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  1. Skeletaure
    Post

    HP Questions that don't deserve their own thread V2

    Weasleys are not truly poor poor. They own their own home with a good amount of land. They eat well. Their children have a good education and obtain good jobs. Their bread winner has a decent job. Their main problem is loads of kids and no second income. We do see true wizarding poverty in the form of the Gaunts, however. Who seem barely able to do magic.
    Post by: Skeletaure, Mar 9, 2024 in forum: Fanfic Discussion
  2. Skeletaure
    Post

    HP Questions that don't deserve their own thread V2

    I imagine every single spell there is has many books written about just that spell.
    Post by: Skeletaure, Jan 19, 2024 in forum: Fanfic Discussion
  3. Skeletaure
    Post

    HP Questions that don't deserve their own thread V2

    In GOF, when Moody bounces Malfoy around as a ferret, and McGonagall turns him back into a human, he is seen as carrying the effects of being bounced around after his return to human form. This suggests that injuries he gained as a ferret persisted as a human. On the other hand, we know transfiguration magic is capable of having a healing effect in certain contexts, because healers have to know it. I would suggest that in general, transfiguration is injury neutral, but that specific,...
    Post by: Skeletaure, Apr 1, 2022 in forum: Fanfic Discussion
  4. Skeletaure
    Post

    HP Questions that don't deserve their own thread V2

    When it comes to the Fidelius, I tend to take a fairly restrictive approach - we only ever see it cast on homes, so until proven otherwise that's the only thing it can be cast on. This is somewhat at odds with how I generally view HP magic (i.e. very flexible) but I feel like it's the only way to avoid the existence of the spell creating plot holes (both in canon and any given fanfic you want to tell). It's just too powerful for the spell to be able to remove any information you like from...
    Post by: Skeletaure, Sep 13, 2021 in forum: Fanfic Discussion
  5. Skeletaure
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    HP Questions that don't deserve their own thread V2

    From HBP: Looks to me like wizards have already taken over the world. The Muggles just weren't told.
    Post by: Skeletaure, Sep 24, 2020 in forum: Fanfic Discussion
  6. Skeletaure
    Post

    HP Questions that don't deserve their own thread V2

    The most obvious example of spells wearing off over time is the Cheering Charm.
    Post by: Skeletaure, Sep 19, 2020 in forum: Fanfic Discussion
  7. Skeletaure
    Post

    HP Questions that don't deserve their own thread V2

    We know that wizards can cure the common cold - that is what the Pepper-Up potion does, as seen in CoS. Wizards are far ahead of Muggles when it comes to curing diseases as well as physical injuries. They can't cure dragon pox with the same ease because it is a magical disease. And to be clear, we don't even really know if germ theory is the correct description of disease in the HP universe. This is a universe where alchemy (which describes the universe in terms which fundamentally...
    Post by: Skeletaure, Jul 9, 2020 in forum: Fanfic Discussion
  8. Skeletaure
    Post

    HP Questions that don't deserve their own thread V2

    The Sacred 28 is from Pottermore, but just as with basically everything else in canon, fanfiction writers didn't read it properly and have proceeded to proliferate their misunderstanding. In fanfiction, the Sacred 28 is generally some ancient group of pure-bloods families which are widely recognised to be the elite, that recognition being supported be genuine wealth and political power. In canon, the Sacred 28 was a book written in the early 1900s by an individual pure-blood who basically...
    Post by: Skeletaure, Apr 18, 2019 in forum: Fanfic Discussion
  9. Skeletaure
    Post

    HP Questions that don't deserve their own thread V2

    It's worth remembering that Harry was not a horcrux. A horcrux is a receptacle which has been prepared for that role with many enchantments. Harry is just a person with a bit of soul accidentally latched onto him. No preparation, no enchantments.
    Post by: Skeletaure, Dec 27, 2018 in forum: Fanfic Discussion
  10. Skeletaure
    Post

    HP Questions that don't deserve their own thread V2

    Even if it is possible to break up the soul into percentage parts, it's a common misconception that a horcrux is half your soul. They are referred to as "fragments", which seems to imply quite a small portion. If I were going the mathematical route, I wouldn't make any horcrux more than say 1%. Beyond disliking the mathematical approach per se, I also think it's problematic thematically. An important part of Voldemort's character is that there was no difference (contrary to the fandom...
    Post by: Skeletaure, Nov 29, 2018 in forum: Fanfic Discussion
  11. Skeletaure
    Post

