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deathtocapslock2012-09-20 03:50 pm
dracasadiablo.livejournal.com) wrote in deathtocapslock2012-09-20 03:50 pm
Pottermore: Exclusive Content for the Chamber of Secrets
Just unlocked all new Chamber of Secrets "Exclusive Content".
The term 'pure-blood' refers to a family or individual without Muggle (non-magic) blood. The concept is generally associated with Salazar Slytherin, one of the four founders of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, whose aversion to teaching anybody of Muggle parentage eventually led to a breach with his three fellow founders, and his resignation from the school.
Slytherin's discrimination on the basis of parentage was considered an unusual and misguided view by the majority of wizards at the time. Contemporary literature suggests that Muggle-borns were not only accepted, but often considered to be particularly gifted. They went by the affectionate name of 'Magbobs' (there has been much debate about the origin of the term, but it seems most likely to be that in such a case, magic 'bobbed up' out of nowhere).
Magical opinion underwent something of a shift after the International Statute of Secrecy became effective in 1692, when the magical community went into voluntary hiding following persecution by Muggles. This was a traumatic time for witches and wizards, and marriages with Muggles dropped to their lowest level ever known, mainly because of fears that intermarriage would lead inevitably to discovery, and, consequently, to a serious infraction of wizarding law.*
Under such conditions of uncertainty, fear and resentment, the pure-blood doctrine began to gain followers. As a general rule, those who adopted it were also those who had most strenuously opposed the International Statute of Secrecy, advocating instead outright war on the Muggles. Increasing numbers of wizards now preached that marriage with a Muggle did not merely risk a possible breach of the new Statute, but that it was shameful, unnatural and would lead to 'contamination' of magical blood.**
As Muggle/wizard marriage had been common for centuries, those now self-describing as pure-bloods were unlikely to have any higher proportion of wizarding ancestors than those who did not. To call oneself a pure-blood was more accurately a declaration of political or social intent ('I will not marry a Muggle and I consider Muggle/wizard marriage reprehensible') than a statement of biological fact.
Several works of dubious scholarship, published around the early eighteenth century and drawing partly on the writings of Salazar Slytherin himself, make reference to supposed indicators of pure-blood status, aside from the family tree. The most commonly cited signs were: onset of magical ability before the age of three, early (before aged seven) prowess on a broomstick, dislike or fear of pigs and those who tend them (the pig is often considered a particularly non-magical animal and is notoriously difficult to charm), resistance to common childhood illnesses, outstanding physical attractiveness and an aversion to Muggles observable even in the pure-blood baby, which supposedly shows signs of fear and disgust in their presence.
Successive studies produced by the Department of Mysteries have proven that these supposed hallmarks of pure-blood status have no basis in fact. Nevertheless, many pure-bloods continue to cite them as evidence of their own higher status within the wizarding community.
In the early 1930s, a 'Pure-Blood Directory' was published anonymously in Britain, which listed the twenty-eight truly pure-blood families, as judged by the unknown authority who had written the book***, with 'the aim of helping such families maintain the purity of their bloodlines'. The so-called 'Sacred Twenty-Eight' comprised the families of:
Abbott
Avery
Black
Bulstrode
Burke
Carrow
Crouch
Fawley
Flint
Gaunt
Greengrass
Lestrange
Longbottom
Macmillan
Malfoy
Nott
Ollivander
Parkinson
Prewett
Rosier
Rowle
Selwyn
Shacklebolt
Shafiq
Slughorn
Travers
Weasley
Yaxley
A minority of these families publicly deplored their inclusion on the list, declaring that their ancestors certainly included Muggles, a fact of which they were not ashamed. Most vocally indignant was the numerous Weasley family, which, in spite of its connections with almost every old wizarding family in Britain, was proud of its ancestral ties to many interesting Muggles. Their protests earned these families the opprobrium of advocates of the pure-blood doctrine, and the epithet 'blood traitor'. Meanwhile, a larger number of families were protesting that they were not on the pure-blood list.
* Over subsequent decades and centuries, the number of mixed marriages began to climb again until the healthy levels of today, and this has not led to widespread discovery of the hidden magical community. Professor Mordicus Egg, author of The Philosophy of the Mundane: Why the Muggles Prefer Not to Know, points out that Muggles in love generally do not betray their husbands or wives, and Muggles who fall out of love are jeered at by their own community when they assert that their estranged partner is a witch or wizard.
