Questions I would ask JKR

[Dark Magic]

What's the exchange rate of galleons to pounds?

Does the magical world have a stock market?

Do magical people get ordinary Muggle illnesses? Heart disease, cancer,
Alzheimer's etc...are there magical cures for all these things?

If non-magic parents have a magical child who is ill do they take it to a
doctor or to a magical healer? If one parent is magical and one parent is a
muggle do they ever argue over which treatment is better?

What happens to the fetus of pregnant woman when she apparates?

What sort of birth control do wizards use?

Is there a magical cure for unwanted pregnancies and infertility?

Exactly what sort of government is the MoM meant to be? Do the magical
people get to vote? Is there a separate magical government in each country?
For example does the United States have a President of Magic? Do these
magical world leaders ever convene?

Are elves, centaurs, goblins, etc...treated as badly in the rest of the
world as they are in Great Britain? Or is that a cultural thing?

Isn't Voldemort a threat to the entire world? Why aren't any of the other
countries interested in what's happened to him?

Could Death Eaters be extradited from Bulgaria to face a trial in Great
Britain?

What is the criteria for a trial? How come Barty Crouch got one and Sirius
Black didn't?

Does the magical world have a version of that evilest of all evil beings,
the attorney at law?

Why did Lupin, Dumbledore and the rest believe so easily that Black was a
mass murderer and a betrayer? Had he done anything like that before? Did
he and Lupin have a falling out?

Who appoints the Wizengamot?

Who manufactures the Chocolate Frog Cards? Who decides which wizards get on
them?

Where do magical people get married? Do they have funerals, etc..? Where
are they buried when they die?

What sort of experiments were performed in the Death Room? How did the
curtain get there? How many wizards have gone through it?

Whose brains were floating around in that tank, and will their attack on Ron
make him any smarter? Smart enough, say, to lay a claim on Hermione before
Krum does?

How many conversations did Ginny Weasley have with Tom Riddle? What did
they sound like? Was he nice to her? Or cruel? How did he convince her to
help him? Why was Dumbledore so convinced no lasting harm had been done?
How is it possible that Ginny had a close relationship with an evil entity
for an entire school year and she has no permanent effects from it?

What if Penelope Clearwater had been pregnant when she was petrified? Would
the baby be petrified too? Would they need to use something besides
mandrake root to cure her since mandrake root is a powerful abortifacient?

I have more, but those will do for now.

Shannon

[Fish Eye no Miko]

Post by Dark Magic
What's the exchange rate of galleons to pounds?

There actually is an answer to that, it's around 2, I believe.

Post by Dark Magic
Do magical people get ordinary Muggle illnesses? Heart disease,
cancer, Alzheimer's etc...are there magical cures for all these
things?

If so, don't you think it's a bit selfish and unethical for them not to
share the cures with Muggles? Especially in the cases of diseases that are
always deadly and have no cure.

Catherine Johnson.

[yak]

In article <h8A9d.10878$***@fed1read01>, ***@deadmoon.circus
says...

Post by Fish Eye no Miko

Post by Dark Magic
Do magical people get ordinary Muggle illnesses? Heart disease,
cancer, Alzheimer's etc...are there magical cures for all these
things?

If so, don't you think it's a bit selfish and unethical for them not to
share the cures with Muggles? Especially in the cases of diseases that are
always deadly and have no cure.

Why should they? They don't share anything else. They don't show muggles
how to ride a broom or grow a mandrake.

[Miranda]

Post by Fish Eye no Miko

Post by Dark Magic
Do magical people get ordinary Muggle illnesses? Heart disease,
cancer, Alzheimer's etc...are there magical cures for all these
things?

If so, don't you think it's a bit selfish and unethical for them not
to share the cures with Muggles? Especially in the cases of diseases
that are always deadly and have no cure.

I guess you're not keen on expensive patented AIDS drugs not being made
available cheaply to developing nations.

Agreed; it would be selfish. But IIRC Hagrid implied that wizards removed
themselves from muggle affairs precisely because they didn't want to be
bothered all the time solving muggle problems.

Although it's less-than-encyclopaedic Hagrid talking, it could be an
accurate depiction of the wizarding world's compassion, or lack thereof.

Miranda

[Fish Eye no Miko]

Post by Miranda

Post by Fish Eye no Miko

Post by Dark Magic
Do magical people get ordinary Muggle illnesses? Heart
disease, cancer, Alzheimer's etc...are there magical cures
for all these things?

If so, don't you think it's a bit selfish and unethical for them
not to share the cures with Muggles? Especially in the cases
of diseases that are always deadly and have no cure.

I guess you're not keen on expensive patented AIDS drugs not
being made available cheaply to developing nations.

Oh, do NOT get me started on drug prices. Seriously. Just don't.

Post by Miranda
Agreed; it would be selfish. But IIRC Hagrid implied that wizards
removed themselves from muggle affairs precisely because they
didn't want to be bothered all the time solving muggle problems.

Yeah, but there's a big difference between, "I want a way to clean my house
without having to work hard" and "I'd like a cure for a disease that kills
millions of people."

Post by Miranda
Although it's less-than-encyclopaedic Hagrid talking, it could be an
accurate depiction of the wizarding world's compassion, or lack thereof.

I'm not so sure... I think he was talking about magical fixes for mundane
things that Muggles CAN deal with if they're willing to put effort into it
(like the aforementioned house cleaning), not stuff like saving people's
lives.

Catherine Johnson.

[Miranda]

"Fish Eye no Miko" <***@deadmoon.circus> wrote in news:_6F9d.12729$***@fed1read01:

<snip>

Post by Fish Eye no Miko

Post by Miranda
Although it's less-than-encyclopaedic Hagrid talking, it could be an
accurate depiction of the wizarding world's compassion, or lack thereof.

I'm not so sure... I think he was talking about magical fixes for
mundane things that Muggles CAN deal with if they're willing to put
effort into it (like the aforementioned house cleaning), not stuff
like saving people's lives.

That's a good point. And I suspect that if we asked JKR she would agree -
because the alternative would be an unethical society.

Miranda

[Richard Eney]

Post by dvh
<snip>

Post by Fish Eye no Miko
I'm not so sure... I think he was talking about magical fixes for
mundane things that Muggles CAN deal with if they're willing to put
effort into it (like the aforementioned house cleaning), not stuff
like saving people's lives.

That's a good point. And I suspect that if we asked JKR she would agree -
because the alternative would be an unethical society.

Wizard society seems unethical in a lot of ways.

=Tamar

[Miranda]

Post by Richard Eney

Post by dvh
<snip>

Post by Fish Eye no Miko
I'm not so sure... I think he was talking about magical fixes for
mundane things that Muggles CAN deal with if they're willing to put
effort into it (like the aforementioned house cleaning), not stuff
like saving people's lives.

That's a good point. And I suspect that if we asked JKR she would
agree - because the alternative would be an unethical society.

Wizard society seems unethical in a lot of ways.

Yes, that's true. But not everyone in it is unethical. So if they had a
quick fix cure for cancer, the Arthurs and Sirii of the world would
probably become cure-smugglers or something equivalent, to get the help out
there to muggles. If they didn't - if it never occurred to them to do so -
that is an unrealistically unethical society, with no members willing to
help their fellow humans.

Miranda

[brand]

Post by Fish Eye no Miko

Post by Dark Magic
What's the exchange rate of galleons to pounds?

There actually is an answer to that, it's around 2, I believe.

Post by Dark Magic
Do magical people get ordinary Muggle illnesses? Heart disease,
cancer, Alzheimer's etc...are there magical cures for all these
things?

If so, don't you think it's a bit selfish and unethical for them not to
share the cures with Muggles? Especially in the cases of diseases that are
always deadly and have no cure.

Maybe the same thing that makes wizards live so much longer than muggles
helps protect them from Alzheimers and such. There has got to be some sort
of immune thing that keeps these people alive and kicking well past 150. I
bet they just are blessed with a natural immunity.

[Dark Magic]

Post by Fish Eye no Miko

Post by Dark Magic
What's the exchange rate of galleons to pounds?

There actually is an answer to that, it's around 2, I believe.

Because galleons are still based on the gold standard?

And along the same lines, Bill's job entails finding treasure for Goblin's
in Egypt. Where is he getting treasure from? Who owns the sites? Egyptian
wizards? Goblins? British Wizards? Or is he stealing treasure from
Muggles?

Post by Fish Eye no Miko

Post by Dark Magic
Do magical people get ordinary Muggle illnesses? Heart disease,
cancer, Alzheimer's etc...are there magical cures for all these
things?

If so, don't you think it's a bit selfish and unethical for them not to
share the cures with Muggles? Especially in the cases of diseases that are
always deadly and have no cure.

Unquestionably it is unethical. The fact that they can mend broken bones in
an instant and don't share that ability with their fellow human beings is
reprehensible. Although I realize they are supposed to be 'secretive' that
excuse seems to fall short considering they actively solicit magical
students from muggle families who have never heard of the magical world
before. If they can take a child away from its family and send it away to a
school its parents can't even see, I would think they could manage to
install a bone-fixing healer in Muggle hospitals.

Shannon

[Jan van Aalderen]

Post by Dark Magic

Post by Fish Eye no Miko

Post by Dark Magic
What's the exchange rate of galleons to pounds?

There actually is an answer to that, it's around 2, I believe.

Because galleons are still based on the gold standard?
And along the same lines, Bill's job entails finding treasure for
Goblin's in Egypt. Where is he getting treasure from? Who owns the
sites? Egyptian wizards? Goblins? British Wizards? Or is he
stealing treasure from Muggles?

Post by Fish Eye no Miko

Post by Dark Magic
Do magical people get ordinary Muggle illnesses? Heart disease,
cancer, Alzheimer's etc...are there magical cures for all these
things?

If so, don't you think it's a bit selfish and unethical for them
not to share the cures with Muggles? Especially in the cases of
diseases that

are

Post by Fish Eye no Miko
always deadly and have no cure.

Unquestionably it is unethical. The fact that they can mend broken
bones in an instant and don't share that ability with their fellow
human beings is reprehensible. Although I realize they are supposed

1. What makes you think all magical healingprocedures work on muggles?
Since people can either do or not do magic from birth, their apparently
is a genetic factor involved in being magical. It could apply to
bonestructure. Although al lot of magic *can* be done to muggles. The
other way around, whoever, some muggle-tech things, like stitches, do
not seem to have the same effect when applied to some wizards, at least
not to some "magical wounds" (mr W bitten by the snake, OotP).

2. I recall, that not wanting to be called to the aid of muggles in
distress all and every day was one of the reasons the wizarding world
went into hiding. That would include healing.

Post by Dark Magic
to be 'secretive' that excuse seems to fall short considering they
actively solicit magical students from muggle families who have never
heard of the magical world before. If they can take a child away
from its family and send it away to a school its parents can't even

Nowhere is stated, children are taken to Hogwarts against their will or
even the will of their parents. Also there is no evidence, that parents
could not visit Hogwarts if they wanted to. They can visit Diagonalley,
as is stated at least in CoS (Hermione's muggle-parents were there), so
why not Hogwarts.

Post by Dark Magic
see, I would think they could manage to install a bone-fixing healer
in Muggle hospitals.

A matter of calculus... how many healers would that require? How many
wizards are healers or capable of healing?

Post by Dark Magic
Shannon

[Alex Clark]

Post by Jan van Aalderen

Post by Dark Magic
Unquestionably it is unethical. The fact that they can mend broken
bones in an instant and don't share that ability with their fellow
human beings is reprehensible. Although I realize they are supposed

1. What makes you think all magical healingprocedures work on muggles?
Since people can either do or not do magic from birth, their apparently
is a genetic factor involved in being magical. . . .

That may be apparent to you, but there is no evidence to support it.
The same assumption would be out of order with reference to real
traits even if they tend to run in families or ethnic groups. Would
you assume that the Huns had scars on their cheeks because of genetic
heredity? Or that the Bush family is genetically right-wing? Or that
homosexuality has entirely genetic causes and not, for example,
endocrine causes?

And do we really know that "people can either do or not do magic from
birth"? I don't remember any scene where a midwife happily assures
parents that they've got a little witch or wizard and not a squib.

My best guess is that magical ability is supposed to be caused by
environmental factors.