    HP Questions that don't deserve their own thread V2

    Hogwarts is lit by torches: The normal rule applies: it goes to the individual who defeated them. So... their wife.
    Post by: Skeletaure, Nov 4, 2018 in forum: Fanfic Discussion
  12. Skeletaure
    Post

    HP Questions that don't deserve their own thread V2

    Yeah... Dumbledore was actually dead at the time that was written, so I don't think the introductions are to be considered canon :p
    Post by: Skeletaure, Sep 30, 2018 in forum: Fanfic Discussion
  13. Skeletaure
    Post

    HP Questions that don't deserve their own thread V2

    Pumpkin pasty would be an example of a savoury wizarding food.
    Post by: Skeletaure, Sep 30, 2018 in forum: Fanfic Discussion
  14. Skeletaure
    Post

    HP Questions that don't deserve their own thread V2

    No. The only mention of tax is in relation to the Riddle House, whose Muggle owners retain it for "tax reasons".
    Post by: Skeletaure, Sep 30, 2018 in forum: Fanfic Discussion
  15. Skeletaure
    Post

    HP Questions that don't deserve their own thread V2

    Winky at the Quidditch World Cup. She first became aware of house-elves in CoS. We never see Harry describe Dobby to Hermione, but he does so to Ron, Fred and George when they pick him up, and Hagrid in Knockturn alley. At the very latest, Hermione knows about Dobby following the Quidditch match with the enchanted Bludger: Given Hermione's lack of "who's Dobby?" we can assume he had previously told her about the Privet Drive encounter off-screen. Goblet of Fire, trip to the Kitchens.
    Post by: Skeletaure, Aug 25, 2018 in forum: Fanfic Discussion
  16. Skeletaure
    Post

    HP Questions that don't deserve their own thread V2

    One other thing about Ancient Runes which is worth mentioning is that the Tales of Beedle the Bard were originally written in Ancient Runes. The publication date for Beedle's Tales is unknown, but we know (from Dumbledore's introduction to the book) that Beedle the Bard lived in the 1400s. For runes to remain in common use in magical Britain in the 1400s represents a significant divergence from the Muggle world, where the transition from runes to the Latin alphabet was well underway by the...
    Post by: Skeletaure, Aug 5, 2018 in forum: Fanfic Discussion
  17. Skeletaure
    Post

    HP Questions that don't deserve their own thread V2

    Personally I've never been a fan of the idea of the wizarding population being in decline due to wars -- I feel like it fundamentally misunderstands the type of war that magical people engage in. This isn't a WW1/WW2 style "total war". There are no armies clashing. Death tolls are more like those of a very successful serial killer than a war. Also, I'm not sure that there's much evidence in canon of empty classrooms. For example, in GoF, Harry and Hermione ask McGonagall if they can use her...
    Post by: Skeletaure, Jul 22, 2018 in forum: Fanfic Discussion
  18. Skeletaure
    Post

    HP Questions that don't deserve their own thread V2

    Not a question but rather a random observation: https://www.pottermore.com/writing-by-jk-rowling/professor-mcgonagall I read this ages ago; not sure why it didn't stick in my mind. So the existence of multiple teachers per subject is now canon, opening the door to a larger Hogwarts population. The tricky part of this is of course the DADA position, since there only being one teacher of that subject is a plot point -- both in terms of the curse on the position, but also in terms of...
    Post by: Skeletaure, Jul 22, 2018 in forum: Fanfic Discussion
  19. Skeletaure
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    HP Questions that don't deserve their own thread V2

    The closest example is probably the persistent mist caused by Dementor breeding. While Dementors are "creatures", they're not biological but rather a kind of anthropmorphic manifestation of qualities of a place. Where you find decay, there you will find Dementors.
    Post by: Skeletaure, May 28, 2018 in forum: Fanfic Discussion
  20. Skeletaure
    Post

