<	Latest Articles
	Comments Index
	Save Last On

Search Beyond Hogwarts:

Latest Harry Potter News:

•	Harry Potter stars dominate BAFTA TV nominations
•	Robbie Coltrane painting to be auctioned
•	Emma Watson says she's not a great actress
•	Muggle Quidditch becomes top university sport
•	Inventor says we need more science not Potter
•	Emma Watson relies on Potter co-star Daniel Radcliffe
> More News Headlines

Reference Desk:
•	Beyond Hogwarts FAQ
•	Wizard to Muggle Currency Converter
•	Harry Potter Spelling Reference

Pages:  <<  <  1  2   >  >>

Reader Comments:

In the commentary to this article, Dumbledore points out that there are still people, like the Malfoys, who are predjudiced against non-pureblood wizards.

But more importantly, he comes right out and says to Lucius Malfoy in the reply to his letter that what they believe in isn't really real to begin with. There are no purebloods, and pureblood families are lying about their purebloodedness, by disowning and/or banishing members of their family that don't measure up to their standards.

One wonders why more Wizards don't stand up to people like the Malfoys the way Dumbledore did...

Posted by Dave Haber from Los Angeles, CA on February 21, 2009 3:19 PM

I was reading Tales of Beadle the Bard and couldn't help but wonder what distinguishes muggles from squibs. I know they (squibs) are born to magic families, but they can see dementors, as Ms. Figg tells us. what else makes them different?

Posted by Abby from Wales on February 21, 2009 3:20 PM

I think that squibs are "weak-wizards",i think they can do magic but only simple spells and even then they may fail to cast the spell right.In the HBP Morvolo Gaunt calls his daughter a squib but the truth is she can perform magic but not as good as others.

Posted by Prongs from Athens,Greece on February 21, 2009 3:21 PM

does the fountain of good fortune have any religious symbols?

Posted by Kef on February 21, 2009 3:22 PM

No religious symbols are there that i know of but there is one familar symbol at the bottom, the ly hallows symbol.

What this is there for i don't know but there is also the ohm symbol on the second panel down which symbols resistance, again no idea why this was there. I have no idea about the eye and i can't really see the symbol at the top.

Posted by Craig Edwards from London on February 21, 2009 3:23 PM

I had also spotted those two symbols, but there is even more, if you take a good look at the edges of the fountain you see that there are many more symbols.

We know JKR quite a bit by now, and although i don't have a clue what the symbols symbolise i know that there is someting behind it.

Posted by Jord from Groningen on February 25, 2009 07:40 AM

I think the eye at the top may be the eye of the snake that wraps itself around the fountain

Posted by Hello on February 26, 2009 06:19 AM

I think that what you call a snake is a dragon, because of the wings.

Posted by Jord from Groningen on February 28, 2009 08:37 AM

Let's see...

As far as I've understood, and I think I've understood pretty well, squibs are exactly the same as muggles, except that they know about the magical world, since they've grown up immersed in it. Squibs CAN'T see dementors; Mrs. Figg just pretends she can, so the Wizengamot absolve Harry. Obviously, wizards think so little of squibs that they haven't even stopped to consider if they can or cannot see dementors. Arabella describes the feeling dementors produce as well as a muggle would. Regarding Voldemort's mother, Marvolo calls her a squib, which does NOT mean she is; please remember she was despised by her father and brother. Dumbledore himself mentions that she probably couldn't perform decent magic due to the the fact that she was terrified of her father. And he also says that when she stopped performing magic altogether was because she felt dirty, because Tom Riddle had despised her for being a witch. If she had been a squib, she could never had administered a love potion to him.

Posted by Ariadna from Mexico on March 27, 2009 7:05 PM

This story is definitely my favourite out of all of Beedle's. It's not because of the muggle/wizard pairings either. What I think Beedle was trying to say in this story, is that not everything needs magic. Asha was cured; no magic, just herbs. Altheda got her money; no magic, just the discovery of a remedy. Amata and Sir Luckless were happy together; no magic, just love. Yes, I think Beedle was trying to tell people that sometimes, magic isn't necessary to be happy.

P.S. Abby, from Wales, this is a muggle: someone who cannot perform magic, and has no magical blood. This is a squib: someone with magical parents, but cannot perform magic themselves.

Posted by Ellie from England on April 10, 2009 11:08 AM

kef there is the all seeing eye, a masonic symbol, and a peagan symbol

Posted by matthew from monterey, ca on April 13, 2009 9:06 PM

Ellie from England, I feel you are mistaken, love is VERY magical!

Posted by Nat D. Aiken from the Bronx, NYC (near a real castle) on April 15, 2009 07:53 AM

Pages:  <<  <  1  2   >  >>