Harry Potter Harry Potter Enhanced

[Lord Raine]

An interesting, and perhaps entertaining, idea I had while pondering the various tropes that are unique to the Harry Potter fan community.

It is difficut, perhaps, to put this into words. "This, merely writ on grander scale" is hardly a specific statement. However, what I am proposing in this idea is not specific. In fact, it is the exact opposite of specific.

I believe that the best way to describe this would be a 'stylized' version of canon. Technically, this would be AU, because much is different. However, the fundamentals, and the plot, remain the same.

This is a proposal in which we take the most interesting, compelling, and 'fun' ideas of fanon, and incorperate them into canon. For instance, it is quite a popular cliche to have 'custom' wands, or rather, wands that are crafted from the ground up specifically for a single individual, usually with them involved in the process, their presence magically identifying which materials should be used.

In this setting, that is the reason that Ollivander is the best. Others make generic wands, simple in design and unspectacular in their function. However, out of all the wand craftsmen in the world, only Ollivander custom makes a wand for every single customer who walks in the door.

I'll give you another example; Hogwarts is a living, magical building with far more space on the inside than out, and with strange things about it that clearly mark it as magical (such as, for instance, revolving stairways). What if we expanded on this, and made Hogwarts 'more' magical? Perhaps every day of the week, the castle layout changes. The floors stay mostly the same, but rooms move, doors appear and disappear, and hallways can be bent, twisted, moved, or overlapped with each other from day to day, or even hour to hour. Sometimes, it rains or snows indoors. Some rooms have grass instead of carpet, and some classrooms have wooden floors and walls that sprout leaves and twigs, and must routinely be pruned. Hogwarts is an Arcane Location?, and it lives up to that reputation by being a strange and wonderous place where nearly anything can happen at any given moment. Without magic, one would get lost withing minutes, but Hogwarts, being not just magical, but alive, will help 'guide' those searching for a specific place, ensuring that they will get there, eventually, if they are looking for it. "Going to Transfiguration" might less involve a specifc route than it does leaving your dormitory and walking in any particular direction for ten minutes. Provided you make sure to travel the appropiate flights of stairs necessary to reach the correct floor, you will arrive at your destination.


And there are, of course, other possibilities as well. What suggestions might you have, for this stylized Harry Potter world? And if you are stuck, or cannot think of anything, keep these two rules in mind:

~ Making magic deeper, more powerful, more complex, and more wonderous is a plus.

~ This is something that distills and improves the essence of canon using fanon to assist. When in doubt, follow that pattern. Some Other Wandmaker? makes superior wands to Ollivander because they are custom made? Then make it Ollivander who is that guy, and he is the leadin wandmaker because of it. Make magic more powerful and 'magical' than what you find in Hogwarts? Then make Hogwarts that magical. And so forth, and so on.

I'd love to hear what other ideas some of you might have.

 

[loki-l]

It sounds like you are proposing some kind of remake or 'Ultimate Universe' version of the books. Keeping the basic plot and characters but updating everything else.

The problem of course would be knowing what to change and what to keep.

Some uncontroversial changes might be things like adjusting the dates. Rowling did not paay much attention to the math and calendar when she wrote the books. Simply figuring out what day of the week a certain date would have been would be an improvement that nobody could find fault with. some research on an astronomy site might give correct dates for the moon phases (Important to werewolves) and make the astronomy lessons and centaur rambles more plausible.

The class schedules might need to be given some serious thought.

Another improvement would be the minor characters. Neville only got to shine in the end and Dean's entire arc was cut out of canon for space reasons. Giving them their space from the start might help.

Generally the whole class list and the professors of the courses that Harry never really takes could be fleshed out into real characters along the way some thought could be given to the size of the classes, the hogwarts population, the entire British wizarding population etc.

Hot topics that Rowling wisely avoided could be touched on. For example the Irish question, Religion in general, British Royality etc. Does the Ministry control Ireland? Are wizards religious, do they have nobility and what is their relationship to the crown? Other social issues might include racism and gender inequality and the treatment of homosexual relationships in magical Britain. It might have been a smart move to leave that stuff out for Rowling, but there is no reason not to include it in a fanfic.

