Talisman's Long Answers

[Talisman]

PART ONE: MAGICAL LAW 
1. Which Ministry of Magic Department(s) and/or committee(s) would 
you contact to resolve each of the following dilemmas? 

1) Your neighbour is concealing a stash of flying carpets, some of 
which he is allowing to fly loose around his back garden. 
(a) Wizengamot (b) Department of International Magical Cooperation 
(c) Misuse of Muggle Artefacts office (d) Obliviators (e) All of the 
above (f) None of the above 

Although disappointing, I believe the correct ::cough priggish:: 
answer was (c).  It is a trivia-based answer linked to Arthur's 
embargo on flying carpets and the discussion about Ali Bashir in GoF.

Arthur seems to do his own obliviating work, where necessary, so I 
wouldn't call in an extra dept.

I suppose this was an *are you a tattle-tale* test, and someone 
should go ahead and raid Arthur's garage, the little hypocrite.

Yes, yes, I know.  They are out in the garden, etc.

2) Your friend C possesses a Muggle Penny Farthing (old bicycle) 
that has been enchanted to skim an inch above the ground, achieving 
speeds over 100mph. C did not personally enchant the Penny Farthing, 
never rides it and merely wishes to keep it 'for sentimental 
reasons' as it was her grandmothers. 

(a) Department of Magical Transport (b) Improper Use of Magic Office 
(c) Obliviators (d) Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office (e)Committee 
on Experimental Charms (f) None of the above 

For my money, this was definitely testing if you knew about Arthur's 
loophole, hence all my answers were (f).

3) Your sixteen year old nephew, D, has hexed his seventeen year old 
sister, E. E has retaliated with a Stunning Spell that missed D and 
hit a Muggle motorist, who has smashed into a lamppost. 

(a) Department of Magical Accidents and catastrophes (b) Department 
of Magical Accidents and catastrophes and Oblivator Squad (c) 
Department of Magical Accidents and catastrophes, Oblivator Squad 
and Improper Use of Magic Office (d) Department of Magical Accidents 
and catastrophes, Oblivator Squad, Improper Use of Magic Office and 
Wizengamot.

Although underage magic was used, Rowling said in an interview that 
most parents handle their own children's magical infractions.  I.e. 
the Improper Use of Magic Dept. doesn't get involved.  Harry is 
busted in CoS because the Ministry knows no other witches or wizards 
live in that area (for a reason).  He is being monitored 
particularly, it's a *special* case.

I will be VERY disappointed if Rowling thinks people should call the 
gendarmes on their own family.  These are your niece and nephew.  
You, or the parents, should handle it.  I'm sure that's what happens 
at the Burrow--where clearly underage magic has occurred.

Ditto for the older attempt/accidental hexing.  All I would do--and 
it's the answer that my scoring evaluation suggests is correct--is 
call the Department of Magical Accidents & Catastrophes, answer 
(a).  

This was Fudge's department when he went to arrest Sirius (after 
Pettigrew blasted 13 Muggles, etc.) His group did their own 
obliviating.  This handles the situation for the Muggle--who was 
accidentally involved--and keeps you from being some sort of family 
narc.  Seesh.  



4) Your friends wizard A and wizard B are in dispute over which of 
them owns a field in which Mooncalfs dance periodically. A accuses B 
of using a nightly Summoning charm to collect the precious Mooncalf 
dung which is rightfully A's. 

(a) Improper Use of Magic Office (b) Wizengamot (c) Pest Advisory 
Board (d) Improper Use of Magic Office and Wizengamot (e) Improper 
Use of Magic Office and Pest Advisory Board (f) Wizengamot and Pest 
Advisory Board.

I don't think the Lexicon has this right.  Stealing requires 
intent.  If you harvest something off land that you believe belongs 
to you, and someone else disputes ownership, it is not a criminal 
matter.  It is a civil dispute.  The logical /intuative response is 
that the Wizengamut is the only court for the WW.  The full court 
would not meet, but some trier of law and/or fact (alone or with 
some audience/jury?) would sit to determine the case.

The answer is (b). It was the answer on all my exams.

5) Witch F fed love potion to a Muggle man, who has married her. 
When you went around with a wedding gift you discovered she is using 
him as an occasional table. 
(a) Auror Office (b) Misuse of Magic Office (c) Obliviators (d) 
Wizengamot (e) All of the above (f) None of the above 

The answer is (f), for the reasons explained in earlier discussions: 
Love potions aren't illegal, and there is no evidence he's being a 
table involuntarily.  
See answer to No. 21 to dispute the notion that using magic on 
Muggles is illegal.

Ain't luv grand?

