Tiny questions that don't matter but I'm asking anyway

[Psychee]

I think he might have used Ariel's portrait to get Dobby to him... remember how he used her to get Neville?  If she could communicate with Neville, then Neville could have called Dobby and sent him to Aberforth.

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Mollywobbles wrote:
How was Aberforth able to summon Dobby and send him to the Malfoy manor to rescue the prisoners?  As far as I remember, Dobby was still at Hogwarts and owed his loyalty to the school.  How did Aberforth manage to get him to the HogsHead and explain about the need to rescue Harry? 

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[Mollywobbles]

But how would Neville contact Dobby?  Neville had been hiding out in the ROR for a couple of weeks-he couldn't openly go down to the kitchens to find Dobby.  I don't think he could have called Dobby, because he wasn't his master.  I also suspect the house-elves were keeping pretty much to the kitchens under the reign of Snape and the Carrows.  The only way I can figure that Neville could contact Dobby, would be if he asked the ROR to make the exit near the kitchens (the exit changed every day, and Neville got the room).  The other problem I have with that explanation is that there doesn't seem to be enough time between when Harry saw Aberforth's eye in the mirror and asked him to help, and the time Dobby arrived. It seems pretty short.  There doesn't seem to be enough time for Aberforth to send Ariana to the ROR, and ask Neville to contact Dobby, and for Dobby to go to Aberforth and get instructions, and then apparate to the Manor.  That's if Neville could contact Dobby in the first place. 

I suppose it's possible that Dobby knew that many of the old DA gang were hiding out in the ROR, although there isn't any hint of that in the Lost Diadem chapter. I suppose  that they could have established some kind of communication system, like the coins, but then why wouldn't Dobby supply them with food, rather than Aberforth? Perhaps they thought it was too risky for Dobby to be seen taking enough food to feed all the fugitives? 

How about this as an alternative. House-elf allegiance passes within the family upon the death of a master-just like Kreacher and Harry.  Dobby is a bit of a different case, though, because he was a free elf.   However, Dobby did consider Dumbledore his master/employer, and maybe Aberforth kind of inherited Dobby on Dumbledore's death.  Even though Dobby was a free elf, and employed by Hogwarts, he might have felt some kind of master/elf relationship with Aberforth, enough so that Aberforth could call Dobby the way Harry called Kreacher.  That would solve the time problem, and would explain why Neville never said a word about being contacted by Dobby.  Does that work?

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Psychee wrote:

I think he might have used Ariel's portrait to get Dobby to him... remember how he used her to get Neville?  If she could communicate with Neville, then Neville could have called Dobby and sent him to Aberforth.

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Mollywobbles wrote:
How was Aberforth able to summon Dobby and send him to the Malfoy manor to rescue the prisoners?  As far as I remember, Dobby was still at Hogwarts and owed his loyalty to the school.  How did Aberforth manage to get him to the HogsHead and explain about the need to rescue Harry? 

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[Psychee]

OK, I like the idea of Aberforth calling Dobby directly better.  We can presuppose that Dobby knew Aberforth from before Dumbledore died...  maybe Dumbledore sent Dobby to him before for something.

But I don't think that we have to presuppose a master relationship there...  Harry was able to call Dobby and he was never Dobby's master.  We just have to prsuppose that Dobby was psychically tuned into him as someone whom he would want to respond to, right?

Maybe Harry could have called Dobby directly as well, had he thought of it!  

[Mollywobbles]

I just thought Dobby might feel some master relationship with Aberforth, but I'm not wedded to the idea.  I thought it was possible, since Dobby had such a hard time letting go of his ties with the Malfoy family,that I thought there might be a tug towards the Dumbledore family.

I agree that Dobby was psychically tuned into Harry.  When Harry freed Dobby with the sock, that really sealed the deal.  Too bad Harry didn't try calling Dobby earlier, but then we wouldn't have met Aberforth, and we needed his input.   