Generally there is a huge difference between the first and last book in many ways. A 'rewrite' could help clear this up and smooth things up. Lots of stuff that Rowling only invented in later books can be used from the beginning in the background.

We can excuse a lot of the deficiencies of canon by claiming that they were filtered though the perspective of a 11 to 17 year old boy. Of course he would see thing in black and white and not understand the deeper stuff going on. Some outside perspective might help to explain that not all Slytherines were stupid, evil and ugly. Snape is not just an evil slimy git but a person in his own right who has his problems and motivations. Not necessarily a misunderstood good guy, but no one-dimensional villain either. In fact Voldemort and his follower in general should be given some motivation beyond being evil racists.


For some of the inexplicable things going on like the whole trouble Voldemort went through to get Harry at the tri-wiazard tournament, one could either rewrite the plot into something more sane, keep it as it is and make it clear that riddle is insane or keep everything and explain why the elborate plot was something sane to do.

For Example: By abducting Harry at the very moment of his triumph in the tournament, riddle essentially turned the tournament into a part of his rebirth ritual. His initially plan might have been a snitch turned into a portkey, but the tournament was much better, giving Harry a chance to prove himself three time (a magical powerful number). The ritual of rebirth needed powerful ingredients Riddle couldn't just pick a muggle of the street, insult his football club and torture him for a bit to ensure that he became an enemy and then take his blood. He needed a powerful enemy for a powerful rebirth. Dumbeldore would have been to strong to overpower but Harry was just right. The tournament allowed him to build up a essentially harmless schoolboy into a champion.

Other soft spots in canon could be similarly explained. Goblins are not stupid, they know the worth of gold and silver and they know about investment, fractional reserve lending and all that. They have a good reason for simply keeping coins in vaults instead of some muggle ideas. Perhaps they gain some magical benefit from simply having gold in their 'possession' that outweighs other considerations.

Instead of changing to much a greater amount of background and a fleshing out of the world could be they key. More world building more complete characters and a more epic story might be the key.

 

[Jorlem]

For the Triwizard Tournament, I has this idea a while back that each of the events, including the Yule Ball, occur on a solstice or equinox. In addition to being a neat background detail, this would put Voldemort's resurrection ritual on the night of the summer solstice, when the nights start getting longer as darkness begins to overcome the light.

 

[cgobyd]

For the Triwizard Tournament, I has this idea a while back that each of the events, including the Yule Ball, occur on a solstice or equinox.? In addition to being a neat background detail, this would put Voldemort's resurrection ritual on the night of the summer solstice, when the nights start getting longer as darkness begins to overcome the light.

If you did that though then you have to remember that the summer solstice usually happens in June, so you would either have to have an event before school starts or have an event long after school ended (I think the school ended in early June, while the solstice happens in late June).

If you wanted to keep it in the school year you could have the first event be on the fall equinox, the second on halloween, the Yule ball on the Winter Solstice and the third on the Sprin Equinox, or chop out the fall equinox, and then just double up on the Winter Solstice.

Snape is not just an evil slimy git but a person in his own right who has his problems and motivations.

I have no problem with this as long as it is remembered that Snape is actually a slimy git, he just isn't completely evil.

Also IIRC from the first book they did state that the classrooms did change seemenly at random and not everything is as it seemed (such as hallways changing, doors looking like the wall and the walls looking like the doors.)

 

[Schema]

These seem to be two different ideas. One changes the apparatus of the story, but not the True Grit of it.

The other really sounds like changing the apparatus, and branching off on tangents, Like Irish, Religion, Nobility, that would really take it from AU to Severely AU.

Both of these have merit, but are different beasts.

Like the Hogwarts Express... Wouldn't it be strange to have tracks that are only used twice a year?

Wouldn't it be so much better if it was like the Weasley's Car? Aware, Able to Fly, and Turn Invisible?

Maybe even have the walls be transparent from the inside.

And magical trunks.... Maybe they don't have wardrobes or closets at hogwarts because it is expected for magical trunks to expand into them when you arrive. And include your own greenhouse for Potion's and Herbology. I mean there is a difference between maintaining plants and actually growing them from scratch.

Expand out Hogwarts ground with some Dragons, Gryphons, a few wild Phoenix, the Lake also has a Hydra, Pegasus are known to inhabit the forest.

