So, the last portion of Goblet of Fire has gone up on Pottermore, with some new bits of info from JK Rowling. Here are the highlights:
Originally, Harry and Ron were going to crash into the lake in book 2, which is when the merpeople would have been introduced. They would have played a larger role in the later books, which would likely have been linked to the idea she had "that the lake might lead to other places." This idea was alluded to in GoF, with Durmstrang's ship traveling through the lake, but nothing more came of this.
Owls find the people they have mail for via "the mystical association between the name and the human who bears it". Owls "appear to be able to make such a connection between the name and its possessor that enables them to trace the witch or wizard concerned wherever he or she may be. An owl does not need to know an address, although witches and wizards generally add the place to the envelope on the off-chance that the owl is intercepted and the letter falls into other hands." That entry goes on to note that there are numerous spells that can restrict or block the Owl Post, and lists a few variations. Also, virtually all owls either belong to their country's postal service, or to individual wizards or witches.
Pensieves are both rare, and rarely used, as most wizards are wary of the possibility of others being able to access their memories without their consent. Additionally, while it is possible to use a pensieve to sort and organize one's thoughts and memories, it is extremely difficult to do so, far above and beyond the difficulty involved in recreating memories. Also, their rarity is exacerbated thanks to the long running tradition of burying a wizard's pensieve with its owner, along with all the memories it contains. The Hogwarts pensieve is a rare exception to this, as it belongs to the school, and contains the life experiences donated by most of the prior headmasters and headmistresses, in the form of memories. A variant form of Saxon runes are carved into the Hogwarts Pensieve, indicating its age exceeds that of the school. According to legend, the pensieve was discovered by the Founders , half buried in the land that they decided to build the school upon.
Finally, the last new segment was on the subject of illness and disabilities. Apparently, injuries and illnesses are divided into two categories: mundane and magical. Wizards can shrug off, or be easily healed from any harm that derives from a mundane source. Some example given include long falls, scorpion stings that could kill a muggle, and the flu. Damage done by a magical source, however, cannot be "overridden" by magic, so must be treated with the same seriousness that muggles would treat mundane injuries or diseases. The entry mentions both Lockhart and Neville's parents as examples of the difficulty in repairing damage done via magic, along with Luna's mother, Pandora, who died "when one of her experimental spells went wrong" . Moody is also mentioned, and it is stated that he lost his original eye and leg in a wizards' battle. (And yes, it does say battle, not duel.) There are also references to several magical diseases, such as Dragon Pox (originally contracted from Peruvian Vipertooths), and a note that injuries from magical beasts count as magical as well. . It isn't explicitly stated, but this appears to be the logic behind why Pomfrey could have easily healed Harry's broken arm, but instead had to use a more difficult (for Harry) method, as Lockhart had vanished the bones.
Rowling also states that "Remus Lupin's affliction was a conscious reference to blood-borne diseases such as the HIV infection, with the attendant stigma."
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Stand between the Silver Crystal and the Golden Sea.
"Youngsters these days just have no appreciation for the magnificence of the legendary cucumber." --Krityan Elder, Tales of Vesperia.
Originally, Harry and Ron were going to crash into the lake in book 2, which is when the merpeople would have been introduced. They would have played a larger role in the later books, which would likely have been linked to the idea she had "that the lake might lead to other places." This idea was alluded to in GoF, with Durmstrang's ship traveling through the lake, but nothing more came of this.
Owls find the people they have mail for via "the mystical association between the name and the human who bears it". Owls "appear to be able to make such a connection between the name and its possessor that enables them to trace the witch or wizard concerned wherever he or she may be. An owl does not need to know an address, although witches and wizards generally add the place to the envelope on the off-chance that the owl is intercepted and the letter falls into other hands." That entry goes on to note that there are numerous spells that can restrict or block the Owl Post, and lists a few variations. Also, virtually all owls either belong to their country's postal service, or to individual wizards or witches.
Pensieves are both rare, and rarely used, as most wizards are wary of the possibility of others being able to access their memories without their consent. Additionally, while it is possible to use a pensieve to sort and organize one's thoughts and memories, it is extremely difficult to do so, far above and beyond the difficulty involved in recreating memories. Also, their rarity is exacerbated thanks to the long running tradition of burying a wizard's pensieve with its owner, along with all the memories it contains. The Hogwarts pensieve is a rare exception to this, as it belongs to the school, and contains the life experiences donated by most of the prior headmasters and headmistresses, in the form of memories. A variant form of Saxon runes are carved into the Hogwarts Pensieve, indicating its age exceeds that of the school. According to legend, the pensieve was discovered by the Founders , half buried in the land that they decided to build the school upon.
Finally, the last new segment was on the subject of illness and disabilities. Apparently, injuries and illnesses are divided into two categories: mundane and magical. Wizards can shrug off, or be easily healed from any harm that derives from a mundane source. Some example given include long falls, scorpion stings that could kill a muggle, and the flu. Damage done by a magical source, however, cannot be "overridden" by magic, so must be treated with the same seriousness that muggles would treat mundane injuries or diseases. The entry mentions both Lockhart and Neville's parents as examples of the difficulty in repairing damage done via magic, along with Luna's mother, Pandora, who died "when one of her experimental spells went wrong" . Moody is also mentioned, and it is stated that he lost his original eye and leg in a wizards' battle. (And yes, it does say battle, not duel.) There are also references to several magical diseases, such as Dragon Pox (originally contracted from Peruvian Vipertooths), and a note that injuries from magical beasts count as magical as well. . It isn't explicitly stated, but this appears to be the logic behind why Pomfrey could have easily healed Harry's broken arm, but instead had to use a more difficult (for Harry) method, as Lockhart had vanished the bones.
Rowling also states that "Remus Lupin's affliction was a conscious reference to blood-borne diseases such as the HIV infection, with the attendant stigma."
-----
Stand between the Silver Crystal and the Golden Sea.
"Youngsters these days just have no appreciation for the magnificence of the legendary cucumber." --Krityan Elder, Tales of Vesperia.