# What's in it for the DeathEaters- (HARRY #7 spoilers) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 18, 2007, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-it-for-the-deatheaters-harry-7-spoilers/412212 "2007-07-18T02:00:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2007, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-it-for-the-deatheaters-harry-7-spoilers/412212/41 "2007-07-19T14:28:33Z")
> [@](#): > > 1. What religion, if any, do wizards have? They celebrate Christmas and Easter at Hogwarts but there doesn’t seem to be any chapel or prayer services; OTOH, they don’t seem to worship pagan gods, as might be expected. Most of the clues in the books suggest that religion in wizarding Britain is more or less identical to religion in Muggle Britain – that is, it’s a primarily secular society that is historically and culturally Christian. Wizards have christenings and godparents, name their hospitals after saints, and sing “O Come All Ye Faithful” at Christmas. I see no reason why anybody would expect them to worship pagan gods (although this seems to be a common trope in fanfic); magic in Rowling’s world is a skill, like playing the piano, not a belief system. Oh, and Quidditch scoring makes perfectly good sense to me, but I’m a bridge player. In bridge, you get 500 points for winning two games in a three-game rubber, but that _doesn’t_ mean a 30-point part score is necessarily meaningless – if you’re keeping a running total of your points over the course of the evening, as the Houses do in the Quidditch cup, those little scores add up. For that matter, it’s possible for a team to get that 500-point bonus and _still_ end up with fewer overall points than the other side, which is roughly analogous to what Bulgaria does in the World Cup. ---
**Author:** ![Gukumatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/74df32/32.png) [@Gukumatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gukumatz)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2007, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-it-for-the-deatheaters-harry-7-spoilers/412212/42 "2007-07-19T14:47:03Z")
[QUOTE=hotflungwok] So in Sorcerer’s Stone, a big deal is made of Harry’s first wand, and how the wrong wand does bad things. Then in Chamber of Secrets, Lockhart grabs Weasley’s wand and uses it with no problems, and Marvolo grabs Harry’s wand and makes like he can use it, but never does. It happens a couple of other times in the other movies too. What’s the deal? [/QUOTE] Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn’t. Diary-Marvolo was possibly bluffing, and the wand backfired Lockhart in the second book (the explosion that brought the ceiling down) and it backfires on Ron a few times too, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![hotflungwok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/edb3f5/32.png) [@hotflungwok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hotflungwok)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2007, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-it-for-the-deatheaters-harry-7-spoilers/412212/43 "2007-07-19T15:02:27Z")
[QUOTE=Gukumatz] Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn’t. Diary-Marvolo was possibly bluffing, and the wand backfired Lockhart in the second book (the explosion that brought the ceiling down) and it backfires on Ron a few times too, anyway. [/QUOTE] If Marvolo was bluffing, Harry believed it. And the wand backfired on Lockhart cuz it was broken, not because it wasn’t his wand. He grabbed it and used it, fully expecting it to work just fine. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2007, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-it-for-the-deatheaters-harry-7-spoilers/412212/44 "2007-07-19T15:26:14Z")
[QUOTE=hotflungwok] So in Sorcerer’s Stone, a big deal is made of Harry’s first wand, and how the wrong wand does bad things. Then in Chamber of Secrets, Lockhart grabs Weasley’s wand and uses it with no problems, and Marvolo grabs Harry’s wand and makes like he can use it, but never does. It happens a couple of other times in the other movies too. What’s the deal? [/QUOTE] I always figured it was that an 11 year old who is just starting magic had better have a wand that suits him well, while an adult wizard can get reasonable results out of any wand, though his own wand would give the best results. The way you’d expect a beginning golfer to want to stick with his own clubs since he knows them best, while an experienced duffer could play a decent round with any clubs. In GoF, doesn’t invisible Barty Crouch Jr. uses Harry’s wand to put the Dark Mark in the sky? ---
**Author:** ![fuffle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c37758/32.png) [@fuffle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fuffle)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2007, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-it-for-the-deatheaters-harry-7-spoilers/412212/45 "2007-07-19T15:29:07Z")
I don’t think it’s so much that the wrong wand does bad things as that using a wand other than your own diminishes your magical capabilities. That’s the reason why I expected a lot more from Neville in book 6–turns out he had been using his dad’s wand this whole time. I figured once he got his own wand things would improve. They didn’t, really. I’m not sure what point that proves. ---
**Author:** ![dannyness](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b77776/32.png) [@dannyness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dannyness)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2007, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-it-for-the-deatheaters-harry-7-spoilers/412212/46 "2007-07-19T15:33:42Z")
> [@](#): > > So in Sorcerer’s Stone, a big deal is made of Harry’s first wand, and how the wrong wand does bad things. Then in Chamber of Secrets, Lockhart grabs Weasley’s wand and uses it with no problems, and Marvolo grabs Harry’s wand and makes like he can use it, but never does. It happens a couple of other times in the other movies too. What’s the deal? I’ve always interpreted these events that a young wizard needs their own wand because their powers are uncontrollable. Once they’ve had a few years of school under their belt and have learned to control their powers, any wand will work as a focus for them. ---
