Americans and RoW - were there any phrases in the HP books that made no sense to you?

As a Brit, all the little phrases Rowling used - like “Might as well be hanged for a dragon as an egg” - just naturally made sense to me, since they’re often adapted from old British sayings (this one comes from “Might as well be hanged for a sheep as a lamb”).

But I’ve noticed a few of my American friends didn’t really get that one.

Were there any other phrases or idioms in the series that didn’t make much sense to you - even after the international edits?

Or did this one actually make sense, and my friends are just unfamiliar with the expression?

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Who would you choose as your best friend if you went to Hogwarts?

I did post this question a while ago but deleted the old one and made a new account to start a fresh because I preferred it. That’s why I thought, why not ask again.

So, if you were a student at Hogwarts in any era, who would you choose as your best friend? This time, only one because it’s more intriguing that way.

I would still choose Draco Malfoy because we’re both Slytherins and I laugh alongside him anytime Snape is sarcastic or uses dry humour, even at the expense of Harry. I also know we would get along very well, solely because through reading the book, I know my replies to him would also be opposite to Harry, as is my opinion on Draco as well.

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Lack of muggle knowledge is comical. Why not have muggle borns teaching muggle studies?

I believe the only mentioned muggle studies teacher (pre Voldemort take over) was Charity Burbage who was pure blood?

Seems like a good role for someone born to muggle parents.

The ambivalence to muggle culture is funny to me. Even Arthur Weasley whose job directly relates to muggles at times seems so unaware of simple muggle things (ie too many stamps on a letter)

In a world with so few wizards, you’d think they’d have better knowledge of usual muggle things

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How Can Wizards Know So Little?

Side note; I’m just chatting, not trying to stir up trouble, it’s just something I’ve over thought about and find fascinating

But yeah, Idk how many would agree with me? Or maybe could give a good take to the contrary? But wizards knowing so little, next to nothing, about muggle cultures and customs makes like 0 sense to me. Like I just don’t get how it’s possible?

Cos wizards exist in the same world as muggles, yes I know many communities are magically isolated but
1. Many communities are not
2. They still exist in the same world lol? Like the earth in a finite space.

Somethings I get, like nursery rhymes or a popular song or band, that makes sense to me. Cos I sort of see the wizard community as akin to like a foreign country know? But stuff like not understanding how muggles dress?? That makes no sense to me 😂! You see them! Many of your jobs, government or otherwise involved direct interaction with them!

And humanity is so globally connected, via technology and globalization, when the story takes place that if only to maintain the statute of secrecy, wizardkind has no choice but to interact with them!

Yeah this detail always nudged me and made me go ‘huuuh?…’ cos I just feel it makes not a lick of sense. Aha but it’s a story about a giant wizard school so sense must often be abandoned 😂😂

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Why didn't more people see through the Peter Pettigrew story?

So it's established that the story that people believed was that Sirius killed Pettigrew so brutally that it only left a pinky behind. Obviously, we know that Pettigrew cut off his own pinky. This plan seems so flawed though. Maybe I'm missing something, but in the entire series, there's no kill somebody except a pinky spell. Nor do we see a spell that destroys somebody piece by piece. Is there some context I'm missing? Why did anyone believe this?

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Remembering Michael Gambon on his birthday



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I love Molly Weasley, but there's 2 occasions where I believe she completely oversteps the line..

Her seriously low blow to Sirius when she knows he was innocent....

"Yes," said Mrs. Weasley, her lip curling.

"The thing is, it's been rather difficult for you to look after him while you've been locked up in Azkaban, hasn't it?"

Every time I've read or heard Stephen Fry deliver that scene, it actually provokes anger in me.


The other? I will definitely be in a minority, because you will probably all say "justifiable anger."

But i think the Howler in book 2 was disgusting. Molly had every right to be pissed at Ron and concerned for Arthur's career. But IMO, humiliating your son in front of his peers (especially as kids hunt in packs) was not right.

