Harry potter... do you ever wonder??? - Page 5

[Pinoikoi]

Originally Posted by Storm Bride

I doubt it would be a Gryffindor class - it's more likely that it would be a few Gryffindors, a few Ravenclaw...maybe a few each of Hufflepuff and Slytherin, as well. IIRC, by 6th year, it's still all Gryffindor or "Double" classes, and nothing else. That just doesn't sound right, once kids are all taking different classes.

I didn't think the classes were split by houses though, because I thought Draco took several classes with Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

[1littlebit]

they have some classes with other houses.. it took me awhile to figure out that 'double potions with slytherin' didn't mean potions for twice as long with slytherins.. it meant double as gryffindors plus slytherins... i think some of their classes are just their house but some of them are with others. like herbology with hufflepuffs... for some reason they have no classes with ravenclaw and atleast 2 with slytherins... which just seems like asking for trouble IMO

o and why did dumbledore make malfoy a prefect? and i thought that someone like dean may have been a better choice for prefect then ron yk?

[Storm Bride]

Originally Posted by Pinoikoi

I didn't think the classes were split by houses though, because I thought Draco took several classes with Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

Yeah - those ones were the ones where they doubled with Slytherins.

[texmati]

Originally Posted by 1littlebit

the trace thing doesn't make sense really... if it could tell you who was doing magic they would have known it was dobby not harry. if it just alerts them to magic around underage wizards then they couldn't put it on kids with wizard parents and in book seven before harry comes of age ron and hermione wouldn't be able to do magic around him yk?

I thought the trace thing was total crap! For example, tonks and lupin used magic in book 5 at the dursley's and nothing happened.

Honestly book 6 and 7 were a bit of a disappointment in my opinion. I enjoyed them way less than the others.

[Daffodil]

Originally Posted by 1littlebit

o and why did dumbledore make malfoy a prefect?

Why did Dumbledore even allow Malfoy to keep attending Hogwarts? I thought it was really strange that once Dumbledore knew Voldemort was back, and knew which kids' fathers were death eaters and were actively helping him, he would let those kids stay at Hogwarts. I suppose he must have thought it wouldn't be fair to assume the kids were bad just because their parents were. (Or Rowling must have thought it would ruin the story if all the bad kids were out of it.)

[Daffodil]

Originally Posted by Pinoikoi

So then there is a class of just seventh years that didn't pass their exams only if there are three of them?

I assumed that students who didn't pass their OWL in a certain subject wouldn't continue in that subject. So when it's time for 7th year Potions, any 7th years who hadn't passed their Potions exam would either be taking a different class or having a free period.

[Storm Bride]

Originally Posted by Daffodil

I assumed that students who didn't pass their OWL in a certain subject wouldn't continue in that subject. So when it's time for 7th year Potions, any 7th years who hadn't passed their Potions exam would either be taking a different class or having a free period.

I think that would be the case, but I think they'd still have to repeat classes they'd failed prior to the OWLs. They don't write OWLs until...5th year, isn't it?

The passing/failing thing didn't work for me, either. Neville screws up everything in most of his classes, especially potions. Yet, he just keeps moving along with the rest of them. Sure - some kids might scrape through, but Neville is way beyond that. He'd have been doing first year potions until he left Hogwarts.

[Ruthla]

Originally Posted by Pinoikoi

So then there is a class of just seventh years that didn't pass their exams only if there are three of them?

I got the impression that if you fail a class, you fail the class, period. There isn't any chance to make it up later. And if you're struggling along, you're not held back- you just keep on struggling along, or get extra help from the teacher or another student outside of class. There wasn't any setup for Neville, in his 2nd year, to take Potions with the first year students. He had to stick with his class, no matter how poorly he was doing.

I do wonder if the Magical Trace thing was put on all Wizarding kids at age 12 or so, or if it was something new they added when Voldemort returned. If it's the latter, that would explain it's absence in earlier books.

[1littlebit]

but snape says something in book 6 about crabbe and goyle needing to pass their Defense against the dark arts OWl this time around... so i guess they failed it the first time?

