'Serenity'
This thread is a focused discussion group. Please see the first post below for the current topic and upcoming book discussions. While natter will inevitably happen, we encourage you to treat this like a virtual book club and try to keep your posts in that spirit.
By consensus, this thread is reopened specifically to discuss Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. It will be closed again once that discussion has run its course.
***SPOILER ALERT***
And it also depends on how you're defining "intelligent species," I think. Just the ability to talk?
At some point they actually list them, don't they? Umbridge maybe? The "non human magical creatures" act? They're not subject to certain rules or whatever?
And it also depends on how you're defining "intelligent species," I think. Just the ability to talk?
I would think that it should be the ability to communicate and work together for a common goal.
I would think that it should be the ability to communicate and work together for a common goal.
Hmm. By that definition, though, I think the gargoyles would qualify.
Looks like the Ministry divides the magical creatures into Beasts, Beings, and Spirits. Specifically mentioned as Beasts are centuars, hippogriffs, dragons, and werewolves. Specifically mentioned as beings are house elves, goblines, and werewolves. (At the Ministry, the Werewolf Registry and the Werewolf Capture Unit are in the Beast division, but the Werewolf Support Services are in the Being division.)
Hmm. By that definition, though, I think the gargoyles would qualify.
By that definition, mole rats qualify.
humans get to be generalists; bad or good is to be determined, but for other species it's in the genes.
Hm, and I was thinking that all the magical species having specific flaws (which in at least the cases I can think of off the top of my head some individuals manage to transcend) implied that humanity also has a specific flaw we just can't see it, since we all pretty much have it.
Get your gay Dumbledore shirt today! [link]
Reading some comments on Dumbledore's outing and laughed my ass off at this one:
And give me a break with this “it traumatizes my kids” nonsense. If you dont want you kids to hear about “deviant” sexual behavior, stop electing republicans to congress.
BWAH!
OK, that's worth a second BWAH! here.
There are times when it's obvious an author is modelling real world racial/ethnic stereotypes for propagandistic purposes, and other times when it's clearly unconscious, or else they're aiming to be enlightened, but missing the target by a mile. Writing is sometimes harder than it looks.
It's over. Nothing really surprising in the ending bits. Harry only keeps the cloak which is pretty much what probably anyone suspected would happen. One thing though, Harry says if he dies a natural death then the elder wand will never have another true owner. Well, he won the wand by yanking Draco's wand out of his hand. If someone ever disarms Harry then the elder wand will have a new owner. The wand thing just doesn't all click together for me.