6) Which of the following should be most SEVERELY punished by the 
Wizengamot? (a) The injury of three Muggles due to a poorly 
performed Forgetfulness Charm (b) The death of a chicken due to a 
poorly aimed Bat-Bogey hex (c) The use of the Cruciatus curse on a 
shark about to attack a Muggle (d) The use of the Imperius curse on 
a Muggle mugger 

Although I'd rather have someone going around doing (d) than (a), 
the answer is probably (d).  Rule out the answers involving 
animals.  Between accidents with legal charms and intentional 
unforgiveables, (d) would get the greatest punishment.


7.) Which of the following should receive the LIGHTEST punishment 
from the Wizengamot? 
(a) Horns created accidentally on culprit's mother, caused by broken 
wand (b) Jellylegs Jinx performed on threatening Muggle (c) Breeding 
fanged Puffskeins (d) Underage witch performs Cleaning Charms in 
privacy of own home.

Answer (a) involves at least negligence.  To go further than that 
we'd have to know the age of the perp and what they were attempting 
to do.

We know from FB that breeding new magical animals is illegal (even 
if all our friends do it) and fanging an animal that is expected to 
be safe is...not nice.

My sympathies are with that lovely child trying to clean up the 
house, but even underage wizards are allowed to use magic on a 
Muggle if they are in danger of personal injury.

Since (b) is perfectly legal--and would get no punishment--that is 
the answer. (born out by test results) 

8) Which of the following does NOT require a Ministry of Magic 
license? 
(a) Crup ownership (b) Sale of Magical Artefacts (c) House-elf 
ownership (d) Apparition 

There is specific test that says you need a license for Crups and 
Apparition.  Between sales (let's assume a serious vendor, not a 
patron of Borgin and Burkes) and House Elf ownership--well we know 
Harry didn't need to get a license.
Answer (c).

Re: The Lexicon's answers: as mentioned in an earlier post, Amelia 
Bones is a member the Wizengamut.  Everyone was cool with her 
hearing Harry's case.  It was the matter of seating the full panel 
that struck Harry's adult Wizarding friends as being inappropriate.

I continue to believe that the Wizengamut is the only court for the 
WW, and hears every legal question.  Just not always in full session.

9). Which of the following wizarding laws, in your view, stands in 
most urgent need of change? 
(a) The detection of under-age magic in all magic households 
(currently impossible) (b) The ban on goblin possession of wands 
(ought to be lifted) (c) The re-classification of centaurs and 
merpeople (ought to take their views into account) (d) The 
guidelines on house-elf welfare (need to be enforced) (e) 
Definitions of `muggle baiting' (need to be made less stringent) 

The goblins MAY be a repressed people, on the other hand they are a 
bit scary and all about gold.  All those old goblin wars suggest 
there may be good reasons to keep wands out of their long-fingered 
hands.

The centaurs and merepeople don't want anything to do with Wizards.  
They both already opted to be Beasts.

Muggle baiting-who cares.  Legit Wizards are doing all sorts of 
things to their poor minds, anyway.

Between busting more kids trying out spells, and making sure House 
Elfs are treated humanely,  (d) should be the answer.  It was on all 
my tests.

PART TWO: MAGICAL TRANSPORT 

10) Which mode of transportation would you advise for a young mother 
travelling with one-year old twins with a low boredom threshold, her 
grandmother, who suffers from severe motion sickness, and her 
husband, who has never mastered the three `D's' ? 
(a) Apparition (b) Broomsticks (c) Floo powder (d) Knight bus (e) 
Portkey 7. 

I went with (a) 2 out of three times, and think it's the answer.

It's the only one without motion issues. We have to believe Granny 
can do it and that side-along is the answer for the twins/and D-
impaired hubby. Even if two trips were necessary (Hubby first with 
mom; then mom goes back and she and granny bring the twins--or 
variations.) For speed, comfort, and safety, it's the way to go.

Although the knight bus is clearly the barf-mobile, a broomstick is 
likely as bad as a car.  Floo powder is a dizzying ride (and those 
twins would be sticking their poor little hands out--ouch) and the 
Portkeys are a crazy whirl-wind ride and slam you to the ground 
(ouch ouch for granny and the kids.)


11) Which of the following unorthodox means of transport is 
considered the most serious breach of the International Statute of 
Secrecy 
(a) Thestrals (b) Abraxan horse-drawn giant carriages (c) Hippogriff 
(d) Flying muggle vehicle (eg, car, motorcycle) (e) Underwater ship 

Thestrals fly very high and are invisible to a lot of people.  
Abraxans are legal with Disillusionment Charms (FB) and Madame 
Maxime uses her rig repeatedly.  I don't think she's in danger of 
being cuffed (by anyone but Hagrid).

Hippogriffs are also legal with Disillusionment.
Underwater ships are hard to spot.

But there was quite a stir over a certain turquoise Anglia.
(And Sirius was a bit of a renegade)  I vote (d).