** In fact, the reverse appears to be true. Where families adhered consistently to the practice of marrying within a very small group of fellow witches and wizards, mental and physical instability and weakness seems to result.
*** Widely believed to be Cantankerus Nott.
"Magbobs" is a affectionate name?
Is sounds just as ridiculous and mocking as Muggles to me.
Pigs? Of all possible animals she had to pick pigs?
Members of Weasley family were "most vocally indignant"? I can't remember them claiming that they are related to "many interesting Muggles" anywhere in the books.
We heard about "accountant-we-don't-speak-about" but that's it.
The name 'poltergeist' is German in origin, and roughly translates as 'noisy ghost', although it is not, strictly speaking, a ghost at all. The poltergeist is an invisible entity that moves objects, slams doors and creates other audible, kinetic disturbances. It has been reported in many cultures and there is a strong association with the places where young people, especially adolescents, are living. Explanations for the phenomenon vary all the way from supernatural to scientific.
It was inevitable that, in a building bursting with teenage witches and wizards, a poltergeist would be generated; it was likewise to be expected that such a poltergeist would be noisier, more destructive and harder to expel than those that occasionally frequent Muggle houses. Sure enough, Peeves is the most notorious and troublesome poltergeist in British history. Unlike the overwhelming majority of his colleagues, Peeves has a physical form, though he is able to become invisible at will. His looks reflect his nature, which those who know him would agree is a seamless blend of humour and malice.
Peeves is well-named, for he has been a pet peeve of every Hogwarts caretaker from Hankerton Humble (appointed by the four founders) onwards. Though many students and even teachers have a somewhat perverse fondness for Peeves (he undoubtedly adds a certain zest to school life), he is incurably disruptive, and it generally falls to the caretaker of the day to clean up his many deliberate messes: vases smashed, potions upended, bookcases toppled and so on. Those with weak nerves deplore Peeves' fondness for suddenly materialising an inch from the end of their noses, hiding in suits of armour or dropping solid objects on their heads as they move between classes.
Several concerted efforts to remove Peeves from the castle have resulted in failure. The last and most disastrous was made in 1876 by caretaker Rancorous Carpe, who devised an elaborate trap, baited with an assortment of weapons he believed would be irresistible to Peeves, and a vast enchanted bell jar, reinforced by various Containment Charms, which he intended to drop over the poltergeist once he was in place. Not only did Peeves break easily through the giant bell jar, showering an entire corridor with broken glass, he also escaped the trap armed with several cutlasses, crossbows, a blunderbuss and a miniature cannon. The castle was evacuated while Peeves amused himself by firing randomly out of the windows and threatening all and sundry with death. A three-day standoff was ended when the Headmistress of the day, Eupraxia Mole, agreed to sign a contract allowing Peeves additional privileges, such as a once-weekly swim in the boys' toilets on the ground floor, first refusal on stale bread from the kitchen for throwing purposes, and a new hat – to be custom-made by Madame Bonhabille of Paris. Rancorous Carpe took early retirement for health reasons, and no subsequent attempt has ever been made to rid the castle of its most ill-disciplined inhabitant.
Peeves does recognise authority of a sort. Though generally unimpressed by titles and badges, he is generally amenable to the strictures of the teachers, agreeing to stay out of their classrooms while they teach. He has also been known to show an affinity for rare students (notably Fred and George Weasley), and is certainly afraid of the ghost of Slytherin, the Bloody Baron.
So, Peeves is not a ghost of a dead wizard but more like a twisted genius loci of Hogwarts?
Now when I think about it it makes a lot of sense.
He's a perfect mirror of chaos, bullying and "amusing" pranks that are rampant at Hogwarts.
Hogwarts is the most heavily haunted dwelling place in Britain (and this is against stiff competition, as there are more reported ghost sightings/sensings on these damp islands than anywhere else in the world). The castle is a congenial place for ghosts, because the living inhabitants treat their dead friends with tolerance and even affection, no matter how many times they have heard the same old reminiscences.
Each of the four Hogwarts houses has its own ghost. Slytherin boasts the Bloody Baron, who is covered in silver bloodstains. The least talkative of the house ghosts is the Grey Lady, who is long-haired and beautiful.
