# harry potter stuff that bothers you **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 4, 2014, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-stuff-that-bothers-you/680466 "2014-02-04T00:06:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2014, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-stuff-that-bothers-you/680466/181 "2014-02-06T16:35:20Z")
> [@Fenris](#): > > While we’re at it, ok…Harry was entered (against his will) in the contest. Why didn’t he just agree to throw the contest. For example, just say “Gosh, I can’t figure out how to get the golden egg from the dragon. I guess I forfeit”. Even if Harry couldn’t think of that idea, certainly Dumbledore, the Russian and French school heads could, and Prof. McGonnigal certainly could have. End of problem He’s a fourteen year old kid and he’s excited about the prospect of competing, even though he’s nervous. If an authority figure tells him to give up, without iron-clad evidence that it’s a Voldemort plot, that’d just make him try harder. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2014, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-stuff-that-bothers-you/680466/182 "2014-02-06T17:01:10Z")
> [@chrisk](#): > > He’s a fourteen year old kid and he’s excited about the prospect of competing, even though he’s nervous. If an authority figure tells him to give up, without iron-clad evidence that it’s a Voldemort plot, that’d just make him try harder. the whole idea of a magical binding contract is pretty lame. He broke the rules but some moldy old goblet says otherwise? The rules are absolute, except for the one about being underage.:dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2014, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-stuff-that-bothers-you/680466/183 "2014-02-06T17:01:44Z")
> [@chrisk](#): > > He’s a fourteen year old kid and he’s excited about the prospect of competing, even though he’s nervous. If an authority figure tells him to give up, without iron-clad evidence that it’s a Voldemort plot, that’d just make him try harder. I’d buy that if it’d been, say, Ron. But Harry spent at least half the book whining and bitching that he _didn’t_ want to be in the contest, he _didn’t_ care about it and that he wanted out. ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2014, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-stuff-that-bothers-you/680466/184 "2014-02-06T17:09:36Z")
> [@Fenris](#): > > I’d buy that if it’d been, say, Ron. But Harry spent at least half the book whining and bitching that he _didn’t_ want to be in the contest, he _didn’t_ care about it and that he wanted out. I don’t remember it that way. He may have stressed that he didn’t want to enter, (especially since Ron was apparently upset with him for it,) but I don’t recall him actually trying to get out of it. But then, it was a few years ago I read the book. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2014, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-stuff-that-bothers-you/680466/185 "2014-02-06T17:24:53Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > the whole idea of a magical binding contract is pretty lame. He broke the rules but some moldy old goblet says otherwise? The rules are absolute, except for the one about being underage.:dubious: That’s the thing, though: I don’t think the rules of the actual \*tournament \*precluded underaged wizards from entering. That was a tacked-on rule because the Powers that Be thought it was too dangerous for anybody under 17 to enter. Remember, Dumbledore put up the age line to prevent them from even getting to the cup to put in their entries, but anyone who was able to thwart that (for example, by having an older student put an entry in for them) seemed to be okay with the Goblet. I’m guessing that several underage students managed to talk older ones into entering for them, but we never heard about it because they weren’t chosen. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2014, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-stuff-that-bothers-you/680466/186 "2014-02-06T17:43:34Z")
> [@Infovore](#): > > That’s the thing, though: I don’t think the rules of the actual \*tournament \*precluded underaged wizards from entering. That was a tacked-on rule because the Powers that Be thought it was too dangerous for anybody under 17 to enter. Remember, Dumbledore put up the age line to prevent them from even getting to the cup to put in their entries, but anyone who was able to thwart that (for example, by having an older student put an entry in for them) seemed to be okay with the Goblet. > > I’m guessing that several underage students managed to talk older ones into entering for them, but we never heard about it because they weren’t chosen. what you’re saying is true but it still comes down to: “the goblet has spoken, all hail it’s decision”. Seems a bit over the top. ---
