WOMBAT part deux -- the Sequel

[davewitley]

OK, I'm game.

Annemehr wrote:

> 1. Which of the following statements is TRUE?
> 
> -Hags eat small children
> -Inferi cannot speak
> -Goblins fear sunlight
> -There are no female centaurs
> -Vampire bites are curable nowadays
> 
> Anne: Inferi cannot speak
> 
> I'm pretty sure they were silent in the cave in HBP.  I *know* 
we've 
> seen goblins in the sunlight, and I don't think they're afraid of 
> much.  And, I think hags get a bad rap.
> -------------------------------------------------------------------

My reasoning with these type of questions is "Canon has said nothing 
about the curability or otherwise of vampire bites, therefore it 
cannot be the answer".  In other words, there is no underlying model 
of reality.

That meant I went with the hags, because at least that gets a 
mention.  It also means I differ on quite a few of the questions.
 
> 2. Which of the following statements is FALSE?
> 
> -Ghosts can cause movement of both liquid and gas
> -Freshwater merpeople are less warlike than salt
> -The werewolf's snout is shorter than that of the true wolf
> -There are no male veela
> -Hags have four toes on each foot
> 
> Anne: Hags have four toes on each foot
> 
By similar reasoning I went with the werewolf.
> 
> 3. Which of the following are considered MOST dangerous by the 
> Ministry of Magic?
> 
> -Dementors
> -Hags
> -Inferi
> -Vampires
> -Werewolves
> 
> Anne: Dementors
> 
> Well, it was between Inferi and Dementors.  It does seem Inferi 
> might be more *feared,* but I thought part of that might be more 
> taboo than danger.  Inferi will kill you but dementors will do 
> worse -- that's what finally swayed me.
> -------------------------------------------------------------------

The question is not about which is actually dangerous, but what the 
MOM thinks; they clearly believe Dementors are OK.  I went with 
inferi based on the pamphlet in HBP: that mentions them but not 
Greyback.  MOM attitudes to vampires are relatively relaxed if Percy 
has to cite a boring memo for them.
-
> 
> 
> 7. Which of the following statements on house-elves is FALSE?
> 
> -House-elves have an average life-expectancy of 200 years
> -A house-elf's allegiance is foremost to its house (rather than to 
> the inhabitants of the house)
> -House-elves cannot be ordered to kill themselves
> -House-elf magic is sufficiently powerful to override wizards 
> enchantments
> -House-elves breed infrequently and then only with their master's 
> permission
> 
> Anne: House-elves have an average life-expectancy of 200 years
> 
> If that were true, I don't think there would be all those heads 
> mounted in the hall at 12 GP, given Aunt Elladora's spot on the 
> family tree.  'Course, I could have been tripped up by JKR's lack 
of 
> math skills...
> -------------------------------------------------------------------

I went with the house.  I take it she means 'building' not 'family' 
(as in 'House of David').  On reflection, though, I think Harry 
inherits Kreacher as part of 12 Grimmauld Place, not as Sirius' 
legacy per se.  The implication either way, that House-elves breed 
only with their master's permission, is depressing, though 
consistent with the real history of slavery.
> 
> 8. In a recent Ministry of Magic poll, what was identified as the 
> issue most concerning the wizarding community at the present time?
> 
> -Insufficient information given by Ministry of Magic regarding the 
> return of Lord Voldemort
> -Insufficient action taken by Ministry of Magic to fight Lord 
> Voldemort
> -Inadequate Ministry of Magic resources devoted to the protection 
of 
> the wizarding community
> -Over-reaction of the Ministry of Magic to the return of Lord 
> Voldemort, which is the best thing that has happened to the 
> wizarding community in many years
> 
> Anne: Insufficient action taken
> 
> The wizarding public wants to see *results,* dang it.  Rufus 
> Scrimgeour's attitude about Stan Shunpike's imprisonment would 
> suggest that he got the memo on this poll, too.
> ------------------------------------------------------------------

I think the WC comes across as so self-absorbed that they don't care 
how they are protected - if the MOM reached a deal with Voldemort 
that would be fine with most of them.  So I ticked the third option.
 
> 
> 9. According to a recent article in the Daily Prophet, which 
subject 
> at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry has been complained 
> about by parents more than any other (over 100 year period)?
> 
> -Care of Magical Creatures
> -Defense Against the Dark Arts
> -History of Magic
> -Muggle Studies
> 
> Anne: DADA
> 
> It was between that and CoMC.  I guess I decided that a flurry of 
> DADA complaints since the curse was cast may have outweighed the 
> steady flutter of CoMC owls.  No confidence in this one, though.
> -------------------------------------------------------------------
Any of these are possible, depending on who is the squeakiest 
wheel.  Malfoy types object to DADA on principle; I can see many 
purebloods objecting to Muggle Studies unless it's a purely 
practical guide to exploiting them; CoMC is clearly dangerous; the 
type of history taught by Binns is a minefield of carefully-avoided 
subjects (Grindelwald? Arguments between the founders? VWI?) which 
might be the consequence of complaints in the past.