 

[Lord Raine]

Snape is as horrific a person as it's possible to be without actually being evil. He's a petty, vindictive asshole. That doesn't mean he isn't also brave, clever, and loyal. I'd keep him the way he was shown in canon; a distant, angry, and ultimately tragic figure that laments what could have been, and cannot let go of the past.

For some of the inexplicable things going on like the whole trouble Voldemort went through to get Harry at the tri-wiazard tournament, one could either rewrite the plot into something more sane, keep it as it is and make it clear that riddle is insane or keep everything and explain why the elborate plot was something sane to do.

Voldemort created the ritual himself. It is entirely possible that we only saw the tail-end of the process, and that there are actually more requirements, such as time and season, that had to be met.

It may also be possible that Voldemort wanted not just the blood of Harry Potter specifically, but the blood of Harry Potter while under the compulsion of the Goblet of Fire. The Goblet is a very old and extremely potent magical artifact. It has a mind of it's own, and is clearly capable of enforcing magical contracts to an extreme degree. As demonstrated with Harry, it doesn't even have to be you that enters your name in. It can bind you to an irrevocable contract without your consent simply by being presented by a piece of paper with your name on it.

It could be that there are some further positive qualities to be harnessed from Harry's blood that would not be present if he were not a Champion. That is to say, that the ritual as Voldemort designed it benefts from having the Goblet of Fire involved, even if only indirectly.

 

[Deathwings]

I need to actually put it to paper but I've been keeping some heavy backstory ideas under my hat. Mostly really background, long time ago stuff concerning the creation of Wand based magic and the reason Merlin is basically Wizard Jesus. Interested ?

 

[Lord Raine]

That sounds exactly like what I talked about here four years ago.

You sure you aren't remembering what I said?

 

[Jorlem]

If you did that though then you have to remember that the summer solstice usually happens in June, so you would either have to have an event before school starts or have an event long after school ended (I think the school ended in early June, while the solstice happens in late June).

If you wanted to keep it in the school year you could have the first event be on the fall equinox, the second on halloween, the Yule ball on the Winter Solstice and the third on the Sprin Equinox, or chop out the fall equinox, and then just double up on the Winter Solstice.

Well, according to the Harry Potter Lexicon

 

[Lord Raine]

One thing I've entertained for a good long time, and fully intend to stick into some of my fics, is the idea that there are secret areas of Hogwarts that can only be accessed by using a Floo inside Hogwarts. These could range from lost rooms to entire lost wings of the castle, and could be filled with anything from a library that nobody has touched in a thousand years, to original paintings of the Founders, and other, more eclectic treasures and secrets that have been lost to the ages. It might be interesting to explore the possibility of truly 'lost' and secret areas of Hogwarts, that no one knows about anymore.

 

[Lord of Bones]

I need to actually put it to paper but I've been keeping some heavy backstory ideas under my hat. Mostly really background, long time ago stuff concerning the creation of Wand based magic and the reason Merlin is basically Wizard Jesus. Interested ?

Is Merlin really Wizard Jesus? Keep in mind we've only seen British spellcasters; what about Circe and Medea from Greece? Koschei the Deathless and Baba Yaga of Russia? Finland's Queen Louhi?

 

[Schema]

One thing I've entertained for a good long time, and fully intend to stick into some of my fics, is the idea that there are secret areas of Hogwarts that can only be accessed by using a Floo inside Hogwarts. These could range from lost rooms to entire lost wings of the castle, and could be filled with anything from a library that nobody has touched in a thousand years, to original paintings of the Founders, and other, more eclectic treasures and secrets that have been lost to the ages. It might be interesting to explore the possibility of truly 'lost' and secret areas of Hogwarts, that no one knows about anymore.

Now this is true gold....

And they will call it.... FlooGate FG-1.

 

[pidl]

For some of the inexplicable things going on like the whole trouble Voldemort went through to get Harry at the tri-wiazard tournament, one could either rewrite the plot into something more sane, keep it as it is and make it clear that riddle is insane or keep everything and explain why the elborate plot was something sane to do.

Voldemort created the ritual himself. It is entirely possible that we only saw the tail-end of the process, and that there are actually more requirements, such as time and season, that had to be met.