Hufflepuff house is haunted by the Fat Friar, who was executed because senior churchmen grew suspicious of his ability to cure the pox merely by poking peasants with a stick, and his ill-advised habit of pulling rabbits out of the communion cup. Though a genial character in general, the Fat Friar still resents the fact that he was never made a cardinal.
Gryffindor house is home to Nearly Headless Nick, who in life was Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington. Something of a snob, and a less accomplished wizard than he believed, Sir Nicholas lounged around the court of Henry VII in life, until his foolish attempt to beautify a lady-in-waiting by magic caused the unfortunate woman to sprout tusks. Sir Nicholas was stripped of his wand and inexpertly executed, leaving his head hanging off by a single flap of skin and sinew. He retains a feeling of inadequacy with regard to truly headless ghosts.
Another notable Hogwarts ghost is Moaning Myrtle, who haunts an unpopular girls' toilet. Myrtle was a student at Hogwarts when she died, and she chose to return to school in perpetuity, with the short-term aim of haunting her arch-rival and bully, Olive Hornby. As the decades have rolled by, Myrtle has made a name for herself as the most miserable ghost in school, usually to be found lurking inside one of the toilets and filling the tiled space with her moans and howls.
Fat Friar was a miracle worker, stand up comedian, magician and would be cardinal?!
And Nearly Headless Nick was would be beautician / plastic surgeon?
Just how are house ghost chosen? And who picked them?
Draco Malfoy grew up as an only child at Malfoy Manor, the magnificent mansion in Wiltshire which had been in his family’s possession for many centuries. From the time when he could talk, it was made clear to him that he was triply special: firstly as a wizard, secondly as a pure-blood, and thirdly as a member of the Malfoy family.
Draco was raised in an atmosphere of regret that the Dark Lord had not succeeded in taking command of the wizarding community, although he was prudently reminded that such sentiments ought not to be expressed outside the small circle of the family and their close friends ‘or Daddy might get into trouble’. In childhood, Draco associated mainly with the pure-blood children of his father’s ex-Death Eater cronies, and therefore arrived at Hogwarts with a small gang of friends already made, including Theodore Nott and Vincent Crabbe.
Like every other child of Harry Potter’s age, Draco heard stories of the Boy Who Lived through his youth. Many different theories had been in circulation for years as to how Harry survived what should have been a lethal attack, and one of the most persistent was that Harry himself was a great Dark wizard. The fact that he had been removed from the wizarding community seemed (to wishful thinkers) to support this view, and Draco’s father, wily Lucius Malfoy, was one of those who subscribed most eagerly to the theory. It was comforting to think that he, Lucius, might be in for a second chance of world domination, should this Potter boy prove to be another, and greater, pure-blood champion. It was, therefore, in the knowledge that he was doing nothing of which his father would disapprove, and in the hope that he might be able to relay some interesting news home, that Draco Malfoy offered Harry Potter his hand when he realised who he was on the Hogwarts Express. Harry’s refusal of Draco’s friendly overtures, and the fact that he had already formed allegiance to Ron Weasley, whose family is anathema to the Malfoys, turns Malfoy against him at once. Draco realised, correctly, that the wild hopes of the ex-Death Eaters – that Harry Potter was another, and better, Voldemort – are completely unfounded, and their mutual enmity is assured from that point.
Draco’s feelings for Harry were always based, in a great part, on envy. Though he never sought fame, Harry was unquestionably the most talked-about and admired person at school, and this naturally jarred with a boy who had been brought up to believe that he occupied an almost royal position within the wizarding community. What was more, Harry was most talented at flying, the one skill at which Malfoy had been confident he would outshine all the other first-years. The fact that the Potions master, Snape, had a soft spot for Malfoy, and despised Harry, was only slight compensation.
The term 'pure-blood' refers to a family or individual without Muggle (non-magic) blood. The concept is generally associated with Salazar Slytherin, one of the four founders of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, whose aversion to teaching anybody of Muggle parentage eventually led to a breach with his three fellow founders, and his resignation from the school.
Slytherin's discrimination on the basis of parentage was considered an unusual and misguided view by the majority of wizards at the time. Contemporary literature suggests that Muggle-borns were not only accepted, but often considered to be particularly gifted. They went by the affectionate name of 'Magbobs' (there has been much debate about the origin of the term, but it seems most likely to be that in such a case, magic 'bobbed up' out of nowhere).
