Regarding DTCL's frequent attitude toward two certain HP characters

[star-dragon5.livejournal.com]

You're all familiar with the Draco in Leather Pants and Ron the Death Eater tropes, right?

After seeing the way some--not all--members of this comm treat Snape and Dumbledore, I'm seriously tempted to rename the tropes "Severus in Leather Pants" and "Albus the Death Eater."

I'm sorry if I've offended anyone, but I joined DTCL under the impression it was about analyzing the more problematic parts of the HP books, not about glorifying characters you like/bashing characters you don't like. It looks like I was wrong.

Comments

[borg-princess.livejournal.com]

the blast-ended skrewts was definitely my main example - it was SUCH a waste of the school year, the kids learned nothing and they all had bruises, burns and scrapes from looking after those things. that Hagrid shouldn't have even created because I'm pretty sure it was prohibited to create new species...

[madderbrad.livejournal.com]

The 'illegal to cross-breed magical creatures' things rings a bell for me too but I don't remember where it's mentioned in the books.

But yes, GoF year was an entire waste of time, with the entire class just dedicated to assisting Hagrid in his (illegal) experiment. And clearly dangerous.

[for-diddled.livejournal.com]

I think one of Rita Skeeter's hit pieces in GOF mentions that breeding new kinds of dangerous animal is illegal.

[madderbrad.livejournal.com]

Not quite illegal:

Hagrid has no intention of ceasing his campaign of intimidation, however. In conversation with a Daily Prophet reporter last month, he admitted breeding creatures he has dubbed "Blast-Ended Skrewts," highly dangerous crosses between manti-cores and fire-crabs. The creation of new breeds of magical creature is, of course, an activity usually closely observed by the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. Hagrid, however, considers himself to be above such petty restrictions.

"I was just having some fun," he says, before hastily changing the subject.

Thanks for pointing me at the place.

Given Rita's penchant for hyperbole and her negative attitude towards Hagrid I think we can assume from this that breeding magical creatures *isn't* illegal. Not from this quote anyway. 'Usually closely observed' doesn't equate to 'against the law'.

Although nx74defiant in another comment right after yours says there's a piece in 'Care of Magical Creatures' - maybe she means 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them? - which says it's outright illegal?

[nx74defiant.livejournal.com]

illegal to cross-breed magical creatures' things rings a bell for me too but I don't remember where it's mentioned in the books.

It is in Care of Magical creatures with a "handwritten" note: did any tell Hagrid?

[jana-ch.livejournal.com]

If Hagrid were an actual expert on all that goes into caring for magical creatures, he surely would know without needing a handwritten note in an elementary-level text. The legal requirements of animal-keeping and breeding are a part of the knowledge a teacher would be expected to have.

[madderbrad.livejournal.com]

It is in Care of Magical creatures with a "handwritten" note: did any tell Hagrid?

Do you mean the 'charity' book 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them'? I never read that book, or 'Quidditch Through the Ages'.

for_diddled thought that Rita's article in GoF stated that cross-breeding was illegal but it didn't quite go that far IMO.

[oryx_leucoryx]

Fantastic Beasts is an old book. Maybe crossbreeding was illegal when it was published, and then someone created a loophole.

[nx74defiant.livejournal.com]

Sorry it was 'Fantastical Beasts and Where to Find them'.

I had it in a boxed set with 'Quidditch Through the Ages'.

The gimmick was that the Beast book was Harry's "actual book". So you had the text book with notes written by Harry and Ron. I think it was Ron (or it could have been Harry) wrote the note about did Hagrid know.

Hagrid, however, considers himself to be above such petty restrictions

After all Hagrid is a Gryffindor. And it is ok if a Gryffindor does it.