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* This book introduces Time Turners, a device that controls time and is kept within the Department of Mysteries. Even entering the Department of Mysteries without authorization will get you a nice fat prison sentence. So it raises serious questions as to why the Ministry of Magic entrusted a 13-year-old-girl with the most powerful magical artifact ever crafted for a completely mundane reason.
** Hermione explains that [=McGonagall=] wrote various letters attesting to the Ministry that Hermione was a model student and wouldn't use it for anything but getting to her classes. (If you didn't know by this book that Hermione is LawfulGood and ''majorly'' opposed to breaking rules in all but the most extreme circumstances, you're hopeless.)
** Hermione explains that [=McGonagall=] wrote various letters attesting to the Ministry that Hermione was a model student and wouldn't use it for anything but getting to her classes. (If you didn't know by this book that Hermione is LawfulGood and ''majorly'' opposed to breaking rules in all but the most extreme circumstances, you're hopeless.)
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** There were so witch hunts of note in the British Isles in the 14th century [nothing significant, really, until the 16th]. I could understand the assignment covering continental Europe, but I would somehow expect that part to be mentioned.
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** There were so no witch hunts of note in the British Isles in the 14th century [nothing significant, really, until the 16th]. I could understand the assignment covering continental Europe, but I would somehow expect that part to be mentioned.
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* Right on the first page of the first chapter, we see the topic of Harry's history essay, 'Witch-Burning in the Fourteenth Century Was Completely Pointless - discuss', and an extract from his textbook 'A History of Magic'. There are so many things wrong with section this that I'll go point-by-point:
** There were so witch hunts of note in the British Isles in the 14th century [nothing significant, really, until the 16th]. I could understand the assignment covering continental Europe, but I would somehow expect that part to be mentioned.
** When there were witch hunts in the British Isles, witches were seldom burnt [burning being a punishment for treason] - they were hung, or executed by other means; but burning was far more common in Germany, France, Italy, and so forth. Furthermore, in England it was not uncommon for a condemned witch to be hung and then burned - so bad luck with your Flame-Freezing Charm, there.
** If a person was being executed via burning at the stake, they were *burned*to*death*. To a crispy, charocoal-y death. How exactly would preventing oneself from the flames fool the watching crowd when, oh, the victim a) failed to suffocate from the woodsmoke, and b) wasn't getting even a little charred? The only solution that comes to mind is Apparation which is... hardly subtle.
** There were so witch hunts of note in the British Isles in the 14th century [nothing significant, really, until the 16th]. I could understand the assignment covering continental Europe, but I would somehow expect that part to be mentioned.
** When there were witch hunts in the British Isles, witches were seldom burnt [burning being a punishment for treason] - they were hung, or executed by other means; but burning was far more common in Germany, France, Italy, and so forth. Furthermore, in England it was not uncommon for a condemned witch to be hung and then burned - so bad luck with your Flame-Freezing Charm, there.
** If a person was being executed via burning at the stake, they were *burned*to*death*. To a crispy, charocoal-y death. How exactly would preventing oneself from the flames fool the watching crowd when, oh, the victim a) failed to suffocate from the woodsmoke, and b) wasn't getting even a little charred? The only solution that comes to mind is Apparation which is... hardly subtle.
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** Possibly he's thinking, "I've seen that kid in here buying schoolbooks a couple years before, he must be here for the fucking goddamn bloody stupid ''Monster Book of Monsters'' and so I will hate him with all my might." I don't think it's meant to be, "Oh, this clerk must be psychic!" it's just that he's having a bad day.
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** That always bugged me too but maybe it's a very popular subject? I mean, who ''wouldn't'' want to learn about magical creatures? Even Malfoy takes up the subject. Presumably, few people ''don't'' take the subject. idk I know it's a weak explanation
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* In POA, when Harry went into Flourish and Blotts for his school books, why did the manager assume he needed a "Monster Book of Monsters"? Harry was fairly small for his age until he hit his growth spurt in book 6, so he probably looked eleven or twelve. And besides that, he never even said that he was taking Care of Magical Creatures.
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** It wouldn't have been sufficiently shocking, given that we would have guessed a lot of what a Dementor is from the name.