Magical opinion underwent something of a shift after the International Statute of Secrecy became effective in 1692, when the magical community went into voluntary hiding following persecution by Muggles. This was a traumatic time for witches and wizards, and marriages with Muggles dropped to their lowest level ever known, mainly because of fears that intermarriage would lead inevitably to discovery, and, consequently, to a serious infraction of wizarding law.*
Under such conditions of uncertainty, fear and resentment, the pure-blood doctrine began to gain followers. As a general rule, those who adopted it were also those who had most strenuously opposed the International Statute of Secrecy, advocating instead outright war on the Muggles. Increasing numbers of wizards now preached that marriage with a Muggle did not merely risk a possible breach of the new Statute, but that it was shameful, unnatural and would lead to 'contamination' of magical blood.**
As Muggle/wizard marriage had been common for centuries, those now self-describing as pure-bloods were unlikely to have any higher proportion of wizarding ancestors than those who did not. To call oneself a pure-blood was more accurately a declaration of political or social intent ('I will not marry a Muggle and I consider Muggle/wizard marriage reprehensible') than a statement of biological fact.
Several works of dubious scholarship, published around the early eighteenth century and drawing partly on the writings of Salazar Slytherin himself, make reference to supposed indicators of pure-blood status, aside from the family tree. The most commonly cited signs were: onset of magical ability before the age of three, early (before aged seven) prowess on a broomstick, dislike or fear of pigs and those who tend them (the pig is often considered a particularly non-magical animal and is notoriously difficult to charm), resistance to common childhood illnesses, outstanding physical attractiveness and an aversion to Muggles observable even in the pure-blood baby, which supposedly shows signs of fear and disgust in their presence.
Successive studies produced by the Department of Mysteries have proven that these supposed hallmarks of pure-blood status have no basis in fact. Nevertheless, many pure-bloods continue to cite them as evidence of their own higher status within the wizarding community.
In the early 1930s, a 'Pure-Blood Directory' was published anonymously in Britain, which listed the twenty-eight truly pure-blood families, as judged by the unknown authority who had written the book***, with 'the aim of helping such families maintain the purity of their bloodlines'. The so-called 'Sacred Twenty-Eight' comprised the families of:
Abbott
Avery
Black
Bulstrode
Burke
Carrow
Crouch
Fawley
Flint
Gaunt
Greengrass
Lestrange
Longbottom
Macmillan
Malfoy
Nott
Ollivander
Parkinson
Prewett
Rosier
Rowle
Selwyn
Shacklebolt
Shafiq
Slughorn
Travers
Weasley
Yaxley
A minority of these families publicly deplored their inclusion on the list, declaring that their ancestors certainly included Muggles, a fact of which they were not ashamed. Most vocally indignant was the numerous Weasley family, which, in spite of its connections with almost every old wizarding family in Britain, was proud of its ancestral ties to many interesting Muggles. Their protests earned these families the opprobrium of advocates of the pure-blood doctrine, and the epithet 'blood traitor'. Meanwhile, a larger number of families were protesting that they were not on the pure-blood list.
* Over subsequent decades and centuries, the number of mixed marriages began to climb again until the healthy levels of today, and this has not led to widespread discovery of the hidden magical community. Professor Mordicus Egg, author of The Philosophy of the Mundane: Why the Muggles Prefer Not to Know, points out that Muggles in love generally do not betray their husbands or wives, and Muggles who fall out of love are jeered at by their own community when they assert that their estranged partner is a witch or wizard.
** In fact, the reverse appears to be true. Where families adhered consistently to the practice of marrying within a very small group of fellow witches and wizards, mental and physical instability and weakness seems to result.
*** Widely believed to be Cantankerus Nott.
"Magbobs" is a affectionate name?
Is sounds just as ridiculous and mocking as Muggles to me.
Pigs? Of all possible animals she had to pick pigs?
Members of Weasley family were "most vocally indignant"? I can't remember them claiming that they are related to "many interesting Muggles" anywhere in the books.
We heard about "accountant-we-don't-speak-about" but that's it.
The name 'poltergeist' is German in origin, and roughly translates as 'noisy ghost', although it is not, strictly speaking, a ghost at all. The poltergeist is an invisible entity that moves objects, slams doors and creates other audible, kinetic disturbances. It has been reported in many cultures and there is a strong association with the places where young people, especially adolescents, are living. Explanations for the phenomenon vary all the way from supernatural to scientific.
