Changes I would make.

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 177469

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "eggplant107" <eggplant107 at ...> wrote:
>
>  Random832 <random832@> wrote:
>  
> > all this is ignoring the fact that
> > the characteristic pattern could
> > very well be a spiral rather than a helix.
> 
> No it could not. Steam rising in a characteristic spiral pattern is a
> logical impossibility. If a spiral is rising then it's not a spiral
> anymore, it's a helix. As I said before this is not a big deal, but if
> I were JKR's editor I'd point it out and I'll bet she would be willing
> to change that word.

Geoff:
I have pointed out already that the average UK English speaker 
probably wouldn't know what a helix was; you and I do because 
of our Maths background. Until I got to the Sixth Form, I only 
knew Helix to be the name of a well-known manufacturer of 
mathematical drawing instruments!

So, in the vernacular, we talk about spiral staircases, spirals on 
railways to gain height, smoke spiralling upwards. I do the same 
because I follow the general and don't think helically. :-)

And I suspect that JKR's editor falls into the same category.

Eggplant:
> I am also a little uncomfortable with the Harry
> having only 2 living relatives bit; although not mathematically
> imposable it is astronomically unlikely.  

Geoff:
Surprisingly, for once, I agree with you.

Like me, I think you have been a member of the group for some 
years and may remember that, shortly after OOTP was published, 
there was a theory that Mark Evans, mentioned briefly in the first 
chapter, was a relative of Lily Potter, a theory which was denied by 
JKR a little later.

I wrote a long post which appeared on 17/11/03 as message 85255 
under the title "The Whole Evans Theory".

The part which is germane to this discussion is that the post was 
triggered by a comment from Tonks:

> > I do not deny the possibility of a distant relative. But still, if
> > Petunia is Harry's 'ONLY' relative... doesn't this make for
> > something interesting?

I don't propose to use the entire post but I am quoting from a 
section which might be of interest..

<quote>
I have mentioned on a couple of occasions that when my father 
died in 1994 and I went through his address book to notify people, 
I "discovered" a family relative about whom I knew nothing; the 
lady concerned was a first cousin of my father and the link led 
back to my great grandparents. It is fairly obvious that Dumbledore 
was very close to James and Lily Potter. "'Naturally,' said Professor 
McGonagall. `James Potter told Dumbledore that Black would die 
rather than tell where they were, that Black was planning to go 
into hiding himself
 and yet, Dumbledore remained worried. I 
remember him offering to be the Potter's Secret-Keeper himself.'" 
(POA "The Marauder's Map" UK p.153 UK edition).
            
This implies very close friendship. So Dumbledore would know 
from conversations with Lily that Petunia was her nearest relative. 
But would it follow that he knew there were /no/ other relatives? 
Would the matter of more distant relatives of Lily have surfaced in 
conversation with Dumbledore? Do we discuss distant and half-
forgotten family members with close friends? Not often. Dumbledore 
is intelligent and knowledgeable but not omniscient. To be fair, he 
may not be aware of the existence of other family members.

Let's consider a similar situation to the one I experienced personally. 
Petunia's comments imply that the Evans were a magical family. 
"'But for my mother and father, oh no, it was Lily this and Lily that, 
they were proud of having a witch in the family'" (PS "The Keeper of 
the Keys" p.44 UK edition). If you go back to, say, Lily's great-
grandparents and trace back down other arms on the family tree, 
there are probably members of the family who Lily may not have 
remembered or who were distant enough either genealogically or 
geographically to not register consciously with her; hence the 
possibility of Mark Evans being a distant relative.
</quote>

Eggplant:
> I know all this is all nitpicking, but sometimes it's fun to nitpick.

Geoff:
Surprisingly, for a SECOND time, I agree with you.
:-))