[Jan van Aalderen]

Post by Alex Clark

Post by Jan van Aalderen

Post by Dark Magic
Unquestionably it is unethical. The fact that they can mend
broken bones in an instant and don't share that ability with
their fellow human beings is reprehensible. Although I realize
they are supposed

1. What makes you think all magical healingprocedures work on
muggles? Since people can either do or not do magic from birth,
their apparently is a genetic factor involved in being magical. . .
.

That may be apparent to you, but there is no evidence to support it.

That's why I said "apparently", not "definitely". The case however is
rather strong in my opinion: children can do magic before they learn to
aim or control it (terrarium in zoo, schoolroof, aunt Marge), it cannot
be learned if you are not a wizzard/witch (squibs, muggles).

Post by Alex Clark
The same assumption would be out of order with reference to real
traits even if they tend to run in families or ethnic groups. Would
you assume that the Huns had scars on their cheeks because of genetic

Silly comparison. Scars are a form of physical damage. How could they be
of genetic origin?

Post by Alex Clark
heredity? Or that the Bush family is genetically right-wing? Or that
homosexuality has entirely genetic causes and not, for example,
endocrine causes?

The latter is not proven, nor is the opposite. The human bodychemistry
is very complicated and not even entirly known yet. So homosexuality may
well have a genetic explanation, like most physical characteristics. The
former is a different matter. Agressive nature, greed, lust for power,
lack of empathy are characteristics that can "run in the family". Mental
disorders can be inherited.

Post by Alex Clark
And do we really know that "people can either do or not do magic from
birth"? I don't remember any scene where a midwife happily assures
parents that they've got a little witch or wizard and not a squib.

Diabetes or Alzheimer can be transfered genetically. That doesn't mean
it's visible at birth.

Post by Alex Clark
My best guess is that magical ability is supposed to be caused by
environmental factors.

Now THAT's a twist of thought for which there is not only no evidence
whartsoever, but also not even any logical argument.

[Alex Clark]

Post by Jan van Aalderen

Post by Alex Clark

Post by Jan van Aalderen
1. What makes you think all magical healingprocedures work on
muggles? Since people can either do or not do magic from birth,
their apparently is a genetic factor involved in being magical. . .
.

That may be apparent to you, but there is no evidence to support it.

That's why I said "apparently", not "definitely". The case however is
rather strong in my opinion: children can do magic before they learn to
aim or control it (terrarium in zoo, schoolroof, aunt Marge), it cannot
be learned if you are not a wizzard/witch (squibs, muggles).

That has nothing to do with whether there's anything genetic about it.
This is magic that we're talking about, not science. And even if it
was science, genetics would not be any more than the "usual suspect".
Where magic is concerned, the "usual suspect" should be something more
along the lines of a miracle. This question, of what makes some people
magical, concerns magic at its "deepest" and "most impenetrable", so
science seems like a particularly unlikely way to explain it.

What annoys me about the way some people assume that magic is genetic
is that they are trying to use Muggle methods to explain the most
fundamentally un-Muggle aspect of the Potterverse. I think it would be
inappropriate to the style and even the genre of the books for magic
to be inherited genetically.

Post by Jan van Aalderen

Post by Alex Clark
My best guess is that magical ability is supposed to be caused by
environmental factors.

Now THAT's a twist of thought for which there is not only no evidence
whartsoever, but also not even any logical argument.

In that case, it's exactly even with the genetic hypothesis. But I
have yet to see any indication that *anything* about the causes of
Potterverse magic could be adequately explained in terms of natural
science. I think that I have seen indications that environment does
make a difference to Potterverse magic. If my observations are
correct, then the environmental hypothesis is more compatible with the
magic system as presented in the books than the genetic hypothesis is.

[Don Reeves]

On Tue, 12 Oct 2004 05:02:26 +0200, Jan van Aalderen

Post by Jan van Aalderen

Post by Dark Magic

Post by Fish Eye no Miko

Post by Dark Magic
What's the exchange rate of galleons to pounds?

There actually is an answer to that, it's around 2, I believe.

Because galleons are still based on the gold standard?
And along the same lines, Bill's job entails finding treasure for
Goblin's in Egypt. Where is he getting treasure from? Who owns the
sites? Egyptian wizards? Goblins? British Wizards? Or is he
stealing treasure from Muggles?

Post by Fish Eye no Miko

Post by Dark Magic
Do magical people get ordinary Muggle illnesses? Heart disease,
cancer, Alzheimer's etc...are there magical cures for all these
things?

If so, don't you think it's a bit selfish and unethical for them
not to share the cures with Muggles? Especially in the cases of
diseases that

are

Post by Fish Eye no Miko
always deadly and have no cure.

Unquestionably it is unethical. The fact that they can mend broken
bones in an instant and don't share that ability with their fellow
human beings is reprehensible. Although I realize they are supposed

1. What makes you think all magical healingprocedures work on muggles?
Since people can either do or not do magic from birth, their apparently
is a genetic factor involved in being magical. It could apply to
bonestructure. Although al lot of magic *can* be done to muggles. The
other way around, whoever, some muggle-tech things, like stitches, do
not seem to have the same effect when applied to some wizards, at least
not to some "magical wounds" (mr W bitten by the snake, OotP).
2. I recall, that not wanting to be called to the aid of muggles in
distress all and every day was one of the reasons the wizarding world
went into hiding. That would include healing.

Exactly. If their medical techniques could be taught, there might be a
case for expecting them to provide the necessary information for
Muggles to help themselves. But since the power to heal would require
them to run around the country helping everybody that was ill, we
shouldn't expect them to be morally required to donate that time any
more than we would expect any particular individual to sell his
property or donate his time to feed starving children around the
world.

Post by Jan van Aalderen

Post by Dark Magic
to be 'secretive' that excuse seems to fall short considering they
actively solicit magical students from muggle families who have never
heard of the magical world before. If they can take a child away
from its family and send it away to a school its parents can't even

Nowhere is stated, children are taken to Hogwarts against their will or
even the will of their parents. Also there is no evidence, that parents
could not visit Hogwarts if they wanted to. They can visit Diagonalley,
as is stated at least in CoS (Hermione's muggle-parents were there), so
why not Hogwarts.

Well, we know of one instance of a child attending Hogwarts against
the will of his legal guardians.

Post by Jan van Aalderen

Post by Dark Magic
see, I would think they could manage to install a bone-fixing healer
in Muggle hospitals.

A matter of calculus... how many healers would that require? How many
wizards are healers or capable of healing?

Post by Dark Magic
Shannon

Don Reeves

[yak]

Why would you waste these hyptothetical questions on such stupid
minutae? Who cares about whether or not magical medicine works on
muggles. It doesn't matter. It's not relevant. Not germane. Not
anything. If you want to live in your little fantasy world and think up
inane questions to ask an author instead of something relating to the
story (does harry die, etc.) then go right ahead. But this is getting
ridiculous.

[Jan van Aalderen]

Post by yak
Why would you waste these hyptothetical questions on such stupid
minutae? Who cares about whether or not magical medicine works on
muggles. It doesn't matter. It's not relevant. Not germane. Not
anything. If you want to live in your little fantasy world and think
up inane questions to ask an author instead of something relating to
the story (does harry die, etc.) then go right ahead. But this is
getting ridiculous.

Please feel free to piss off at any time.
But don't piss on others having some fun with words.

[yak]

Post by Jan van Aalderen

Post by yak
Why would you waste these hyptothetical questions on such stupid
minutae? Who cares about whether or not magical medicine works on
muggles. It doesn't matter. It's not relevant. Not germane. Not
anything. If you want to live in your little fantasy world and think
up inane questions to ask an author instead of something relating to
the story (does harry die, etc.) then go right ahead. But this is
getting ridiculous.

Please feel free to piss off at any time.
But don't piss on others having some fun with words.

Funny how you did just that to me...

Hypocrite much?

[Jan van Aalderen]

Post by yak

Post by yak
Why would you waste these hyptothetical questions on such stupid
minutae? Who cares about whether or not magical medicine works
on muggles. It doesn't matter. It's not relevant. Not germane.
Not anything. If you want to live in your little fantasy world
and think up inane questions to ask an author instead of
something relating to the story (does harry die, etc.) then go
right ahead. But this is getting ridiculous.

Please feel free to piss off at any time. But don't piss on others
having some fun with words.

Funny how you did just that to me...

In response to your implication of "stupid minutae" by others. I might
have been a bit too blunt, though. But I just couldn't drop the wordplay. :)

Post by yak
Hypocrite much?

Like most, I'm sometimes a bit of a hypocrite. Not much, though.

[2***@wongfaye.com]

back to the subject i guess i would ask where did peeves get the gum
to jam into lupins door?


and how much can ghosts really do

peeves seems to be able to do lots of mischief but the other ghosts
dont seem to be able to touch or move anything

what are their limits of movement? how much could they lift?
could they go into the portraits and interact with them?
can a wizard kill a ghost?

[Fish Eye no Miko]

Post by 2***@wongfaye.com
back to the subject i guess i would ask where did peeves get the
gum to jam into lupins door?
and how much can ghosts really do
peeves seems to be able to do lots of mischief but the other
ghosts dont seem to be able to touch or move anything

Peeves isn't a ghost, he's a poltergeist.

Catherine Johnson.

[Dark Magic]

Post by Don Reeves
On Tue, 12 Oct 2004 05:02:26 +0200, Jan van Aalderen

Post by Jan van Aalderen

Post by Dark Magic
Unquestionably it is unethical. The fact that they can mend broken
bones in an instant and don't share that ability with their fellow
human beings is reprehensible. Although I realize they are supposed

1. What makes you think all magical healingprocedures work on muggles?
Since people can either do or not do magic from birth, their apparently
is a genetic factor involved in being magical. It could apply to
bonestructure. Although al lot of magic *can* be done to muggles. The
other way around, whoever, some muggle-tech things, like stitches, do
not seem to have the same effect when applied to some wizards, at least
not to some "magical wounds" (mr W bitten by the snake, OotP).
2. I recall, that not wanting to be called to the aid of muggles in
distress all and every day was one of the reasons the wizarding world
went into hiding. That would include healing.

Exactly. If their medical techniques could be taught, there might be a
case for expecting them to provide the necessary information for
Muggles to help themselves. But since the power to heal would require
them to run around the country helping everybody that was ill, we
shouldn't expect them to be morally required to donate that time any
more than we would expect any particular individual to sell his
property or donate his time to feed starving children around the
world.

But there *are* people who do those very things with their lives.
Organizations like the Red Cross, Doctors without Borders, The Peace Corp,
etc..So I would expect that there would be magical people who would be
inclined to do the same sort of thing.
Shannon

[Don Reeves]

On Tue, 12 Oct 2004 21:29:44 -0400, "Dark Magic"

Post by Dark Magic

Post by Don Reeves
On Tue, 12 Oct 2004 05:02:26 +0200, Jan van Aalderen

Post by Jan van Aalderen

Post by Dark Magic
Unquestionably it is unethical. The fact that they can mend broken
bones in an instant and don't share that ability with their fellow
human beings is reprehensible. Although I realize they are supposed

1. What makes you think all magical healingprocedures work on muggles?
Since people can either do or not do magic from birth, their apparently
is a genetic factor involved in being magical. It could apply to
bonestructure. Although al lot of magic *can* be done to muggles. The
other way around, whoever, some muggle-tech things, like stitches, do
not seem to have the same effect when applied to some wizards, at least
not to some "magical wounds" (mr W bitten by the snake, OotP).
2. I recall, that not wanting to be called to the aid of muggles in
distress all and every day was one of the reasons the wizarding world
went into hiding. That would include healing.

Exactly. If their medical techniques could be taught, there might be a
case for expecting them to provide the necessary information for
Muggles to help themselves. But since the power to heal would require
them to run around the country helping everybody that was ill, we
shouldn't expect them to be morally required to donate that time any
more than we would expect any particular individual to sell his
property or donate his time to feed starving children around the
world.

But there *are* people who do those very things with their lives.
Organizations like the Red Cross, Doctors without Borders, The Peace Corp,
etc..So I would expect that there would be magical people who would be
inclined to do the same sort of thing.
Shannon

Of course there are. My statement said that those who choose to are
not "morally required" to do so. I donate what I can to charity, but I
don't sell my car or give up my vacation so that a needy person can
benefit.