It was inevitable that, in a building bursting with teenage witches and wizards, a poltergeist would be generated; it was likewise to be expected that such a poltergeist would be noisier, more destructive and harder to expel than those that occasionally frequent Muggle houses. Sure enough, Peeves is the most notorious and troublesome poltergeist in British history. Unlike the overwhelming majority of his colleagues, Peeves has a physical form, though he is able to become invisible at will. His looks reflect his nature, which those who know him would agree is a seamless blend of humour and malice.
Peeves is well-named, for he has been a pet peeve of every Hogwarts caretaker from Hankerton Humble (appointed by the four founders) onwards. Though many students and even teachers have a somewhat perverse fondness for Peeves (he undoubtedly adds a certain zest to school life), he is incurably disruptive, and it generally falls to the caretaker of the day to clean up his many deliberate messes: vases smashed, potions upended, bookcases toppled and so on. Those with weak nerves deplore Peeves' fondness for suddenly materialising an inch from the end of their noses, hiding in suits of armour or dropping solid objects on their heads as they move between classes.
Several concerted efforts to remove Peeves from the castle have resulted in failure. The last and most disastrous was made in 1876 by caretaker Rancorous Carpe, who devised an elaborate trap, baited with an assortment of weapons he believed would be irresistible to Peeves, and a vast enchanted bell jar, reinforced by various Containment Charms, which he intended to drop over the poltergeist once he was in place. Not only did Peeves break easily through the giant bell jar, showering an entire corridor with broken glass, he also escaped the trap armed with several cutlasses, crossbows, a blunderbuss and a miniature cannon. The castle was evacuated while Peeves amused himself by firing randomly out of the windows and threatening all and sundry with death. A three-day standoff was ended when the Headmistress of the day, Eupraxia Mole, agreed to sign a contract allowing Peeves additional privileges, such as a once-weekly swim in the boys' toilets on the ground floor, first refusal on stale bread from the kitchen for throwing purposes, and a new hat – to be custom-made by Madame Bonhabille of Paris. Rancorous Carpe took early retirement for health reasons, and no subsequent attempt has ever been made to rid the castle of its most ill-disciplined inhabitant.
Peeves does recognise authority of a sort. Though generally unimpressed by titles and badges, he is generally amenable to the strictures of the teachers, agreeing to stay out of their classrooms while they teach. He has also been known to show an affinity for rare students (notably Fred and George Weasley), and is certainly afraid of the ghost of Slytherin, the Bloody Baron.
So, Peeves is not a ghost of a dead wizard but more like a twisted genius loci of Hogwarts?
Now when I think about it it makes a lot of sense.
He's a perfect mirror of chaos, bullying and "amusing" pranks that are rampant at Hogwarts.
Hogwarts is the most heavily haunted dwelling place in Britain (and this is against stiff competition, as there are more reported ghost sightings/sensings on these damp islands than anywhere else in the world). The castle is a congenial place for ghosts, because the living inhabitants treat their dead friends with tolerance and even affection, no matter how many times they have heard the same old reminiscences.
Each of the four Hogwarts houses has its own ghost. Slytherin boasts the Bloody Baron, who is covered in silver bloodstains. The least talkative of the house ghosts is the Grey Lady, who is long-haired and beautiful.
Hufflepuff house is haunted by the Fat Friar, who was executed because senior churchmen grew suspicious of his ability to cure the pox merely by poking peasants with a stick, and his ill-advised habit of pulling rabbits out of the communion cup. Though a genial character in general, the Fat Friar still resents the fact that he was never made a cardinal.
Gryffindor house is home to Nearly Headless Nick, who in life was Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington. Something of a snob, and a less accomplished wizard than he believed, Sir Nicholas lounged around the court of Henry VII in life, until his foolish attempt to beautify a lady-in-waiting by magic caused the unfortunate woman to sprout tusks. Sir Nicholas was stripped of his wand and inexpertly executed, leaving his head hanging off by a single flap of skin and sinew. He retains a feeling of inadequacy with regard to truly headless ghosts.
