WOMBAT part deux -- the Sequel

[Phyllis]

Annemehr wrote:

> Does anyone else want to rehash like Hermione, or are your 
> sympathies with Ron?

I'm up for a rehash.  Congrats to everyone on their scores.  Somehow 
I managed an EE, which amazed me, as I was expecting a T ::raises 
hands in mock triumph::
 
> 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

Me, too.  I figured a dead body wouldn't be able to talk.  Although 
presumably it wouldn't be able to walk, either.  Hmmm.
 
> 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

I chose werewolf's snout.  We know from the pensieve scene in OotP 
that the shape is different, so I went the next step to length.  But 
I really had no idea.
 
> 3. Which of the following are considered MOST dangerous by the 
> Ministry of Magic?
> 
> -Dementors
> -Hags
> -Inferi
> -Vampires
> -Werewolves
> 
> Anne: Dementors

I chose werewolves, given that it's the MoM that's the one 
determining "dangerous" and given their prejudice against 
werewolves.  Since they hire Dementors to guard Azkaban, I didn't 
think that was correct, and hags hang out in pubs, so I didn't think 
that could be right, either.  Inferi and Vampires were good 
contenders, but it was the MoM prejudice factor that led me to 
choose werewolves.
 
> 4. Which of the following are considered AMORTAL (have never died, 
> and can never die) by the Ministry of Magic?
> 
> -Dementors
> -Ghosts
> -Inferi
> -Poltergeists
> -Vampires
> 
> Anne: Poltergeists

Me, too.  Presumably Filch would have killed Peeves by now if it was 
possible.
 
> 5. Which (still unresolved) issue do most historians believe 
> triggered the infamous goblin rebellion of 1612?
> 
> -Lack of goblin representation on the Wizengamot?
> -Wizard attempts to enslave goblins and use as house-elves?
> -Wizard refusal to grant goblins the right to carry a wand?
> -Attempt of wizards to regain control of Gringotts bank
> -Series of brutal goblin-slayings by wizard murderer Yardley Platt
> 
> Anne: Lack of goblin representation on the Wizengamot

I chose wizard refusal to grant goblins the right to carry a wand.  
Bill or Arthur's words in OotP came back to me, something like: "if 
Voldemort gives goblins the freedoms we wizards have been denying to 
them for years, they might join him."  Not allowing goblins to carry 
a wand seemed to equate with a denied freedom.

> 6. Which of the following statements on giants is TRUE?
> 
> -Giant clans are matriarchal (females in charge)
> -Female giants are usually larger than males
> -Giants' eyesight is very poor compared with that of humans
> -Giants are nocturnal
> -Many giants are cannibals
> 
> Anne: Giants' eyesight is very poor compared with that of humans

Me, too (by process of elimination).

> 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

I chose "house-elves cannot be ordered to kill themselves" on the 
premise that since they're enslaved, they can be ordered to do 
anything.  And we know they punish themselves by inflicting physical 
pain and can be beheaded by their masters when they get too old to 
carry tea trays.
 
> Part II
> Wizarding Current Affairs
> (25/100)
> 
> 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

I struggled between the first and the second, and eventually went 
with the second (insufficient information).  It seemed to me that 
the wizarding world was more upset that the information was withheld 
than that the MoM wasn't doing anything about Voldemort. And 
presumably the MoM would have needed to provide the information 
about Voldemort's return prior to being able to take action (since 
one of their key actions once they finally admitted Voldemort's 
return was to implement a wizarding world awareness campaign).  But 
I really thought either answer would work.
 
> 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

I chose CoMC given the potential for damage to life and limb 
(skrewts, anyone?), but I could see how all of the other ones would 
work (DADA for being dangerous; History of Magic for being a waste 
of time; pure-bloods not liking Muggle Studies on principle). 
 
> 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%

Me, too.  For the same reason (most people just don't really care 
about such things).
 
> 11. Which health scare at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical 
Maladies 
> and Injuries has recently caused widespread panic? (Source: St. 
> Mungo's Admissions Department)
> 
> -Suspected brain damage due to Imperius Curse
> -Suspected death due to Thestral sightings
> -Spate of suspected werewolf bits
> -Uncontrollable bleeding due to 'Nosebleed Nougat'
> 
> Anne: Werewolf bites

Me, too. I thought of Greyback.
 
> 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

I choose proof of pure-blood status.  That seemed to go well with 
the small percentage.

> Part Three
> Magical Objects
> (15/100)
> 
> 13. Assuming that you already have a wand, which THREE of the 
> following would you consider indispensable in case of trouble?
> 
> -Anti-Muggle doorknob
> -Broomstick
> -Cauldron
> -Crystal ball
> -Extendable Ears
> -Floo Powder
> -Foe Glass
> -Hand of Glory
> -Invisibility Cloak
> -Lunascope
> -Omnioculars
> -Parchment
> -Pensieve
> -Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder
> -Potion-making kit
> -Quick-Quotes Quill
> -Remembrall
> -Revealer
> -Scales
> -Secrecy Sensor
> -Sneakoscope
> -Telescope
> -Time-Turner
> -Two-way mirror
> -Wizard's wireless
> 
> Anne: Broom, invisibility cloak, time-turner

This one was hard, because if only one of your three choices was 
wrong, presumably you got the entire question wrong, and this was a 
*long* list from which to choose.  I chose the cloak at once, also, 
and then figured I'd choose the ones that would let me escape 
(broomstick and floo powder).
 
> Part Four
> Muggle Studies
> (25/100)
> 
> 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*

I choose "self-ironing robes," for while we have no-iron clothes, we 
don't have clothes that, when wrinkled, can iron themselves 
(although I sure wish we did!). 
 
> 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

Me, too, although it was a tough choice between computer and 
television.

> 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 thought this one was nearly impossible.  I guessed "Muggleborn 
witches/wizards are generally slower to show signs of magic in 
childhood than those who have one or more wizarding parents" without 
having any basis for doing so other than none of the other choices 
seemed to be any better.  I guess I thought that it made some sense 
to think that a child in a wizarding family might be encouraged to 
do magic earlier in childhood than a child in a Muggle family.

> 17. Which of the following statements is FALSE? (According to the 
> latest research from the Institute of Muggle Studies)
> 
> -It is possible for a Muggle to produce elementary magic if they 
> have access to a wand and a book of spells.
> -It is possible for a Muggle to inadvertently stumble upon 
magically 
> protected areas such as Diagon Alley and St. Mungo's Hospital for 
> Magical Maladies and Injuries.
> -It is possible for a Muggle to see and correctly identify magical 
> creatures.
> -It is possible for a Muggle to see and yet deny the existence of 
> magical creatures, even without magical intervention.
> -It is possible for a Muggle to believe in impossibilities.
> 
> Anne: It is possible for a Muggle to produce elementary magic

Me, too.  JKR actually answered this one in NYC in August.

> 18. Muggle are:
> 
> -Ignorant
> -In danger
> -Inferior to wizards
> -Insensitive to their surroundings
> -Interesting
> -Irritating facts of life
> 
> Anne: Insensitive to their surroundings

Me, too.  I recalled Stan Shunpike's assertion about Muggles not 
noticing the Night Bus:  "don't see nuffin', do they?  don't notice 
nuffin'."

~Phyllis
thanking Anne for starting a great discussion!