be Slug /Repellant/ of the Flesh-
Eating variety. 

Second, it may be possible that these unique Flesh-
Eating Slug are some form of scavanger. That is, they
eat the flesh of dead animals they find in the forest.
There are many scavangers, like buzzards, that won't 
eat living flesh. They wait for it to die, then eat it.
Perhaps, when lacking dead animals to scavange, the 
slugs resort to eating whatever nourishing plants are 
available or easy; i.e. cabbage.

Third, and most likely, the author simply wanted cool
sounding, uniquely magical slugs. She simply wanted a
cool gory creepy slugs because it made for more 
interesting reading.

> Carol continues:
> ...
> 
> It's also odd that Hagrid would attempt to buy 
> Flesh-Eating Slug Repellant, whatever he really needs 
> it for, in Knockturn Alley, which sells Dark magic 
> artifacts. I can see a Knockturn Alley merchant selling
> the slugs themselves, or a product to *attract* them, 
> but why would they sell repellant to deter a Dark 
> creature, however minor?

bboyminn:

Knockturn Alley may be a dark and dodgy place but it is
allowed to exist, so dark as it may be, it must be 
conducting legitimate business or the Ministry would 
have closed it down long ago. So, I don't necessarily
consider the dark nature of the place as indicating
that Hagrid shouldn't have been there. 

Certainly most 'good' wizards might be afraid to go
there but remember Hargid is no pixie. He is an 
extremely large man, and I doubt there is any place
in the wizard world he fears going. My point is 
that Hagrid would feel no threat going into Knockturn
Alley, and therefore would have no hesitation shopping
there no matter how dark and dodgy the place might be.

> Carol continues:
>
> Also, Hagrid says that he was looking for *a* 
> Flesh-Eating Slug repellant" ..., apparently meaning 
> *anything* that will repel them rather than a specific
> product. 

bboyminn:

Not sure what it means, but if you read that passage
again, you will see that Hargid is trying to buy -

a Flesh-Eating Slug Repellant

not -

a flesh-eating slug repellant

the presents of capital letters, could simply be an
editing decision, but in the context of the story, it
seems significant. It would seem that 'Flesh-Eating
Slug Repellant' is a very specific /thing/ and not a
general description. The 'A' attached to the beginning
could simply imply that while it is a specific entity,
it is also make under several brand names. Some being
better than others. 

> Carol concludes:
> 
> The whole line strikes me as an excuse rather than a
> plausible reason for being in Knockturn Alley. Harry, 
> of course, doesn't question it, but I immediately 
> reacted to it as illogical and implausible. What can
> Hagrid's real reason be? I seriously doubt that he 
> wants any product or artifact that's sold in that 
> revolting place. IMO, he can only be looking for Harry. 
> How he knew Harry was there, I don't know, unless
> Dumbledore is monitoring the Weasleys' fireplace.
> 
> Carol, ...

bboyminn:

There is something very subtle in the way Hagrid 
responds to Harry's question, that has always made me 
think there was more to this scene than we know. Yet,
for the life of me, I've never been able to determine
what it is. I seriously doubt that Hagrid was 
specifically looking for Harry because he would have no
way of knowing that Harry specifically needed looking
for. 

Notice in the movie, Hagrid seems evasive in his answer,
so we are not the only people who have picked up on 
this idea. But at the same time, a direct read of the
passage really doesn't give any direct indication of
evasiveness. Still, I've alway felt Hagrid wasn't being
completely honest, though I can't point to anything
specific. 

I hate to hang too much on this because there are 
already WAY TOO MANY unresolved mysteries in the story.
There will hardly be time to resolve the Big Ones much
less time to resolve these little matters. But still...

Just a few thoughts that have nothing to do with Snape,
Unbreakable Vows, or Horcruxes.

Steve/bboyminn