It may also be possible that Voldemort wanted not just the blood of Harry Potter specifically, but the blood of Harry Potter while under the compulsion of the Goblet of Fire. The Goblet is a very old and extremely potent magical artifact. It has a mind of it's own, and is clearly capable of enforcing magical contracts to an extreme degree. As demonstrated with Harry, it doesn't even have to be you that enters your name in. It can bind you to an irrevocable contract without your consent simply by being presented by a piece of paper with your name on it.

It could be that there are some further positive qualities to be harnessed from Harry's blood that would not be present if he were not a Champion. That is to say, that the ritual as Voldemort designed it benefts from having the Goblet of Fire involved, even if only indirectly.

I once read a fic that explained it as "the more effort you put in the magic/ritual, the better the result."

So for instance: if Voldemort had Crouch toss a portkey at Harry the ritual wouldn't have been as good as when Harry had to win a competition for him to get to the portkey (the idea being that Harry's blood was more powerful than because of the effort needed to win.)

Also that somebody who struggled a long time to learn a spell would ultimately be better with it once they finally learned it then somebody who performed it on the first try.

 

[Archanon]

For some of the inexplicable things going on like the whole trouble Voldemort went through to get Harry at the tri-wiazard tournament, one could either rewrite the plot into something more sane, keep it as it is and make it clear that riddle is insane or keep everything and explain why the elborate plot was something sane to do.

Voldemort created the ritual himself. It is entirely possible that we only saw the tail-end of the process, and that there are actually more requirements, such as time and season, that had to be met.

It may also be possible that Voldemort wanted not just the blood of Harry Potter specifically, but the blood of Harry Potter while under the compulsion of the Goblet of Fire. The Goblet is a very old and extremely potent magical artifact. It has a mind of it's own, and is clearly capable of enforcing magical contracts to an extreme degree. As demonstrated with Harry, it doesn't even have to be you that enters your name in. It can bind you to an irrevocable contract without your consent simply by being presented by a piece of paper with your name on it.

It could be that there are some further positive qualities to be harnessed from Harry's blood that would not be present if he were not a Champion. That is to say, that the ritual as Voldemort designed it benefts from having the Goblet of Fire involved, even if only indirectly.

I once read a fic that explained it as "the more effort you put in the magic/ritual, the better the result."

So for instance: if Voldemort had Crouch toss a portkey at Harry the ritual wouldn't have been as good as when Harry had to win a competition for him to get to the portkey (the idea being that Harry's blood was more powerful than because of the effort needed to win.)

Also that somebody who struggled a long time to learn a spell would ultimately be better with it once they finally learned it then somebody who performed it on the first try.

That would explain Harry's Patronus, too, actually. I like that. It's going into my personal fanon.

Do you remember what fic that was? I think I read it once and I recall it being decent.

 

[Pirazy]

For some of the inexplicable things going on like the whole trouble Voldemort went through to get Harry at the tri-wiazard tournament, one could either rewrite the plot into something more sane, keep it as it is and make it clear that riddle is insane or keep everything and explain why the elborate plot was something sane to do.

Voldemort created the ritual himself. It is entirely possible that we only saw the tail-end of the process, and that there are actually more requirements, such as time and season, that had to be met.

It may also be possible that Voldemort wanted not just the blood of Harry Potter specifically, but the blood of Harry Potter while under the compulsion of the Goblet of Fire. The Goblet is a very old and extremely potent magical artifact. It has a mind of it's own, and is clearly capable of enforcing magical contracts to an extreme degree. As demonstrated with Harry, it doesn't even have to be you that enters your name in. It can bind you to an irrevocable contract without your consent simply by being presented by a piece of paper with your name on it.

It could be that there are some further positive qualities to be harnessed from Harry's blood that would not be present if he were not a Champion. That is to say, that the ritual as Voldemort designed it benefts from having the Goblet of Fire involved, even if only indirectly.

I once read a fic that explained it as "the more effort you put in the magic/ritual, the better the result."

So for instance: if Voldemort had Crouch toss a portkey at Harry the ritual wouldn't have been as good as when Harry had to win a competition for him to get to the portkey (the idea being that Harry's blood was more powerful than because of the effort needed to win.)