**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2007, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-it-for-the-deatheaters-harry-7-spoilers/412212/47 "2007-07-19T15:34:07Z")
[QUOTE=Sampiro] This is for any “short answer” Harry Potter questions anybody has before starting the Final Installment. I’ll start, but please add your own. [/QUOTE] I haven’t read the books but I’ve seen a couple of the movies, and I want to know how Harry’s eyeglasses always seem to survive intact, what with him getting into scrapes all of the time, not to mention quiddich matches. Has he considered laser surgery to correct his vision? ---
**Author:** ![DeadlyAccurate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@DeadlyAccurate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadlyAccurate)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2007, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-it-for-the-deatheaters-harry-7-spoilers/412212/48 "2007-07-19T15:40:35Z")
They’ve gotten broken a few times, but the \*Reparo \*spell fixes them. ---
**Author:** ![Talon\_Karrde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Talon\_Karrde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Talon_Karrde)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2007, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-it-for-the-deatheaters-harry-7-spoilers/412212/49 "2007-07-19T16:00:54Z")
[QUOTE=hotflungwok] If Marvolo was bluffing, Harry believed it. And the wand backfired on Lockhart cuz it was broken, not because it wasn’t his wand. He grabbed it and used it, fully expecting it to work just fine. [/QUOTE] Well, in Marvolo’s case it makes sense because he and Harry have the same type of wand. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2007, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-it-for-the-deatheaters-harry-7-spoilers/412212/50 "2007-07-19T16:13:36Z")
[QUOTE=hotflungwok] So in Sorcerer’s Stone, a big deal is made of Harry’s first wand, and how the wrong wand does bad things. [/quote] Don’t think so, it’s just that some wands are better for you than others. It’s not that bad things happen with the wrong wand, its that things don’t work so well, or they are more difficult to do. > [@](#): > > Then in Chamber of Secrets, Lockhart grabs Weasley’s wand and uses it with no problems, Actually, it blows up in his face. But that’s becauase the wand is broken, not because its the wrong one. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2007, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-it-for-the-deatheaters-harry-7-spoilers/412212/51 "2007-07-19T16:37:28Z")
[QUOTE=Mangetout] Do places like Platform 9¾, Diagon Alley, even Hogsmeade/Hogwarts exist in real geographic space? Or is there some kind of spatial folding involved? [/QUOTE] From my understanding Platform 9 3/4 and Diagon Alley are spatial folding as is Sirius Blacks house while Hogsmeade and Hogwarts are actual geographic locations. ---
**Author:** ![dysonsphere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dysonsphere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dysonsphere)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2007, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-it-for-the-deatheaters-harry-7-spoilers/412212/52 "2007-07-19T16:48:00Z")
After reading Book 6, I wondered why the Death Eaters don’t use Avada Kedavra (spelling?) all the time. Since they obviously don’t hesitate to break laws, they should use it exclusively - it’s the most powerful spell in existence. If they had simply used it to kill every student that opposed them at Hogwarts, the attack might have gone better. And, since the Aurors work for the Ministry (and thus can’t break laws willy-nilly), they should get wasted every battle. Is it tiring to cast the spell, or what? ---
**Author:** ![DeadlyAccurate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@DeadlyAccurate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadlyAccurate)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2007, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-it-for-the-deatheaters-harry-7-spoilers/412212/53 "2007-07-19T16:54:15Z")
They did mention using it in the final battle. Lupin, I believe, mentions a Deatheater who died when he (the DE) got in the way of a killing curse meant for him (Lupin). Using the nonfatal curses is probably on par with shooting someone without any particular care if you kill them as opposed to taking the time to aim at their heart: easier to do in the heat of battle and still gets them out of combat. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2007, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-it-for-the-deatheaters-harry-7-spoilers/412212/54 "2007-07-19T16:54:23Z")
I saw the wand issue as the difference between bespoke clothes and off-the-rack. Certainly, you can wear any shoes. But a _good_ pair of shoes that fits properly is worth purchasing. Admittedly, I currently wear $15 Starbury hightops as my sneakers of choice, but they happen to fit my feet like a glove. It’s a matter of fitting the right measure, rather than expense. Harry is best suited to a wand of such length, and such feather. Other people are best suited to wands of other lengths, and with unicorn hair. Doesn’t mean I can’t stuff my feet into a pair of sneakers a size too small or too large if I need to, but I’m not going to get the best results out of it. ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2007, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-it-for-the-deatheaters-harry-7-spoilers/412212/55 "2007-07-19T17:03:57Z")
