Quote of the Week

"Harry, don't go picking a row with Malfoy, don't forget, he's a prefect now, he could make life difficult for you..."
"Wow, I wonder what it'd be like to have a difficult life?" said Harry sarcastically.

-OotP

I picked this quote because it is a perfect Harry quote. He is so sarcastic, yet it is true most of the time. I relate to this quote a lot, so I thought it'd be a good one for this week.

Department of Queries: The Passages of Hogwarts

This DoQ is more focused on the setup of the passages, not so much the passages in Cannon themselves.

The question we started with for this week is: "How do earthen passages appear out of walls several stories up, like the passage that caved in on the fourth floor or the one that comes out of the second floor of the Hog’s Head in the seventh book?"

Calie and I began exploring this question by looking at the passage behind Ariana's portrait in the Hog's Head. This is one of the passages that are "earthen". We began discussing how the passage could be there in the first place. How could this huge tunnel just connect two places, and allow travel at the same time? I brought up the theory that it would semi-resemble the Floo network how it connects two places using an entry and exit. Another thing brought up was the possibility of an Undetectable Extension Charm on the passage to allow there to be an inside, like Arthur used on the car. We couldn't quite figure out how this extra dimension could be created and exist, rather than the explanation of "it's magic." We agreed that it is almost like a wormhole, and that it was probably "earthen" because it was literally underground, because maybe that was the only way to have this extra dimension. If you notice, all of the passages slope upward in some form before the exit.

Next, we discussed the creation of the passages. We know that there are at least two different kinds of passages-tunnels and slides- but why are they located where they are? We talked about who would've created them, and we came to a consensus that there were probably some that were established when the castle was built, made by the Founders, much like the Chamber of Secrets. I'd like to think that some at least, would be by the students, but I think that it would be very advanced magic, so there might not be many. We know that at least one teacher made one-Dumbledore with the Shrieking Shack for Lupin. Calie and I agree that it would've been awesome if Fred and George would've made one, because it seems like something they would do. If the students were able to make their own, they would have had to pass the secret on for them to become known, and since we don't know about very many other than the ones on the Marauder's Map, we expect that they are lost to the times, but I think that there would be tons of these passages everywhere in Hogwarts.

A great point brought up in our discussion was the protection of the Hogwarts grounds if there are more passages. Calie said that it would be a huge breach in security if there were all of these passages everywhere, but I argued that back in the day, security was probably not as big of an issue as it was during Harry's time, for obvious reasons. One thing that boggled us was how damage could be inflicted on one. We assumed that they would be protected magically, yet the one on the fourth floor was caved in. We couldn't think of what could damage it either.

Featured Essay: How Hollywood De-fanged Potter's Radical Politics Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 1

       This essay caught my eye because I feel like it says a lot about the books, the movies, and the meaning of both. It is also not too lengthy. This review focuses on the political messages of the last book, and their presentation in the DH part 1. It is quite critical of the movie, which I must admit was one of my favorite of the series. This essay talks about how the political message was sidelined for a barely existent love triangle plot. I feel like this was not the only important plot that was pushed aside to make room for teen romance that was very unimportant to the overall story. If you feel the same as I do, or are just curious, I highly recommend this essay from Mugglenet.
 Link: http://www.mugglenet.com/editorials/defangedpotter.shtml

Character of the Month: Petunia

This is September's character of the month; yes I am aware that it is half way through October already, please accept my apologies and enjoy the post!

Hatred of Lily and Magic
Paige and I discussed this point at length. We both agreed that Petunia's hatred of both Lily and magic was due to jealousy. We know that in the past, Petunia hated magic a lot less. She would send letters to Dumbledore begging to be let into Hogwarts. One thing we found was that we can't think of any other instances where one sibling is magical and the other is not. That may be why this seems uncommon in the wizarding world. I think that magical qualities usually pop up in an entire generation. Perhaps Petunia didn't get magic because of a fluke. Paige and I also talked about whether Petunia genuinely hated Lily or if she was just jealous. We talked about how jealousy can lead to hatred, and about how sometimes there is a fine line between them. We both, however, believe that Petunia certainly crossed that line. She had no contact with her sister for years, and couldn't even stand to hear her name. That sounds a lot like hatred.
Paige and I also briefly discussed how she would have reacted to Lily's death when she heard. I argued that she would have probably felt a little bit sad, but that she would have been surprised. She would have kind of been blindsided by the loss she felt. I also wondered if she would have felt some amount of satisfaction. It would have been proof, in Petunia's eyes, that being normal was better. She was normal and alive, while her "freak" sister was dead. She would have summed up her death in saying that magic caused it, only affirming her belief that life was better without magic. Paige disagreed a little on the satisfaction part however; she thought that might be too far. So on that point, the jury is out.