[Storm Bride]

Originally Posted by Ruthla

I got the impression that if you fail a class, you fail the class, period. There isn't any chance to make it up later. And if you're struggling along, you're not held back- you just keep on struggling along, or get extra help from the teacher or another student outside of class. There wasn't any setup for Neville, in his 2nd year, to take Potions with the first year students. He had to stick with his class, no matter how poorly he was doing.

Yeah, but that's what doesn't make sense. If he failed, why is he at the next level? It just doesn't come across as believable.

I do wonder if the Magical Trace thing was put on all Wizarding kids at age 12 or so, or if it was something new they added when Voldemort returned. If it's the latter, that would explain it's absence in earlier books.

I don't even worry about its absence in earlier books. Considering the number of new ideas that Rowling tried to cram into the last two books, it's not a big deal to me if things are or aren't in the early books. I'll have re-read Deathly Hallows, because I thought it said the trace was related to the enforcement of underage magic restrictions, so I'd assumed it was part of the wizarding world all along.

[Pinoikoi]

Originally Posted by Ruthla

I got the impression that if you fail a class, you fail the class, period. There isn't any chance to make it up later. And if you're struggling along, you're not held back- you just keep on struggling along, or get extra help from the teacher or another student outside of class. There wasn't any setup for Neville, in his 2nd year, to take Potions with the first year students. He had to stick with his class, no matter how poorly he was doing.

But I thought there was a difference between failing a class and failing an OWL or NEWT though. One could pass a class and still fail the OWL, couldn't they?

Originally Posted by Storm Bride

Yeah, but that's what doesn't make sense. If he failed, why is he at the next level? It just doesn't come across as believable.

There are a lot of factors to consider in this, the class, the end of the year exams, and then the OWL and NEWT exams. At some point, Neville would have needed assistance.

[pixiekisses]

I just stumbled across this thread, so I start with some old posts here. (A few that hasn't been adressed as far as I can see. Or something I wanted to add.)

Originally Posted by 1littlebit

things i wonder about the harry potter books

*why aren't thestrals in hogwarts a history? if they were hermione would have known about them. how did she not know about them? it seems like something she would know.

But she does know about them. In the class where they first appear with Hagrid in the 5th? book I think, she knows about them. (Prolly from some book, maybe not Hogwarts, a history, but some other.)

Originally Posted by 1littlebit

*wouldn't wizards have to use muggle post to pay bills?

They have a post office in Hogsmead, but if you meant going to a regular post office they could do that yk. But I'm guessing they use magic for that stuff, don't they.

Originally Posted by 1littlebit

*are all wizard babies born at home or do they go to the muggle hospital?

There's always St. Mungo's. Or they could also go to a regular muggle hospital, or HB.

Originally Posted by 1littlebit

and according to toms memory in the chamber of secrets tom and hagrid were both at school together. sooo maybe molly and arthur were there at the same time?

Molly and Arthur was there at the same time. In GoF, when Molly and Charlie comes to surprise Harry (when they can have family visiting), they take a tour, and they talk about stuff that was there when they were in school. Molly asks about the Fat Lady and says she gave her a telling of for coming home at 4 am. or something after a night time stroll with Arthur.

Originally Posted by Storm Bride

Oh - and one other thing. Where the heck is Veritaserum through the whole first four books? (..)

What MucicianDad says here:

Originally Posted by MusicianDad

I believe that Snape mentioned veritasirum being a highly controlled substance and very difficult to make. Not to mention poisonous if made wrong.

That and logic dictates that a humane society won't implement a method intended to force a confession. It's very likely that any confession obtained under the influence of veritasirum is not admissable as evidence to someones guilt or innocence.

And this is a great post:

Originally Posted by MusicianDad

Not knowing Voldemort had take up residence and the mad-eye wasn't really mad-eye:
Dumbledore is still only human. He said it himself that when he makes mistakes they tend to be bigger ones. And since voldemort hadn't returned yet, it can resonably be expected that no one would consider the need for the same level of security as they had after that.

Triwizard tournement. Likely Voldemort need time to perfect the spell that wormtail would be using to bring him back.

Dumbledore explained his reasons for wanting Harry kept in the dark. They weren't logical, but they were understandable. He didn't want Harry to have to deal with more the nessicary while still young, and it took some time before he realized that it wasn't really up to him.