Also that somebody who struggled a long time to learn a spell would ultimately be better with it once they finally learned it then somebody who performed it on the first try.

That would explain Harry's Patronus, too, actually. I like that. It's going into my personal fanon.

Do you remember what fic that was? I think I read it once and I recall it being decent.

<a href='http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6500428/1/Potters_Wheel' target='_blank' rel='nofollow'>Potter's Wheel</a> by <a href='http://www.fanfiction.net/u/1137344/esama' target='_blank' rel='nofollow'>esama</a>

 

[Lord Raine]

Another idea I had is that Hogwarts is not a primary/highschool, but rather a college. Magic displays itself later (at the middle or end of puberty), and thus all of the students are older. First Years might be considerably older, anywhere from sixteen to nineteen. Everyone comes to Hogwarts with a basic education already in play (history, mathmatics, ect), and Hogwarts is a magical college where you learn magic to suppliment that. Muggleborns would have already graduated middle and high school before they even get their letter, as would halfbloods and some pureblood equivalent (either through home schooling or magical schools that don't actually teach magic).

I feel this would change the dynamic of Hogwarts fairly radically. All of the classes by definition become more complex and more advanced, because they assume an already acceptable degree of maturity, intelligence, and competence in the students. Maturity also plays a part in the fact that everybody is either already well under way as far as puberty is concerned, or has already finish pretty much all the growing they're going to do. Sports like Quidditch would start immediately, instead of being restricted to later years, as would social events like weekend trips to Hogsmead. Romances would change. Not only would the people involved be mature enough to actually go places with a relationship, but many muggleborns and halfbloods would likely already have boyfriends and/or girlfriends outside of Hogwarts, which means that they would have to juggle a long-distance relationship in which they will probably have to lie quite a bit about what their school is like. Purebloods, on the other hand, might use Hogwarts as the place to involve themselves romantically.

It also changes the character dynamics on an even more basic level. Harry is not a boy. He is a young man. That changes quite a bit about how he might behave, act, and respond to certain things, like his fame, his popularity, and the events he gets embroiled in. It also makes quite a number of things make more sense. Just for starters, it makes pretty much every extraordinary thing he ever accomplished (fighting his way to the stone, slaying the Basilisk, ect) a fair bit more reasonable. They are still incredible accomplishments, but it's more believable that someone in their late teens accomplished them, as opposed to someone who hasn't even hit puberty yet.

It also makes the Triwizard Tournament make considerably more sense, because it is not teenagers competing; it is adults. The sixth year and up restriction Hogwarts enforces would logically be there under the assumption that everyone is by that year legally an adult, and thus wholly responsible for their own actions. They can take on the responsibility of competing in an event that could potentially claim their lives. They are, at that point, considered capable of making that sort of commitment.

Thoughts?

 

[Ninsaneja]

Read title of thread, mind produced immediately "Harry Potter Herbal Enhancement for Men."

removed long rant about snape here. just fuck that guy ok

 

[KjusJi]

As demonstrated with Harry, it doesn't even have to be you that enters your name in. It can bind you to an irrevocable contract without your consent simply by being presented by a piece of paper with your name on it.

There's no solid evidence that Harry was in fact under any sort of contract or compulsion from the Goblet. The only real evidence is Dumbledore's initial statement when the Goblet is first brought out, where he states in part "The placing of your name in the goblet constitutes a binding, magical contract." This suggests that it is the act of placing the name that initiates the contract between the goblet and the one doing the placing. This makes sense, after all the goblet has no way of matching a name to a person with whom it has had no contact.

The only evidence beyond Dumbledore's somewhat ambiguous opening statements comes from Moody and Crouch Sr, both of whom cannot be trusted to be impartial. Moody uses Dumbledore's earlier statements as evidence that Harry is under a contract, but then directs the conversation away, quite possibly wanting people to take Dumbledore's word as proof that Harry has to compete without actually thinking about whether it applies to him.

Crouch states merely that "We must follow the rules, and the rules state clearly that those people whose names come out of the Goblet of Fire are bound to compete in the tournament." Since Crouch "knows the rule book back to front," this is pretty much accepted as fact -- but we as readers know that Crouch is under the Imperius curse at this point, and since Voldemort wants Harry in the tournament Crouch is going to say something that gets him in whether it's true or not.