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*** The psychological ramifications are a huge problem, though, because while you!present knows where you!past is, you!past only knows that he or she has just run into someone who ''appears'' to be you. Even Dumbledore can't go around assuming that anybody who looks like him and knows [[TrustPassword some random password]] is him from three hours in the future, and [[ProperlyParanoid never telling another person]] is useless with legilimancy.
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** ''We'd'' want them big in the Autumn for Halloween. Wizards enjoy pumpkin juice and, possibly, various other kinds of pumpkin-based foodstuffs throughout the year. Maybe they're magically growth-boosted pumpkins to provide refreshing juice in the summer months?
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***** As it is now, they won, more or less. Wormtail got away, yes, but Sirius escaped the clutches of the Ministry, everyone avoided both the Dementors and the werewolf. They didn't know that Peter would raise Voldemort at that time, so your point about Voldemort's resurrection being averted is invalid because it's not an argument Dumbledore could have made in his own defense (which, given that time travel is ''illegal'', he would have had to make, and your situation creates the very obvious and notable existence of at least two Dumbledores). Finally, Harry and Hermione were effective in their time travel because they created a stable time loop: they avoid creating a situation that would keep them from going back in time in the first place. If Dumbledore goes back, makes it obvious what he did, and then takes away his past self's reason to travel back, I don't know what would happen. I'm leaning towards unpleasantry, however.
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**** First. HE. HAD. A. TIME. MACHINE. He had all the time in the world to prepare (already explained it above). Learn a rat-catching spell. ''Invent'' a rat-catching spell. Consult any number of qualified ratcatchers, zoologists, exterminators, name it. Get himself an intelligent rat-catching creature (hint: Hermione and Harry both own one). Second. No, basically D would show up with demorphed Pettegrew in shackles, Sirius would be aquited, and V's ressurection would be averted, and then hardly anybody would care how he did it. Finally, yes, yes we do see area-efect spells. The age-detecting spell that protects the area around the Cup in CoF. The protection charms Hermione casts on their camping grounds in DH. V's Taboo, that covers the whole England (if not the whole world).
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**** First. HE. HAD. A. TIME. MACHINE. He had all the time in the world to prepare (already explained it above). Learn a rat-catching spell. ''Invent'' a rat-catching spell. Consult any number of qualified ratcatchers, zoologists, exterminators, name it. Get himself an intelligent rat-catching creature (hint: Hermione and Harry both own one). Second. No, basically D would show up with demorphed Pettegrew in shackles, Sirius would be aquited, and V's ressurection would be averted, and then hardly anybody would care how he did it. Finally, yes, yes we do see area-efect spells. The age-detecting spell that protects the area around the Cup in CoF.GoF. The protection charms Hermione casts on their camping grounds in DH. V's Taboo, that covers the whole England (if not the whole world).
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**** First. HE. HAD. A. TIME. MACHINE. He had all the time in the world to prepare (already explained it above). Learn a rat-catching spell. ''Invent'' a rat-catching spell. Consult any number of qualified ratcatchers, zoologists, exterminators, name it. Get himself an intelligent rat-catching creature (hint: Hermione and Harry both own one). Second. No, basically D would show up with demorphed Pettegrew in shackles, Sirius would be aquited, and V's ressurection would be averted, and then hardly anybody would care how he did it. Finally, yes, yes we do see area-efect spells. The age-detecting spell that protects the area around the Cup in CoF. The protection charms Hermione casts on their camping grounds in DH. V's Taboo, that covers the whole England (if not the whole world).
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****** Right. I mean it's not like the series was the biggest offender of NewPowersAsThePlotDemands EVER. And it's not like the characters used "spells that have never been used in the books" '''all the effing time'''. But for the most powerful wizard in the world to contrive an area effect rat-trap? Yep, that would've been a colossal AssPull, all right.
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****** Right. I mean it's not like the series was the biggest offender of NewPowersAsThePlotDemands EVER. And it's not like the characters used "spells that have never been used in the books" '''all the effing time'''. But for the most powerful wizard in the world to contrive an area effect rat-trap? Yep, that would've been a colossal AssPull, all right.
