And Amanda's 1000 Answers
In our Harry Potter Wrap-Up Episode, we mentioned that Claire, our most favorite listener, sent us 1000 questions she had about the series, as she's just read it for the first time. (Isn't that wonderful?!) I responded on the show that I would answer them, but not on the show because it would require its own episode. Here are her questions and my responses. Also, I like for these posts to have pictures to accompany them, so here's a silly and poor quality picture of me and Claire from when she joined us on the show back in episode 33.
1. Are Hermione’s parents ok?
Yes!
2. Have their memories been restored and have they returned to England or decided to stay in Australia?
Hermione found them, reversed the charm and brought them home.
3. Was Professor McGonagall made Headmistress of Hogwarts?
Yes, at least until Albus Severus went there.
4. Did Neville become Head of Gryffindor when he started teaching at Hogwarts?
Unknown, but I'd say very likely.
5. Did wizard/magical creature relations get better? For example the House Elves and Centaurs joined the battle of Hogwarts.
Yes, thanks to Kingsley becoming Minister and Hermione working in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. Also, Firenze was welcomed back into the herd after they were forced to realize that wizards are not all terrible after the war.
6. Did Hermione pursue SPEW?
Yes. Upon entering the workforce, Hermione worked in the Ministry in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures and the Department Magical Law Enforcement where she continued her SPEW crusades.
7. Did the Dementors go back to Azkaban?
No. They were used by the corrupt ministry and Kingsley changed things quite a bit upon becoming Minister. Further, you can't kill a dementor, but you can reduce their reproduction. Being happy after the wizarding war helped stop their reproduction.
8. What were the repercussions for the Death Eaters and supporters of Voldemort?
Many of the Death Eaters who survived were arrested, some went into hiding, and a few, such as the Malfoys, were pardoned. Lucius squealed and gave a bunch of information over to the Aurors and helped with their capture. After Voldemort's death, the Dark Marks on the Death Eaters' forearms faded into scars, like Harry's, and never burned or pained them again.
9. Did Percy join George at the joke shop or open a franchise?
No, he rose high in the ranks of Kingsley's ministry. Ron, however, did go to work with George after a brief stint as an auror.
10. How do Wizards know so little about muggles when they live in the same town/village?
I think this has to do with the Statute of Secrecy. Wizards aren't allowed by law to share that they have magical abilities, so they would likely keep to themselves and/or with their own kind. I'm sure some know about Muggles, but probably not many.
11. How did the Weasley children not know Luna before Hogwarts? They live so close and magical families tend to stick together!
This one is bothering me because I can't find any information on it. On their way to the Quidditch World Cup, Arthur Weasley and Amos Diggory mention the Lovegoods when they are taking their portkey to the cup, so they obviously know them. Maybe after Pandora Lovegood's accidental death, Xenophilius became a recluse and he and Luna's kept to themselves. Seems plausible, right?
12. What did Harry do with 12 Grimwauld Place and by extension Skcreecher?
JKR said that Kreacher died at 666 years old, but that was probably a joke. I like to think he stayed working at Hogwarts. It is unlikely that Harry returned to Grimmauld Place, but probably kept it for the Order. We can speculate that Harry, Ginny and the fam weren't living there during the epilogue, because Al says that he and James could share a room if Teddy came to stay, and didn't Grimmauld Place have a ton of rooms?
13. How did they not find the Chamber of Secrets before Tom Riddle and Harry opened it, it’s established that Hogwarts is over 1000 years old and as it’s in the girls bathroom with very modern plumbing, surely renovations would have located the great big hole?!
This was actually recently answered by JKR and it's kind of gross. In one of the rare instances of wizards copying Muggles, wizards started to adapt to plumbing systems in around the 18th century. Up to that time, wizards chose to relieve themselves wherever they stood, and then Vanished the evidence. So yeah, they just shit their pants and then magicked it away. Most of Hogwarts Castle's elaborate plumbing system dates back to the 1700s. When plumbing works started, the secret entrance to the Chamber of Secrets — which was, at the time, comprised of a concealed trapdoor and a series of magical tunnels — was threatened, as it was located in the site of a proposed bathroom. However, a student at the school at the time, Corvinus Gaunt, a direct descendent of Salazar Slytherin and a Parselmouth, managed to secretly protect the trapdoor and to conceal it behind a newly-installed sink, so that those who knew how could still access the entrance to the Chamber.