Another notable Hogwarts ghost is Moaning Myrtle, who haunts an unpopular girls' toilet. Myrtle was a student at Hogwarts when she died, and she chose to return to school in perpetuity, with the short-term aim of haunting her arch-rival and bully, Olive Hornby. As the decades have rolled by, Myrtle has made a name for herself as the most miserable ghost in school, usually to be found lurking inside one of the toilets and filling the tiled space with her moans and howls.
Fat Friar was a miracle worker, stand up comedian, magician and would be cardinal?!
And Nearly Headless Nick was would be beautician / plastic surgeon?
Just how are house ghost chosen? And who picked them?
Draco Malfoy grew up as an only child at Malfoy Manor, the magnificent mansion in Wiltshire which had been in his family’s possession for many centuries. From the time when he could talk, it was made clear to him that he was triply special: firstly as a wizard, secondly as a pure-blood, and thirdly as a member of the Malfoy family.
Draco was raised in an atmosphere of regret that the Dark Lord had not succeeded in taking command of the wizarding community, although he was prudently reminded that such sentiments ought not to be expressed outside the small circle of the family and their close friends ‘or Daddy might get into trouble’. In childhood, Draco associated mainly with the pure-blood children of his father’s ex-Death Eater cronies, and therefore arrived at Hogwarts with a small gang of friends already made, including Theodore Nott and Vincent Crabbe.
Like every other child of Harry Potter’s age, Draco heard stories of the Boy Who Lived through his youth. Many different theories had been in circulation for years as to how Harry survived what should have been a lethal attack, and one of the most persistent was that Harry himself was a great Dark wizard. The fact that he had been removed from the wizarding community seemed (to wishful thinkers) to support this view, and Draco’s father, wily Lucius Malfoy, was one of those who subscribed most eagerly to the theory. It was comforting to think that he, Lucius, might be in for a second chance of world domination, should this Potter boy prove to be another, and greater, pure-blood champion. It was, therefore, in the knowledge that he was doing nothing of which his father would disapprove, and in the hope that he might be able to relay some interesting news home, that Draco Malfoy offered Harry Potter his hand when he realised who he was on the Hogwarts Express. Harry’s refusal of Draco’s friendly overtures, and the fact that he had already formed allegiance to Ron Weasley, whose family is anathema to the Malfoys, turns Malfoy against him at once. Draco realised, correctly, that the wild hopes of the ex-Death Eaters – that Harry Potter was another, and better, Voldemort – are completely unfounded, and their mutual enmity is assured from that point.
Draco’s feelings for Harry were always based, in a great part, on envy. Though he never sought fame, Harry was unquestionably the most talked-about and admired person at school, and this naturally jarred with a boy who had been brought up to believe that he occupied an almost royal position within the wizarding community. What was more, Harry was most talented at flying, the one skill at which Malfoy had been confident he would outshine all the other first-years. The fact that the Potions master, Snape, had a soft spot for Malfoy, and despised Harry, was only slight compensation.
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Just in time for Tom Riddle to find when he came to Hogwarts. Presumably this is why Voldemort refers to the Longbottom family as "noble."
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Actually, even then, it makes British wizarding society seem really small--unless, as could easily be the case, they were only interested in a subset of it.
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But I wonder about Potter, Crabbe and Goyle being absent. If the Crabbes aren't purebloods then neither was Walburga Black. And wasn't there a Gamp in Orion Black's ancestry? No Gamps there either. Looks like the Black family wasn't that pureblood after all. Or perhaps Cantankerus Nott was more strict than the Blacks in his criteria?
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I wonder if the idea was to come up with a word that sounded a bit like "mudblood", to suggest that the latter might have sprung from the former. I mean... not necessarily the word just sort of shifting pronunciation until it became "mudblood", but maybe people coming up with "mudblood" as a slur partly because it sounded a bit like the "acceptable" nickname.
Well, that was a different generation of Weasleys! I guess the current one has a different attitude. Or maybe not that different--I could actually imagine Arthur saying something like that if someone suggested that the Weasleys were just like those openly bigoted families, to protest the classification. But these days everyone already knows they're "blood traitors" (their pro-muggle creds are already established!), so there's no need to talk about it. I mean, it's not like they--or any characters--do talk much about characters we never meet (Arthur and Molly don't ever mention their parents, that I recall, and their kids never mention their grandparents) but when Harry meets Ron, he actually asks him if all his family are wizards, and Ron says he thinks so (except for the squib they have nothing to do with). He could have been thinking about just his living family and not ancestors, but you'd think if they had a lot of proud family history involving being related to muggles, he would have known about it and related it to the question.