Don Reeves

[Dark Magic]

Post by Jan van Aalderen

Post by Dark Magic

Post by Fish Eye no Miko

Post by Dark Magic
What's the exchange rate of galleons to pounds?

There actually is an answer to that, it's around 2, I believe.

Because galleons are still based on the gold standard?
And along the same lines, Bill's job entails finding treasure for
Goblin's in Egypt. Where is he getting treasure from? Who owns the
sites? Egyptian wizards? Goblins? British Wizards? Or is he
stealing treasure from Muggles?

Post by Fish Eye no Miko

Post by Dark Magic
Do magical people get ordinary Muggle illnesses? Heart disease,
cancer, Alzheimer's etc...are there magical cures for all these
things?

If so, don't you think it's a bit selfish and unethical for them
not to share the cures with Muggles? Especially in the cases of
diseases that

are

Post by Fish Eye no Miko
always deadly and have no cure.

Unquestionably it is unethical. The fact that they can mend broken
bones in an instant and don't share that ability with their fellow
human beings is reprehensible. Although I realize they are supposed

1. What makes you think all magical healingprocedures work on muggles?

Because they are human. And they are genetically compatible enough with
ordinary non-magical humans to bear children with them. Imagine being the
parent of two children with a terrible disease. One is magical and can be
completely cured by the flick of a wand, and the other one....what? Just
shrivels up and dies?

Post by Jan van Aalderen
Since people can either do or not do magic from birth, their apparently
is a genetic factor involved in being magical. It could apply to
bonestructure. Although al lot of magic *can* be done to muggles. The
other way around, whoever, some muggle-tech things, like stitches, do
not seem to have the same effect when applied to some wizards, at least
not to some "magical wounds" (mr W bitten by the snake, OotP).

The problem with the stitches was the nature of the venom in the wound, not
with Arthur's physiognomy.

Post by Jan van Aalderen
2. I recall, that not wanting to be called to the aid of muggles in
distress all and every day was one of the reasons the wizarding world
went into hiding. That would include healing.

And if that's true that would make them selfish, mercenary, elitist, and
cruel. They don't all seem to be so, although clearly some of them are. I
would imagine that those magical peoples who actually have hearts and care
about their fellow humans would be lobbying night and day to allow magical
healing. I mean if Hermione can get all up in arms over elf rights.....

Post by Jan van Aalderen

Post by Dark Magic
to be 'secretive' that excuse seems to fall short considering they
actively solicit magical students from muggle families who have never
heard of the magical world before. If they can take a child away
from its family and send it away to a school its parents can't even

Nowhere is stated, children are taken to Hogwarts against their will or
even the will of their parents. Also there is no evidence, that parents
could not visit Hogwarts if they wanted to.

Hermione says that Hogwarts is enchanted to look like a run-down ruin to
non-magical eyes. What would the children's parents see if they *did*
visit. And if you don't come up to the school to see your child once he/she
has been stone cold petrified on what occasions *would* you visit the
school?

Post by Jan van Aalderen

Post by Dark Magic
see, I would think they could manage to install a bone-fixing healer
in Muggle hospitals.

A matter of calculus... how many healers would that require? How many
wizards are healers or capable of healing?

It would seem that Healing is a career choice that students at Hogwarts have
available to them, so obviously its magic is something that can be learned,
although some students would have a better knack for it than others.
Neville, for example, might make an excellent healer because of his affinity
for Herbology.

Shannon

[Jen]

Post by Dark Magic
What if Penelope Clearwater had been pregnant when she was petrified?

Would

Post by Dark Magic
the baby be petrified too? Would they need to use something besides
mandrake root to cure her since mandrake root is a powerful abortifacient?

Only when ingested... how do you get someone who's like a stone to eat or
drink???

[Dark Magic]

Post by Jen

Post by Dark Magic
What if Penelope Clearwater had been pregnant when she was petrified?

Would

Post by Dark Magic
the baby be petrified too? Would they need to use something besides
mandrake root to cure her since mandrake root is a powerful

abortifacient?

Post by Jen
Only when ingested... how do you get someone who's like a stone to eat or
drink???
Good question. So what did they do to the victims? Rub them with Mandrake

ointment? Wouldn't it still penetrate into the bloodstream (which
incidentally isn't moving at the time)? And how would it reach the unborn
child?

Shannon

[Jen]

Post by Dark Magic
Does the magical world have a version of that evilest of all evil beings,
the attorney at law?

and OUCH!

[dvh]

Post by Dark Magic
What's the exchange rate of galleons to pounds?

I follow the exchange rate of pounds to dollars in the US, hoping for a
good time to travel to England; I suppose it could go up and down just
like real life, just like the pounds to dollars

Post by Dark Magic
Does the magical world have a stock market?

Doesn't seem likely, does it? In fact, I would suspect that wizards are
too secretive to open up their company's stock for purchase.

Post by Dark Magic
Do magical people get ordinary Muggle illnesses? Heart disease, cancer,
Alzheimer's etc...are there magical cures for all these things?

Good question. I liked Fish Eye's answer.

Post by Dark Magic
If non-magic parents have a magical child who is ill do they take it to a
doctor or to a magical healer? If one parent is magical and one parent is a
muggle do they ever argue over which treatment is better?

Based on Molly's reaction in Book V, seems like wizard world considers
doctors to be barbarians.

Post by Dark Magic
What happens to the fetus of pregnant woman when she apparates?

That, I think, we will never know.

Post by Dark Magic
What sort of birth control do wizards use?

Ditto.

Post by Dark Magic
Is there a magical cure for unwanted pregnancies and infertility?

Ditto.

Post by Dark Magic
Exactly what sort of government is the MoM meant to be? Do the magical
people get to vote? Is there a separate magical government in each country?
For example does the United States have a President of Magic? Do these
magical world leaders ever convene?

Not a very good government, from what I have seen so far. I believe JKR
has glossed over all of that, because it is simply too far removed from
the main plot. Plus, the more detail you give, the more detail you are
stuck with, when writing future books.
<snip>

Post by Dark Magic
Isn't Voldemort a threat to the entire world? Why aren't any of the other
countries interested in what's happened to him?

I didn't get the impression they weren't; it just isn't relevant to
JKR's story, so it isn't mentioned. Karkaroff sure knew who he was, as
well as his students.

Post by Dark Magic
Could Death Eaters be extradited from Bulgaria to face a trial in Great
Britain?
What is the criteria for a trial? How come Barty Crouch got one and Sirius
Black didn't?

That's easy. Barty Crouch got a trial, because JKR wanted to show us
the procedure, and introduce Barty Crouch. Sirius didn't get one,
because JKR needed us to believe Sirius was a murderer until the end. I
know I am being cynical, but some of the story just doesn't make a lot
of sense unless you ignore these inconsistencies.

Post by Dark Magic
Does the magical world have a version of that evilest of all evil beings,
the attorney at law?

Wait a minute, now you have gone too far: not all lawyers, such as
myself, are 'the evilest of all evil beings'. :)
There doesn't seem like much need for lawyers in Potterverse. People
are not tried for a crime, they are just given Veritus Serum, or
whatever it is, or someone reads their mind. Disputes are handled by
duels and magic, not court battles. The fact that DD more or less
represented Harry at this hearing (although he called himself 'witness
for the defense'), tells me lawyers do not exist in this world.

Post by Dark Magic
Why did Lupin, Dumbledore and the rest believe so easily that Black was a
mass murderer and a betrayer? Had he done anything like that before? Did
he and Lupin have a falling out?

I am troubled by DD's actions regarding Black. I have seen a lot of
posts on this subject, I saw nothing that would really explain why DD
did not speak to Black personally to determine whether he was guilty.
Black, after all, was a member of the OotP, which I assumes means a high
level of trust.
<snip>

Post by Dark Magic
What sort of experiments were performed in the Death Room? How did the
curtain get there? How many wizards have gone through it?

Quite certainly to be answered in one of the next two books.

Post by Dark Magic
How many conversations did Ginny Weasley have with Tom Riddle? What did
they sound like? Was he nice to her? Or cruel? How did he convince her to
help him? Why was Dumbledore so convinced no lasting harm had been done?
How is it possible that Ginny had a close relationship with an evil entity
for an entire school year and she has no permanent effects from it?

If it comes up again, or means anything for the next two books, I will
be surprised.
<snip>

[Dark Magic]

Post by dvh
Based on Molly's reaction in Book V, seems like wizard world considers
doctors to be barbarians.

Further evidence of Molly's prejudice. Obviously the entire wizarding world
doesn't think so or they would have never tried stitches on Arthur's snake
bite wound.

Post by dvh

Post by Dark Magic
What happens to the fetus of pregnant woman when she apparates?

That, I think, we will never know.

Probably not. But I'm asking all the same.

Post by dvh

Post by Dark Magic
What sort of birth control do wizards use?

Ditto.

Post by Dark Magic
Is there a magical cure for unwanted pregnancies and infertility?

Ditto.

Post by Dark Magic
Could Death Eaters be extradited from Bulgaria to face a trial in Great
Britain?
What is the criteria for a trial? How come Barty Crouch got one and Sirius
Black didn't?

That's easy. Barty Crouch got a trial, because JKR wanted to show us
the procedure, and introduce Barty Crouch. Sirius didn't get one,
because JKR needed us to believe Sirius was a murderer until the end. I
know I am being cynical, but some of the story just doesn't make a lot
of sense unless you ignore these inconsistencies.

Explaining the inconsistencies is rather the point of asking her questions,
I think. And it's possible that there is a better explanation than
plot-line convenience for this particular inconsistency. Does Sirius have a
checkered past? Had he done something that already made his friends
suspicious of him?

Post by dvh

Post by Dark Magic
Does the magical world have a version of that evilest of all evil beings,
the attorney at law?

Wait a minute, now you have gone too far: not all lawyers, such as
myself, are 'the evilest of all evil beings'. :)

Okay, but it was Shakespeare that said "First kill all the lawyers", not me.

Post by dvh
There doesn't seem like much need for lawyers in Potterverse. People
are not tried for a crime, they are just given Veritus Serum, or
whatever it is, or someone reads their mind. Disputes are handled by

Wow, I would have to disagree with that. The wizarding world is in as much
need of some decent litigators as any society on the planet. Any time
citizens can be thrown into prison for life without a trial I'd say lawyers
are necessary.

Post by dvh
duels and magic, not court battles. The fact that DD more or less
represented Harry at this hearing (although he called himself 'witness
for the defense'), tells me lawyers do not exist in this world.

Harry was undergoing a disciplinary hearing though, not a trial. He wasn't
in any danger of going to prison.

Post by dvh

Post by Dark Magic
How many conversations did Ginny Weasley have with Tom Riddle? What did
they sound like? Was he nice to her? Or cruel? How did he convince her to
help him? Why was Dumbledore so convinced no lasting harm had been done?
How is it possible that Ginny had a close relationship with an evil entity
for an entire school year and she has no permanent effects from it?

If it comes up again, or means anything for the next two books, I will
be surprised.

Prepare to be surprised. Word for word Ginny Weasley has undoubtedly had
more contact with Voldemort than Harry ever has. What she knows about the
way Tom Riddle thinks and what his plans are could prove to be invaluable.
Not to mention the fact that she can empathize with Harry's unfortunate
psychic connection.

Shannon

[Jan van Aalderen]

Post by Dark Magic

Post by dvh
Based on Molly's reaction in Book V, seems like wizard world
considers doctors to be barbarians.

A not entirely unreasonable view.. even outside the Potterverse, the
medical profession is rather medieval in some aspects: organized into a
tightlipped guild of which the members aid and protect even the meanest
among them against the anger of the world at all cost and beyond even
the most reasonable doubt; they have their own secret language to
communicate with eachother, scribble magic spells on snips of paper in
unreadable runes... all seems quite medieval to me. :)

............

Post by Dark Magic

Post by dvh

Post by Dark Magic
Does the magical world have a version of that evilest of all evil

beings,

Post by dvh

Post by Dark Magic
the attorney at law?

Wait a minute, now you have gone too far: not all lawyers, such as
myself, are 'the evilest of all evil beings'. :)

Obviously, only one lawyer can be the evilest of all evil beings...