Which mode(s) of transportation could you use to reach/enter each of 
the following wizarding institutions? 

 12) Azkaban
(a) Brooms (b) Brooms/floo powder (c) Brooms/Knight bus (d) 
Brooms/Floo powder/Knight bus (e) Brooms/Floo powder/Knight 
bus/Apparition 

Out in the North Sea, KB is out. Between (a) and (b), for maximum 
security, I'd go with (a).

13) Gringotts
 (a) Brooms (b) Brooms/floo powder (c) Brooms/Knight bus (d) 
Brooms/Floo powder/Knight bus (e) Brooms/Floo powder/Knight 
bus/Apparition.

Knight Bus can go anywhere but underwater, right Anne? So brooms and 
KB make (c). I eliminated Floo powder because when the Weasley's 
Floo-powdered to Diagon Alley in Book 2, the first place they were 
headed was Gringots, to get their money.  But they didn't  jump in 
the fire and yell Gringots, did they?  Must be a reason. Since the 
remaining answer involves Floo powder--and for security reasons, I 
eliminated that, too.

14) Hogwarts (a) Brooms (b) Brooms/floo powder (c) Brooms/Knight bus 
(d) Brooms/Floo powder/Knight bus (e) Brooms/Floo powder/Knight 
bus/Apparition.

As explained some time ago in another post:
Probably (c.)  But I don't like it because brooms were blocked in 
HBP, and the KB dumps you outside the gate.  You CAN Apparate 
outside the gate. We know Floo powder--as used in HBP--was a *one-
off* priviledge.

This is the answer I like least of all.  

15) Ministry of Magic 
(a) Brooms (b) Brooms/floo powder (c) Brooms/Knight bus (d) 
Brooms/Floo powder/Knight bus (e) Brooms/Floo powder/Knight 
bus/Apparition 

All of the above--and Thestral, too. Answer (e)

16) St Mungos 
(a) Brooms (b) Brooms/floo powder (c) Brooms/Knight bus (d) 
Brooms/Floo powder/Knight bus (e) Brooms/Floo powder/Knight 
bus/Apparition 

Anyway you can get here, honey.  Answer (e).

PART THREE: EVERYDAY MAGIC 

17) Which of the following would, in your opinion, provide the best 
security for a convention of broomstick salesman in a large, Fire- 
bolt shaped marquee? 

(a) Fidelius Charm (b) Muggle-repelling charm (c) Confundus charm 
(d) Disillusionment charm (e) Unplottable marquee (f) Forgetfulness 
charm (g) Giant three-headed dog.

Fidelius is a bit over the top and would give the SK a hell of a job 
notifying al the salesmen who may want to attend.
Confundus? on whom? going to addle the salesmen? (they'll be 
chugging mead soon enough) or the general populace.  Naw.
Disillusionment--the salesmen won't find it, either.
Ditto unplottable.
Forgetfulness? Forget it.
Fluffy? Have you been chugging mead?

Muggle-repelling Charm is the answer, (b).  It worked for the Wizard 
World Cup.

18). Which of the following should not be used in cooking? (a) 
Alihotsy leaves (b) Bubotuber pus (c) Daisy roots (d) Dragon blood 
(e) Mandrake leaves (f) Murtlap tentacles (g) Shrake.

Bubotuber, Daisy root, Murtlap and Mandrake have all been used in 
something curative or ingestible.  Hagrid uses a dragon steak on his 
eye, suggesting you could grill one up.  Shrake is fish.  I went 
with (a), it just makes people hysterical--requiring a Glumbumble 
antidote. 

19) Which of the following would most effectively clean up a 
spillage of wart cap powder? 
(a) Deletrius (b) Diffindo (c) Episkey (d) Evanesco (e) Scourgify 
(f) Tergeo (g) Mrs Skower's All Purpose Magical Mess Remover.

Wartcap powder is that nasty stuff from OoP that makes your skin go 
all itchy and scaley.  You want to get it all up, and, with spilled 
powders, that's not easy.  Especially on carpeting. 
Scourgify and Mr. Skowers, involve scouring action.  You've messed 
it around, but you haven't really picked it up yet.

Tergeo siphoned blood off Harry's face, but you'd want to be sure 
you ponted it everywhere the powder has scattered. Tricky.
Deletrius is for spell effects.  Episkey is for wounds.

But Snape uses Evanesco to clean up potions messes, so it's HAS to 
be perfect. ::sigh::  Makes the mess disappear completely, what more 
could a witch ask for?  Answer is (d).


20) A doxy-bite can be healed most quickly and safely using: (a) 
Bubotuber pus (b) Bundimen secretion (c) Dittany (d) Dr Ubbly's 
Oblivius Unction (e) Murtlap essence (f) Reparo (g) Skele-gro (h) 
Spellotape.

