Seems there’s lots of questions atm, since the film’s come out. So, I thought i’d organise them a bit better. If you’ve got any questions on the Harry Potter Universe, ask away! Feel free to also ask about more peripheral subjects, like actors/directors in the films, JK Rowling, or random stuff about the books/films/fans/whatever.
Regarding wizarding duels, and I mean real duels to the death, why don’t they just throw out Avada Kedavras at each other instead of stalling with all the inhibitive curses? I’m guessing this spell takes a lot of concentration or power or something, so you’d only use it when a direct hit is a sure thing. I’m wondering if this is ever brought up.
Forgot to say; this thread will most likely be full of SPOILERS.
Well, firstly, duels to the death don’t really seem to come up that often. Unlike muggle fights, magic gives a lot of pretty certain incapacitory weapons; you can tie your foe in ropes, or create a spell to stop them Apparating (think teleporting) away.
Secondly, in order to perform the Avada Kedavra curse, you need to really want to kill the other person, and enjoy that. For example, at the end of HP and the Order of the Phoenix, in a large fight with Death Eaters, Harry tries to use Avada Kedavra against an enemy who, in the past, tortured both of his friend’s parents into insanity, has just killed his godfather (and as he has no parents, one of his only father figures), and is reponsible for incapacitating a lot of his friends in that battle. And yet, despite all that anger, while he can speak the incantation and fire the curse, it won’t kill; as the enemy in question says, you have to really WANT to cause death, and “righteous anger” won’t do that.
Thirdly, it’s been pointed out (by a Death Eater, but still) that Avada Kedavra needs “a powerful bit of magic behind it”. He suggests that the entire class of kids he’s teaching all pull out their wands and curse him, and that all he’d get was a slight nosebleed. It’s likely that most, say, 90%, of wizards just aren’t up to that power level.
minor nitpick: I believe it was Crucio that Harry attempted to use against Bellatrix in OotP…I don’t believe he’s ever honestly attempted Avada Kedavra (though I assume he’ll learn it in book 7)
It was Crucio that Harry attempted to use on Bellatrix LeStrange. And he must have succeeded to some degree, because that’s when Bellatrix stopped treating him with condescension and started treating him as an enemy equal.
Regarding Avada Kedavra, Barty Crouch Jr. disguised as Mad-Eye Moody told Harry’s class the following:
What exactly that means I’m not sure, but I’d guess that Avada Kedavra is probably something that needs some degree of preparation before casting it, and during a duel, time is not a luxury the combatant has.
Its also the case that Avada Kedavra, and Crucio are two of the Unforgivable Curses, i.e. illegal under wizarding law.
And for that matter, Avada Kedavra is also six syllables long, which is not a desirable quality in a duelling spell. (And yeah, I know they’re doing nonverbal incantations now, but presumably you’ve still got to concentrate on the words.)
:wally Reread that section, and it is indeed Crucio that Harry uses. I think the other points still stand, though. Off to a good start, here :rolleyes: Thanks for correcting me, guys 
Yep, the third being Imperio, the controlling curse. If you get caught performing one of them on another wizard (and i’d hope a muggle) the punishment is being sent to the wizard prison Azkaban; I’m not sure for how long, though, but it’s likely for the rest of your life. Which could be short, at Azkaban.
This has probably already been discussed when the book came out, but I’d like to hear the opinion of a self-professed HP nut - since Crucio is an unforgivable curse, why does Harry receive no punishment for using it right in front of Dumbledore? He doesn’t even get a stern lecture!
It bothers me both on a plothole level, and on an emotional level - I have trouble seeing him as capable of being the hero he needs to be to defeat Voldemort after that. It would be one thing if it at least bothered him that he’d done it, but it’s never mentioned again.
For that matter, why doesn’t MadEye get sacked for doing the Cruciatus curse in DADA class? Because the Ministry doesn’t know about it, and it was done for purposes of demonstration only.
I would imagine that Harry does not get in trouble for using the curse because he is defending his own life when he uses it. Also, he is not effective at the use of it–it lacks sting or venom or something. It does cause Bellatrix to take Harry seriously, but his curse does not have the effect of the curse’s intent.
I think those are two reasons why Harry is not disciplined for using it. (plus, Dumbledore is hardly likely to send his prize pupil to Azkaban).
In the sixth book, there was something about a Vanishing Cabinet, that was supposed to explain something.
I am re-reading all the books now, and in the middle of the fourth one. I cannot be bothered to go to the sixth and find out exactly what was said.
In the second book, though, when Harry is in Filch’s office, Peeves drops a Vanishing Cabinet in the room above… am I remembering correctly?
Anyway, what on earth is the Vanishing Cabinet and what on earth did it explain? For some reason, I’m thinking Mundungus Fletcher was involved.
What’s it like being an occult-loving Satan worshipper? What holidays do you celebrate?
OK, Revenant, here’s some things I’ve never been able to figure out from the books (maybe because Rowling deliberately chose to ignore them):
How does the wizard economy work? Are there wizard farmers, or do they buy all their food from Muggles? If so, how do they work the exchange of galleons for pounds? Are there wizard factories? Do they use house-elves for sweatshop labor? Is there a wizard proletariat, or is all the shitwork done by house-elves and other enslaved beings?