    HP Questions that don't deserve their own thread V2

    The Disarming Charm travels through the air and impacts its target. The Summoning Charm does not. It makes the object in question come to the caster. There are lots of spells in HP that do not travel through their air - perhaps even the majority. It's only really combat type spells that travel. Even then, though we definitely know that it is possible to miss, we don't really know what contributes towards aim. Personally I feel like it is unlikely to be a purely physical thing of how...
    Post by: Skeletaure, May 23, 2018 in forum: Fanfic Discussion
  21. Skeletaure
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    HP Questions that don't deserve their own thread V2

    This is something of an exaggeration. If all classes take place with two houses in attendance, then the maximum number of simultaneous classes is 14 (7 years x 2 classes). In reality the actual maximum is lower because 6th and 7th years have free periods. The number of "primary" teaching staff is 11. Add to that Astronomy and Flying and you have 13. So you can achieve full coverage with only a small amount of fudging. Of course in real life teachers do not teach all the time, as they have...
    Post by: Skeletaure, Apr 26, 2018 in forum: Fanfic Discussion
  22. Skeletaure
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    HP Questions that don't deserve their own thread V2

    JK Rowling has detailed the process in its entirety in the ebook "Pottermore Presents: SHORT STORIES FROM HOGWARTS OF HEROISM, HARDSHIP AND DANGEROUS HOBBIES".
    Post by: Skeletaure, Apr 25, 2018 in forum: Fanfic Discussion
  23. Skeletaure
    Post

    HP Questions that don't deserve their own thread V2

    First off, not really an appropriate question for this thread, which is about canon queries with factual answers, not speculation. Anyway, do you mean defeat him in a duel? Dumbledore is the only one who could do it, but it would be a coin flip. My money is on Voldemort. The point with Harry, however, is not that Harry is destined by birth to defeat Voldemort, but rather that it is in Voldemort's nature to do things recklessly which create weaknesses which can later be exploited. We see...
    Post by: Skeletaure, Apr 7, 2018 in forum: Fanfic Discussion
  24. Skeletaure
    Post

    HP Questions that don't deserve their own thread V2

    I think "mate" is unlikely to be used in a professional context. Someone like a butler would probably say "my employer".
    Post by: Skeletaure, Feb 20, 2018 in forum: Fanfic Discussion
  25. Skeletaure
    Post

    HP Questions that don't deserve their own thread V2

    Guv'nor only if tongue in cheek. It's not just old fashioned but also highly specific to East London. I'd just go with "boss" to be honest. Alternatives: supervisor, manager, upstairs, director/partner/whatever their specific position is.
    Post by: Skeletaure, Feb 19, 2018 in forum: Fanfic Discussion
  26. Skeletaure
    Post

    HP Questions that don't deserve their own thread V2

    The whole "stunner is useless because of reenervate" argument is an old one and has always somewhat missed the mechanics of magical combat. If an opponent takes the time to revive their fallen companion, that's just opening themselves up to an attack knocking them out too.
    Post by: Skeletaure, Oct 13, 2017 in forum: Fanfic Discussion
  27. Skeletaure
    Post

    HP Questions that don't deserve their own thread V2

    Most of those do not have clear answers, but one of them does. It's not clear that animal -> human transfiguration is possible. Certainly we have never seen it happen nor has it been mentioned as possible. Human transfiguration is presented as the most difficult form of transfiguration, and we only ever see human -> human transfiguration, and only of specific features at that. It's worth considering that the HP world is dualist, so a person is not just a body but also a soul. So even if...
    Post by: Skeletaure, Jul 18, 2017 in forum: Fanfic Discussion
  28. Skeletaure
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    HP Questions that don't deserve their own thread V2

    Yes. The implication being that a counter-curse and a curse are the same spell just used in different ways, and that therefore the difference between Hogwarts DADA and Durmstrang's Dark Arts classes is largely one of perspective.
    Post by: Skeletaure, May 13, 2017 in forum: Fanfic Discussion
  29. Skeletaure
    Post