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Psychee wrote:

OK, I like the idea of Aberforth calling Dobby directly better.  We can presuppose that Dobby knew Aberforth from before Dumbledore died...  maybe Dumbledore sent Dobby to him before for something.

But I don't think that we have to presuppose a master relationship there...  Harry was able to call Dobby and he was never Dobby's master.  We just have to prsuppose that Dobby was psychically tuned into him as someone whom he would want to respond to, right?

Maybe Harry could have called Dobby directly as well, had he thought of it!  

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[nancydrewfan23]

Lilly and James are Harry's PARENTS and WIZZARDS!!!!

[Kreacherteacher]

LOL! Am I missing something? Did you just have an epiphany, Nancy?

To add to your newfound info, I just want to tell you that they were also BOTH in the house of Gryffindor, as was Harry.

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nancydrewfan23 wrote:
Lilly and James are Harry's PARENTS and WIZZARDS!!!!

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[Mollywobbles]

At the risk of being too technical, Nancy, James was a wizard, Lily was a witch.

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nancydrewfan23 wrote:
Lilly and James are Harry's PARENTS and WIZZARDS!!!!

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[Mollywobbles]

At the risk of raising another "potty" question, the bathroom facilities in the castle seem odd.  Myrtle's bathroom appears just to have toilets and sinks.  I can understand this as it is on the classroom level of the castle.  All we see of the Prefects bathroom is the luxurious tub-no toilets or sinks, and I think it is on the 6th floor, no where near the dorms for the four houses. Dumbledore says he found the Room of Requirement when he was in need of a bathroom, and the room was full of chamberpots.  Why wouldn't there be full bathroom facilities on the floors housing the dormitories.? Wouldn't this mean some students would have to be out of bed after hours if they needed the Loo?  Since there were toilets, why did the ROR present Dumbledore with chamberpots?

[Psychee]

Great question, Mollywobbles...

Each dorm must have full bathrooms off the common room- one for girls and one for boys - we just never heard about them.  There's no other practical method of meeting their needs!

Perhaps the Room of Requirement offered Dumbledore Chamber Pots because he was so old that when he needed a toilet, his mind had unconsciously thought about the old-fashioned variety? 

[hprocks2121]

another potty question-

do you think the dormitory bathrooms have the fancy bathtubs, like the prefects'? or are the prefects so special that they get swimming pool sized bathtubs? 

[Psychee]

When Harry went into the Prefects' bathroom and saw what was there, he seemed happily surprised.  That suggests to me that the Prefects' bathroom was rather special.  Consequently, I doubt that the regular bathrooms had the same swimming pool size bathtubs, but that's just my guess!

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hprocks2121 wrote:

another potty question-

do you think the dormitory bathrooms have the fancy bathtubs, like the prefects'? or are the prefects so special that they get swimming pool sized bathtubs? 

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[Mollywobbles]

You must be right Psychee, there would be no other way for the students to do the necessary, without being out of bounds, if there weren't full bathroom facilities off the dorms.  It just seems odd that meticulous Percy, when he led the first year students to the Gryffindor common room, didn't mention the bathrooms.  I guess he figured they would find it for themselves.

I like the idea of the ROR presenting chamberpots because of Dumbledore's advanced age

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Psychee wrote:

Great question, Mollywobbles...

Each dorm must have full bathrooms off the common room- one for girls and one for boys - we just never heard about them.  There's no other practical method of meeting their needs!

Perhaps the Room of Requirement offered Dumbledore Chamber Pots because he was so old that when he needed a toilet, his mind had unconsciously thought about the old-fashioned variety? 

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[Mollywobbles]

I think Psychee's right hprocks, from Harry's reaction to the Prefect's bathroom, it sounds as if the regular bathrooms were much more utilitarian.  I guess it was one of the perks of being a prefect.

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hprocks2121 wrote:

another potty question-

do you think the dormitory bathrooms have the fancy bathtubs, like the prefects'? or are the prefects so special that they get swimming pool sized bathtubs? 

