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Hogwarts, Hogwarts,
Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,
Teach us something please,
Whether we be old and bald,
Or young with scabby knees,
Our heads could do with filling,
With some interesting stuff,
For now they're bare
And full of air,
Dead flies and bits of fluff.
So teach us stuff worth knowing,
Bring back what we forgot,
Just do your best
We'll do the rest,
And learn until our brains all rot!



1: The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.
2: Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.
3: There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.
4: Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun,
5: Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race.
6: His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.
7: The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.
8: The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.
9: The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.
10: More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
11: Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.
12: Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults.
13: Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.
14: Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.

Sunday, November 20, 2005

Potter's Pains: Wands and Broomsticks versus Apparition and Portkeys

I have been mulling over the whole wandless magic thing. One thing that has struck me is the effect portkeys and apparitions have on Harry. Portkeys are described for him as a hard tug behind his navel, not particularly a fun thought. And in the very heavy chapter "Lightning Struck Tower" we hear apparition described as a feeling of "horrible compression."

These are both forms of wandless magic. Apparition is completely wandless and, while I imagine it does take a wand to make a portkey, it does not take a wand to use one. It hink these forms of magic, like potions, are allowable and can be used for good (maybe "neutral"), and that those such as Arthur and Molly Weasley, who are good, can use them without noticing the effects Harry notices because they are sort of the "hoi polloi" who are immersed in the mundane details of life - not meaning "mundane" in a negative sense - and sort of get used to the thing of the sensations so they might not even consciously recognize the feelings anymore. But Harry, so intimately tied to all the minute details of the battle between good and evil, is acutely sensitive to the very nature of any unique form of magic such as these. He acutely senses the "non-wand" nature."

When I first thought of this, I thought, "well, can it be contrasted with any magic that Harry does get a particularly good feeling from, an area of magic that he really likes a lot?" And I thought, "well, he really enjoys flying ... but that is a wandless magic too" And THEN I thought, "but wait a minute, it does necessarily involve a broomstick!"

So the symbolism sort of broadens here from "wand vs non-wand" to "magic based in a symbol vs magic untied to symbols." The broomstick is very much an emblem or symbol, an external object which the wizard must connect with in order to do the magic.
posted by Merlin at 6:16 PM


Comments on "Potter's Pains: Wands and Broomsticks versus Apparition and Portkeys"

 

Blogger Pauli said ... (November 28, 2005 2:08 PM) : 

Good observation. The other object that Harry has an affinity with seems to be Gryffindor's sword which appears unasked for in his hour of need. Maybe it will appear again in book 7, that would be cool! (I'm a sucker for swords.)

 

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