As for the imperius and the dark mark... Checking won't proove anything. Severus had the dark mark and he was on Harry's side, alternatly Greyback was very much a supporter of Voldemort and didn't have one. So having a dark mark does not = being a voldemort supporter.

Harry's cloak... well it was also discussed in book 7 how the deathly hallows aren't really from death but simply items made by some very powerful wizards. So likely Moody's cloak is likely only different from Harry's in that the magic is not as lasting.

Rowling does a lot of the the things she does because of the human condition. In the real world, Dumbledore would make mistakes, people would change allegence, people would pretend to agree just to stay safe, some people will be held on a pedestal when they don't really deserve it and some people will be villified when they don't deserve it. IMO it would have been harder to really get into if everything in the books were black and white. i.e. Dumbledore is always right and always does what's right or everyone with the dark mark is a deatheater and everyone who doesn't is under the imperius curse.

Originally Posted by Pinoikoi

Why has my oldest son's letter not arrived yet? (seriously, he just turned 11)

And yeah, we're waiting for our oldest to get the letter later this year.


I love Harry Potter!
I'm currently listening to all the books again (audiobooks) on my iPod leading up to the 6th film premiere on July 17th. Well, I might not get to see it on that day bc of holidays, but shortly after, I can't wait! And there's actually a pre-premiere here, on the 15th, at night, outside, on a old kind of castle here, that will be decorated in Hogwarts style that day. I would so love to go to it, but I couldn't.

[Pinoikoi]

Originally Posted by pixiekisses

And there's actually a pre-premiere here, on the 15th, at night, outside, on a old kind of castle here, that will be decorated in Hogwarts style that day.

That sounds SO awesome!

[pixiekisses]

Originally Posted by Pinoikoi

That sounds SO awesome!

I know! I so wanted to go!

[Storm Bride]

Originally Posted by Pinoikoi

But I thought there was a difference between failing a class and failing an OWL or NEWT though. One could pass a class and still fail the OWL, couldn't they?

Definitely. The OWLs are an assessment of how much they've learned in the whole five years.

There are a lot of factors to consider in this, the class, the end of the year exams, and then the OWL and NEWT exams. At some point, Neville would have needed assistance.

That's part of what I was thinking. He could just fumble along at a (failing) first-year level in the classroom for five years, but then he'd have no chance of passing his OWL. That seems kind of...pointless. Why would he even consider in a class (eg. potions) when he'd have basically no chance of getting an OWL? Abusive teachers aren't really that much fun...

[MusicianDad]

I'm thinking that like muggle school, hogwarts have certain classes that are manditory upto a point. So even if you completely suck, you have to take that class until you fail your OWLs.

[1littlebit]

Originally Posted by MusicianDad

I'm thinking that like muggle school, hogwarts have certain classes that are manditory upto a point. So even if you completely suck, you have to take that class until you fail your OWLs.

this is the impression i got as well. potions, charms, transfiguration etc... the things they started with as first years.

[Storm Bride]

Originally Posted by MusicianDad

I'm thinking that like muggle school, hogwarts have certain classes that are manditory upto a point. So even if you completely suck, you have to take that class until you fail your OWLs.

Sure, that makes sense, except that if someone fails 8th grade English, they don't take 9th grade the following year. They take 8th grade again. Mind you, nobody ever said that Neville failed Potions at any point. But, he never did anything that could have resulted in passing, either. The whole thing just confuses me.

[DanelleB]

I just finished Deathly Hallows last night and there's one question that's been bugging me. Now, I do read fast so I might have missed it, but DD couldn't answer it for me either. Where does Neville get the Sword of Gryffindor to kill Nagili? Didn't the goblin get it back at Gringotts? If they had it, then why would Ron & Hermione have to go and get basilisk fangs from the Chamber of Secrets?

[1littlebit]

another thing i wondered about the deathly hallows and half blood prince is why lucius and narcissa didn't run to dumbledore and beg him to hide them after voldemort asked draco to kill dumbledore.. and why didn;t they run the first chance they could and look for draco in the castle instead of waiting for voldemort to go in? i had one more.. i'll get back to you.