I went with CoMC but agree it could easily be DADA based on Draco's 
comments.


> 
> 
> 10. What percentage of wizards and witches believe that Weather-
> Modifying Charms should be regulated due to their effect upon the 
> environment? (Figures collected by Committee for Experimental 
Charms)
> - 3%
> - 33%
> - 53%
> - 93%
> 
> Anne: 3%
> 
> We just don't really see weather modification -- school students 
> play Quidditch in thunderstorms, for heaven's sake (well, 
apparently 
> it's an Experimental Charm anyway).  Nor do I imagine wizards 
would 
> worry much about environmental damage unless they saw their 
activity 
> cause a lot of it -- similar to Muggle attitudes, I guess.
> -------------------------------------------------------------------

Surely if we don't see weather modification, that shows it *is* 
regulated, and since there are no complaints, support for regulation 
must be high?

I can't remember what I put, but it was one of the middle ones, 
given the competing tendencies to laissez-faire and bureaucratic 
nitpicking of the WW.
> 
>
> 12. What change would 18% of wizards like to see to the 
requirements 
> for membership of the Wizengamot? (Source: Ministry of Magic poll)
> 
> -Average age lowered from 87
> -Proof of pure-blood status
> -Maximum of three years in post
> -Goblin representation
> 
> Anne: Goblin representation
> 
> It goes nicely with my answer to #5 -- although, that could just 
as 
> well mean I got them both *wrong.*  Proof of pure-blood status 
seems 
> likely, too, but *maybe* 18% is a little high, since not all 
> purebloods would vote this way.
> -------------------------------------------------------------------
-
I thought 18% sounded about right for the Black/Malfoy tendency that 
would prefer purebloods.  I doubt there's any constituency for 
goblin representation.

> 14. Which of the following is the ONLY magical invention whose 
> effect has not yet been duplicated FULLY by Muggle ingenuity?
> 
> -Flying broomstick
> -Mrs. Skower's All-Purpose Magical Mess Remover
> -Omnioculars
> -"reparo"
> -Self-ironing robes
> 
> Anne: Reparo*
> 
> *Cf: landfills

How has the broomstick been duplicated?
> -------------------------------------------------------------------
-
> 
> 
> 15. Which of the following is the ONLY Muggle invention whose 
> effects cannot be duplicated FULLY by magic?
> 
> -Aeroplane
> -Car
> -Computer
> -Telephone
> -Television
> 
> Anne: Computer
> 
> I know we haven't seen anything quite like a television either -- 
> but it seems to me that it surely *can* be duplicated by magic, as 
> it's really just a combination of the scoreboard we saw at the QWC 
> and wizarding wireless.
> -------------------------------------------------------------------

I agreed on the response as I think JKR sees computers as the 
ultimate in the type of thing that doesn't work around magic.  
However, I do wonder about things like the Marauder's Map and 
Riddle's Diary - all those things that can 'think for themselves'.
 
> 16. The following beliefs are widely held in the wizarding world, 
> but only ONE is actually TRUE. (According to the latest research 
> from the Institute of Muggle Studies) Which is it?
> 
> -Muggleborn witches/wizards are more likely to produce Squib 
> children than those who have one or more wizarding parents.
> -Muggleborn witches/wizards usually have a witch or wizard 
ancestor 
> somewhere in their family tree, though s/he may be generations 
back.
> -Muggleborn witches/wizards are generally less prone to certain 
> magical ilnesses than those who have one or more wizarding parent.
> -Muggleborn witches/wizards are generally slower to show signs of 
> magic in childhood than those who have one or more wizarding 
parents.
> -Muggleborn witches/wizards have great natural rhythm.
> 
> Anne: Muggleborn witches/wizards usually have a witch or wizard 
> ancestor somewhere in their family tree
> 
> I ruled out the illness and magic in childhood choices on the 
theory 
> that they are based on the idea that Muggleborns are somehow 
*less* 
> magical than other witches/wizards.  The Squib one seemed to be a 
> little bit along those lines, too, so I chose the second one by 
> process of elimination.  And after all, that's how my second 
> daughter ended up a blonde...

Really tricky.  Like you, I feel that this is meant to be answered 
by reference to moral considerations.  I can't remember what I put 
or reconstruct a good line of argument.

However, the interesting thing about this question is the existence 
of the Institute of Muggle Studies.  So there *are* academic 
organisations in the WW after all...


> 18. Muggle are:
> 
> -Ignorant
> -In danger
> -Inferior to wizards
> -Insensitive to their surroundings
> -Interesting
> -Irritating facts of life
> 
> Anne: Insensitive to their surroundings
> 
> They are also in danger, especially *now,* but I didn't choose 
that 
> because this is not a current events question.

-In possession of great natural rhythm.

David