******* Yeah. It would have been. Even if a reasonable person might assume that the spell exists somewhere in the no doubt millions of charms and jinxes that have been developed over the years, why would Dumbledore know it? "Because he's Dumbledore, he's the shiniest bestest wizard that ever was," blah blah blah. Every bit of magic we've seen him use, there's a reason he would have learned it. Mastering a ratcatcher spell for no apparent reason is kind of weird, though. He's not a ratcatcher. He's not an exterminator. He's not a zoologist. So basically Dumbledore would show up at the last minute with the rat in tow saying, "Wait, Minister, fortunately I have captured the real culprit with a bit of magic that I learned for what is no doubt a very good reason during my adventures some years ago. Allow me to conveniently resolve the plot." And finally, do we ever even see any area effect spells get used in the books? Certainly, places get charmed, but they're generally specific addresses: Hogwarts, James and Lily's house, the Burrow. As far as I recall, it's never been "a patch of land about fifteen meters by twenty meters, provided there's a rat in it."
******* Yeah. It would have been. Even if a reasonable person might assume that the spell exists somewhere in the no doubt millions of charms and jinxes that have been developed over the years, why would Dumbledore know it? "Because he's Dumbledore, he's the shiniest bestest wizard that ever was," blah blah blah. Every bit of magic we've seen him use, there's a reason he would have learned it. Mastering a ratcatcher spell for no apparent reason is kind of weird, though. He's not a ratcatcher. He's not an exterminator. He's not a zoologist. So basically Dumbledore would show up at the last minute with the rat in tow saying, "Wait, Minister, fortunately I have captured the real culprit with a bit of magic that I learned for what is no doubt a very good reason during my adventures some years ago. Allow me to conveniently resolve the plot." And finally, do we ever even see any area effect spells get used in the books? Certainly, places get charmed, but they're generally specific addresses: Hogwarts, James and Lily's house, the Burrow. As far as I recall, it's never been "a patch of land about fifteen meters by twenty meters, provided there's a rat in it."
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****** Right. I mean it's not like the series was the biggest offender of NewPowersAsThePlotDemands EVER. And it's not like the characters used "spells that have never been used in the books" '''all the effing time'''. But for the most powerful wizard in the world to contrive an area effect rat-trap? Yep, that would've been a colossal AssPull, all right.
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***** "If Dumbledore had just used a magical spell that has never been used in the books that I just made up on the fly, he'd have succeeded! Come to that, in ''Back to the Future,'' why didn't Doc Brown just use the Make-Marty's-Parents-Fall-In-Love-Machine that I just decided he must have had in his garage?"
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*** Who said anything about killing? Capturing Pettegrew was a matter of prooving Sirius was innocent. And then, of course, the bastard was going to Azkaban, but I dare you tell me he didn't deserve it.
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*** Who said anything about killing? Capturing Pettegrew was a matter of prooving proving Sirius was innocent. And then, of course, the bastard was going to Azkaban, but I dare you tell me he didn't deserve it.it.
**I think you guys are missing something. Going back in time and getting caught by a normal person wouldn't bother Dumbledore, and the only reason they advise against meeting yourself in the past is that it messes things up if you don't know about time travel. Dumbledore, on the other hand, being Dumbledore, has probably known about time turners since they were invented.
**I think you guys are missing something. Going back in time and getting caught by a normal person wouldn't bother Dumbledore, and the only reason they advise against meeting yourself in the past is that it messes things up if you don't know about time travel. Dumbledore, on the other hand, being Dumbledore, has probably known about time turners since they were invented.
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**** First of all, on the time travel mechanics. D had that knowledge, ''because'' H&H went back in time. And they did because he told them to. And he did because he knew that they already have AND because it was a smart thing to do. It's an induced infinite loop and, what's even more important, it's invariant - i.e. it is the only way the events ever happend or will ever happend. Remeber, in "normal" course of events (without time travel) Harry would've been killed by Dementors, but it '''never''' happend, although in that moment he had no idea that he was going to travel to the past and save himself. This means that in '''any''' particular moment space-time continium "knows" what will happend in the future and how it might alter the past. This means that if D decided to go to the past, in that very moment of decision-making he would've initiated an infinite loop and thus would've already existed in the world where he traveled to the post. Nothing would've changed and could be changed because it had already been changed. Dumbledor-2 could've sent Dumbledore-1 a note of success or even appear in his office with Pettegrew in a cage - it doesn't matter. The success is guaranteed because H&H succedeed even though D was there near the Shack, and he was there because later he decided to go to the past.