Her youngest child was at school. So she could easily have apparated to Hogsmeade, walked to Hogwarts, approached Dumbledore & McGonagall to arrange a meeting with Ron. It would have been a slower process than the howler, but not by that much.

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What happened to Dumbledore's wand?

After he takes the Elder wand from Grindlewald, what happens to his old one?

It seems like most characters are emotional attached to their wands, so what did Dumbledore do with his? Did he just put it in a drawer somewhere? Throw it away? Put it in a museum?

Did anyone notice and comment on the fact he swapped to Grindlewalds wand after the duel?

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Lee Jordan's quidditch commentary is absolute masterclass and I wish HBO series expands on it

Jordan's commentary is such a delight. It's breathlessly fast, quirky, funny, and full of snarky gems that makes quidditch makes so much more fun to follow.
______________
PS:
"And the Quaffle is taken immediately by Angelina Johnson of Gryffindor — what an excellent Chaser that girl is, and rather attractive, too"

“So — after that obvious and disgusting bit of cheating —”
“Jordan!” growled Professor McGonagall.
“I mean, after that open and revolting foul —
” “Jordan, I’m warning you —

PoA:
“They’re off, and the big excitement this match is the Firebolt that Harry Potter is flying for Gryffindor. According to Which Broomstick, the Firebolt’s going to be the broom of choice for the national teams at this year’s World Championship —”

“Jordan, would you mind telling us what’s going on in the match?” interrupted Professor McGonagall’s voice.

“Right you are, Professor — just giving a bit of background information — the Firebolt, incidentally, has a built-in auto-brake and —

” “Jordan!”..

“Gryffindor leads by eighty points to zero, and look at that Firebolt go! Potter’s really putting it through its paces now, see it turn — Chang’s Comet is just no match for it, the Firebolt’s precision-balance is really noticeable in these long..."

—” “JORDAN! ARE YOU BEING PAID TO ADVERTISE FIREBOLTS? GET ON WITH THE COMMENTARY!”
________________________

Although I must say, its made more funny by his constant spars with McGonagall lol

I wonder what Lee Jordan did after passing from Hogwarts. I can totally see him becoming a national level commentator for quidditch matches.

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Slytherin should've had better characters

Other than Slughorn, Andromeda (Narcissa and Belatrix' sister), and Phinneas (Previous headmaster) everyone was straight up evil to some extent. You can't tell me a school has a house specifically to train evil 11 year olds.

I wish theyd shown the main trio or the DA having Slytherin members, showing the actual qualities of Slytherin (Ambition, strategy, pride). Instead they conveniently shoved every morally grey character into Slytherin because evil people cant be smart (like ravenclaw) or brave (like gryffindor) or hard working (like hufflepuff). Anyone else think this?

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About Hedwig….

Apparently this is a controversial opinion, but I want to see if it actually is so here I am.

I’ve actually been loving the updates about the new tv series (which is already a topic of its own) but they are making some little changes and I was just thinking that if I could change anything in the series, it would be to save Hedwig.

I know it was the loss of his innocence and showing him the reality of war, but….that boy knew. 7 years of fighting, 11 if you count him almost being killed and then abused by the Dursley’s. Gets to hogwarts and spends every year defending it while the headmaster just like…knows it’s happening but letting this poor kid take care of it. Then has to actually face the man who wants, specifically, him dead. Has friends die, professors die, family die, close family friends die. There’s so much damn heartbreak in the series, is it too much to ask Hedwig live?

I’m looking forward to your responses


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What was the point of having Sirius fall through the Veil?

>The second jet of light hit him squarely on the chest.

>The laughter had not quite died from his face, but his eyes widened in shock. Harry released Neville, though he was unaware of doing so. Harry jumped to the ground, pulling out his wand, as Dumbledore turned to the dais too.

>It seemed to take Sirius an age to fall. His body curved in a graceful arc as he sank backward through the ragged veil hanging from the arch. . . .