    HP Questions that don't deserve their own thread V2

    The fact of the matter is that the phrases "Dark magic" and "Dark Arts", which are used interchangeably, are used in varying manners. In this sense they are not so different from real life language in which phrases can often have separate technical/formal and common use/informal meanings. Further, within the realm of technical meanings, terminology can have varying meaning depending on the discipline you are in or even a particular faction within a discipline. Wanting a nice, neat,...
    Post by: Skeletaure, May 10, 2017 in forum: Fanfic Discussion
  30. Skeletaure
    Post

    HP Questions that don't deserve their own thread V2

    The question is answered in Dumbledore's commentary from Tales of Beedle the Bard. An animagus is able to keep their human mind while in animal form, whereas a person who is transformed into an animal with regular transfiguration will have an animal mind until they are returned to human form. Which implies that actually yes, Krum is a partially trained shark animagus, since he was able to retain his human mind and complete the task.
    Post by: Skeletaure, May 7, 2017 in forum: Fanfic Discussion
  31. Skeletaure
    Post

    HP Questions that don't deserve their own thread V2

    The fact that Fudge et al recognised Voldemort in OotP implies that his post-resurrection body is very similar to what he looked like before his fall.
    Post by: Skeletaure, Nov 21, 2016 in forum: Fanfic Discussion
  32. Skeletaure
    Post

    HP Questions that don't deserve their own thread V2

    The curse on the ring was supposed to kill more or less instantly. It was only Snape's intervention that slowed the spread of the curse and allowed Dumbledore to live the year out. So Dumbledore walking around with a shrivelled hand would not make Voldemort think his horcrux was compromised, as it's a completely different result to what he would expect. (It's similar to basilisks ordinarily killing all their victims, not petrifying them, making it no surprise that Dumbledore never figured...
    Post by: Skeletaure, Sep 22, 2016 in forum: Fanfic Discussion
  33. Skeletaure
    Post

    HP Questions that don't deserve their own thread V2

    In Tales of Beedle the Bard, Dumbledore expresses the opinion that they were made by the Peverell brothers.
    Post by: Skeletaure, Sep 20, 2016 in forum: Fanfic Discussion
  34. Skeletaure
    Post

    HP Questions that don't deserve their own thread V2

    What makes you think it's just projecting an image? I always assumed it was literally transporting just your head.
    Post by: Skeletaure, Aug 8, 2016 in forum: Fanfic Discussion
  35. Skeletaure
    Post

    HP Questions that don't deserve their own thread V2

    There's canon precedent from the end of GoF:
    Post by: Skeletaure, Aug 8, 2016 in forum: Fanfic Discussion
  36. Skeletaure
    Post

    HP Questions that don't deserve their own thread V2

    I was more meaning in the opposite direction. I would consider those two examples of "summoning by apparition" whereas I'm looking for an example of "banishing by apparition". Since summoning by apparition is possible, one presumes banishing by apparition is also, and I have a sense that it has happened, but it would be nice to get firm confirmation. This is the context of the request, by the way.
    Post by: Skeletaure, Apr 7, 2016 in forum: Fanfic Discussion
  37. Skeletaure
    Post

    HP Questions that don't deserve their own thread V2

    Two mostly unrelated questions: -------- One -------- I have a vague recollection of a someone (possibly Snape? But also potentially a House Elf rather than a wizard) using magic to apparently vanish something, but the context being that they were moving the object to another location (perhaps a trunk being moved to a dorm room?). If this sequence exists, does anyone have a quote for the passage? I don't have my books to hand, nor my hard drive with the pdfs) -------- Two -------- Can...
    Post by: Skeletaure, Apr 7, 2016 in forum: Fanfic Discussion
  38. Skeletaure
    Post

    HP Questions that don't deserve their own thread V2

    Yes. They're known as "Children's Homes" and are typically run by the Child Services department of the Local Council, but there are also a number run by charities, most particularly Bernardo's. The aim, however, is always to get the children into foster care.
    Post by: Skeletaure, Feb 28, 2016 in forum: Fanfic Discussion
  39. Skeletaure
    Post

    HP Questions that don't deserve their own thread V2

    Actually, if you recall, that specific tap was said to have never worked. Seems to imply the tunnel to the Chamber was different to the others. But I don't think the topic of conversation was the tunnel to the Chamber per se, but rather other routes around the castle. Also I had always just assumed the taps etc just conjured water. I mean, the ones in the Prefects' Bathroom are almost certainly are magical.
    Post by: Skeletaure, Feb 27, 2016 in forum: Fanfic Discussion
  40. Skeletaure
    Post

