# 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:** 14
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2014, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-stuff-that-bothers-you/680466/261 "2014-02-09T03:12:23Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > I don’t. It has always pissed me off that Harry and Hermione didn’t end up together. Come on - the finest witch and the finest wizard of their generation and they _don’t_ end up with each other? Made absolutely no sense at all. Why not? Should we expect Abby Wambach and Lionel Messi to start dating (assuming Abbey was into guys)? ---
**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 9, 2014, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-stuff-that-bothers-you/680466/262 "2014-02-09T04:13:53Z")
> [@](#): > > Quoth **MsWhatsit** : > > What irritated me was that everyone in the books ended up with someone they’d gone to high school with, basically. Perhaps more plausible when you consider that the wizarding world doesn’t have any formal education past that point. Among Muggles, it’s fairly common for people to meet their spouses in college, but that’s not an option for wizards. ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2014, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-stuff-that-bothers-you/680466/263 "2014-02-09T04:22:24Z")
> [@dracoi](#): > > The books seem to give Harry credit for above-average dueling abilities and other Defense Against the Dark Arts subjects. In particular, it’s considered impressive that he can pull off a patronus at all, let alone doing it so well. However, he clearly struggles with less active subjects like charms and potions. > > So I’d sum it up this way: Harry is your man to blow something up. You go ask Hermione if you just want to change it. 🙂 Well, I mean, he has his talents. You’re right that he’s a good duelist and can make a Patronus. But even if he was higher on the curve, he still wasn’t made out to be the Inigo Montoya of wizard duels, or anything like that. If it weren’t for his history with Voldemort he’d be fairly unremarkable. In no way destined to fail, but not necessarily destined for greatness either. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2014, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-stuff-that-bothers-you/680466/264 "2014-02-09T05:26:59Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Perhaps more plausible when you consider that the wizarding world doesn’t have any formal education past that point. Among Muggles, it’s fairly common for people to meet their spouses in college, but that’s not an option for wizards. True. But I mean, of all of the main and even secondary characters, none of them found anyone to hook up with after Hogwarts? No meeting anyone from work, or the pub, or when traveling? I just have a hard time buying that they all met their True Loves For Life when they were 12 years old. It felt like kind of a lazy and cheesy way to end the series, to be honest. I usually mentally just pretend the epilogue never happened. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Angel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d26b3c/32.png) [@Johnny\_Angel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Angel)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2014, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-stuff-that-bothers-you/680466/265 "2014-02-09T05:49:37Z")
Lily and James Potter were at Hogwarts together. Molly and Arthur Weasley were at Hogwarts together. I’m thinking that in the small world of English wizards, if you’re marrying someone within seven years of your age, you went to school with them. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2014, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-stuff-that-bothers-you/680466/266 "2014-02-09T06:09:49Z")
I also thought it was rather silly that the main characters all married their high school sweethearts, but at least Rowling did have Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione all at least briefly date other kids at Hogwarts before getting together with their spouses. ---
**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 9, 2014, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-stuff-that-bothers-you/680466/267 "2014-02-09T07:47:42Z")
Not all of them ended up with their high school sweethearts. Those that did: -Harry and Ginny -Ron and Hermione -Arthur and Molly -Lily and James Those who do NOT? -George Weasley and Angelina Johnson -Draco Malfoy and Astoria Greengrass -Nymphadora Tonks and Remus Lupin -Neville Longbottom and Hannah Abbot -Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour -Luna Lovegood and Rolf Scamander Cho Chang ends up marrying a Muggle. Percy Weasley marries a woman named Audrey. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2014, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-stuff-that-bothers-you/680466/268 "2014-02-09T07:58:29Z")
> [@a35362](#): > > Dumbledore rescued her, remember? So a wizard _REALLY_ did it ?? ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2014, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-stuff-that-bothers-you/680466/269 "2014-02-09T17:46:53Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Not all of them ended up with their high school sweethearts. I said “the main characters” not “all characters”. I don’t consider George, Neville, etc., to be main characters. The main characters are Harry, Ron, and Hermione. ---
**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 9, 2014, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-stuff-that-bothers-you/680466/270 "2014-02-09T18:59:45Z")
Ooops, sorry. But it was kind of obvious something like this was going to happen. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2014, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-stuff-that-bothers-you/680466/271 "2014-02-09T21:13:46Z")