>And Harry saw the look of mingled fear and surprise on his godfather’s wasted, once-handsome face as he fell through the ancient doorway and disappeared behind the veil, which fluttered for a moment as though in a high wind and then fell back into place.

>Harry heard Bellatrix Lestrange’s triumphant scream, but knew it meant nothing — Sirius had only just fallen through the archway, he would reappear from the other side any second. . . .

>But Sirius did not reappear.

Now killing off Sirius makes sense (it's a bit of a theme of Harry losing parental figures), but what was the point of having him die in such a specific manner (literally falling through a door to the afterlife)? Surely just having him hit by a spell and dropping dead would also suffice pretty well.

Him just kinda disappearing out of nowhere feels like set-up for the story to eventually return in the later books, but then he just... doesn't. He's just dead, as dead as one can be dead, but just in a very specific and uncommon manner.

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Why do so many people try to reinterpret Harry Potter as serious adult literature when it's clearly a children's/teens series ?

Not saying it doesn't deal with darker themes at times, but it's always been written for a younger audience.

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How do you feel about Dudley Dursley?

There’s no doubt Dudley was vile to Harry at points, but I do think a lot of that was due to being a product of his upbringing. I like to think he might still have changed even if the dementor attack hadn’t happened (even if it took him a bit longer, ie when he left home) but maybe I’m being optimistic. Does his apology make up for how he treated Harry? Maybe not for a lot of people, but I think like Harry said, it was like Dudley saying “I love you”. I do think he was sorry.

Forever mad they cut his scene out of the DH movie.

JK Rowling’s ending of the boys was realistic (Christmas card terms, kids didn’t think much of each other) but I had hoped they would end up being closer and that Dudley would’ve cut off his parents as an adult.

I wonder if Petunia ever regretted everything (no I don’t count the cursed child as canon) but I doubt it. Vernon was a lost cause.

I know they’re the “boring” characters of the series but I find analysing them interesting.

https://redd.it/1oaqx38
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Question about The 7 Potter’s

I’ve just finished reading The 7 Potter’s and in the discussion Madeye says the charms only break either when Harry turns 17, or when he no longer calls it home.

We know he won’t turn 17 for another (and he’s already been there for a considerable amount of time.)

Aside from plot, could they have lied to Harry, that he would need to return to Privet Drive again (therefore he still calls it home), and get him to an Order’s house whilst the protection was still in place?

Once Harry is out of the way, they do the same to the Dursley’s (or use a spell to get the to safety), then explain?

Would the charm break whilst they were all safe rather than whilst traveling?

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Did Voldemort know?

I mean that his mother took advantage of his father?.

The reason I'm not sure, is because he killed his father seemingly for abandonment.

That would suggest he didn't.

What's your take?

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Am I the only one who thought Professor McGonagall was supposed to be younger?

For some reason I always pictured her as a middle aged woman. I think her being described as having black hair led me to believe she wasn’t that old because I associate having colored hair with relative youth.

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Never fails

No matter how many times I watch, I get absolute chills every time McGonagall says, "Piertotum Locomotor." Absolutely one of the most powerful moments in the series.

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Do you think Harry’s trust was broken in Dumbledore in book 5? If it was, did it get fully rebuilt after their conversation at the end of the book?

I think his faith was shaken a bit as he felt hurt through the year. I think after their emotional discussion at the end of the book, Harry understands how much Dumbledore does care and so his trust is restored. Dumbledore further validates this by being more present and involving Harry more next book

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What would the golden trio, or other characters be as animagi?

Ive always wondered what animals the trio or other characters would choose to be if they became animagi and i just wanted to hear your guy's thoughts on it.

My thoughts were:

Hermione would be an otter, since its been stated its her favorite animal

Harry would be a phoniex, or something flying becuase of his love for it

Ron would be a lion, badger or dog, lion for his bravery, dog his loyalty, and badger honestly idk why

Draco would be a ferret, no explanation needed lol.



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