True Knowledge of Magic
Paige and I also briefly discussed her hatred of magic. Paige wondered if Petunia was actually afraid of magic, but we both decided that she most likely wasn't. She had grown up with Lily doing magic and talking about it. She would be familiar with a lot of it. We see that she knows more than she lets on when she knows what Dementors are and who Voldemort is. She isn't ignorant to magic. Her longing to be magical probably meant that for a little while she probably learned a lot about it, until her jealousy made her decide that it was worthless. Paige brought up a good point in our discussion. She said that by locking up Harry's books, it is confirmation that she knew some of what was contained within them. Petunia wasn't oblivious to all of the magic when she was growing up, she remembers. She knows more than she lets on, that is for sure.

Treatment of Harry
The way that Petunia treated Harry throughout the books was cold and heartless. Paige and I disagreed on whether she had any affection for Harry at all. I argued that she didn't. She never showed any sign of caring for him. But Paige and I agreed that she was taking out her anger with Lily on Harry. She had this defenseless kid plopped on her doorstep. He couldn't fight back, but he became an opportunity to do all the things that she had wanted to do to Lily. We also agreed that she was trying to prove something to herself by treating Harry this way. She wanted to prove that even if she wasn't magical, she was still powerful. As a kid, she probably felt inferior to Lily, and this was her opportunity to show that she was stronger than magic. She bullied Harry, and she also didn't stop Vernon from bullying him either. He was magical and he was defenseless, and she was able to overpower him for years. She was insecure about her strength, and it is sad that by bullying Harry it made her feel stronger.

Vernon and Dudley
Petunia created a life of complete normality, well at least, in her mind. In her decision to marry Vernon, she made a mad dash to cast off all the oddities of her childhood to embrace her own world. But she didn't go to a normal level of normality. She and Vernon were normal to an extreme. They were bland, and fit into every cookie cutter expectation of the Muggle world. Vernon was the polar opposite of everything that she had grown to despise. Now to her treatment of Dudley. Paige said that why she treated Dudley so well was that she wanted to give him everything she felt she had lacked in her childhood. She probably felt ignored, so she wanted to give Dudley all of her attention. She wanted to make Harry feel how she felt as a kid, jealous and left out.


Well that is Petunia, a little more complex than she first appears I suppose. Paige and I would love to hear your input on Petunia or any other character. Just leave a comment below. If you have any suggestions on future characters to analyze, do the same.

Quote of the Week

"You have shown bravery equal to those who died fighting Voldemort at the height of his powers. You have shouldered a grown wizard's burden and found yourself equal to it."

-Dumbledore, Goblet of Fire

 I think when we read stories like Harry Potter, we sometimes forget that the characters are so extraordinary. In my literature class we recently discussed young characters who take on adult problems, and succeed where every adult failed. This quote reminds of that, because Harry is probably the best example of that situation that I can think of. At the time of the triwizard tournament, he was only fourteen. Here in the US, he would probably be just a freshman in high school. Yet he measured up to a standard far above what could be expected. It is easy to relate to Harry because he seems so ordinary, but it is also important to remember that he truly is not. 

Quote of the Week

"Peeves was worth two locked doors and a trick staircase if you were late to class."
- Narration, SS 132'

I chose this quote for two reasons; the first, because I love Peeves. I wish that he had more roles in the books and especially in the movies. It would've been a fun addition for the non-readers to see this wacky poltergeist. This has to be my second favorite quote about Peeves. The other one comes from OotP, and I'm sure everyone knows what that is. The other reason that I chose this quote was because I was very Peeves-ish this week. I did my fair share of pranking and practical joking this week on my softball coach. It was awesome, and I thought that this would be a suitable choice.

Paige

VOTE NOW!!!!!

The poll will be closing in just a few days!!! We are looking for some reader contribution. Please vote for your favorite character!!!!

