A BIAS in the Pensieve: A Batty Idea About Snape

[pippin_999]

> 
> --- In the_old_crowd at yahoogroups.com, "pippin_999" 
<foxmoth at q...> wrote:
> The mythical centaurs were, with 
> > one exception, uncivilized boorish rowdies.

Mel:
> As are Rowling's. If you have any doubts about that, ask 
Umbridge. Howmany times has Fierenze (her exception) had to 
save someone from his cronies?<

Pippin:
?? IIRC, Firenze has never saved anybody from his cronies. 
Firenze saved Harry from Voldemort.   It was Maglorian who 
objected to harming foals.


The centaurs' learning is legendary in the WW "they are reputed 
to be well versed in magical healing, divination, archery and 
astronomy" (FB) --even Umbridge couldn't object to one of them 
teaching divination.  Hagrid had a high opinion of them until he 
tangled with them over Grawp. If somebody brought a giant to 
live in my backyard, I'd object too. 

Pippin previously:
>  And while the sirens  were lovely, the merpeople of Celtic 
lands were far more  grotesque than the characters JKR 
describes.<

Mel:
> Well technichally those are selkies.

Pippin:
Actually, I was thinking of the Irish merrow or moruadh. The 
males are said to have " green teeth, green hair, pig's eyes, and 
red noses. "   Rowling's merpeople seemed to be a toned down 
version. There is an Irish legend about a merman who holds the 
souls of drowned sailors  in his undersea abode -- perhaps the 
inspiration for the second task.

Pippin