**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2014, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-stuff-that-bothers-you/680466/187 "2014-02-06T19:36:49Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > The Potters couldn’t have Apparated Harry out, or at least, it would have been quite risky. Side-by apparation is possible, but it’s something that has to be practiced by both parties: The passenger isn’t doing the bulk of the work, but also isn’t just a passive rider. Trying it with a baby would probably be likely to get the baby lethally splinched anyway. Is this why they used a Portkey to get everybody to the Tournament in _GoF_? I mean, did they spell it out? ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2014, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-stuff-that-bothers-you/680466/188 "2014-02-06T19:39:23Z")
> [@a35362](#): > > Is this why they used a Portkey to get everybody to the Tournament in _GoF_? I mean, did they spell it out? I thought they used the portkey because you can’t side-along apparate more than one person at a time, and they needed to get a large number of people to the site in a short time (remember, even some adults either failed their Apparition test or never bothered to take it, so there were a lot of witches and wizards who couldn’t do it). ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2014, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-stuff-that-bothers-you/680466/189 "2014-02-06T20:10:46Z")
As Voldemort was rising to power and the Ministry was publishing pamphlets on how to protect yourself, one of the items was that parents should teach their children to side-by apparate. And when Dumbledore did it with Harry, he had to tell him what to do first. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2014, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-stuff-that-bothers-you/680466/190 "2014-02-06T23:19:59Z")
Where was the Sorceror’s Stone before it fell into Harry’s pocket? Was it invisible, or something like that? THAT drives me nuts. Sirius’s animagus form in the movie – he didn’t really look like a dog. I was thinking more like a black Lab, or just a shaggy mutt. He looked more like, well, a wolf. THAT’S what Lupin should have looked like! Lupin’s werewolf looked more like an anthropomorphic Doberman with rabies. > [@Fenris](#): > > One of my biggest problems is the idea that the wizard world was that they were so completely unaware of the Muggle world. It’s impossible that they had no idea what cars, (for example) were. Many of them lived in London–how could you not at least have seen one? For that matter, King’s Cross Station is near several busy streets. You can’t GET there without seeing cars. So why was Ron’s dad so amazed by them? Ditto radios/cell phones/tvs, etc. They did know about cars – the ministry used them, and Ron’s dad had one – he just wasn’t supposed to enchant it to fly. They also did indeed have radios – remember in HBP when Molly was making everyone listen to her favorite singer on Christmas Eve? And a lot of wizards deliberately isolate themselves from the Muggle world just out of snobbery. They probably SEE Muggles using these devices, but just don’t care to find out what they are. The part about TV is talked about at Pottermore – basically that it’s harder to hide than a radio station, where Muggles might just flip past it and think it’s phony or something. There were and are attempts to get a Wizarding Television Network, but the Ministry is worried about the secrecy decree. Personally, I think it would be easy: set it up like premium cable that only wizards could have access to it. I think clothing is a little sillier, and I’m glad it was different in the movie. I think Rowling was trying for humor, but that’s where it fell flat. GOF – Harry probably felt he owed it too to the school to try and win for Hogwarts, not to mention he wouldn’t want to completely embarass himself in front of the entire school, not to mention the students from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons. I wouldn’t mind reading some stories about the Marauders. There’s some pretty decent fan fic, but I’d love to see some official ones. (Epic HP bromance, what’s not to love?) I think the reason why Lupin and Sirius gave Harry a joint present is remember, Lupin was flat broke at the time. Remember that Sirius told Harry that Lupin was having trouble getting a job because Umbridge had pushed some anti-werewolf legislation? And Remus was pretty poor to begin with. I imagine those books were probably pretty expensive. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2014, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-stuff-that-bothers-you/680466/191 "2014-02-07T02:02:09Z")
> [@Gagundathar](#): > > That is easily one of the best pieces of fanfic ever, and better than most commercial fantasy fiction out there. And, dang if the author isn’t still writing this opus since the last update was 13 Dec 2013. > > Chapters: 101 - Words: 561,089 > > That is one labor of love. Started this on 28 Feb 2010. > > This one is probably worthy of a thread of its own. It’s got one more update and then the final arc which is almost certainly to be the showdown between Harry and Voldemort. It’s been completely planned out from the beginning. And it’s as much about a love of rationality as it is a love of Harry Potter. It’s the author’s attempt to explain rationalism in the form of a children/teen book. Oh, and the author admits that he made Harry too good at the beginning, and should have had him lose more often early on. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2014, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-stuff-that-bothers-you/680466/192 "2014-02-07T03:03:11Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > This is the most awesome thing I have read in ages. Thank you so much for the link! gaah. Help me out here, I just read down the page. Is this a complete rewrite? Is this starting out as if petunia never married Vernon? ---