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[Mollywobbles]

Also on the subject of castle amenities, it doesn't sound as if the castle had central heating.  I know this is still common (shiver) in Scotland, and the Scots consider central heating to be having an "electric fire" in each room. (of topic-it's a little weird, the electrical outlets all have switches, you have to plug in your appliance, and turn on the switch for each outlet) The castle still seemed to rely on fireplaces for all its heat, and, as a result, the hallways were very cold in the winter.  I wonder if this was because electric heat wouldn't work because of all the magic in the air (the same way that other electrical gadgets wouldn't work).  Or, as with certain private schools in Scotland, did they think that freezing was character building?

[Psychee]

Central heating relies on thermostats which wouldn't work in the castle but also, given Mr. Weasley's interest in "eclectricity", there wouldn't be any wizards around who could have installed it! 

But the fact that there is no heat in the hallways probably comes from the "character building" mindset, like you suggest.  It would also serve to keep the kids moving in the corridors and getting to class as soon as possible.  Filch would be all in favor of that!

Do the extra switches in Scotland also serve as local circuit breakers?  If so, they had GFC-type protection long before we did!  I guess they never have to worry about babies electrocuting themselves by poking their fingers in the outlets, either.. that is assuming that the switches are higher up on the walls where the babies can't reach...

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Mollywobbles wrote:
Also on the subject of castle amenities, it doesn't sound as if the castle had central heating.  I know this is still common (shiver) in Scotland, and the Scots consider central heating to be having an "electric fire" in each room. (of topic-it's a little weird, the electrical outlets all have switches, you have to plug in your appliance, and turn on the switch for each outlet) The castle still seemed to rely on fireplaces for all its heat, and, as a result, the hallways were very cold in the winter.  I wonder if this was because electric heat wouldn't work because of all the magic in the air (the same way that other electrical gadgets wouldn't work).  Or, as with certain private schools in Scotland, did they think that freezing was character building?

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[Mollywobbles]

Briefly off topic- 

In the cottage I rented, the switches were right on the outlet, and the outlets were in normal places depending on the room (i.e. in the kitchen, they were above the counters, in the sitting room, close to the baseboards).  The switches did act as a local circuit breaker.  I figured it was an economy measure, no passive electricity being used, but it did make for an interesting morning routine. Lurch out of bed and turn off the electric heater and then the outlet switch in the bedroom. Stagger into the sitting room and turn on the breaker that operated the hot water heater,then the switch and the electric heater; stagger into the bathroom and turn on the switch, then the electric heater; stagger into the kitchen, fill the kettle, turn on the switch, plug in the kettle and turn on the kettle; have tea and stop staggering.  Dash into the now warm bathroom and turn on the switch that operated the direct hot water to the "wet room".  Shower, turn off the heater and the local hot water, then all the switches.  Glide into the sitting room and turn off the breaker for the bathroom hot water heater;  Back into the kitchen, repeat the routine for the next pot of tea, turn on an outlet switch and plug in the toaster and turn it on.....you get the picture.  You NEVER leave an electric heater on in a room you are not using, you shut all the doors to keep the heat in, or the cold out.  Fortunately, there was a wood stove too, and my landlady was wonderful about filling my woodbox every day while I was out.  As soon as I got back from my travels, the first thing I did was light the woodstove in the sitting room! Don't get me wrong, it was a delightful cottage, it just took a few days to get into the routine of all the switches.

The hotel I stayed in my last night, however, did not have the switch thing going on.  I guess they figured hotel guests would not put up with going through that kind of drill. 

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Psychee wrote:

Do the extra switches in Scotland also serve as local circuit breakers?  If so, they had GFC-type protection long before we did!  I guess they never have to worry about babies electrocuting themselves by poking their fingers in the outlets, either.. that is assuming that the switches are higher up on the walls where the babies can't reach...