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We've seen aunt Muriel. Judging by that it could be that the current Weasley generation gets it attitude toward Muggles from Molly.
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In childhood, Draco associated mainly with the pure-blood children of his father’s ex-Death Eater cronies, and therefore arrived at Hogwarts with a small gang of friends already made, including Theodore Nott and Vincent Crabbe.
Another case of Rowling not reading her own books? Draco hangs out with Vincent Crabbe and Greg Goyle. Theo is never seen around him until the spring of 5th year, when the Quibbler publishes the interview with Harry that outs their respective fathers as DEs. Theo is never shown participating in any IS activity nor is he ever involved in any attack - magical, physical or even verbal - against Harry (or anyone else, for that matter).
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I agree that there isn't any indication that Theodore and Draco were more than merely dorm mates - except that I'm not positive that just because it wasn't noticed by Harry doesn't mean it wasn't the truth.
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Now when I think about it it makes a lot of sense.
He's a perfect mirror of chaos, bullying and "amusing" pranks that are rampant at Hogwarts."
That really does make a lot of sense. And like everything else at Hogwarts, his actions are treated as not being so wrong (albeit unpleasant) because they're just glanced over, but when you really think about it, they become a lot less fun.
And, ugh, I hate how Rowling once again had to trace all Draco's behaviors back to "evil, genocidal racist." Right, because an eleven-year-old boy is going to see another eleven-year-old boy (albeit a famous and well-connected one) and automatically think that he's going to be Voldemort 2.0. Yeah, that makes sense! Rowling's AGAIN doing that bad-writing thing where she labels a character as evil and suddenly everything he does is automatically evil no matter how innocent it is.
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I notice that JKR didn’t mention Draco and Harry’s first meeting in Madam Malkin’s shop. Did Draco have some sort of political agenda behind talking to Harry then, as well? Jeez, would it have been too simple to say that Draco was more interested in Harry once he realized who he was because, like all of the other kids, he wanted to get to know this really famous person and gain cool points by hanging out with him? It’d be as if the only reason Ron was interested in Harry was because his parents were members of the Order and he wanted to see if Harry was going to be on Dumbledore’s side or not.
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Crabbe, Goyle, Wilkes, Dolohov, Karkaroff, Mulciber, Macnair, Rookwood, Jugson, Gibbons (as well as Snape, of course).
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...he'd specifically demonstrated more power than their previous, vicious master, and Harry would most definitely not be allying himself with him. Harry isn't just a chance at "world domination," or a replacement -- he's a chance at protecting Voldemort's former followers from a returned Voldemort.
Terri? Please say I've inspired some fic? ;)
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But normal, non-pansy people are fine with heavy objects suddenly being dropped on their heads out of nowhere...? I don't think I've ever met anyone who would find that a non-issue or something that added "zest" to their lives. I have a feeling that JKR and I are coming from entirely different planets.
As I recall, poltergeists are often believed to manifest around troubled teenagers. So perhaps if they actually cracked down on the rampant bullying so that the students felt safer and less troubled, and didn't have monsters and mass murderers attacking the school every other year, Peeves would be less powerful. I wonder if anyone has ever tried documenting Peeves's abilities through the centuries and comparing them with various social factors at Hogwarts to see if there's any correlation with the degree of "troubled-ness" of the student body with Peeves's powers, ability to manifest physically, etc.?
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Neither have I. Unless the people who don’t have “weak nerves” don’t mind the head injuries.
/I wonder if anyone has ever tried documenting Peeves's abilities through the centuries and comparing them with various social factors at Hogwarts to see if there's any correlation with the degree of "troubled-ness" of the student body with Peeves's powers, ability to manifest physically, etc.?/
Huh. If that’s true, then I wonder what Peeves was doing during Tom Riddle’s years at Hogwarts. Or during the Marauders’ years. Did his powers increase during those periods?
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You rule! This really made me laugh. It's true, besides. I can't imagine any normal person enjoying that sort of assault. But hey! this is Hogwarts!