If anything, the fact that both Voldemort supporters (Crouch Jr in disguise and the imperiused Crouch Sr) are so quick to push the idea of Harry having to participate is very suspicious -- if Harry really is under a binding contract then they don't need to say anything and he'll compete whether he wants to or not.


Consider an alternative theory: It is the person who drops the paper in that is entered into a contract with the Goblet of Fire, and that slip of paper being chosen completes the contract. We see in canon, however, that the goblet does not in any way seem to punish cheating. It seems quite possible that the goblet would accept getting someone else into competing for you as a valid method of fulfilling the contract. Thus Moody (actually Crouch Jr) is the one bound by the contract, but he's tricked Harry into taking his place. The fact that he provides help to Harry on all three of the tasks would be additional evidence to the goblet that he is fulfilling his side of the contract.


Of course, given that the Goblet of Fire is an extremely old magical artifact that hasn't seen use in centuries, it's also possible that the 'binding magical contract' part is just a myth that attempted to explain why champions continued to compete in tasks once they realized just how low their odds of survival were.

 

[Lord Raine]

there is no evidence that he was under any sort of compulsion

But canon says he was, and nothing contradicts that, so he was. End of story.

 

[KjusJi]

there is no evidence that he was under any sort of compulsion

But canon says he was, and nothing contradicts that, so he was. End of story.

No, canon doesn't. The only point in canon at which he is explicitly said to be in a contract is when Moody and Crouch say he has to compete, and if you're taking their word for it there's clearly something wrong with you.

Everything thereafter in canon is based on the assumption that what they said is true, when there's every reason to believe that their sole motivation is to make sure that Harry competes no matter what.

 

[Lord Raine]

Dumbledore, Moody, Crouch, and Bagman all claim it is a magically binding contract. Of them, you can only discount two. Arguably only one. And even if you could discount all of them, it would not matter. They state it is true, and nothing contradicts them. Ergo, it is canon.

Furthermore, you are ignoring the fact that it's status as a magically binding contract was never in question. Nobody in the room, except for Harry and the other Champions, questioned it. All of the adults (except possibly Snape, I cannot remember) agreed by virtue of not arguing about it that it was a magically binding contract. That means that the list of people who claim it is actually a fair bit longer than you stated. They never asked Crouch to verify if it was a contract; that was clearly stated to be the case. What they asked him is whether or not there were any loopholes that could be exploited, either to get Harry out or to put more champions in. The answer, according to him, was no.

You could argue that there might be loopholes that Crouch was forced to cover up via Imperius, but you cannot argue that the contract itself does not exist. That particular point was never in contention.

 

[KjusJi]

Only two people actually say that Harry is in a magically binding contract -- Crouch and Moody. Arguably one, if you say that Crouch is only addressing the issue of loopholes. Go read it again -- I did before I first posted. Dumbledore only talked about contracts when the Goblet was first brought out; at the meeting when the champions were picked he said nothing about any contract. Bagman just deferred to Crouch, so he doesn't count.

The issue is not 'is there a contract?' It's 'is Harry under a contract?' And canon leaves this open to interpretation, since Harry didn't enter himself. If it doesn't matter whether Harry entered himself, then why is Dumbledore so concerned about whether or not Harry was the one who put his name in? Why is Moody (Crouch Jr) so quick to shift the topic away from 'Did Harry put his name in?' to 'Who's trying to kill Harry?'

Moody enters and immediately states that Harry is in a magically binding contract. No-one argues, because no-one has any solid evidence that he isn't and the resident expert, the imperiused Crouch, has said he has to compete. This is not 'everyone agreeing.' This is 'no-one's really sure, and Harry isn't sticking up for himself so why should they?' It's quite possible that if Harry had made a stink about being forced into it then someone would have gone and gotten the rule-book and we might have a solid answer one way or the other.

As it is, the only people who have stated 'Harry has to compete' are Moody and Crouch. Pretty much everyone else at the meeting save Dumbledore and Harry himself doesn't entirely believe that Harry didn't enter himself anyway, so they're unlikely to be supportive of him when he isn't even actively trying to get out of it himself.


Note that I'm not saying that Harry isn't under a contract -- what I'm saying is that what little evidence we have comes from heavily biased sources leaving a great deal of ambiguity.