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Mollywobbles wrote:
Also on the subject of castle amenities, it doesn't sound as if the castle had central heating.  I know this is still common (shiver) in Scotland, and the Scots consider central heating to be having an "electric fire" in each room. (of topic-it's a little weird, the electrical outlets all have switches, you have to plug in your appliance, and turn on the switch for each outlet) The castle still seemed to rely on fireplaces for all its heat, and, as a result, the hallways were very cold in the winter.  I wonder if this was because electric heat wouldn't work because of all the magic in the air (the same way that other electrical gadgets wouldn't work).  Or, as with certain private schools in Scotland, did they think that freezing was character building?

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[Mollywobbles]

Curses, hexes, jinxes etc.

Some of the above seem to be permanent, and others seem to wear off after a while. Some seem to require constant concentration by the witch/wizard, and others seem to be self sustaining.  For example, things like the jelly-leg curse seem to wear off, yet the babbling curse appears to last until it is removed.  Is this just something inherent in the curse, hex or jinx, or does the witch/wizard have to specify the duration of the spell when casting it?

[Psychee]

I'd guess that the longevity of a spell depends on several factors:

1)  The nature of the spell (hex, jinx, charm, etc).  Some seem to last forever (like the Permanent Sticking Charm), some only last for a few hours or minutes.  I think the Transfiguration spells all wear off after a while, unless there has been some kind of magical accident messing up the normal nature of the effect.

2) The power of the witch or wizard casting it --  presumably, the more practice you have at doing it, or the more powerful you are in general, the longer it lasts. 

3) The victim - Some spells can be fought off through mental discipline -- like how Harry was able to ward off the effects of Imperius.

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Mollywobbles wrote:

Curses, hexes, jinxes etc.

Some of the above seem to be permanent, and others seem to wear off after a while. Some seem to require constant concentration by the witch/wizard, and others seem to be self sustaining.  For example, things like the jelly-leg curse seem to wear off, yet the babbling curse appears to last until it is removed.  Is this just something inherent in the curse, hex or jinx, or does the witch/wizard have to specify the duration of the spell when casting it?

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[Mollywobbles]

So, theoretically, the sneak jinx that Hermione cast on Marietta could last forever?  Nifty.

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Psychee wrote:

I'd guess that the longevity of a spell depends on several factors:

1)  The nature of the spell (hex, jinx, charm, etc).  Some seem to last forever (like the Permanent Sticking Charm), some only last for a few hours or minutes.  I think the Transfiguration spells all wear off after a while, unless there has been some kind of magical accident messing up the normal nature of the effect.

2) The power of the witch or wizard casting it --  presumably, the more practice you have at doing it, or the more powerful you are in general, the longer it lasts. 

3) The victim - Some spells can be fought off through mental discipline -- like how Harry was able to ward off the effects of Imperius.

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Mollywobbles wrote:

Curses, hexes, jinxes etc.

Some of the above seem to be permanent, and others seem to wear off after a while. Some seem to require constant concentration by the witch/wizard, and others seem to be self sustaining.  For example, things like the jelly-leg curse seem to wear off, yet the babbling curse appears to last until it is removed.  Is this just something inherent in the curse, hex or jinx, or does the witch/wizard have to specify the duration of the spell when casting it?

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[Mollywobbles]

The Tri-Wizard Tournament.

I'm still puzzling about how it was just accepted that Harry had to compete, I know we've discussed it before, but something stil doesn't seem right.

In this particular tournament, the participating schools were Hogwarts, Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, but there were other schools of magic.  The tournie was, nonetheless called Tri-Wizard-presumably because only three competed. I've always assumed that to be the case, but perhaps it was because there were three tasks.  If, however, it was because there were supposed to be only three wizards competing, and one from each school, it seems to me that the cup should have rejected a nominee from a fourth school right off the bat.  While Moody/Crouch was powerful enough to hoodwink the cup into accepting a nominee from another school, it suggests to me that there was a possibility, or perhaps a history, of other schools entering contestants. Why was the cup called Tri-Wizard then, and not quatro-wizard, or multi-wizard?