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Reader Comments: (Page 10)

There's magic and then there is alchemy. Ancient "magicians" used to try to turn lead into gold, maybe Aberforth was trying to get goats to make bezoars. The world's often critical of those that try something new, he may just have been ahead of his time. With all the potions introduced in the series lately, they are going to need all the bezoars they can get.

I think the only magic Dudley ever do is make an entire cake dissappear!

Posted by Dave Porter from New Mexico, USA on March 1, 2007 5:45 PM

Dave: You do make a very good point! But after reading your comment I remembered what Hermoine first said when we met her in the first book. On page 105 in the English edition, she walked into Harry and Ron's compartment on the train looking for Neville's toad. When Ron was beginning to do magic on Scabbers. And this is what she said exactly..."Well, it's not very good, is it? I've tried a few simple spells just for practice and it's all worked for me. NOBODY in my family's magic at all, it was ever such a surprise when I got my letter,..."

Like Michael said that when Jo was asked if Petunia was a squib she said, "No, but that is very close." I believe that there is a term used for wizards that are born into muggle families. That we haven't heard of yet. That may be what she meant by very close.

Posted by Kyle from Kearney, Ne on March 1, 2007 7:37 PM

Marjorie: I think Aberforth help Harry, at least in finding one of the Horcruxes.

First, several people on this forum have insisted on the fact he got, through Mundungus, things that were in 12 Grimmauld Place - maybe the real Slytherin Locket.

Second, because when Dumbledore says: "Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!", it looks very much as if he talks about four persons that help Harry in the ly Hallows. To me, the most obvious is Blubber (Slughorn: Hermione compares him to a walrus), and the runner up is Oddment: Aberforth.

Posted by herve from strasbourg on March 1, 2007 11:33 PM

could lilly be adopted?

Posted by gordon from uk on March 2, 2007 12:19 AM

Gordon: I don't see why Lily would be adopted. We do know that Hermoine doesn't have anyone else in her family that can do magic. If it's possible that Hermoine is the only one in her family that can do magic, Why can't Lily be the only one in her family that can do magic? Think about this...Petunia hated that her sister could do magic! Is it possible that Petunia only hated Lily for doing magic because she couldn't do magic herself?

Posted by Kyle from Kearney, Ne on March 2, 2007 08:29 AM

Gordon,
Not unless Petunia was also adopted. Dumbledore placed Harry where his mother's blood still lived to keep him safe until he turned 17.

Posted by Patty from Quincy,Massachusetts on March 2, 2007 09:29 AM

i think aberforth replace albus as a fatherly figure to harry in book seven. aberforth has been sleuthing (i presumed) for the Order, this means he is aware of what's going on. maybe harry and him establish a closer relationship, both missing albus. just my thoughts.

Posted by nalie from Bellflower, CA on March 2, 2007 10:28 AM

Ok Im jumping into a conversation from the last page, about Petunia being a Squib. I think that their parents could have been expelled from Hogwarts or something but my mom came up with this very reasonable arguement:
"Some Muggles would HAVE to know that Hogwarts was there otherwise they wouldn't sent their kids there. Its pretty stupid to send you kid to some school that you have never heard of, in an unknown part of the country, just because you got a letter from some quote quote Wizard saying that your kid is a Wizard."
Come to think of it, would any of you want to send your kid to a school you had never heard of, just because you got a letter from that school? They would pretty much have to know something about it, otherwise why would they let their kids go?
So I think that Lilys parents were a witch and a wizard, expelled from Hogwarts and sick of the magical world. That way they could tell Lily and Petunia that they were totally shocked by Lilys letter coming, and raise them for most of their lives to be Muggles.

Posted by Ashley from Missouri on March 2, 2007 12:11 PM

herve i like that idea. could "Tweak" be Wormtail? it sounds sort of like sweak. and "Nitwit" would be someone really stupid.

Posted by claire from townsville, queensland, australia on March 2, 2007 8:35 PM

Don't the Creevy brothers come from a Muggle household? Dennis was so shocked to find out why he could do the things he did as a kid before getting the letter. This did not seem to bother the Creevys as it explained some of the 'strangeness' that had been going on around the kids since they were born. Perhaps Muggle families are only shocked in relation to how much 'wierdness' they have or have not had to live through with the kids before they hear from Hogwarts?

Posted by Charlie Tarbox from Gettysburg, Pa on March 3, 2007 06:27 AM

Claire: I'm starting to think of Mme Pince to be "Tweak": she is vulture like (vulture have claws and tweak little animals to them) and in french, the verb "pincer" means tweak (Tweak is translated as "pinçon" in french)

Posted by herve from strasbourg on March 3, 2007 10:28 AM

True, Charlie. I had a thought that the Creevy brothers continue to make regular appearances in spite of not being central to the plot.....

Herve, interesting comments. I'm still not 100% sure about Aberforth as mentor (it just seems like a good idea right now!) I still cling to my chocolate frog card idea and have started to wonder about other characters as I listen to OotP once again for the last time before I see the film in July. It be interesting to see what Aberforth looks like behind the bar!

Posted by Marjorieq from New Zealand on March 3, 2007 1:07 PM

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