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**** First of all, on the time travel mechanics. D had that knowledge, ''because'' Funny thing is: he DIDN'T have such knowledge. He'd sent H&H went back in time. And to the past BEFORE they did because returned to him and reported their success. At best he could guess it when he saw that the Hippogriff was gone. He told them to. And he did because he knew that they already have AND H&H to go to the past because it was a smart right thing to do. It's an induced infinite loop and, what's even more important, it's Next, what some people forget (or don't get) is that the time line is invariant - i.e. it there is the only one way the events ever happend or will ever happend. Remeber, in "normal" course of events (without time travel) Harry would've been killed by Dementors, but it '''never''' happend, although in that moment he had no idea that he was going to travel to the past and save himself. This means that in '''any''' particular moment space-time continium "knows" what will happend in the future and how it might alter the past. This means that if D decided to go to the past, in that very moment of decision-making he would've initiated an infinite loop and thus would've already existed in the world where he traveled to the post. past. [[MindScrew Nothing would've changed and could be changed because it had already been changed.changed]]. Dumbledor-2 could've sent Dumbledore-1 a note of success or even appear in his office with Pettegrew in a cage - it doesn't matter. The success is was guaranteed because H&H succedeed even though D was would've been there near the Shack, and he was dould've been there in the past because later he decided would decide to go to the past.
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*** More implied. He said he had given them a little help, and I think it is mentioned he glanced at the direction of his umbrella with guilt.
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******* Actually, most of Trelawny's predictions come true by the end of the series in some way. Even Ron's tea leaf reading that Harry will "suffer, but be happy about it." [[spoiler: Flash forward to Harry's fate at the end of Deathly Hallows]].
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*** Who said anything about killing?
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*** Who said anything about killing? Capturing Pettegrew was a matter of prooving Sirius was innocent. And then, of course, the bastard was going to Azkaban, but I dare you tell me he didn't deserve it.
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*** Dumbledore specifically had knowledge that Harry and Hermione went back in time and everything turned out okay for it. Thus, it was safe for him to send them back. He did not have knowledge as to whether or not he went back, and thus it was unsafe (and ''phenomenally'' illegal) for him to go back himself to capture Wormtail. And if he doesn't catch Wormtail the first time he goes back, he'll have to either try again or let it go. Every time he doesn't catch Wormtail increases the chances for him to get caught by himself or someone else. Finally, we know that there can't be a way to non-lethally neutralize a werewolf, otherwise the Wolfsbane potion wouldn't be such a big deal. They wouldn't have had to stick Moony in the Shrieking Shack; they could have just sat him down near sunset, Stupefied him (or whatever) and kept at it until daybreak.
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*** Dumbledore specifically had knowledge that Harry and Hermione went back in time and everything turned out okay for it. Thus, it was safe for him to send them back. He did not have knowledge as to whether or not he went back, and thus it was unsafe (and ''phenomenally'' illegal) for him to go back himself to capture Wormtail. And if he doesn't catch Wormtail the first time he goes back, he'll have to either try again or let it go. Every time he doesn't catch Wormtail increases the chances for him to get caught by himself or someone else. Finally, we know that there can't be a way to non-lethally neutralize a werewolf, otherwise the Wolfsbane potion wouldn't be such a big deal. They wouldn't have had to stick Moony in the Shrieking Shack; they could have just sat him down near sunset, Stupefied him (or whatever) and kept at it until daybreak. daybreak.
**** First of all, on the time travel mechanics. D had that knowledge, ''because'' H&H went back in time. And they did because he told them to. And he did because he knew that they already have AND because it was a smart thing to do. It's an induced infinite loop and, what's even more important, it's invariant - i.e. it is the only way the events ever happend or will ever happend. Remeber, in "normal" course of events (without time travel) Harry would've been killed by Dementors, but it '''never''' happend, although in that moment he had no idea that he was going to travel to the past and save himself. This means that in '''any''' particular moment space-time continium "knows" what will happend in the future and how it might alter the past. This means that if D decided to go to the past, in that very moment of decision-making he would've initiated an infinite loop and thus would've already existed in the world where he traveled to the post. Nothing would've changed and could be changed because it had already been changed. Dumbledor-2 could've sent Dumbledore-1 a note of success or even appear in his office with Pettegrew in a cage - it doesn't matter. The success is guaranteed because H&H succedeed even though D was there near the Shack, and he was there because later he decided to go to the past.