    HP Questions that don't deserve their own thread V2

    You guys are thinking of "pipe" in far too modern a sense. Think about the castles you've visited, or other ancient plumbing like Roman sewers and aqueducts. There's no reason to think Hogwarts is any different. The "pipes" are likely to be more like culverts, and almost definitely not under pressure. Not unless they had a surviving Roman bath complete with all the machinery. This is an example of a Roman underground aqueduct: [IMG]
    Post by: Skeletaure, Feb 27, 2016 in forum: Fanfic Discussion
  41. Skeletaure
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    HP Questions that don't deserve their own thread V2

    No, never used in canon. One of those fanfic things that somehow spread massively.
    Post by: Skeletaure, Feb 17, 2016 in forum: Fanfic Discussion
  42. Skeletaure
    Post

    HP Questions that don't deserve their own thread V2

    Well, Harry's cave-Hogsmeade apparition in HBP was during the school year and since we don't see any Hogwarts student get any "you're performing magic!" letters from the Ministry during the time they're at Hogwarts, it seems a fair assumption that the Ministry just ignores the Trace while the kids are (expected to be) at school.
    Post by: Skeletaure, Feb 2, 2016 in forum: Fanfic Discussion
  43. Skeletaure
    Post

    HP Questions that don't deserve their own thread V2

    Jesus Christ. Not only has this debate been done to death (and none of you are saying anything new), but you've chosen literally the worst thread to resurrect it in -_-
    Post by: Skeletaure, Nov 28, 2015 in forum: Fanfic Discussion
  44. Skeletaure
    Post

    HP Questions that don't deserve their own thread V2

    Except all of their kids have green eyes...
    Post by: Skeletaure, Nov 5, 2015 in forum: Fanfic Discussion
  45. Skeletaure
    Post

    HP Questions that don't deserve their own thread V2

    I believe it was said that the Creevy brothers were the sons of a milkman, which is not a highly paid profession.
    Post by: Skeletaure, Nov 3, 2015 in forum: Fanfic Discussion
  46. Skeletaure
    Post

    HP Questions that don't deserve their own thread V2

    It has disappeared in a way. In the older Pottermore there was an entry on schools in general, which mentioned Beauxbatons, Durmstrang and the Japanese school all in the same text. In the new Pottermore there are separate articles on Beauxbatons and Durmstrang (most of it verbatim from the old Pottermore).
    Post by: Skeletaure, Oct 29, 2015 in forum: Fanfic Discussion
  47. Skeletaure
    Post

    HP Questions that don't deserve their own thread V2

    Actually, we do know something on the matter from the old Pottermore: Unfortunately with the new Pottermore all the old material (and artwork) has disappeared, which means you have to go to the Pottermore wiki to find it.
    Post by: Skeletaure, Oct 29, 2015 in forum: Fanfic Discussion
  48. Skeletaure
    Post

    HP Questions that don't deserve their own thread V2

    Not by name:
    Post by: Skeletaure, Oct 27, 2015 in forum: Fanfic Discussion
  49. Skeletaure
    Post

    HP Questions that don't deserve their own thread V2

    The best I can give you is that Harry was famous in Argentina (enough to draw crowds), according to Rita Skeeter's article on the 2014 World Cup, and since Harry's fame is based upon Voldemort's, it's fair to say that Voldemort was at least known enough internationally that his defeater would be considered someone to gawk at.
    Post by: Skeletaure, Oct 19, 2015 in forum: Fanfic Discussion
  50. Skeletaure
    Post

    HP Questions that don't deserve their own thread V2

    His appearance was becoming steadily more inhuman over time. In the HBP memories, the narrative always highlighted how each time he made a horcrux his appearance changed - at first, the horcruxes made him more handsome, but by the time he interviews with Dumbledore, his skin looks like wax. I believe he still had his hair and nose, however. He loses two more bits of soul after that interview (Harry and Nagini), so it's possible those two put him further down the same path to the appearance...
    Post by: Skeletaure, Oct 16, 2015 in forum: Fanfic Discussion
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