Post by Dark Magic
Okay, but it was Shakespeare that said "First kill all the lawyers", not me.

Post by dvh
There doesn't seem like much need for lawyers in Potterverse.
People are not tried for a crime, they are just given Veritus
Serum, or whatever it is, or someone reads their mind. Disputes
are handled by

Wow, I would have to disagree with that. The wizarding world is in
as much need of some decent litigators as any society on the planet.
Any time citizens can be thrown into prison for life without a trial
I'd say lawyers are necessary.

At least in the wizarding world people still have something left to put
in their vault after they landed in prison.... which would be very
doubtful if lawyers were involved in procedures - or the lack thereof -
that landed them there.


....................

[Dark Magic]

Post by Jan van Aalderen

Post by Dark Magic

Post by dvh
Wait a minute, now you have gone too far: not all lawyers, such as
myself, are 'the evilest of all evil beings'. :)

Obviously, only one lawyer can be the evilest of all evil beings...

Post by Dark Magic
Okay, but it was Shakespeare that said "First kill all the lawyers", not me.

Post by dvh
There doesn't seem like much need for lawyers in Potterverse.
People are not tried for a crime, they are just given Veritus
Serum, or whatever it is, or someone reads their mind. Disputes
are handled by

Wow, I would have to disagree with that. The wizarding world is in
as much need of some decent litigators as any society on the planet.
Any time citizens can be thrown into prison for life without a trial
I'd say lawyers are necessary.

At least in the wizarding world people still have something left to put
in their vault after they landed in prison.... which would be very
doubtful if lawyers were involved in procedures - or the lack thereof -
that landed them there.

I'd rather be poor and free, than say.....Martha Stewart.


Shannon

Post by Jan van Aalderen
....................

[gjw]

On Tue, 12 Oct 2004 21:31:00 -0400, "Dark Magic"

Post by Dark Magic
I'd rather be poor and free, than say.....Martha Stewart.

Actually, Martha is only up for five months. I suspect that most
people would gladly spend five months in jail for the millions Martha
has in the bank...

[drusilla]

Post by gjw
On Tue, 12 Oct 2004 21:31:00 -0400, "Dark Magic"

Post by Dark Magic
I'd rather be poor and free, than say.....Martha Stewart.

Actually, Martha is only up for five months. I suspect that most
people would gladly spend five months in jail for the millions Martha
has in the bank...

I wouldn't. She's the kind of person that makes other believe how
women should behave and act: know to cook, know to clean, being nice,
being silent, etc, etc. That's a bigger crime that what she actually
did.

[gjw]

Post by drusilla

Post by gjw
On Tue, 12 Oct 2004 21:31:00 -0400, "Dark Magic"

Post by Dark Magic
I'd rather be poor and free, than say.....Martha Stewart.

Actually, Martha is only up for five months. I suspect that most
people would gladly spend five months in jail for the millions Martha
has in the bank...

I wouldn't. She's the kind of person that makes other believe how
women should behave and act: know to cook, know to clean, being nice,
being silent, etc, etc. That's a bigger crime that what she actually
did.

I don't particularly like Martha - she has a somewhat grating
personality (IMO). But I think that's laying a bit too much on her.
From what little I've seen, she simply runs a show that teaches people
how to do crafts and the like. If that's what she likes (and what her
audience likes), that's fine - she's not forcing anyone else to follow
her.

(And from what I've heard her say on occasions, I don't think that
"being silent" is one of her virtues... ;)

[drusilla]

Post by gjw

Post by drusilla

Post by gjw
On Tue, 12 Oct 2004 21:31:00 -0400, "Dark Magic"

Post by Dark Magic
I'd rather be poor and free, than say.....Martha Stewart.

Actually, Martha is only up for five months. I suspect that most
people would gladly spend five months in jail for the millions Martha
has in the bank...

I wouldn't. She's the kind of person that makes other believe how
women should behave and act: know to cook, know to clean, being nice,
being silent, etc, etc. That's a bigger crime that what she actually
did.

I don't particularly like Martha - she has a somewhat grating
personality (IMO). But I think that's laying a bit too much on her.
From what little I've seen, she simply runs a show that teaches people
how to do crafts and the like. If that's what she likes (and what her
audience likes), that's fine - she's not forcing anyone else to follow
her.
(And from what I've heard her say on occasions, I don't think that
"being silent" is one of her virtues... ;)

LOL. Ok, not silent, but talk like some character that came from the
'Stepford wives' movies.

[Jan van Aalderen]

Post by gjw
On Tue, 12 Oct 2004 21:31:00 -0400, "Dark Magic"

Post by Dark Magic
I'd rather be poor and free, than say.....Martha Stewart.

Actually, Martha is only up for five months. I suspect that most
people would gladly spend five months in jail for the millions Martha
has in the bank...

Even 5 months is a bloody shame, since - as far as I recall what I read
or heared about the case - she hasn't harmed anyone nor done anything
dishonest. It's one more case that supports the view that in the US the
percentage of decent people inside prisons is not likely to be less than
outside. Only recently I read about a guy who was in jail for 30 or so
years for a single shoplift at the age of 17. So even those who did
commit a crime (if he was guilty, that is) get ridiculous penalties.
Unless they can afford to buy their way out, of course.

[stark]

Post by Jan van Aalderen

Post by gjw
On Tue, 12 Oct 2004 21:31:00 -0400, "Dark Magic"

Post by Dark Magic
I'd rather be poor and free, than say.....Martha Stewart.

Actually, Martha is only up for five months. I suspect that most
people would gladly spend five months in jail for the millions Martha
has in the bank...

Even 5 months is a bloody shame, since - as far as I recall what I read
or heared about the case - she hasn't harmed anyone nor done anything
dishonest.

Perhaps we use different definitions of "dishonest". I usually say that
its "dishonest" to lie to authorities.

I would say that you should read more about the case, but honestly, its
a boring story, about a rather boring person. This wasn't a violent
crime. She lied about selling some stock. Her relationship with
several people in the company tripped the SEC's 'insider trading'
alarms. Moral of the story: Yes, you can go to jail for trying to get
an unfair advantage in the stock market.

Post by Jan van Aalderen
It's one more case that supports the view that in the US the
percentage of decent people inside prisons is not likely to be less than
outside.

And thats a gross exaggeration which has no basis in truth.

Post by Jan van Aalderen
Only recently I read about a guy who was in jail for 30 or so
years for a single shoplift at the age of 17.

Lets see that story then. A couple things:

1) No state considers shoplifting to be a felony

2) A 17 year old committing a misdemeanor gets tried in juvenile court,
and their record gets purged upon turning 18. I have not heard of any
juvenile having their case transferred to adult criminal court for
something that would probably be a class C misdemeanor. Unless I'm
mistaken, a juvenile offender _can_ _not_ be transferred to an adult
prison unless they are tried under the adult criminal system.

3) I know of no states which allow maximum jail time for a misdemeanor
to exceed 1 year. Unless he shoplifted a luxury car (felony larceny)
there is no way he'd ever be sentenced to more than one year. Its more
likely than not that the maximum sentences for shoplifting isn't even
one year. From what I remember of my civics course (You took American
Civics, right?) things like class C misdemeanors had maximum jail time
set at around 6 weeks.

In short: I don't believe you. Either the story is leaving information
out (quite common), or you are.

If he attacked anyone when they came to arrest him, he can be charged
with assault, or perhaps aggravated assault, which would be a felony,
and in many states would get him tried as an adult. If he was
shoplifting a gun, he could be sent up on felony gun charges. If he
showed any threat or intent to use a gun, then he can be charged with
felony assualt with a deadly weapon (and in many states, extra time for
using a gun as the deadly weapon). If the people he attacked were
police, there can be extra time as well.

Of course, it's also possible he commited crimes in prison. You're
still responsible for those, you know.

And finally, there is a very slight chance that he's the victim of some
clerical error. Of coure, that would simply show that some clerk was
sloppy, not that the US justice system hands out horribly excessive
sentences.

Post by Jan van Aalderen
So even those who did
commit a crime (if he was guilty, that is) get ridiculous penalties.

Until I see the article and read it for myself, I'll assume you either
weren't given the whole story, or didn't understand what was being said.

[gjw]

Post by stark

Post by Jan van Aalderen
Only recently I read about a guy who was in jail for 30 or so
years for a single shoplift at the age of 17.

1) No state considers shoplifting to be a felony
2) A 17 year old committing a misdemeanor gets tried in juvenile court,
and their record gets purged upon turning 18. I have not heard of any
juvenile having their case transferred to adult criminal court for
something that would probably be a class C misdemeanor. Unless I'm
mistaken, a juvenile offender _can_ _not_ be transferred to an adult
prison unless they are tried under the adult criminal system.

Interesting enough, I know of a similar case that happened very near
where I live, on a popular pier at Redondo Beach (California). A guy
stole a piece of pizza from a group of kids on the pier. The penalty?
25 years to life in prison.

Seriously.

For the record, his name was Jerry Dewayne Williams.

How? The "Three Strikes Law". Seems he had committed two previous
offences , and the law is written so that the "third strike" needn't
be serious or violent crime. He was convicted of petty theft, which is
usually a misdemeanor, but the charge was bumped up to a felony
because of his prior convictions (robbery and 'possession of a
controlled substance'). So the mandatory sentence required 25-years to
life.

Fortunately, the case caused such a huge uproar that a judge later
reduced the sentence to 6 years. But that sort of reduction is rare.
Most judges enforce the three strikes law as it is written, and quite
a lot of people have ended up being sentenced to 25+ years in prison
for relatively minor sentences.

Fortunately, there is a proposition on this year's ballot which would
amend the law to require that the "third strike" be a serious or
violent offence. With luck, it will pass.

[Miranda]

***@example.com (gjw) wrote in news:***@news.west.earthlink.net:

<snip>

Post by gjw
Interesting enough, I know of a similar case that happened very near
where I live, on a popular pier at Redondo Beach (California). A guy
stole a piece of pizza from a group of kids on the pier. The penalty?
25 years to life in prison.

This reminds me of Les Miserables. Jean ValJean got many years in prison
for stealing bread.

Post by gjw
How? The "Three Strikes Law".

Although this guy is a recidivist and would probably do it again; I don't
like the discretion being wrested away from judges in the court. The
problem with applying mandatory sentences on a numeric basis, is that there
can be mitigating and aggravating factors in every case.

Miranda

[2***@wongfaye.com]

Post by Miranda

Post by gjw
Interesting enough, I know of a similar case that happened very near
where I live, on a popular pier at Redondo Beach (California). A guy
stole a piece of pizza from a group of kids on the pier. The penalty?
25 years to life in prison.

This reminds me of Les Miserables. Jean ValJean got many years in prison
for stealing bread.

Post by gjw
How? The "Three Strikes Law".

yea we need to abbridge the law to have people with 2 strikes be
required to carry a card around in their pocked with 2 holes punched
out to remind their dumb asses to stay out of trouble

[Messalina]

Post by gjw

Post by stark

Post by Jan van Aalderen
Only recently I read about a guy who was in jail for 30 or so
years for a single shoplift at the age of 17.

1) No state considers shoplifting to be a felony
2) A 17 year old committing a misdemeanor gets tried in juvenile court,
and their record gets purged upon turning 18. I have not heard of any
juvenile having their case transferred to adult criminal court for
something that would probably be a class C misdemeanor. Unless I'm
mistaken, a juvenile offender _can_ _not_ be transferred to an adult
prison unless they are tried under the adult criminal system.

Interesting enough, I know of a similar case that happened very near
where I live, on a popular pier at Redondo Beach (California). A guy
stole a piece of pizza from a group of kids on the pier. The penalty?
25 years to life in prison.
Seriously.
For the record, his name was Jerry Dewayne Williams.
How? The "Three Strikes Law". Seems he had committed two previous
offences , and the law is written so that the "third strike" needn't
be serious or violent crime. He was convicted of petty theft, which is
usually a misdemeanor, but the charge was bumped up to a felony
because of his prior convictions (robbery and 'possession of a
controlled substance'). So the mandatory sentence required 25-years to
life.