> [@dracoi](#): > > The books seem to give Harry credit for above-average dueling abilities and other Defense Against the Dark Arts subjects. In particular, it’s considered impressive that he can pull off a patronus at all, let alone doing it so well. However, he clearly struggles with less active subjects like charms and potions. > > So I’d sum it up this way: Harry is your man to blow something up. You go ask Hermione if you just want to change it. 🙂 Actually, Harry is pretty smart all through the series. He catches on quickly and is always catching the meaning behind what someone says. He questions Hagrid about being in diagon alley and he catches Barty Crouch Jr’s slip about the cemetery. Hermione is both smart and book smart. She is the one that plans ahead. Both of them are good at riddles. She figures out the bottle puzzle in the first book and Harry figures out the maze puzzle with the sphinx. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2014, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-stuff-that-bothers-you/680466/272 "2014-02-09T23:08:56Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > I went ahead and made a MOBI version. It’s an automatic conversion, so it’s not the best, but it turned out a lot better than I thought. I separated the two books into separate files (keeping the Omake in book 1 where it fell). > > [ol] > [li][Sir Poley - Harry Potter and the Natural 20.mobi](http://upfile.mobi/372257)[/li][li][Sir Poley - Harry Potter and the Confirmed Critical (as of 2014-2-08).mobi](http://upfile.mobi/372260)[/li][/ol] At least the first file is corrupted and cannot be opened. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Goob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c77e96/32.png) [@Mr.Goob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Goob)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2014, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-stuff-that-bothers-you/680466/273 "2014-02-09T23:56:00Z")
With such an upbringing how did Harry learn to read and write? ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-stuff-that-bothers-you/680466/274 "2014-02-10T00:00:25Z")
> [@Mr.Goob](#): > > With such an upbringing how did Harry learn to read and write? He presumably learned at school. He wasn’t kept under the stairs 24/7; he was attending the same school as Dudley before entering Hogwarts. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-stuff-that-bothers-you/680466/275 "2014-02-10T00:02:25Z")
> [@Mr.Goob](#): > > With such an upbringing how did Harry learn to read and write? He went to school. The teachers were puzzled over some of his apparently unintended magic. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-stuff-that-bothers-you/680466/276 "2014-02-10T00:05:41Z")
I posted in the other thread but didn’t get an answer. How far along has the fanfic HPMOR gotten? It seems to be going into a lot more detail. Is it going to hold onto the Harry vs Voldemort plot? ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-stuff-that-bothers-you/680466/277 "2014-02-10T00:07:58Z")
> [@Yookeroo](#): > > Why not? Should we expect Abby Wambach and Lionel Messi to start dating (assuming Abbey was into guys)? Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf say hello. As do Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. It does happen occasionally. ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-stuff-that-bothers-you/680466/278 "2014-02-10T00:12:44Z")
I can’t remember, did the books ever mention how muggle-born witches and wizards bought things? Harry was sitting on fat wads of cash, but how did Hermione get books and such? Is there an exchange rate between GBP and Galleons? Did Hogwarts have some sort of scholarship? ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-stuff-that-bothers-you/680466/279 "2014-02-10T00:22:42Z")
> [@Jragon](#): > > I can’t remember, did the books ever mention how muggle-born witches and wizards bought things? Harry was sitting on fat wads of cash, but how did Hermione get books and such? Is there an exchange rate between GBP and Galleons? Did Hogwarts have some sort of scholarship? yes, they were able to exchange money. Gold is gold. And there is a school fund for the indigent because that’s how Lord Voldemort was able to attend. ---
**Author:** ![lorene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/65b543/32.png) [@lorene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lorene)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-stuff-that-bothers-you/680466/280 "2014-02-10T01:36:48Z")
> [@dracoi](#): > > Really, the element of the HP books that bother me most is Professor Snape. It doesn’t make any sense to me for any adult to treat a child that way, let alone a teacher. I can buy magic, but a teacher who’s still carrying out his childhood romance/rivalry against the kid of his love interest/romance? Seriously? To the point where penalizes not only Potter but the entire Gryffendor house to carry out his petty vendetta! This speaks to me of someone who is so disturbed and emotionally stunted that they shouldn’t be allowed to have any contact with children. Have you read any of the ‘were you bullied?’ threads here? Or, any of the ‘who were your bad teachers?’ threads? That adults would carry feelings far past adolescence is no surprise to me, nor is that there are mean teachers. [YAY! The bully’s dad killed himself! Karma!!111!](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16661311&postcount=3) [Teachers r mean](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=645822&highlight=Bullied). [I’d only go to a HS reunion to exact revenge](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=15800707&postcount=56). [YAY! A bully was killed by a train!!](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=15800707&postcount=56) [More mean teachers](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=651060&highlight=Bullied). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-stuff-that-bothers-you/680466.md?page=13) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-stuff-that-bothers-you/680466.md?page=15)