What is the wizards’ religion, if any? They celebrate Christmas and have a “godfather-godson” relationship, but neither of those facts necessarily mean they’re Christians. Hogwarts, unlike most Muggle public schools in Britain, doesn’t seem to have any chapel or religious services. OTOH, there’s no indication that the wizards worship any pagan gods of their own. Are they all agnostics?
Why don’t the Hogwarts students seem to study any non-magical subjects? English composition should be just as important in the wizard world as the Muggle world. So should foreign languages, and mathematics, and economics. Ditto with (Muggle) history – wizards try to isolate themselves from the Muggle world, but there are times when you can’t. I suppose the London Blitz affected them as much as Muggles; learning about why Muggles do such things is important. Then there’s Muggle science – which, from a wizard POV, is incomplete, but not incorrect; wizards are still subject to the laws of physics and chemistry except when they use magic to counteract them.
Here’s a biggie I’ve been wondering about: why does Dumbledore keep Filch on staff? For a guy who seems to genuinely care about his students, he certainly gives a lot of authority to a genuine sadist. Maybe Dumbledore thought he’d always be able to keep Filch from doing the students any real harm, but the Umbridge experience should have shown him that was untrue, and he should have sacked Filch immediately upon his re-instatement as headmaster.
I assumed, since the second book, that having Filch work at Hogwarts is an act of mercy toward a squib, which is very much in character for Dumbledore…but surely the students must come first!
Verb tense question.
Why do I Apparate, and they Apparated, but we are learning Apparition?
Wouldn’t it be “we are learning Apparation?” We say “reparations” when discussing repayment for transgressions.
Apparition is usually used as a noun meaning ghost or visible spirit – seems like a highly functional word in the Potterverse. Why does Rowling spell Apparition (the practice of teleporting) with an “i” and increase the risk of confusion?
Question about Dumbledore’s hiring practices (SPOILER)
We’re re-reading Order of the Phoenix right now, and I have to ask…
How could Dumbledore have left the children alone with Dolores Umbridge, without even advice?
I know he “had to” hire her. I know she becomes worse after getting Dumbledore sacked.
But Umbridge is, from the moment we meet her, one of the most detestable characters in all of children’s literature. My wife and I hate her so much it taints the entire fifth book. She eventually degenerates into actual physical torture of Harry, the kind of thing for which Muggle adults would automatically be sent to prison.
Surely at least some warning of this was evident in her personality. Of all the times Dumbledore leaves Harry and the kids in the dark, unwarned, on their own, this is surely the least explainable/forgivable. Even a few words of warning, showing Harry that Dumbledore knew Umbridge was trouble, but couldn’t for whatever reason keep her out of the school, would have meant a lot.
I mean, if the good guys aren’t fighting dark wizards to prevent, well, sickos from carving up the flesh of children, what good is the fight at all?
Sailboat
[ol]
[li]What the heck is butterbeer?[/li][li]Don’t these kids listen to music or play video games or whatever? There aren’t even wizard versions of them in any of the books. Whatta bunch of nerds.[/li][li]And to follow on about that, what about computers? Seems like the wizard world doesn’t need them or telephones. WEIRD! It would be fun to see more of wizards confronting Muggle technology.[/li][li]Not enough pr0n. I’m serious here; I started reading playboy when I was like 13… what gives?[/li][li]No sports besides Quidditch? What keeps wizards from getting porked out completely?[/li][li]Economy (as another post said): How did HP’s parents leave him all that moohla? Is the Muggle government giving the wizards money to not make trouble?[/li][li]In 6 books so far, no American wizards. Considering where Rowlings money is coming from, it’s really unfair.[/li][li]Correct me if I’m wrong, but Voldemort finds out it’s either HP or him in book 6. Seems like V. has no motivation to kill off Harry before book 1! Voldemort disappeared before HP was born, as far as I can tell. Why not wait until the whole thing has settled down and HP is a kid at Hogwarts. Much easier target. No plot, but much easier target.[/li][/ol]
So first I hear that book seven will be the last book.
And then I heard in a class question and answer, Rowling backtracked and said something that could imply another book could/might be written, or maybe a spin off series from the original books.
I mean, it is not like she needs the money to pay her cable bill, but just wondering…will the next book be the last of the Harry Potter series or not?
My guess is that the current series of seven will be a complete, self-contained story arc, dealing with Harry’s education and (presumably) the final defeat of Voldemort. And then Rowling might write another, separate series about the lives of Harry and friends as young adults trying to make it in the wizarding world, or something. Same world, same characters, different series.
Do you mean the Vanishing Cabinet that was used to transport the Death Eaters into Hogwarts? If so…
During OotP (5), a boy called Montague was shut into a broken VC and trapped there. He heard voices from inside the Dark Arts shop Borgin and Burkes. When he was released, he told this to Draco Malfoy. Malfoy, being one insufferable but still smart cookie, figured that if he could repair the VC in Hogwarts, it could teleport in someone from B&B (or vice versa).
Therefore, Draco spends most of HBP (6) trying to figure out how to repair the Hogwarts VC so that Death Eaters can break into the otherwise mighty fortress that is Hogwarts. Seems to me that someone should have thought about this loophole a long time ago. (I’m surprised the Weasley twins didn’t!)
No, Voldemort did not disappear before HP was born. When Harry was a baby Voldemort killed Harry’s parents and tried to kill Harry, but the curse backfired onto Voldemort, causing him to lose his powers and most of his physical being. Up until the time HP enters Hogwarts he has been living in the forests in the bodies of animals and trying by one means or another to re-create himself.