Well, since we have a thread… My own personal question is why Wizards and Witches seem to be the dominant force in the magical world - yet almost everyone and everything out there in the magical world seems to be so much more powerful than them. You don’t mess with the goblins. We’ve seen what Dobby can do when he takes the gloves off - and I don’t think he was excactly sticking it to Lucius full force. -Joe ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2007, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-it-for-the-deatheaters-harry-7-spoilers/412212/56 "2007-07-19T17:48:35Z")
[QUOTE=Rysto] You sure that you’re not thinking of Sirius’ death, **eleanorigby**? [/QUOTE] Probably–I’ve now reread all the books, but out of order, so it’s all a muddle to me! I would think that AD would feel some responsibility for Cedric’s death, as would all his teachers, no? Re the wands: in one of the books, someone tells Harry that any wizard can use any wand, but their results will not be as good or precise. So, I take it that wands are not just tools–afterall, the wand chooses the wizard. We’re not the dominant force in our world–or we weren’t until we learned to fight together and use technology. Wizards have subdued the rest of the magical world, much like we have. That’s my take on it, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![NajaNivea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/22d042/32.png) [@NajaNivea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NajaNivea)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2007, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-it-for-the-deatheaters-harry-7-spoilers/412212/57 "2007-07-20T03:45:30Z")
> [@](#): > > 1. Where do wizards get their food? (As distinct from herbs useful in magic.) Are there wizard farmers? Or do they buy it from muggles? Same question applies to a lot of manufactured goods that wizards use but that it’s hard to picture them making. Do they buy things from muggles or do they have sweatshops worked by toiling house-elves? If wizards buy from muggles, what do they use for money? Hogwarts grows a lot of its own food–Hagrid mentions the gardens, specifically cabbages and pumpkins. Harry walks by the veggie patch near the greenhouses on his way to Aragog’s funeral. Hagrid probably hunts, I think I remember mention of traps in his house. There are also chickens on the Hogwarts grounds, Ginny kills some of the roosters in book 2 and Hagrid is occasionally seen plucking chickens at his table. He’s got hams and chickens hanging from his ceiling. Mrs. Weasley seems to conjure food as well, book 4 has a mention of a stream of sauce coming from her wand as she stirs a pot. My question: how old were James and Lily when Voldie offed them? Sirius was 16 on the night they died, but they were already married and living in their own home with a one-year-old baby. I’d thought they were all in the same year at Hogwarts–at least they sat their OWLs in the same room–but even imagining they were “old” for their year and turned 17 before Sirius did, that still seems awfully young. Somehow I’d always thought the night they died was several years after they’d left Hogwarts and been fighting in the Order. However, I’m reading the books again prior to Saturday and there was a line at the end of book 3 where (I think) Snape says something like “Sirius Black proved himself capable of murder at the age of sixteen…” ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2007, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-it-for-the-deatheaters-harry-7-spoilers/412212/58 "2007-07-20T04:27:37Z")
Snape is referring to Sirius telling Snape to follow the tunnel to the shreiking shack after Lupin-the time when James saved Snape’s life. According to the timeline mentioned above in post #35, Sirius and James were about the same age. ---
**Author:** ![fuffle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c37758/32.png) [@fuffle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fuffle)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2007, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-it-for-the-deatheaters-harry-7-spoilers/412212/59 "2007-07-20T04:30:10Z")
When Snape says that Sirius was capable of murder at the age of 16, he’s referring to the prank that Sirius engineered that very nearly got Snape eaten by werewolf-Lupin. All of those characters are the same age. I believe that James and Lily were something like 19 or 20 when they died and of course Sirius the same when he was sent to Azkaban. ETA: Or what psychobunny said. ---
**Author:** ![Marlitharn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/779978/32.png) [@Marlitharn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marlitharn)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2007, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-it-for-the-deatheaters-harry-7-spoilers/412212/60 "2007-07-20T06:38:55Z")
Re-reading OotP tonight, and noticed something that bugged me. When Lupin and Co. show up at the Dursley’s to pick up Harry, Tonks goes up to his room and uses magic to pack his trunk and clean his owl cage. At some point in HBP, however, Dumbledore tells Harry that the Ministry can tell when magic is performed somewhere, they just can’t tell who performed it, which is why Harry got the blame for Dobby’s hovering pudding in the 2nd book. So if Tonks is doing magic in a house where the Ministry believes Harry is the sole magic user, why didn’t the Ministry come down on him like a ton of bricks? Especially considering he was already in a whole bunch of trouble from his Patronus charm. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-it-for-the-deatheaters-harry-7-spoilers/412212.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-it-for-the-deatheaters-harry-7-spoilers/412212.md?page=4)