Skele-gro=for bones; Spello-tape=not; Ubbly's = for bad memories; 
Bubotuber=for acne (properly diluted, dangerous if not.);  Bundimen 
secretion= in cleaning fluid;  Dittany=for scars .  

Murtlap essence is healing and safe.  Answer (e).

21) Which of the following commonly held wizarding beliefs is 
actually true? 

(a) If an inanimate object appears to think for itself, Dark Magic 
has been involved in its creation (b) The use of magic in front of a 
Muggle is prohibited unless the witch or wizard is under threat of 
personal injury (c) Releasing a Portkey before it has arrived will 
result in death or serious injury (d) `Finite Incatatum' should be 
used as a precaution when a Muggle rings the doorbell (e) Bad luck 
can be prevented by turning three times on the spot and deliberately 
splinching one's thumbs 

Rule out answer (a), think Flying Ford Anglia (saving the day in 
CoS)..or, as I agree with Lexicon, the Sorting Hat.

DD uses all kinds of magic in front of Muggles, the Dursleys, the 
woman who ran Riddle's orphanage, etc.  Obliviators, Dept. and 
Magical Accidents and Catastrophes personnel, etc. do it for a 
living. I don't think it is illegal to use magic on or in front of 
Muggles. Unles it's malicious and as long as they come out of it 
without knowing what happened.  It's only the under-aged who have 
limitations except if *threatened.* 

I don't believe you can *release* a portkey, once it's en route.

Splinching one's thumbs is bad luck, per se.

But, (d), Finite Incantatum, seems like a prudent precaution to take 
before opening the door to Muggles.  Just in case the broom is still 
sweeping up, in the kitchen.


PART FOUR: THE NATURAL WORLD 

22) Which of the following small creatures would you CHOOSE to 
accompany you on a perilous journey? (a) Augurey (b) Crup (c) Jarvey 
(d) Kneazle (e) Murtlap (f) Niffler (g) Runespoor 

Answer is (d) the Kneazle is a nice pet to have around on a 
dangerous journey: it has a homing instinct, can sniff out unsavory 
people, even in animagus form, is bright and not a troublemaker.  

Crup's okay, can feed itself, but goes ballistic at Muggles and has 
no other particularly useful special skills.

Augurey will just bum you out--you have enough stress without that.  
The Murtlap will eat your feet, given a chance. The Runespoor will 
be bickering or dreaming, the Niffler will be a nuisance and the 
Jarvey just wants to burrow.

23) Which of the following is NOT listed as a pest by the Pest 
Advisory Board? (a) Bundimen (b) Chizpurfle (c) Doxy (d) Gnome (e) 
Horklump (f) Knarl (g) Pixie 

Bundimen and Chispurfle are specifically noted as peats in FB. We've 
seen Doxy spray--indicating they are considered pests, and Gnomes 
are in Molly's pest book (Lockhart got the idea from someone who 
actually knew).  Horklumps are good for nothing but spread out and 
take over your garden within one day.  Sounds like a pest, to me.  
The pixie's were pesky, no doubt.

A Knarl will only bother your garden if you are foolish enough to 
try to feed it.  Otherwise it will leave you alone.

I went with (f), on all exams.

24) A dog acting in a suspiciously un-canine manner is most likely 
to be: (a) An animagus (b) A boggart (c) A Crup (or part Crup) (d) A 
grim (e) Imperius-ed (f) Magically trained (g) A Patronus 

Sirius acted more like a dog, than Snuffles ever acted like a 
human.  A boggart would act just like a dog--if that would scare 
you. The Crup's asset is that it passes for a dog (with fork-ectomy) 
A Grim just lurks around looking like a big old dog.  A Patronus 
doesn't actually look like a dog, at all, so I don't think you'd 
confuse it for a weird dog.  Magically trained is just a vague 
answer.  But we've seen  spiders do things they would never 
otherwise do, under an Imperius.  Would jump in water and drown 
themselves, if you asked them to.
 For my money (and all exams) the answer is (e).


25) Which of the following plants has NO curative, restorative or 
protective properties? (a) Alihotsy shrub (b) Belladonna (c) 
Bubotuber (d) Snargluff tree (e) Venomous Tentacular (f) Wolfsbane 
(g) Whomping Willow 


Whomping Willow has demonstrated protective uses. Belladonna is even 
used by Muggles. Bubotuber cures acne. Wolfsbane helps werewolves. 
Prof. Sprout has the kids juicing Snargaluff seeds, and also has a 
Venomous Tentacula (also used in Twin's items) in her greenhouse.  
My hunch is that everything she grows has some positive use.

I went with (a) Alihotsy, again.  Though it bothered me to use it 
twice.

Talisman