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Umm…why? It seems to me that Lucius and Narcissa were doing their best to deny all associations with Voldemort before he returned. Sure, they may have been part of the mob of Death Eaters who showed up at the Quidditch World Cup and Lucius does go to the graveyard with the other Death Eaters. But after Voldemort returns, the only reason that they stay with him seems to be fear. Lucius doesn’t gain anything by Voldemort’s return. Unless JKR meant that the regret was more general in the sense that they were sorry that *purebloods* had not taken command of the wizarding community.
/It was comforting to think that he, Lucius, might be in for a second chance of world domination,/
World domination? What? The reason why Lucius joined Voldemort was because he wanted to rule the world?
/Draco realised, correctly, that the wild hopes of the ex-Death Eaters – that Harry Potter was another, and better, Voldemort – are completely unfounded, and their mutual enmity is assured from that point./
And here I thought that he was mad just because he was angry and embarrassed when Harry turned him down. But even if Draco was just trying to see if Harry would be the next Dark Lord, just one retort immediately made him give up? You know, the Weasleys are still purebloods, Draco. I agree with Sunnyskywalker in that Draco (and the Death Eaters) should have realized what Harry’s priorities were when he befriended the Muggle-born Hermione, not the pureblooded Ron. But then again, Hermione wasn’t on Draco’s radar in PS/SS. It was only after they got their grades that he either learned or cared that she was a Muggle-born. And Harry’s *eleven.* Wow, you guys really do give up easily.
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I don't understand. Harry and Ron were already bonding over their food when Hermione stopped by asking about Neville's toad. Of course Harry didn't know anything about Ron being a pureblood, nor did he care.
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I count the following:
- known pureblood families not included in the list.
- the timing of the Statute of Secrecy: was 1692 in Quidditch through the Ages, changed to 1689 in DH (quoted from Bathilda Bagshot's book), now 1692 again
- Greg Goyle not listed as a childhood friend of Draco's, Theodore Nott listed instead.
Anything else?
BTW I notice the support to some of jodel's analysis, for instance that before 1692 most wizards were of known mixed heritage.
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Ancestry: In a 2001 BBC interview, Rowling flashed a notebook that showed her notes on the students in Harry Potter's year and Hannah is noted as being a Muggleborn in Hufflepuff House. However, in 2007, Rowling said that she had always thought Hannah was pureblood and decided to compromise, stating for the record that Hannah was Half-blood (PC/JKR1).
I guess since the list is from 1930 the Abbots used to be pureblood, but aren't anymore.
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"...From the imposition of the Statute of Secrecy onwards, no Malfoy has married a Muggle or Muggle-born. The family has, however, eschewed the somewhat dangerous practice of inter-marrying within such a small pool of pure-bloods that they become enfeebled or unstable, unlike a small minority of fanatic families such as the Gaunts and Lestranges, and many a half-blood appears on the Malfoy family tree...."
This would imply that it is more the marrying of Muggles or Muggleborns that precludes one from the Pureblood family list, but that either marrying half-bloods would still be acceptable as far as the list is concerned or more likely that the Malfoy family was just too important to be left off the list despite halfblood spouses. It reminds me of the way the Bristish aristocracy had to accept in rich American wives for an influx of money, albeit in this case for an influx of power.
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Note that IF it's the marrying of a muggle or muggleborn that keeps one off the list then the Blacks should not be on it. Unless disowning the family member who did so is enough to keep one there. After all, Isla Black married a 'muggle' (which COULD be a muggleborn since this was exactly the same that the 'tree' says about Ted Tonks) for which she was blasted off the tree in what was probably the 1870s. That would still be in living memory when the Pureblood list came out.
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If the general attitude towards Muggle-Borns was positive at the time, then why did Slytherin feel differently? Are we ever going to be given an explanation for his aversion to Muggle-Borns beyond "he was evil"? In the real world, bigotry does not arise out of vacuum.
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In Welsh mythology, pigs, or at least certain pigs, came from Annwn, the Otherworld. Maybe, then, pigs are notoriously difficult to charm, not because they are non-magical, but because their other-worldliness gives them extra resistance against human magic.
The swineherds of these pigs are often depicted in legend as having special magical powers. So it's interesting that a sign of "pure blood" is a "dislike or fear of pigs and those who tend them."
I think this may be related to the quote from Brutus Malfoy in Beedle:
This suggests that there may be a connection between the magical swineherds of legend and the "pro-Muggle" faction in wizarding politics, and that's why a true "pure-blood" would dislike or fear somebody who tends pigs.
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