Harry Potter

A question for those who read the UK version of Goblet of Fire: does the illustration for Chapter 36 "The Parting Of The Ways" differ at all from the Scholastic (US) version? In our version, it's of the Dark Mark.

You have illustrations? Well lah-dee-dah, Mr. French-Man.

there's just a small illustration at the start of each chapter

but I want to know how the Dark Mark varies in each version

Favourite Characters: Lupin, Tonks, Sirius, Dumbledore, Hermione

Favourite Class: DADA, History of Magic and Charms

Favourite Book: Oot P.

Most Likely to be Sorted: Gryffindor

Favourite Characters: Fred and George, Hagrid, Lupin.

Favourite Class: Hagrid's creature class. Care of Magical Creatures. (Thanks Mapi.)

Favourite Book: Deathly Hallows is the only one I can really remember what happened. So either that or Goblet of Fire.

Most Likely to be Sorted: Ravenclaw.

Why did they even think houses were a good idea? I know they exist in real life, but, it's like, "Okay, let's teach kids to fight in self defence and create social divisions! What Could Possibly Go Wrong??"

edited 14th Feb '10 4:32:44 PM by newtonthenewt

@Mac Phisto: Yes it's also the Dark Mark in the Scholastic edition

Oh yeah, if I got sorted into a house it'd probably be Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff.

^ Care of Magical Creatures.

edited 14th Feb '10 4:29:58 PM by Mapi

I'd probably be a Ravenclaw or Slytherin, although I'm not really an ideal fit for either. And for some reason, potions have always appealed to me.

@Mac Phisto: Yes it's also the Dark Mark in the Scholastic edition

do you have an image link?

No, sorry.

@Taelor: You know, I'd actually be decent at potions; I'm a good baker and I come from a long line of good bakers, so mom could actually help me with my homework.

I'd probably like potions 'cause they seem to be the closest magical equivalent to chemistry/biology, which I love despite being inept in the laboratory. Also, it's the most subtle of the magics, and I hate flashiness.

edited 14th Feb '10 6:32:47 PM by Taelor

The houses thing never bothered me all that much because, well, every school I went to had a house system. Including the one where the dining hall looked like the Hogwarts Great Hall (Admittedly, the architecture was based off the building where they filmed the Great Hall scenes).

And I will confess an unironic love for the entire series, flaws and all. Even the bits everyone else hates. I love the canon ships, and I love Harry, and Ron and Hermione, and Dumbledore, and even the freaking epilogue.

^ Me Too!.

The only thing that ever bothered me about the House system is that Slytherin's criteria (ambitious/cunning) don't imply evil or mean-spirited, nor does Gryffindor's (bravery/loyalty) necessarily imply inherently good. And yet it turned out that way. Would it have killed Rowling to put in a good Slytherin who didn't have to go through a Heel–Face Turn first (everyone except Slughorn) or amoral anyway (Slughorn)?

Wouldn't matter to me, though. The Sorting Hat'd probably spend 10 minutes trying to sort me then unceremoniously dump me into Ravenclaw.

edited 14th Feb '10 8:51:24 PM by KnownUnknown

^ You just reminded me of that brainwave I had about an ambitious muggle-born who wants to be a criminal prosecutor getting sorted into Slytherin and hating every minute of it.

Do they even teach young wizards about the liberal arts?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't they only have like, a sixth grade understanding of the written word?

edited 14th Feb '10 9:20:41 PM by SomeGuy

Written word, hell, they don't do any math. There was even an Iron Man crossover where Stark adopted Harry and initially didn't want to send him to Hogwarts because of the low educational standards for anything non-magic-related.

how do we know they have such low standards for non-magical education?

@Furiko: Actually, they do math in Arithmancy. The Professor there had a very meaningful name (Professor Vector).

edited 14th Feb '10 9:57:41 PM by Mapi

You see a single reference to a compulsory Language Arts or Science or Accounting or Muggle History or Geography in any of those books?

@Mapi: Arithmancy is the study of numbers to help determine probability and future events. Also it's an elective.

edited 14th Feb '10 9:59:37 PM by FurikoMaru

^^ FIND THE COMPUTER ROOM!

Seriously, though, what would they need math for beyond basic counting skills? It's not like they're going to go on to engineer things using their knowledge of physics. Magic does that to the extent they need.

edited 14th Feb '10 10:03:49 PM by newtonthenewt

That'd make an amusing fanfic premise, actually: Muggle-born student's personal crusade to improve basic education standards in the wizarding world. I'm not sure how to make it believable, though, given the age at which everyone starts.

@Furiko: You mean Arithmancy was just statistics and actuarial science? I'm sorry, I had no idea.

^ I can see Hermione doing that on the side to her current occupation.

edited 14th Feb '10 10:04:43 PM by Mapi

You think wizards would at least need to read and write at above a middle school level.

Then again, most people in the real world don't.

edited 14th Feb '10 10:09:57 PM by Taelor

I think it's safe to say young witches & wizards are homeschooled