Essay: In Defense of Slytherin

http://www.mugglenet.com/editorials/editorials/edit-blackd01.shtml

I highly recommend this article. I am one of the first to condemn Slytherin for all their sins, but when you look at the facts, it truly is the way that JKR says: Slytherin isn't all bad. This article was sent to me by my co-contributer, Paige (a hardcore Slytherin). She has tried to convince me for years. I am not there yet, but I have to admit that I may just be parroting Harry's prejudice. This essay goes through several of the Slytherin heroes in the series. Please read and comment.

Quote of the Week

"What happened down in the dungeons between you and Professor Quirrell is a complete secret, so, naturally the whole school knows."-Dumbledore, Sorcerer's Stone

Ah, the first book. This was Dumbledore's first post-trauma speech with Harry. This quote above all shows why he was so well loved, and so good at what he did. He understood his students. Somehow his honesty makes this speech so much more powerful. You wouldn't expect him to tell Harry this, but then again, why wouldn't he? It is one of the qualities that he shares with Luna: the power of honesty. As we see later, he isn't always honest, but here I find it interesting. I think that it somehow gave him some credibility, and it laid the foundation of such an interesting character.

Calie

Quote of the Week

"Where's Snape?" "Maybe he's left because he missed out on the DADA job again!" "Or he might have been sacked! I mean, everyone hates him-" "Or maybe, he's waiting to hear why you two missed the train?" CS, Harry, Ron and Snape

This quote is hilarious. Poor Snape. Everyone hates him. I love all of the little Harry-Ron-Snape moments, because they mostly always involve something funny, or an awesome quote. It is the perfect example of the kids hating the teacher situation that I'm sure everyone is familiar with. Not to mention, there's sarcasm all around! That makes for good laughs, and a spot in my favorite quotes. :)

Quote of the week

"I enjoyed the meetings, too. It was like having friends."

-Luna, Half Blood Prince

        Luna and Neville are somewhat pathetic characters, they truly are. But we see times, especially later in the series when they come into their own. In a way they are some more of JKR's red herrings; they seem weak and use, but in reality they are better than anyone else when it comes to being brave and doing what is right. This quote also reminds me of another quality that Luna has, her ability to point out the uncomfortable truth. She doesn't filter what she says the way that most others do. This is what often ostracizes her from the rest of society. She tells others about her beliefs or says things that makes them feel uncomfortable, as evidenced above. This quality gives Luna her uniqueness, her quirks. For most of us, it is what makes us love Luna.

Perfect Advisers: The Former Heads

      I have long marveled at the wisdom contained within the circular headmaster’s office. These are the brightest witches and wizards to have ever existed, perhaps. They are scholars, masters of their craft. Now, their only function is to aid the current headmaster. Though I have always been astonished by the portraits, it was not until my last read through that they reminded me of another collection of powerful people, whose only job is to aid a current leader: the President’s cabinet.

       For those of you who are not familiar with the American system of government (and for those Americans who should be, but aren’t), the President’s cabinet is a board of advisers. They are hand picked by the President and represent every government office. These people are tasked with helping the President make hard decisions. They are usually experts and thus make it possible for the President to lead effectively without being an expert in every area himself. If a President is wise, he will pick knowledgeable people with varying viewpoints. This allows him to make objective decisions that help the most people. But this is an ideal world, in reality the cabinet of the President is often filled with yes men. People who agree completely with the President and don’t offer any other viewpoints. They are still very knowledgeable in their field, but often their political leanings align closely with the President. They are still an important part of the government and are effective advisers; but they don’t offer the opposing viewpoints that give the President the number of options that would be best.

      Now, I’m sure you have already spotted some of the parallels that I saw as I read the series. The portraits in the Headmaster’s office are very much a cabinet of sorts to the headmaster. But I believe that they are even more: they are what a cabinet of advisers should be. These are all the people who have been in the position before. They understand what is expected of the headmaster, as well as the kinds of influence he or she will have. They can offer advice from their own experiences. They also have many varying viewpoints. The headmaster doesn’t get to choose only the people who will agree with him, as the American President does; he also has the advice of those who have opposing viewpoints to his own. This is best portrayed by Phineas Nigellus Black.This mixture of opinions allows him to make better decisions. These advisers also come from many backgrounds. They have expertise in different areas, as shown by the appearance of their portraits in places like St. Mungo’s and the Ministry. This expertise allows the headmaster to make good decisions, but at the same time not need to become an expert in every field. This is the area where the real world board of advisers comes closest to J.K. Rowling’s.

