typo / Patronus / Fluxweed / Cauldron / Wand Loyalty

[Catlady (Rita Prince Winston)]

No: HPFGUIDX 187242

Alla wrote in <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/187197>:

<< Reporting from the uninhibited island with only my Blackberry and Hermione as companions >>

I love the typo. 

Potioncat wrote in <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/187210>:

<< I'm not sure Minerva's represents herself unless she's incredibly self reliant and self confident >>

It seems to me that a the form of a Patronus shouldn't have to represent a person. As one creates the Patronus by recalling a happy memory, it seems to me that the form of the Patronus could represent that specific happy memory or represent one's happiness in general. As the purpose of the Patronus is protection, its form could represent what makes one feel safe.

So maybe Minerva's Patronus is a cat because her happy memory is the great feeling of success when she first accomplished the Animagus transformation, or maybe something that happened while she was in cat form. Or because her Patronus cat symbolizes a cozy private home and that is what makes her feel safe.

I don't see why the form of a Patronus can't be an inanimate object. I've heard of a fanfic in which James's Patronus was a Nose-Biting Teacup because his happy memory was his success at making one. I think Hermione's Patronus, before she fell in love with Ron, would have been a stack of books -- books were what made her feel safe, and maybe also what made her happy.

The example we were given of a person's Patronus changing because of emotional upheaval (since Remus was evading the real answer, maybe the ONLY emotional upheaval with this effect is romantic love), Tonks's Patronus changing to a wolf representing Remus, was NOT happy: it was miserable unrequited love. This seems to me to be a bit of a contradiction with the Patronus coming from happiness, but what the hey. It would work fine with Snape's Patronus having some other form that changed to the doe either when he realized he had lost Lily or when he found out that she was on LV's hit list.

Carol wrote in <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/187224>:

<< Supposedly, the fluxweed has to be picked at midnight, which means that it can't just be taken like the leeches, knotgrass, and lacewing flies from the potion ingredients that Snape keeps in his classroom. Did HRH sneak down to a greenhouse or garden under the Invisibility Cloak to pick the fluxweed, of did JKR just forget that detail? >>

Maybe one of the ingredients in the potions cabinet is labelled "Fluxweed picked at midnight". Maybe another is labelled "Fluxweed picked at sundown"...

Miles wrote in <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/187227>:

<< Additionally, it is possible that there are used cauldrons all over the place, maybe it is possible to buy an old one second-hand from one of the older students ("good as new, I only can't get rid of those dragonblood stains on the outside and had my mom buy me a new one"). >>

Or from a Sixth Form student who happily stopped Potions at OWL level.

D.L. wrote in <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/187236>:

<< When Dumbledore's Army was practicing spells in the room of
requirement and used the Expelliarmus charm to disarm one
another, did the wands change allegiance to the "new owner"? >>

I think the text shows that the wands didn't change allegiance - all the students kept using their own wands. Last time this was discussed, some listies pointed out that practicing spells isn't a real combat, so the wands know that the people's intention is just to practice, not to harm each other. It seems to me that that wouldn't apply to the sport of duelling, even when practicing, so either there is a rule about the winner giving the loser back his wand as a gracious gift, or some duellists win more wands than they have room to display, while others run up tabs with Ollivander that it will take them decades to repay...

I think the Elder Wand is the only wand that changes allegiance without some effort by the new wand owner, at least to pick it up and try to use it, maybe have a struggle of wills the first time.