Actually, Williams had a rap sheet going back to age 14, in two
different states, and under at least three identities. The DA bumped
the pizza theft up to a felony to try to get a career criminal off the
streets, but it backfired in his face. A classic case of an attempted
abuse of the system that failed.

Btw, Williams was not some poor starving guy who snatched a slice of
pizza in desperation; he and a friend got loaded and were harassing a
group of kids eating a pizza; they each took some of the pizza in the
course of harassing the kids.

Post by gjw
Fortunately, the case caused such a huge uproar that a judge later
reduced the sentence to 6 years. But that sort of reduction is rare.
Most judges enforce the three strikes law as it is written, and quite
a lot of people have ended up being sentenced to 25+ years in prison
for relatively minor sentences.

No, actually that sort of reduction is quite common. Since Williams'
appeal it has been definitively determined that the presiding judge
has the power to determine whether an offense that qualifies as a
strike will count as one; in San Diego county for instance, just over
50% of the qualifying non-violent offenses are ruled not to be
strikes.

Post by gjw
Fortunately, there is a proposition on this year's ballot which would
amend the law to require that the "third strike" be a serious or
violent offence. With luck, it will pass.

You obviously haven't read the proposition yet. Arson, burglary,
gang-related offenses, and death or injury caused by drunk drivers
would be taken off the three strikes list. I don't know about you,
but some of those sound quite serious to me. In fact, the drive for
this proposition to make the ballot was funded by a single wealthy
individual whose son is in prison for killing two friends in a car
crash while he was both drunk and high.

Mez

[gjw]

Post by Messalina

Post by gjw

Post by stark

Post by Jan van Aalderen
Only recently I read about a guy who was in jail for 30 or so
years for a single shoplift at the age of 17.

1) No state considers shoplifting to be a felony
2) A 17 year old committing a misdemeanor gets tried in juvenile court,
and their record gets purged upon turning 18. I have not heard of any
juvenile having their case transferred to adult criminal court for
something that would probably be a class C misdemeanor. Unless I'm
mistaken, a juvenile offender _can_ _not_ be transferred to an adult
prison unless they are tried under the adult criminal system.

Interesting enough, I know of a similar case that happened very near
where I live, on a popular pier at Redondo Beach (California). A guy
stole a piece of pizza from a group of kids on the pier. The penalty?
25 years to life in prison.
Seriously.
For the record, his name was Jerry Dewayne Williams.
How? The "Three Strikes Law". Seems he had committed two previous
offences , and the law is written so that the "third strike" needn't
be serious or violent crime. He was convicted of petty theft, which is
usually a misdemeanor, but the charge was bumped up to a felony
because of his prior convictions (robbery and 'possession of a
controlled substance'). So the mandatory sentence required 25-years to
life.

Btw, Williams was not some poor starving guy who snatched a slice of
pizza in desperation; he and a friend got loaded and were harassing a
group of kids eating a pizza; they each took some of the pizza in the
course of harassing the kids.

Yes, he was a jerk. But the bottom line is that they tried to put away
a guy for 25-years-to-life for stealing a piece of pizza.

Post by Messalina

Post by gjw
Fortunately, the case caused such a huge uproar that a judge later
reduced the sentence to 6 years. But that sort of reduction is rare.
Most judges enforce the three strikes law as it is written, and quite
a lot of people have ended up being sentenced to 25+ years in prison
for relatively minor sentences.

No, actually that sort of reduction is quite common

No, I'm sorry to say it isn't. Most such convictions stand.

Post by Messalina

Post by gjw
Fortunately, there is a proposition on this year's ballot which would
amend the law to require that the "third strike" be a serious or
violent offence. With luck, it will pass.

You obviously haven't read the proposition yet.

I have read it, thoroughly, and I'm voting for it.

Post by Messalina
Arson, burglary, gang-related offenses, and death or injury caused by drunk drivers
would be taken off the three strikes list. I don't know about you,
but some of those sound quite serious to me.

You failed to mention that it also eliminates the unfair sentencing
for completely non-violent crimes such as possession of pot or taking
a slice of pizza.

It leaves the 3-strikes law in effect for serious violent crimes such
as murder, rape, kidnapping, child molestation and armed robbery.
Which is what was originally intended. It even increases the penalties
for child abuse.

Burglary is limited (under the Prop 66) to that of an "unoccupied
residence", meaning the burglar didn't put anyone's life in danger. I
don't know about you, but if the neighbor kid breaks in and steals a
few of my CD's, I don't want him locked up for life, even if he's done
something like that twice before. The "gang-related offences" involve
"participation" in felonies. Which means that right now, if a group of
Hispanic kids in East L.A. are caught with some grass in a car, one or
more of them could go up for life. I've heard nothing about the
proposition involving drunk drivers.

There are already laws in effect with stern penalties for all of the
above crimes. The difference is that the three-strikes law imposes
additional mandatory sentencing, in addition to the usual time they
would get in jail. The original idea was to get violent career
criminals off the streets for good. If someone has killed or raped
three different times, who the hell wants to let them loose to do it
again? No one. So the three-strikes law simply makes sure they don't
go free. That's fine. But using this extreme remedy against lesser,
non-violent crimes is unfair, and it's a slippery slope. We already
have more minor crooks locked up than we can afford. At this rate,
half the state will be serving life sentences, and the other half will
be paying to keep them behind bars.

[Come to think of it, why the heck are we discussing this on a Harry
Potter newsgroup? This is my last post on the subject. Back to
Hogwarts...]

[gjw]

Wait, one more. I can't resist:
http://www.weeklyworldnews.com/features/chamber/61556?printer=1

[Fish Eye no Miko]

Post by gjw
http://www.weeklyworldnews.com/features/chamber/61556?printer=1

You're using WEEKLY WORLD NEWS as a source?? The same newspaper that talks
about Batboy and, iirc, one put a picture of Osama and Bin Laden on their
cover as if they were getting married?
Wow.

Catherine Johnson.

[dvh]

Post by Dark Magic

Post by dvh
Based on Molly's reaction in Book V, seems like wizard world considers
doctors to be barbarians.

Further evidence of Molly's prejudice. Obviously the entire wizarding world
doesn't think so or they would have never tried stitches on Arthur's snake
bite wound.

I got the feeling from that passage that the healer who tried the
stitches was an intern and trying muggle medicine as an experiment.
Molly's views seem mainstream among wizards, although I can't think of
anything that would support (or refute) that conclusion.
<snip>

Post by Dark Magic

Post by dvh

Post by Dark Magic
What is the criteria for a trial? How come Barty Crouch got one and

Sirius

Post by dvh

Post by Dark Magic
Black didn't?

That's easy. Barty Crouch got a trial, because JKR wanted to show us
the procedure, and introduce Barty Crouch. Sirius didn't get one,
because JKR needed us to believe Sirius was a murderer until the end. I
know I am being cynical, but some of the story just doesn't make a lot
of sense unless you ignore these inconsistencies.

Explaining the inconsistencies is rather the point of asking her questions,
I think. And it's possible that there is a better explanation than
plot-line convenience for this particular inconsistency. Does Sirius have a
checkered past? Had he done something that already made his friends
suspicious of him?

If Sirius has a checkered past, I doubt JKR will ever explore it.
Sirius is dead; his role is finished, other than the persistent hope of
this group that he will reappear in some form.

Post by Dark Magic

Post by dvh

Post by Dark Magic
Does the magical world have a version of that evilest of all evil

beings,

Post by dvh

Post by Dark Magic
the attorney at law?

Wait a minute, now you have gone too far: not all lawyers, such as
myself, are 'the evilest of all evil beings'. :)

Okay, but it was Shakespeare that said "First kill all the lawyers", not me.

Ah. "The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers." (not sure if
I quoted it properly)from King Henry VI, Part II. As I understand it,
the passage was meant as a hommage to lawyers. The phrase was spoken by
an anarchist seeking to overthrow the government. In Shakesphere's
view, you first kill the lawyers, as the front line defenders of
freedom, if you wish to overthrow the government. Many of my lawyer
friends, BTW, are volunteering their time on election day to step in at
the polls, in case a person is denied the right to vote.

Post by Dark Magic

Post by dvh
There doesn't seem like much need for lawyers in Potterverse. People
are not tried for a crime, they are just given Veritus Serum, or
whatever it is, or someone reads their mind. Disputes are handled by

Wow, I would have to disagree with that. The wizarding world is in as much
need of some decent litigators as any society on the planet. Any time
citizens can be thrown into prison for life without a trial I'd say lawyers
are necessary.

I agree a trial is necessary, but not sure lawyers are necessary for a
decent trial in Potterverse, as DD showed in OotP.

Post by Dark Magic

Post by dvh
duels and magic, not court battles. The fact that DD more or less
represented Harry at this hearing (although he called himself 'witness
for the defense'), tells me lawyers do not exist in this world.

Harry was undergoing a disciplinary hearing though, not a trial. He wasn't
in any danger of going to prison.

I am not sure I agree with that. I had the feeling that because he was
being tried before the Wizengamot, that he potentially could go to
Azkaban, for the crime of displaying magic in front of muggles (thus
violating the Int'l Statute of Secrecy). But you are right, it is
characterized as a disciplinary hearing, and that implies a civil
action, versus a criminal action.

Post by Dark Magic

Post by dvh

Post by Dark Magic
How many conversations did Ginny Weasley have with Tom Riddle? What did
they sound like? Was he nice to her? Or cruel? How did he convince

her to

Post by dvh

Post by Dark Magic
help him? Why was Dumbledore so convinced no lasting harm had been

done?

Post by dvh

Post by Dark Magic
How is it possible that Ginny had a close relationship with an evil

entity

Post by dvh

Post by Dark Magic
for an entire school year and she has no permanent effects from it?

If it comes up again, or means anything for the next two books, I will
be surprised.

Prepare to be surprised. Word for word Ginny Weasley has undoubtedly had
more contact with Voldemort than Harry ever has. What she knows about the
way Tom Riddle thinks and what his plans are could prove to be invaluable.
Not to mention the fact that she can empathize with Harry's unfortunate
psychic connection.

You are probably right, although Ginny has yet to show any understanding
of V's ways.

[Dark Magic]

Post by dvh

Post by Dark Magic
Explaining the inconsistencies is rather the point of asking her questions,
I think. And it's possible that there is a better explanation than
plot-line convenience for this particular inconsistency. Does Sirius have a
checkered past? Had he done something that already made his friends
suspicious of him?

If Sirius has a checkered past, I doubt JKR will ever explore it.
Sirius is dead; his role is finished, other than the persistent hope of
this group that he will reappear in some form.

I couldn't care less if we ever Sirius Black again. But I think you're very
wrong. There is much mystery surrounding his *death* and the curtain and I
am certain that we will learn more about that. Not to mention that I'm sure
we haven't seen the last of the Black family home, Phineas Nigellus, and
Sirius' mum. And that doesn't even cover the fact that Harry, and Lupin,
will be tremendously impacted by Sirius' death and are bound to talk about
him futher.

Post by dvh

Post by Dark Magic

Post by dvh

Post by Dark Magic
Does the magical world have a version of that evilest of all evil

beings,

Post by dvh

Post by Dark Magic
the attorney at law?

Wait a minute, now you have gone too far: not all lawyers, such as
myself, are 'the evilest of all evil beings'. :)

Okay, but it was Shakespeare that said "First kill all the lawyers", not me.

Ah. "The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers." (not sure if
I quoted it properly)from King Henry VI, Part II. As I understand it,
the passage was meant as a hommage to lawyers. The phrase was spoken by
an anarchist seeking to overthrow the government. In Shakesphere's
view, you first kill the lawyers, as the front line defenders of
freedom, if you wish to overthrow the government. Many of my lawyer
friends, BTW, are volunteering their time on election day to step in at
the polls, in case a person is denied the right to vote.

Hmmm....it seems likely to me that we would lawyers *to* overthrow the
government.

Post by dvh

Post by Dark Magic

Post by dvh
There doesn't seem like much need for lawyers in Potterverse. People
are not tried for a crime, they are just given Veritus Serum, or
whatever it is, or someone reads their mind. Disputes are handled by

Wow, I would have to disagree with that. The wizarding world is in as much
need of some decent litigators as any society on the planet. Any time
citizens can be thrown into prison for life without a trial I'd say lawyers
are necessary.