      Now that I see the parallels between a board of advisers and the portraits in the headmaster’s office, I also see that J.K. Rowling may have invented the perfect set of advisers. These witches and wizards offer experience, opinions, and expertise. They are more balanced in their opinions than their real world counterparts. These people provide the headmaster with the ability to become both wise and powerful, something that not all cabinets can do.

Quote of the Week

"Why spiders? Why couldn't it be "follow the butterflies?" -Ron, CS

This quote makes me laugh everytime I see it. I, too, am very afraid of spiders, and as a matter of fact, I chose it because I just had my sister kill a huge one in my room for me, and so I felt it was a perfect QOTW moment because it popped into my head. I've also almost wrecked twice when there were some in my car. Spiders stalk me, not kidding; they're everywhere. Anyway, back to what's important- As we've mentioned before, Ron is one of the best characters for humerous quotes. His character has the kind of bluntly sarcastic remarks that I use, so it makes them more enjoyable. I love his remarks on serious things like this. Awesome Ron moments.
Everyone have a safe, spider-free week, and vote on the poll! Calie and I should be coming out with some new posts shortly.

Paige Cyrus

NEW POLL!!!!!

So, Paige and I decided that it was time to try another poll. Last time we didn't get many votes, so we are counting on your participation this time. We are really excited to hear from you guys! You have been reading the posts we put out for so long, we want to hear some of your opinions. So VOTE!!!!! Please, please, please.

Quote of the Week

Hermione drew herself to her full height; her eyes were narrowed and her hair seemed to crackle with electricity."No," she said, her voice quivering with anger, "but I will write to your mother." 

-Hermione, Order of the Pheonix 

I have to admit that of all the characters I identify with Hermione the most. This quote screams Hermione. Not only does it draw out attention to her physical features, i.e. her characteristic bushy hair. It also shows that side of Hermione that reminds us that she will do anything if she thinks it is right. It is that strength that blossomed within Hermione, and aided that transition from the insecure eleven year old to the character we find later in the series. Also I have to admit that I love this quote because she reminds of Mrs. Weasley here. So enjoy the quote, Paige and I both have a lot on our plate at the moment and we hope that soon we will be able to get back to some DoQ's. 

Quote of the Week

Alas! 'Tis time for Quote of the Week!

"We feel our futures lie outside the world of academic achievement."

-Fred Weasley, OOTP

I chose this quote because school (for me) is just around the corner. I only have 6 days of summer, and one more year to go, but I wish that I was done. Obviously, I'm not entirely all that excited to go back to school. I'd rather have more time sleeping than having to study. So, basically, this quote mirrors my emotions to school right now.

I always laugh when I read this quote and at others in the later chapters of this book that Fred and George make about their feelings of being at Hogwarts, especially when Umbridge is around. I've always sort of related to them. Being a Fred and George quote in itself is a reason why I picked it, but I think that others can relate to this quote as well.

Paige Cyrus

Owl Post

One of my favorite things in all of the wizarding world are the owls. I think they are brilliant. The entire system of mail is so intriguing. I have long wondered certain things about the owl mail system, and long marveled at other things. So much that I decided to write an entire post, devoted these feathered friends.

We have talked about Hedwig at length before, so I won't spend much time on her here. I will just say that I love Hedwig, and I think that she is amazing. But one thing that Hedwig emphasizes is that owls are not just for sending letters. Allow me to diverge from the post topic for just a moment here. Owls become beloved pets. Hedwig was a companion to Harry, the thing that helped him get through the long summers at the Dursley's. These animals are cared for, and used just as much as pets as they are mail carriers.

But now back to the post itself. I see mail being split into two categories, sent and received. I see sent as being very straightforward. Basically you give your letter to your owl, or if you don't own one then another owl, and they take your letter to the recipient. It does however have a few elements that I am curious about. I have always wondered how exactly the owls knew where the letters go. Could they read the address? Then can owls, as well as other animals, read? Or did you tell them (if so why write the address)? Did they just know, instinctively perhaps? It has always been something I have wondered. I have also always wondered how they were able to find you, or the recipient of your letter, when you have changed locations. Do owls have some kind of homing beacon that they use to find whoever they are looking for. Once again, I find these kinds of things intriguing.

But there is another question that has always bugged me as I read, this related to receiving letters. How does your owl know that someone else would like to send you a message. Hedwig delivers several letters to Harry from Hagrid, as well as a gift from Hermione. How does Hedwig know that they need to send a letter to Harry?