**Author:** ![bldysabba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@bldysabba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bldysabba)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2014, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-stuff-that-bothers-you/680466/193 "2014-02-07T03:10:36Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > gaah. Help me out here, I just read down the page. Is this a complete rewrite? Is this starting out as if petunia never married Vernon? Total and absolute rewrite. Almost everything is different. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2014, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-stuff-that-bothers-you/680466/194 "2014-02-07T03:42:45Z")
> [@bldysabba](#): > > Total and absolute rewrite. Almost everything is different. WOW. I’m blown away. This is another one of those moments that makes me feel old. I’m floored that people went to such effort. It’s podcasted and everything. I just bought an FM transmitter with USB and cable input so I could play old radio mystery shows. This is [del]great[/del] frickin awesome. ---
**Author:** ![Roundabout](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/dec6dc/32.png) [@Roundabout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roundabout)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2014, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-stuff-that-bothers-you/680466/195 "2014-02-07T03:43:33Z")
Time Turners. Yep. They actually gave a 13 year old the ability to \*\* travel through time\*\*. The consequences of using it negatively being **altering reality and possibly creating a paradox**. It would seem easier just to give Hermione less classes, no? And don’t even get me started on how Voldermort’s minions work in the ministry, yet he never had them acquire one just in case. ---
**Author:** ![bldysabba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@bldysabba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bldysabba)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2014, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-stuff-that-bothers-you/680466/196 "2014-02-07T04:34:25Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > WOW. I’m blown away. This is another one of those moments that makes me feel old. I’m floored that people went to such effort. It’s podcasted and everything. I just bought an FM transmitter with USB and cable input so I could play old radio mystery shows. This is [del]great[/del] frickin awesome. It’s a really, really long rewrite too. It took me more than a couple of days of reading to get through, and I’m about as fast a reader as they come. So if you’re going to be listening to it, be prepared for it to take a very long time. ---
**Author:** ![bldysabba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@bldysabba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bldysabba)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2014, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-stuff-that-bothers-you/680466/197 "2014-02-07T04:35:30Z")
> [@Roundabout](#): > > Time Turners. > > Yep. They actually gave a 13 year old the ability to \*\* travel through time\*\*. The consequences of using it negatively being **altering reality and possibly creating a paradox**. > > It would seem easier just to give Hermione less classes, no? Heh. The use of time turners is addressed at great length in HPMOR. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2014, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-stuff-that-bothers-you/680466/198 "2014-02-07T05:02:18Z")
I wonder though, why could Kingsley have not asked the PM for a squadron of Tornados. It would have solved 99% of the problems and gotten the RAF an excuse to use its nifty toys. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2014, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-stuff-that-bothers-you/680466/199 "2014-02-07T05:09:31Z")
> [@bldysabba](#): > > It’s a really, really long rewrite too. It took me more than a couple of days of reading to get through, and I’m about as fast a reader as they come. So if you’re going to be listening to it, be prepared for it to take a very long time. I’ve downloaded the PDF version, is there a way of downloading the WMA files? ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2014, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-stuff-that-bothers-you/680466/200 "2014-02-07T05:25:29Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > I wonder though, why could Kingsley have not asked the PM for a squadron of Tornados. It would have solved 99% of the problems and gotten the RAF an excuse to use its nifty toys. kind of hard to sneak up on anybody in a Tornado. Wizards can just zap themselves away from the area. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-stuff-that-bothers-you/680466.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-stuff-that-bothers-you/680466.md?page=11)