I agree a trial is necessary, but not sure lawyers are necessary for a
decent trial in Potterverse, as DD showed in OotP.

Ah, that wild and crazy Dumbledore. What *doesn't* the man do? Runs
Hogwarts by day, defeats Dark Wizards by night, and in his spare time he
acts as defensive council and runs a social service agency that places
orphaned children......

Shannon

Post by dvh

Post by Dark Magic

Post by dvh
duels and magic, not court battles. The fact that DD more or less
represented Harry at this hearing (although he called himself 'witness
for the defense'), tells me lawyers do not exist in this world.

Harry was undergoing a disciplinary hearing though, not a trial. He wasn't
in any danger of going to prison.

I am not sure I agree with that. I had the feeling that because he was
being tried before the Wizengamot, that he potentially could go to
Azkaban, for the crime of displaying magic in front of muggles (thus
violating the Int'l Statute of Secrecy). But you are right, it is
characterized as a disciplinary hearing, and that implies a civil
action, versus a criminal action.

Post by Dark Magic

Post by dvh

Post by Dark Magic
How many conversations did Ginny Weasley have with Tom Riddle? What did
they sound like? Was he nice to her? Or cruel? How did he convince

her to

Post by dvh

Post by Dark Magic
help him? Why was Dumbledore so convinced no lasting harm had been

done?

Post by dvh

Post by Dark Magic
How is it possible that Ginny had a close relationship with an evil

entity

Post by dvh

Post by Dark Magic
for an entire school year and she has no permanent effects from it?

If it comes up again, or means anything for the next two books, I will
be surprised.

Prepare to be surprised. Word for word Ginny Weasley has undoubtedly had
more contact with Voldemort than Harry ever has. What she knows about the
way Tom Riddle thinks and what his plans are could prove to be invaluable.
Not to mention the fact that she can empathize with Harry's unfortunate
psychic connection.

You are probably right, although Ginny has yet to show any understanding
of V's ways.

[Miranda]

"Dark Magic" <***@yahoo.com> wrote in news:n5CdnQ34--ZsJffcRVn-***@comcast.com:

<snip>

Post by Dark Magic

Post by dvh

Post by Dark Magic
What happens to the fetus of pregnant woman when she apparates?

That, I think, we will never know.

Probably not. But I'm asking all the same.

Being pro-choice, I say it goes with her as part of her body, like her
heart and brain do. :)

Miranda

[Dark Magic]

Post by dvh
<snip>

Post by Dark Magic

Post by dvh

Post by Dark Magic
What happens to the fetus of pregnant woman when she apparates?

That, I think, we will never know.

Probably not. But I'm asking all the same.

Being pro-choice, I say it goes with her as part of her body, like her
heart and brain do. :)

I think since Apparation is kind of tricky, I mean people have been known to
splinch off actual body parts, I'm not certain that it's advisable for
pregnant woman. I mean what if you apparated off to visit mum, and
splinched the fetus on the kitchen floor at home? Not good. Really not
good.

Shannon

[Miranda]

"Dark Magic" <***@yahoo.com> wrote in news:ZJKdnZ29sODzGvHcRVn-***@comcast.com:

<snip>

Post by Dark Magic
I mean what if you apparated off to
visit mum, and splinched the fetus on the kitchen floor at home?

But remember, witches are much better Apparaters than wizards are, so the
chances of this happening are negligible. :)

Miranda

[Q]

Post by dvh

Post by Dark Magic
If non-magic parents have a magical child who is ill do they take it to a
doctor or to a magical healer? If one parent is magical and one parent is a
muggle do they ever argue over which treatment is better?

Based on Molly's reaction in Book V, seems like wizard world considers
doctors to be barbarians.

ha! and ron's, too. i loved that line (ie the 'muggle nutters who cut
people up')...especially considering that rowling had just married a
certain 'barbarian' of her own when she wrote that...

Q
'ha ha. very funny, hen. just wait till the next time you get a wee
splinter - 'oh, muggle nutter, am i?...'

[dvh]

Post by Q

Post by dvh

Post by Dark Magic
If non-magic parents have a magical child who is ill do they take it to a
doctor or to a magical healer? If one parent is magical and one parent is a
muggle do they ever argue over which treatment is better?

Based on Molly's reaction in Book V, seems like wizard world considers
doctors to be barbarians.

ha! and ron's, too. i loved that line (ie the 'muggle nutters who cut
people up')...especially considering that rowling had just married a
certain 'barbarian' of her own when she wrote that...

I never thought about the connection. You are right--that makes the
line even more funny. I wonder what other little digs are in the books,
that takes an insider's knowledge of JKR's life to appreciate.

Post by Q
Q
'ha ha. very funny, hen. just wait till the next time you get a wee
splinter - 'oh, muggle nutter, am i?...'

[Richard Eney]

Post by Dark Magic
What's the exchange rate of galleons to pounds?

I have a vague memory of 5 to 1, but I'm probably wrong.
I know it has been discussed here previously; Google might
have it.

Post by Dark Magic
Does the magical world have a stock market?

If they do, it's where they sell cattle.

Post by Dark Magic
Do magical people get ordinary Muggle illnesses? Heart disease, cancer,
Alzheimer's etc...are there magical cures for all these things?

I'm sure there are. There's a magical cure for missing bones, and
broken bones are considered a minor problem. If you can regrow a
bone that is entirely missing and turn nonliving substances into
living beings, you can regrow a defective organ. It's probably
far more technically sophisticated to do so than to merely turn a
rock into a turtle, so they probably don't usually do it for minor
stuff like poor eyesight.

Post by Dark Magic
If non-magic parents have a magical child who is ill do they take
it to a doctor or to a magical healer? If one parent is magical
and one parent is a muggle do they ever argue over which treatment
is better?

Definitely they take it to a magical doctor. Molly's reaction to
the idea of using a muggle treatment is a major clue. The fact of
non-scarring treatment for wounds would be enough to convince most
muggles that magical treatment is better, and in most cases it's
faster.

Post by Dark Magic
What happens to the fetus of pregnant woman when she apparates?

Officially we'll never know. However, since it's literally attached
to her body, and we know clothing comes with you, I'd say it goes
with her.

Post by Dark Magic
What sort of birth control do wizards use?
Is there a magical cure for unwanted pregnancies and infertility?

There's bound to be, and no doubt it will have the same number of
arguments on either side. Wizard culture believes that being a wizard
is the most important thing in the world, so they probably encourage
other wizards to have large families, but economics gets involved, too.

Post by Dark Magic
Exactly what sort of government is the MoM meant to be? Do the magical
people get to vote?

The MoM is a parody of the UK government, with emphasis on the eighteenth
and nineteenth century rather than even the twentieth century (except for
some of the less-good elements). If there is any kind of vote, aside from
the Wizengamot, it's probably restricted to magical people above a certain
age and with some property, like typical 18th century UK government.

Post by Dark Magic
Is there a separate magical government in each country?

Yes, since there are government emissaries from Bulgaria, etc.

Post by Dark Magic
For example does the United States have a President of Magic?

Probably, but the details are no doubt very different from the muggle
version.

Post by Dark Magic
Do these magical world leaders ever convene?

There have been magical conventions, during which discussions take place
(e.g. of what is a magical being), so probably they convene when there are
major topics to discuss, but normally they keep in touch by owl or
occasionally by Floo.

Post by Dark Magic
Are elves, centaurs, goblins, etc...treated as badly in the rest of the
world as they are in Great Britain? Or is that a cultural thing?

The fact that centaurs live in Great Britain instead of in Greece, which
is their ancient home, indicates that Scotland is safer for them than
anywhere else. The giants had to be driven out, so now they live in
distant mountains. Elves are native to the UK; it's possible that except
for Nisse, etc, they don't exist elsewhere in the same way. There may be
variations, but each culture's local types of non-human beings are likely
to be quite different. Veela for instance can crossbreed with humans, but
they don't exist in the UK.

Post by Dark Magic
Isn't Voldemort a threat to the entire world? Why aren't any of the other
countries interested in what's happened to him?

He's starting with the UK; the other countries are keeping hands off as
long as he seems to be ignoring them. Short-sighted but typical, and in
some instances, possibly considered more polite than barging in to offer
embarrassing help.

Post by Dark Magic
Could Death Eaters be extradited from Bulgaria to face a trial in Great
Britain?

Do the wizards have the concept of extradition?

Post by Dark Magic
What is the criteria for a trial? How come Barty Crouch got one and Sirius
Black didn't?

Story-internally:
Barty Crouch Sr was politically ambitious. If Crouch Jr had been
quietlhy shut away without a trial, there would have been a whisper that
Crouch Sr was soft on DEs, maybe even a sympathizer. He had to make a big
public statement of how harshly he would deal with the enemy.
Sirius, on the other hand, was so "obviously" guilty that public
opinion, also called the mob, clearly didn't want anyone to bother
with a trial, and the politicians/wizengamot seems to have agreed
that it would have been "wasting time".

Post by Dark Magic
Does the magical world have a version of that evilest of all evil beings,
the attorney at law?

Obviously not. They do, however, have the same kind of people, but they
turn their talents to politics.

Post by Dark Magic
Why did Lupin, Dumbledore and the rest believe so easily that Black was
a mass murderer and a betrayer? Had he done anything like that before?
Did he and Lupin have a falling out?

As far as they knew, Black was the only person who could have betrayed
the Potters. He had a temper and got into arguments easily; he probably
fought with the others as routinely as Ron and Hermione argue.

Post by Dark Magic
Who appoints the Wizengamot?

There are several possible models.

The old House of Lords with a twist; membership can be inherited, but the
incumbent group also get to decide who else can be a member.
PhDs; the very first ones were self-created by an authority or a
self-selected group, and they've been passing it down ever since.

But most likely of all, in my opinion:
The College of Scientists (I forget the actual name); a self-selected
group that then continues to pick new members, kicking out anyone who
starts to sound like a crackpot to them, regardless of later proven
scientific validity.

Post by Dark Magic
Who manufactures the Chocolate Frog Cards?
Who decides which wizards get on them?

Some manufacturer of candy decides who they want to put on the cards;
it's like baseball cards, they use famous wizards that they think the
kids will want to collect.

Post by Dark Magic
Where do magical people get married? Do they have funerals, etc..?
Where are they buried when they die?

We'll find out by the end of book 7, if not in book 6. The next death
should have a funeral.

Post by Dark Magic
What sort of experiments were performed in the Death Room? How did the
curtain get there? How many wizards have gone through it?
Whose brains were floating around in that tank, and will their attack on Ron
make him any smarter? Smart enough, say, to lay a claim on Hermione before
Krum does?

I think it more likely that the brain scar will affect Ron's personality
for the worse, at least for a while.

Post by Dark Magic
How many conversations did Ginny Weasley have with Tom Riddle?

How often does an addicted afh-p-er read the newsgroup?

Post by Dark Magic
What did they sound like? Was he nice to her? Or cruel?

Sounded nice, ultimately cruel.

Post by Dark Magic
How did he convince her to help him?

He didn't, he simply took possession so he could control her body to
physically manipulate the entrances and let the basiisk out. He
obliviated the memory afterwards but he wasn't very good at it,
so she retained some lingering recall.

Post by Dark Magic
Why was Dumbledore so convinced no lasting harm had been done?
How is it possible that Ginny had a close relationship with an evil entity
for an entire school year and she has no permanent effects from it?

DD probably magically tested to see whether there was any lingering
trace of possession. Nobody died, no lingering possession, so he decided
that it was a learning experience. Ginny has just enough memory of it
to be able to describe it to Harry, and it's mostly that she had
no memory of it at all, just blank time, even though Tom did say she
cried and tried to resist at times.

Ginny didn't have a close relationship with an evil entity, she had a
pen-friend who was sympathetic and then became bossy, forcing her to
kill chickens and go down the tunnel. The lingering effect is that
she now is presumably more cautious about magical objects.

Post by Dark Magic
What if Penelope Clearwater had been pregnant when she was petrified?
Would the baby be petrified too?

She wasn't, but if she had been, yes, the baby would have been petrified.
The entire body was petrified, not just the exterior, or they would all
have starved to death.