I love owls. I think that JKR found a really interesting way to make a mail system. It seems to wonderful, and somehow a very fitting way for magical people to communicate. I can't exactly tell you why though. As you can see this post is composed of more answers than questions. I invite you to comment on anything above, I would love to hear what you guys have to say.

Calie Holden

Quote of the Week

"I'll distract them all," she said. "Use your Cloak." And before he [Harry] could say a word, she had cried, "Oooh, look, a Blibbering Humdinger!" and pointed out the window.

-Luna, Deathly Hallows

     Luna is one of my favorite characters; I know, I have a lot of those. But I find her fascinating, she is a very deep person, she thinks on a plane above every other character. This may be my favorite Luna moment of all. You see a very down to earth understanding side of her, in this moment she even in a way recognizes her quirks and uses them to help Harry. You also get a little reminder of all of those odd things that Luna believes. For the last Luna moment of the series, this is great. 

Department of Queries: Portraits

Here is the question that we will explore for the DoQ: What dictates the actions of portraits?
Calie and I had a great discussion over this, including different aspects of portraits, including travelling, communication, purpose, and the 'portrait world'.
We began by talking about what we think the portraits would see on their side of the frame. Would it be like another world back there, where everything is three-dimesional? Would it be two-dimensional since they are painted? Do the same rules apply to the objects if they are present? I think that first off, the frame is like a window to real people; that even if all we see is the person from the waist up, they would still have a body, it's just not shown. Otherwise, how would they travel to their other portrait? I think that the 'world' behind the frame would be three-dimensional to them, and so would the objects. I think that this is proven when the Fat Lady and Violet drink all of the wine in the portrait of the monks.
Another thing to do with backgrounds was the space between the frames (or the walls their hung on) in their background. We both agreed that there would have to be some kind of space between them, but we were stuck on how they would actually move into other portraits. We see in many instances where the portraits visit others. Would there be something in the 'space' between them, like a ladder or stairs, to get to ones higher or lower than them? That's a question that Calie had. I had always imagined something like a hallway on the sides of their frame, where they could choose which way to go, and also a path to go to their other portrait. But as for traveling to their other portrait, it says that they just walk out the side of their frame to go to their other portrait, but when they do, they don't appear in their adjacent frame. We couldn't agree on whether or not the distance between frames on their side was the same as on our side, such as just the length of wall between them, or a simple threshold.
Something we found intriguing was Ariana's portrait. It seems to break a lot of portrait rules. Firstly, all of the portraits in the Headmaster's study that we see travel walk out of the side of their portrait to appear at their other portrait. When Ariana visits her other portrait, she "turned and walked away, not as people in portraits normally did, out of the sides of their frames, but along what seemed to be a long tunnel behind her." Another very odd thing is when Harry asks Phineas Nigellus to bring Dumbledore into his frame to talk to them, he says: "The portraits of Hogwarts may commune with each other, but they cannot travel outside the castle except to visit a painting of themselves hanging elsewhere. Dumbledore cannot come here with me." Maybe this only applies to Hogwarts portraits, but when Ariana goes along the path of her portrait, she is able to bring Neville through. He is also is seen in her portrait when they are travelling back. I don't think he actually travelled through it, since "the [portrait] swung forward on the wall like a little door, and the entrance to a real tunnel was revealed. And out...clambered the real Neville." We know that portraits can be guarding entrances, but how is it that Neville could be shown in the picture when he is inside the tunnel? We never see anyone in the fruit bowl or Fat Lady portraits when they travel.
That is it for this installment of Department of Queries. If you would like to add your opinion or critique, we encourage you to comment and let us know what you think about this query.

Another Update

So just an update...
As you all should know, early registration for Pottermore was completed yesterday after seven days of clues to gain access. Throughout the seven days, one million lucky people around the world got invitiations to 'beta' the site, gaining access about a month before it opens to the public. After staying up until 4 AM for the second clue, and 5 AM the next for the third, we both were able to get invitations; I got the clue the second night, and Calie the third. We are some of the lucky few that will be able to participate in this upcoming experience in October. We are very anxious and excited.
Another thing we would like to let you know is that we will begin working on another Department of Queries question over the next few days, this topic being Magical Portraits. We will begin working on it tomorrow, and it should be out sometime this week.
As always, we encourage you to explore the site and leave us comments. We could really use them so that we can improve the site and incorporate more things that you would like to see. It would help tremendously! Thanks.

Paige Cyrus