**** Next, on the exact technicalities of capturing Pete. For the love of Abaddon, Dumbledore is the freaking Dumbledore! THE headmaster of the school and THE most powerful wizard in the world! Who was going to "catch" him? No, seriosly, who?! Himself? That's ridiculous - what do you think he would've done, blasted himself? As for the capture, he didn't need to neutralize Lupin, he didn't even need to be there in person - just place some area-effect spell that stupefies everything rat-sized or something like that, then take a broom, make yourself invisible and overwatch the scene from above like a good strategist does. Done.
**** First of all, on the time travel mechanics. D had that knowledge, ''because'' H&H went back in time. And they did because he told them to. And he did because he knew that they already have AND because it was a smart thing to do. It's an induced infinite loop and, what's even more important, it's invariant - i.e. it is the only way the events ever happend or will ever happend. Remeber, in "normal" course of events (without time travel) Harry would've been killed by Dementors, but it '''never''' happend, although in that moment he had no idea that he was going to travel to the past and save himself. This means that in '''any''' particular moment space-time continium "knows" what will happend in the future and how it might alter the past. This means that if D decided to go to the past, in that very moment of decision-making he would've initiated an infinite loop and thus would've already existed in the world where he traveled to the post. Nothing would've changed and could be changed because it had already been changed. Dumbledor-2 could've sent Dumbledore-1 a note of success or even appear in his office with Pettegrew in a cage - it doesn't matter. The success is guaranteed because H&H succedeed even though D was there near the Shack, and he was there because later he decided to go to the past.
**** Next, on the exact technicalities of capturing Pete. For the love of Abaddon, Dumbledore is the freaking Dumbledore! THE headmaster of the school and THE most powerful wizard in the world! Who was going to "catch" him? No, seriosly, who?! Himself? That's ridiculous - what do you think he would've done, blasted himself? As for the capture, he didn't need to neutralize Lupin, he didn't even need to be there in person - just place some area-effect spell that stupefies everything rat-sized or something like that, then take a broom, make yourself invisible and overwatch the scene from above like a good strategist does. Done.
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*** Who said anything about killing?
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* Dumbledore didn't want to kill Pettigrew. Simple. It's made obvious in the books that Dumbledore likes to believe the best of people, and he probably hoped that Peter wouldn't do what he thought he was going to do.
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** It's stated in one of the books that he used his umbrella to make them grow. [[AWizardDidItSo yeah...]]
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** It's stated in one of the books that he used his umbrella to make them grow. [[AWizardDidItSo [[AWizardDidIt So yeah...]]
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** It's stated in one of the books that he used his umbrella to make them grow. [[AWizardDidItSo yeah...]]
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* In TheMovie, at the end, Hagrid has a pumpkin patch full of very large pumpkins. Since it's the end of the story, we can assume it to be sometime around May. Pumpkins that size have a growing time of roughly 100-200 days, meaning Hagrid would have had to plant them between December and February. My question is this: Who the hell plants pumpkins in the middle of winter? Especially since you want them to be ripe in the fall, not late spring.
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* Why does everyone just refer to the "Azkaban guards" before the dementor attack on the train and then never exclusively use the phrase again? Instead, they say "dementors. They guard the wizard prison, Azkaban." I know JK Rowling wanted a reveal of the name, but why not just say they're "dementors" and then be all shocking and revealing about what a "dementor" actually is?
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** [[FridgeBrilliance Sounds a lot like the]] [[TakeThat strict, stubborn rules in FIFA Soccer.]]
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* One of the quidditch games is interrupted by a bunch of dementors, causing one of the players to faint... and that's not enough for a do-over or anything? What the hell kind of stupid rules does the game have, anyways?
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Please check [[http://www.jkrowling.com/textonly/en/faq.cfm?ref=aboutthebooks JK's FAQs]] before asking a question that may have already been answered.
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****It posits that Odo shifts the extra mass into another dimension via using it to create four dimensional shapes