Post by Dark Magic
Would they need to use something besides mandrake root
to cure her since mandrake root is a powerful abortifacient?

Probably not. The muggle medical reactions to potion ingredients
don't seem to have much to do with the magical results. We don't
know how much mandrake root was used, and the other ingredients may
have buffered it somehow as well.

=Tamar

[Antti V V Vierikko]

Post by Dark Magic
Do magical people get ordinary Muggle illnesses? Heart disease, cancer,
Alzheimer's etc...are there magical cures for all these things?

Apparently there is no easy magical cure for astigmatism, presbyopia or
myopia, as various characters wear eyeglasses.

Incidentally, wizards may have a very different anatomy compared to Muggles.
Harry has 33 bones in his arm, whereas Muggles only have 30 from humerus
to fingers. There may be other differences as well, such as arteries
that don't get clogged up or an immune system that reliably takes care
of cancer. But I wouldn't say Dumbledore wasn't slightly demented.

Post by Dark Magic
What sort of birth control do wizards use?

Accio semen seems obvious.

[Richard Eney]

Post by Antti V V Vierikko
Incidentally, wizards may have a very different anatomy compared to Muggles.
Harry has 33 bones in his arm, whereas Muggles only have 30 from humerus
to fingers. There may be other differences as well, such as arteries
that don't get clogged up or an immune system that reliably takes care
of cancer. But I wouldn't say Dumbledore wasn't slightly demented.

Kids do have more bones than adults. I believe that some of the small
bones in the wrist and ankles fuse together as kids grow older.

=Tamar

[Antti V V Vierikko]

Post by Richard Eney
Kids do have more bones than adults. I believe that some of the small
bones in the wrist and ankles fuse together as kids grow older.

It is true that various bones ossify from several ossification centres, which
would in an X-ray appear as a number of separate X-ray-positive bits.
Even then the bones-to-be are known by the name of the bone they will
form, and they number the same as in adults.

At age twelve each bone in the arm is continuous in an X-ray.
Either JKR made a mistake in the number of bones (my guess), or wizards are
different. Or perhaps just Harry is different.

[Miranda]

Antti V V Vierikko <***@cc.helsinki.fi> wrote in news:ck70qm$hq8$***@oravannahka.helsinki.fi:

<snip>

Post by Antti V V Vierikko

Post by Dark Magic
What sort of birth control do wizards use?

Accio semen seems obvious.

Eurgh. Accio where, exactly?


Miranda

[Alley Rabbit]

Post by dvh
<snip>

Post by Antti V V Vierikko

Post by Dark Magic
What sort of birth control do wizards use?

Accio semen seems obvious.

Eurgh. Accio where, exactly?

Please don't answer that. <shudder>

Alley Rabbit

[Dark Magic]

Post by dvh
<snip>

Post by Antti V V Vierikko

Post by Dark Magic
What sort of birth control do wizards use?

Accio semen seems obvious.

Eurgh. Accio where, exactly?

And is that....erm.....enjoyable?

Shannon

[Brett Weiss]

Post by Dark Magic
Isn't Voldemort a threat to the entire world? Why aren't any of the other
countries interested in what's happened to him?

The analogy to how other countries dealt with Hitler during the 1930's is
apt. (Which may be her point.)

[Rose]

about the illnesses, I've always wondered...

If they have all these quick, flawless treatments for things, wouldn't
they have a hell of a lot more people? I mean, people wouldn't die
from accidents or sicknesses anymore. Old age and avada kedavra would
be the main ways to die. it's just kind of weird.

[Alex Clark]

Post by Rose
If they have all these quick, flawless treatments for things, wouldn't
they have a hell of a lot more people? I mean, people wouldn't die
from accidents or sicknesses anymore. Old age and avada kedavra would
be the main ways to die. it's just kind of weird.

If they have cures for just about any childhood disease or injury, and
reliable birth control magic, then maybe most of them simply don't
want to reproduce at anything more than a replacement rate. They won't
be worried about how many of their children will live to grow up
(unless there's a big war, and who expects that?), so they'll plan
their families on the assumption that the number of babies will equal
the number of adult children.

But I would expect some families to have more children anyway. Poor
families might have more children hoping that at least one will become
successful and rich. And bigoted pure-blood families might have more
children in an attempt to compensate for dilution by marriage to those
of "impure" blood. The Weasleys are in the former category, but it
seems like the pure-blood bigots are not having so many children.

[Fish Eye no Miko]

Post by Alex Clark
If they have cures for just about any childhood disease or injury,
and reliable birth control magic, then maybe most of them simply
don't want to reproduce at anything more than a replacement
rate. They won't be worried about how many of their children
will live to grow up (unless there's a big war, and who expects that?),

Anyone over 15? You know, when Voldy and his followers were killing off
entire families?

Catherine Johnson.

[Alex Clark]

Post by Fish Eye no Miko

Post by Alex Clark
If they have cures for just about any childhood disease or injury,
and reliable birth control magic, then maybe most of them simply
don't want to reproduce at anything more than a replacement
rate. They won't be worried about how many of their children
will live to grow up (unless there's a big war, and who expects that?),

Anyone over 15? You know, when Voldy and his followers were killing off
entire families?

But they probably didn't expect it before it started, and a lot of
them seem to have been in denial about the possibility that it could
happen again. Anyway, it wouldn't yet have had much of an effect on
the long-term trends. At this point, the murders committed by
Voldemort and the Death Eaters would have left the population smaller.

[Q]

Post by Dark Magic
Do magical people get ordinary Muggle illnesses? Heart disease, cancer,
Alzheimer's etc...are there magical cures for all these things?

there seems to be at least some small evidence that wizards get muggle
diseases...warts, for example; since snape has a powerful cure for
them.

Post by Dark Magic
Isn't Voldemort a threat to the entire world? Why aren't any of the other
countries interested in what's happened to him?

they probably are...but so far v. seems to have operated mainly in
britain, and world governments move slowly. look how long it took
everyone to respond against the axis threat in world war 2.

Post by Dark Magic
What is the criteria for a trial? How come Barty Crouch got one and Sirius
Black didn't?

publicity and nepotism. the public wanted sirius's blood after the
attack, and crouch seemed to be very alert to public opinion.

Post by Dark Magic
Why did Lupin, Dumbledore and the rest believe so easily that Black was a
mass murderer and a betrayer? Had he done anything like that before? Did
he and Lupin have a falling out?

personally, if i were lupin, that 'joke' on snape would have shaken my
friendship with sirius almost irrepairably. i mean, someone i
*thought* was a close friend uncovers my painful, dangerous, and
debilitating illness - one i'm helpless to affect or prevent - and
what does he do? he exploits it as a joke, exposing my secret to a
known tattletale who hates my guts, leaving me wide open in the
process to become an unwilling murderer.

(yes, i know sirius didn't think he was doing anything that bad -
witness his flippancy about it even in the shrieking shack scene - but
come on, that was a *really* assish thing to do to your friend.)

Post by Dark Magic
Who manufactures the Chocolate Frog Cards? Who decides which wizards get on
them?

cadbury's.

Post by Dark Magic
Where do magical people get married? Do they have funerals, etc..? Where
are they buried when they die?

one of the things i'm really looking forward to in hbp is seeing
sirius's memorial.

Post by Dark Magic
What sort of experiments were performed in the Death Room? How did the
curtain get there? How many wizards have gone through it?

i don't know, but i bet that john edwards guy hangs around there a
lot.

Post by Dark Magic
Whose brains were floating around in that tank, and will their attack on Ron
make him any smarter? Smart enough, say, to lay a claim on Hermione before
Krum does?

nah, never happen. ron wouldn't be half as much fun if he had a clue.

Post by Dark Magic
How many conversations did Ginny Weasley have with Tom Riddle? What did
they sound like? Was he nice to her? Or cruel?

probably the former, then the latter.

Post by Dark Magic
What happens to the fetus of pregnant woman when she apparates?
What sort of birth control do wizards use?
Is there a magical cure for unwanted pregnancies and infertility?
What if Penelope Clearwater had been pregnant when she was petrified? Would
the baby be petrified too? Would they need to use something besides
mandrake root to cure her since mandrake root is a powerful abortifacient?

hrm. i sense a pattern here...do you have some news for us, shannon?
;)

Q
one thing i know for sure: if i were a pregnant witch, i'd grab myself
the closest time turner i could find and jump ahead to three weeks
*after* the birth

[Dark Magic]

Post by Q

Post by Dark Magic
Why did Lupin, Dumbledore and the rest believe so easily that Black was a
mass murderer and a betrayer? Had he done anything like that before?

Did

Post by Q

Post by Dark Magic
he and Lupin have a falling out?

personally, if i were lupin, that 'joke' on snape would have shaken my
friendship with sirius almost irrepairably. i mean, someone i
*thought* was a close friend uncovers my painful, dangerous, and
debilitating illness - one i'm helpless to affect or prevent - and
what does he do? he exploits it as a joke, exposing my secret to a
known tattletale who hates my guts, leaving me wide open in the
process to become an unwilling murderer.

I agree. However, we have no evidence that they were estranged after that
incident. And apparently they made up because Lupin greets Sirius like a
long lost brother in PoA.

Post by Q
(yes, i know sirius didn't think he was doing anything that bad -

See, I think Sirius *did* know he was doing something really bad. He just
didn't care. The ultimate result would have been Snape's *death*.

Post by Q

Post by Dark Magic
Who manufactures the Chocolate Frog Cards? Who decides which wizards get on
them?

cadbury's.

Who knew? And do they vote on which wizards get on the cards?

Post by Q

Post by Dark Magic
Where do magical people get married? Do they have funerals, etc..? Where
are they buried when they die?

one of the things i'm really looking forward to in hbp is seeing
sirius's memorial.

I think we won't see that. And if we do see it and Dumbledore leads it I'm
going to have pause in my reading in order to hurl. The man cannot possibly
do *everything*.

Post by Q

Post by Dark Magic
What sort of experiments were performed in the Death Room? How did the
curtain get there? How many wizards have gone through it?

i don't know, but i bet that john edwards guy hangs around there a
lot.

The medium John Edwards, you mean, I presume, and not the vice-presidential
candidate? ;)

Post by Q

Post by Dark Magic
Whose brains were floating around in that tank, and will their attack on Ron
make him any smarter? Smart enough, say, to lay a claim on Hermione before
Krum does?

nah, never happen. ron wouldn't be half as much fun if he had a clue.

True.

Post by Q

Post by Dark Magic
What if Penelope Clearwater had been pregnant when she was petrified?

Would

Post by Q

Post by Dark Magic
the baby be petrified too? Would they need to use something besides
mandrake root to cure her since mandrake root is a powerful

abortifacient?

Post by Q
hrm. i sense a pattern here...do you have some news for us, shannon?

NO! Emphatically. However, I do possess a healthy curiosity about how
these things might work in the magical world. And I wonder what it's like
from a parents perspective to raise children like Fred and George.

Post by Q
one thing i know for sure: if i were a pregnant witch, i'd grab myself
the closest time turner i could find and jump ahead to three weeks
*after* the birth

You and me both. No, on second thought, make that six weeks after. And
while we're at it, let's skip the first three months of pregnancy too.

Shannon

[Q]

Post by Dark Magic

Post by Q

Post by Dark Magic
Why did Lupin, Dumbledore and the rest believe so easily that Black was

a

Post by Q

Post by Dark Magic
mass murderer and a betrayer? Had he done anything like that before?

Did

Post by Q

Post by Dark Magic
he and Lupin have a falling out?

personally, if i were lupin, that 'joke' on snape would have shaken my
friendship with sirius almost irrepairably. i mean, someone i
*thought* was a close friend uncovers my painful, dangerous, and
debilitating illness - one i'm helpless to affect or prevent - and
what does he do? he exploits it as a joke, exposing my secret to a
known tattletale who hates my guts, leaving me wide open in the
process to become an unwilling murderer.

I agree. However, we have no evidence that they were estranged after that
incident. And apparently they made up because Lupin greets Sirius like a
long lost brother in PoA.

yeah - rowling has said lupin's so grateful to have friends (because
his illness doesn't exactly make him mr popularity) that he cuts
sirius and james a lot more slack than he should.

i do think that 'joke' incident bothered him, though; at least a lot
more than he ever let on to sirius. and more to the point of your
question, i think that kind of casual betrayal would have been more
than enough to plant the seed of doubt in his mind that could make him
believe sirius had betrayed lily and james later.