14. Did Harry, Hermione (especially), Ron and the rest of their year get to do their NEWTS?
Hermione did, but not the boys. Not sure about the others.
15. Has the Wizarding community been introduced to Pizza? I think it could be a game changer in Wizard/Muggle relations.
I think yes. Doesn't pizza seem like it's made of magic? Surely it was first invented by a wizard then shared with muggles.
16. If students aren’t given their house until they are sorted by the Sorting Hat how do they buy their school tie, matching jumper, scarfs, robe crest etc in time for first lessons the day after arrival? Is there a uniform shop on Hogwarts grounds or at Hogsmeade, on mass delivery system via owl from Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions?
The house colors on robes and ties is only in the movies. In the books, the students are required to buy three sets of plain black work robes. However, I love to imagine that in the movies, the ties and jumpers and things they buy in Madame Malkin's and Twilfitt and Tattings are magic, so when they are sorted, their accessories change to match.
17. Is there a magical equivalent for Primary school (education 5yrs-10yrs) or are they homeschooled as surely basic maths, science, literature and writing would be needed as it doesn’t exactly seem to be on the Hogwarts curriculum.
Yes, most are homeschooled before Hogwarts, but some go to muggle schools!
18. Do Harry and Ron EVER read Hogwarts: A History?
Nope. Why would they need to? Hermione has.
19. Does Winky ever sober up?
Yes, and she's part of the gaggle of elves that attack in the second wave of the battle.
20. Does Luna become the Minister for Magic?
Nope. She marries Rolf Scamander and they travel the world researching magical creatures like Rolf's grandfather, Newt. They have twin boys, but later than the rest of her friends from Hogwarts. Interestingly, Rolf was going to be introduced in Deathly Hallows to tell the trio about the Deathly Hallows, but that storyline was scrapped and given to Xenophilius.
21. Does Neville, Luna and Ginny get the recognitions they deserve for being pivotal in the battle for Hogwarts and the student rebellion?
Yes, and they have chocolate frog cards! Neville shows his off to his students, along with his DA coin.
22. What if Voldemort had gone for the Longbottoms instead of the Potters? Would Neville have been The Boy Who Lived? How different would events have been?
If Alice Longbottom had protected and died for Neville, which I really think she would have, I think everything would have played out similarly. Maybe not exactly the same, but I think Dumbledore would have taught Neville about the prophecy and the Horcruxes. Surely Neville would also want to avenge his parents' deaths. He'd likely have friends by his side to help him out, because let's face it, he'd probably be a little more popular in this alternate reality if he were indeed The Chosen One. Some people don't think it would have worked out, but I think it could have. See what Matthew Lewis says about that here. (https://youtu.be/NRDwdCbukzs)
23. Are Nargles real? (I’m leaning towards yes.)
We talked about this one on the show. I don't believe so, but another listener says she thinks Luna has a different sort of magical ability that allows her to see auras and such, which she could confuse with nargles and wrackspurts. I like that idea!
24. Why isn’t David Bradley given more credit for his comedic skills especially in Order of the Phoenix?! (More thought than question)
I don't know but I love him. I met him in real life at a red carpet event in Orlando and he talked to me for way longer than his assistant wanted him to and he grumbled at her that he'd talk with me as long as he wanted.
25. Did/do Wizards get involved in big events such as WW1/2, civil wars etc?
Yes, Grindelwald's defeat in 1945 was not just a coincidence.
26. I’d love for someone to give Mr Wesley a box of Lego for Christmas and see him light up with delight at the muggle toy.
Me too. What if someone gave him a set of The Burrow and there was a tiny Lego version of himself inside?
27. Why is everyone “James Potter is so brilliant” when it seems like Lilly was the better Witch AND with all the talk throughout the series about being pure blood James Potters parents/linage is never mentioned.
Yeah, James was a prat, but finally turned around during his last year at Hogwarts. His parents had him late in life, even by wizarding standards, and doted on him because of it. His father was the inventor of Sleekeazy's Hair Potion in the 1920s and made a lot of gold, then sold that company and made even more. That's where all Harry's money in Gringott's came from.
I failed as a librarian in that I did not site each source in each response, but I will say here that the majority of my information came from my own personal knowledge and recollections, followed by Pottermore (https://www.pottermore.com/), Harry Potter Fandom (https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Main_Page) and Accio Quote (http://www.accio-quote.org/).
Thanks for reading all this! If you have any questions you'd like for me to answer, let me know and I'll get to it!
Amanda
댓글