Of course, if you actually write a fic including the Goblet of Fire you're perfectly free to have it put Harry in a binding magical contract. I'm just pointing out it would be just about as well supported to have Harry not be actually in a contract and Moody and Crouch shoehorning him into competing by getting everyone to assume that he is.

 

[Pirazy]

Having Harry play chicken with the Goblet with his life and magic on the line would be pretty damn boss, especially once he wins and gives all the fuckers who doubted him the finger while grabbing his junk in a lewd gesture. Big brass ones on that one.

Fuck you Crouch!

(<a href='http://www.xtalrose.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/fuck_yo_couch.gif[/img]

 

[mandalorianjedi]

When the issue of magically significant dates came up, more specifically for Harry's fourth year, for the Tri-Wizard Tournament, I had to question, why have the first task on the Autumn Equinox?

The lighting of the Goblet actually happened right before Halloween and the name drawing happened the day of in canon- so why not just move up the Champion Selection from October to September, put the first task on Halloween, the Yule Ball could work for either Christmas day or the Winter Solstice, putting the second task on the Spring Equinox and the third task on the Summer Solstice.

Jorlem, you were wrong on one detail, however. June 21st, the day of the Summer Solstice, is the LONGEST day of the year, when light overtakes darkness. December 21st, the day of the Winter Solistice, is the SHORTEST day of the year, when light recedes and darkness becomes dominant. At least, in the Northern Hemisphere, where Britain, Scotland and Hogwarts, subsequently are.

 

[BlackSun]

Another idea I had is that Hogwarts is not a primary/highschool, but rather a college. Magic displays itself later (at the middle or end of puberty), and thus all of the students are older. First Years might be considerably older, anywhere from sixteen to nineteen. Everyone comes to Hogwarts with a basic education already in play (history, mathmatics, ect), and Hogwarts is a magical college where you learn magic to suppliment that. Muggleborns would have already graduated middle and high school before they even get their letter, as would halfbloods and some pureblood equivalent (either through home schooling or magical schools that don't actually teach magic).

I feel this would change the dynamic of Hogwarts fairly radically. All of the classes by definition become more complex and more advanced, because they assume an already acceptable degree of maturity, intelligence, and competence in the students. Maturity also plays a part in the fact that everybody is either already well under way as far as puberty is concerned, or has already finish pretty much all the growing they're going to do. Sports like Quidditch would start immediately, instead of being restricted to later years, as would social events like weekend trips to Hogsmead. Romances would change. Not only would the people involved be mature enough to actually go places with a relationship, but many muggleborns and halfbloods would likely already have boyfriends and/or girlfriends outside of Hogwarts, which means that they would have to juggle a long-distance relationship in which they will probably have to lie quite a bit about what their school is like. Purebloods, on the other hand, might use Hogwarts as the place to involve themselves romantically.

It also changes the character dynamics on an even more basic level. Harry is not a boy. He is a young man. That changes quite a bit about how he might behave, act, and respond to certain things, like his fame, his popularity, and the events he gets embroiled in. It also makes quite a number of things make more sense. Just for starters, it makes pretty much every extraordinary thing he ever accomplished (fighting his way to the stone, slaying the Basilisk, ect) a fair bit more reasonable. They are still incredible accomplishments, but it's more believable that someone in their late teens accomplished them, as opposed to someone who hasn't even hit puberty yet.

It also makes the Triwizard Tournament make considerably more sense, because it is not teenagers competing; it is adults. The sixth year and up restriction Hogwarts enforces would logically be there under the assumption that everyone is by that year legally an adult, and thus wholly responsible for their own actions. They can take on the responsibility of competing in an event that could potentially claim their lives. They are, at that point, considered capable of making that sort of commitment.

Thoughts?

When and were would muggleborns (and HP) learn both to control their magic and that it must be kept a secret from muggles?

I might be remembering it wrong, but doesn't accidental magic only stop after learning to control magic?

And if a teenager finds out they have magic powers, and know no one else who do, what are the odds of them never using it in a way that draws attention to existence of magic?

Obliviators can't be running around while every single muggleborn teenager keeps using magic, and only telling them to stop it without any other guidance, can they?