Post by Dark Magic

Post by Q
(yes, i know sirius didn't think he was doing anything that bad -

See, I think Sirius *did* know he was doing something really bad.

actually, i don't think sirius was thinking at *all*, and that's the
problem. it totally gels with the way rowling has portrayed him as a
rash and reckless guy - ie, 'hey, this'll be really funny; i bet old
snivellus'll be so scared he'll wet himself!' etc, and not really
thinking of the consequences.

He just

Post by Dark Magic
didn't care. The ultimate result would have been Snape's *death*.

quite. which is why i don't agree that he fully realized what might
happen - he said he only wanted to scare snape, and i believe him. as
reckless as he is, sirius isn't cold or calculating enough to send
someone to their death like that.

and besides, even if he didn't give a toss about snape, you really
think he'd have done that to remus? on *purpose*?

Post by Dark Magic

Post by Q
one of the things i'm really looking forward to in hbp is seeing
sirius's memorial.

I think we won't see that. And if we do see it and Dumbledore leads it I'm
going to have pause in my reading in order to hurl. The man cannot possibly
do *everything*.

agreed. i do really want to see *something*, though; less of an
organized funeral than just a simple, quiet memorial - maybe just
members of the order getting together in a room with a bunch of
pictures and chatting over memories of him.

Post by Dark Magic

Post by Q

Post by Dark Magic
What sort of experiments were performed in the Death Room? How did the
curtain get there? How many wizards have gone through it?

i don't know, but i bet that john edwards guy hangs around there a
lot.

The medium John Edwards, you mean, I presume, and not the vice-presidential
candidate? ;)

indeed - although now you've given me some very unsavory and quite
enjoyable ideas about what to bring as a backdrop to the next round of
political debates...

Q
'alright, gentlemen; if you'd just step back a little closer to this
totally innocuous veiled archway for a photo op..." *push*!!!

[Richard Eney]

Post by Dark Magic

Post by Q

Post by Dark Magic
Why did Lupin, Dumbledore and the rest believe so easily that
Black was mass murderer and a betrayer? Had he done anything
like that before? Did he and Lupin have a falling out?

personally, if i were lupin, that 'joke' on snape would have shaken
my friendship with sirius almost irrepairably. i mean, someone i
*thought* was a close friend uncovers my painful, dangerous, and
debilitating illness - one i'm helpless to affect or prevent - and
what does he do? he exploits it as a joke, exposing my secret to a
known tattletale who hates my guts, leaving me wide open in the
process to become an unwilling murderer.

That might have been why Dumbledore could believe it. Sirius was
a loose cannon. Perhaps DD could believe that Sirius might have done
something on impulse that let the secret out.

Post by Dark Magic
I agree. However, we have no evidence that they were estranged after
that incident. And apparently they made up because Lupin greets Sirius
like a long lost brother in PoA.

They may have had a few months of curt behavior, the way Ron and Harry
have had disagreements that were made up months later.

Post by Dark Magic

Post by Q
(yes, i know sirius didn't think he was doing anything that bad -

See, I think Sirius *did* know he was doing something really bad.
He just didn't care. The ultimate result would have been Snape's
*death*.

Or potentially worse, Snape's becoming a werewolf. Maybe that's what
Sirius was hoping for - that Snape would have to leave school because
of a werewolf bite, and he didn't think of what it would do to Lupin.

=Tamar

[Q]

Post by Dark Magic
Do magical people get ordinary Muggle illnesses? Heart disease, cancer,
Alzheimer's etc...are there magical cures for all these things?

there seems to be at least some small evidence that wizards get muggle
diseases...warts, for example; since snape has a powerful cure for
them.

Post by Dark Magic
Isn't Voldemort a threat to the entire world? Why aren't any of the other
countries interested in what's happened to him?

they probably are...but so far v. seems to have operated mainly in
britain, and world governments move slowly. look how long it took
everyone to respond against the axis threat in world war 2.

Post by Dark Magic
What is the criteria for a trial? How come Barty Crouch got one and Sirius
Black didn't?

publicity and nepotism. the public wanted sirius's blood after the
attack, and crouch seemed to be very alert to public opinion.

Post by Dark Magic
Why did Lupin, Dumbledore and the rest believe so easily that Black was a
mass murderer and a betrayer? Had he done anything like that before? Did
he and Lupin have a falling out?

personally, if i were lupin, that 'joke' on snape would have shaken my
friendship with sirius almost irrepairably. i mean, someone i
*thought* was a close friend uncovers my painful, dangerous, and
debilitating illness - one i'm helpless to affect or prevent - and
what does he do? he exploits it as a joke, exposing my secret to a
known tattletale who hates my guts, leaving me wide open in the
process to become an unwilling murderer.

(yes, i know sirius didn't think he was doing anything that bad -
witness his flippancy about it even in the shrieking shack scene - but
come on, that was a *really* assish thing to do to your friend.)

Post by Dark Magic
Who manufactures the Chocolate Frog Cards? Who decides which wizards get on
them?

cadbury's.

Post by Dark Magic
Where do magical people get married? Do they have funerals, etc..? Where
are they buried when they die?

one of the things i'm really looking forward to in hbp is seeing
sirius's memorial.

Post by Dark Magic
What sort of experiments were performed in the Death Room? How did the
curtain get there? How many wizards have gone through it?

i don't know, but i bet that john edwards guy hangs around there a
lot.

Post by Dark Magic
Whose brains were floating around in that tank, and will their attack on Ron
make him any smarter? Smart enough, say, to lay a claim on Hermione before
Krum does?

nah, never happen. ron wouldn't be half as much fun if he had a clue.

Post by Dark Magic
How many conversations did Ginny Weasley have with Tom Riddle? What did
they sound like? Was he nice to her? Or cruel?

probably the former, then the latter.

Post by Dark Magic
What happens to the fetus of pregnant woman when she apparates?
What sort of birth control do wizards use?
Is there a magical cure for unwanted pregnancies and infertility?
What if Penelope Clearwater had been pregnant when she was petrified? Would
the baby be petrified too? Would they need to use something besides
mandrake root to cure her since mandrake root is a powerful abortifacient?

hrm. i sense a pattern here...do you have some news for us, shannon?
;)

Q
one thing i know for sure: if i were a pregnant witch, i'd grab myself
the closest time turner i could find and jump ahead to three weeks
*after* the birth

[richard e white]

Post by Dark Magic
What's the exchange rate of galleons to pounds?
Does the magical world have a stock market?
Do magical people get ordinary Muggle illnesses? Heart disease, cancer,
Alzheimer's etc...are there magical cures for all these things?
If non-magic parents have a magical child who is ill do they take it to a
doctor or to a magical healer? If one parent is magical and one parent is a
muggle do they ever argue over which treatment is better?
What happens to the fetus of pregnant woman when she apparates?
What sort of birth control do wizards use?
Is there a magical cure for unwanted pregnancies and infertility?
Exactly what sort of government is the MoM meant to be? Do the magical
people get to vote? Is there a separate magical government in each country?
For example does the United States have a President of Magic? Do these
magical world leaders ever convene?
Are elves, centaurs, goblins, etc...treated as badly in the rest of the
world as they are in Great Britain? Or is that a cultural thing?
Isn't Voldemort a threat to the entire world? Why aren't any of the other
countries interested in what's happened to him?
Could Death Eaters be extradited from Bulgaria to face a trial in Great
Britain?
What is the criteria for a trial? How come Barty Crouch got one and Sirius
Black didn't?
Does the magical world have a version of that evilest of all evil beings,
the attorney at law?
Why did Lupin, Dumbledore and the rest believe so easily that Black was a
mass murderer and a betrayer? Had he done anything like that before? Did
he and Lupin have a falling out?
Who appoints the Wizengamot?
Who manufactures the Chocolate Frog Cards? Who decides which wizards get on
them?
Where do magical people get married? Do they have funerals, etc..? Where
are they buried when they die?
What sort of experiments were performed in the Death Room? How did the
curtain get there? How many wizards have gone through it?
Whose brains were floating around in that tank, and will their attack on Ron
make him any smarter? Smart enough, say, to lay a claim on Hermione before
Krum does?
How many conversations did Ginny Weasley have with Tom Riddle? What did
they sound like? Was he nice to her? Or cruel? How did he convince her to
help him? Why was Dumbledore so convinced no lasting harm had been done?
How is it possible that Ginny had a close relationship with an evil entity
for an entire school year and she has no permanent effects from it?
What if Penelope Clearwater had been pregnant when she was petrified? Would
the baby be petrified too? Would they need to use something besides
mandrake root to cure her since mandrake root is a powerful abortifacient?
I have more, but those will do for now.
Shannon

And what is the diffrence between a day broom and a raceing broom. will we ever
see a day broom in the books?
Will we see any of the kids take a feeld trip to any wizarding factories?
Just how is the top job at the MoM gotten?
Why hasn't HG used that spell that makes things bigger on the inside on her book
bag?
Why does harry not use any of the dark detecters like the foe glass for him
self?


--
Richard The Blind Typer
Lets Hear It For Talking Computers.

[richard e white]

And why does none of the trieo ask lupin or any of the other members of the
order for a way to talk to them that is safe to use?


--
Richard The Blind Typer
Lets Hear It For Talking Computers.

[Don Reeves]

Post by richard e white
And why does none of the trieo ask lupin or any of the other members of the
order for a way to talk to them that is safe to use?

Maybe they did and got told that such methods were for members only.
The Order wasn't doing much to include the kids in anything more that
house cleaning.

Don Reeves

[m***@anacon.freeserve.co.uk]

Post by richard e white
And why does none of the trieo ask lupin or any of the other members of the
order for a way to talk to them that is safe to use?

You'd have thought that quite a few students would have used all sorts
of methods of secret communication. (Both Wizarding and Muggle). After
all they managed this with the Quibbler. There must be quite a few nasty
jinxs to deter a third party from reading a latter.

[Michael Meier]

Post by Dark Magic
What is the criteria for a trial? How come Barty Crouch got one and Sirius
Black didn't?

In Sirius's words
GoF Ch 27 Padfoot Returns
#quote
Crouch's [Snr.] fatherly affection stretched just far enough to give
his son a trial, and by all accounts, it wasn't much more than an
excuse for Crouch to show how much he hated the boy . . . then he sent
him straight to Azkaban."
#end quote


Michael
--
valid mail:
***@gmx.net

[Jan van Aalderen]

Dark Magic wrote:
................

Post by Dark Magic
Does the magical world have a version of that evilest of all evil
beings, the attorney at law?

Dementors come to mind.

[IanM]

Post by Dark Magic
What sort of birth control do wizards use?

The same kind as Muggles: you look after someone else's children for
an evening - it puts you off having your own children for several
years!

[t***@gmail.com]

Post by Dark Magic
What's the exchange rate of galleons to pounds?
Does the magical world have a stock market?
Do magical people get ordinary Muggle illnesses? Heart disease, cancer,
Alzheimer's etc...are there magical cures for all these things?

I assume that a magical cure for Alzheimer could be applied to cure poor Lockhurt's amnesia!

Post by Dark Magic
Exactly what sort of government is the MoM meant to be? Do the magical
people get to vote? Is there a separate magical government in each country?
For example does the United States have a President of Magic? Do these
magical world leaders ever convene?

When the USSR broke up, what happened to the USSR Ministry of Magic?

When North Vietnam took over South Vietnam, what happened to the South Vietnam Ministry of Magic? Did South Vietnamese wizards come to harm from North Vietnamese wizards?

Does the Islamic State have a Ministry of Magic?

[t***@gmail.com]

Are owls ever used to search for missing persons? (Just write a letter to the missing person asking him/her if he/she needs help, and tell the owl to deliver it! Also cast a tracking spell on the owl).

Why was Snape's security spell on his office so weak that student wizards could break it?

How did Dobby intercept Harry Potter's mail at the start of Chamber of Secrets?

Book 1: Why can't Harry et al look in the Hogwarts Library card catalog subject for books about Nicholas Flammel?

Book 4: Why can't they look in the card catalog subject section for books about underwater breathing?