Comments on: Around the Common Room http://thehogshead.org/around-the-common-room-36-612/ Harry Potter News and Commentary Thu, 11 Mar 2010 20:50:28 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Harry Potter Prognostications » Around the Prognosticators’ Table http://thehogshead.org/around-the-common-room-36-612/comment-page-1/#comment-319478 Harry Potter Prognostications » Around the Prognosticators’ Table Fri, 22 Feb 2008 21:41:29 +0000 http://swordofgryffindor.com/2008/02/15/around-the-common-room-36/#comment-319478 [...] I totally stole the title of this post from Travis, sorry but it [...] [...] I totally stole the title of this post from Travis, sorry but it [...]

]]> By: LunaLouise http://thehogshead.org/around-the-common-room-36-612/comment-page-1/#comment-318589 LunaLouise Wed, 20 Feb 2008 21:20:56 +0000 http://swordofgryffindor.com/2008/02/15/around-the-common-room-36/#comment-318589 Indeed Revgeorge ! :D Matthew - Dumbledore went to see Tom as a 11-year-old boy in the orphanage since Dumbledore will invite children to Hogwarts the spring or summer before the 1st of September in the year that a child is 11. We know from Nick's deathday party that the current year in the Chamber of Secrets is 1992. At the time of opening of the Chamber Tom was 16 as is said in chapter 'The Secret Diary' when Harry observes the student Riddle in the walk with Voldemort's horcrux. The first opening of the Chamber was 50 years earlier as noted by the year on the diary and several professors. This must then have been in 1942. So that makes Tom Riddle 16 in 1942. The 11-year-old Riddle must then have lived in 1937. Dumbledore will have gone to see him in the spring or summer of 1937. Now that I think of it, quite interesting. We know that Tom Riddle was born on the 1st of January from the orphanage's headmistress' tellings and Dumbledore's instruction of Harry on this topic. Assuming that Dumbledore visited the 11-year-old boy Riddle in the spring or summer of 1937, Tom Riddle must have been born on the 1st of January 1926. We know that Grindelwald was defeated by Dumbledore (presumably on the 30th of April) in 1945. So when Grindelwald fell Voldemort must then have been 19 years old. We know that Voldemort was very contemplative for his age. Do we expect Voldemort to have had a reverance for Grindelwald in his youth ? Would Grindelwald have been a role model of the young Riddle ? Indeed Revgeorge ! :D

Matthew –

Dumbledore went to see Tom as a 11-year-old boy in the orphanage since Dumbledore will invite children to Hogwarts the spring or summer before the 1st of September in the year that a child is 11.

We know from Nick’s deathday party that the current year in the Chamber of Secrets is 1992.

At the time of opening of the Chamber Tom was 16 as is said in chapter ‘The Secret Diary’ when Harry observes the student Riddle in the walk with Voldemort’s horcrux.

The first opening of the Chamber was 50 years earlier as noted by the year on the diary and several professors. This must then have been in 1942. So that makes Tom Riddle 16 in 1942. The 11-year-old Riddle must then have lived in 1937. Dumbledore will have gone to see him in the spring or summer of 1937.

Now that I think of it, quite interesting. We know that Tom Riddle was born on the 1st of January from the orphanage’s headmistress’ tellings and Dumbledore’s instruction of Harry on this topic. Assuming that Dumbledore visited the 11-year-old boy Riddle in the spring or summer of 1937, Tom Riddle must have been born on the 1st of January 1926.

We know that Grindelwald was defeated by Dumbledore (presumably on the 30th of April) in 1945. So when Grindelwald fell Voldemort must then have been 19 years old. We know that Voldemort was very contemplative for his age.

Do we expect Voldemort to have had a reverance for Grindelwald in his youth ? Would Grindelwald have been a role model of the young Riddle ?

]]> By: revgeorge http://thehogshead.org/around-the-common-room-36-612/comment-page-1/#comment-318494 revgeorge Wed, 20 Feb 2008 16:09:51 +0000 http://swordofgryffindor.com/2008/02/15/around-the-common-room-36/#comment-318494 The Joker always wears purple. Prince wore purple a lot. Oh wait, maybe those aren't the best examples... :) The Joker always wears purple. Prince wore purple a lot.

Oh wait, maybe those aren’t the best examples… :)

]]> By: LunaLouise http://thehogshead.org/around-the-common-room-36-612/comment-page-1/#comment-318493 LunaLouise Wed, 20 Feb 2008 15:57:01 +0000 http://swordofgryffindor.com/2008/02/15/around-the-common-room-36/#comment-318493 Maybe it was the reserved Dumbledore that I couldn't unify that exertion of flair and eccentricity from the past with. And I certainly didn't mean to say that purple is a stereotypical homosexual colour and that others are not. It's just that as I don't see Dumbledore as the type of person that would wear the colour purple to appear majestic or repentive, to me it was a clear statement none the less and I must say that purple is a very rare colour to be worn by men. Maybe it was the reserved Dumbledore that I couldn’t unify that exertion of flair and eccentricity from the past with. And I certainly didn’t mean to say that purple is a stereotypical homosexual colour and that others are not. It’s just that as I don’t see Dumbledore as the type of person that would wear the colour purple to appear majestic or repentive, to me it was a clear statement none the less and I must say that purple is a very rare colour to be worn by men.

]]> By: reyhan http://thehogshead.org/around-the-common-room-36-612/comment-page-1/#comment-317765 reyhan Tue, 19 Feb 2008 00:06:21 +0000 http://swordofgryffindor.com/2008/02/15/around-the-common-room-36/#comment-317765 I got the joke, Matthew. I see Dumbledore as having the verve and elan to carry off any stylistic eccentricity. He transcends his sexual orientation. He is a true original. In the words of Shakespeare: "He was a man, take him for all in all, I shall not look upon his like again" I got the joke, Matthew.

I see Dumbledore as having the verve and elan to carry off any stylistic eccentricity. He transcends his sexual orientation. He is a true original. In the words of Shakespeare:

“He was a man, take him for all in all, I shall not look upon his like again”

]]> By: korg20000bc http://thehogshead.org/around-the-common-room-36-612/comment-page-1/#comment-317723 korg20000bc Mon, 18 Feb 2008 21:47:30 +0000 http://swordofgryffindor.com/2008/02/15/around-the-common-room-36/#comment-317723 reyhan, I realise that rainbow symbol being nabbed by the homosexuals is a recent occurence. It was an attempt at humour that I never seem to get away with here. I think it quite funny when a minority group uses an ancient symbol for it modern issues. I also took it as a sign of Dumbledore's eccentricity. What decade was it that he went to see the young Tom Riddle? Matthew reyhan,
I realise that rainbow symbol being nabbed by the homosexuals is a recent occurence. It was an attempt at humour that I never seem to get away with here. I think it quite funny when a minority group uses an ancient symbol for it modern issues.

I also took it as a sign of Dumbledore’s eccentricity. What decade was it that he went to see the young Tom Riddle?

Matthew

]]> By: Mellie http://thehogshead.org/around-the-common-room-36-612/comment-page-1/#comment-317679 Mellie Mon, 18 Feb 2008 20:09:34 +0000 http://swordofgryffindor.com/2008/02/15/around-the-common-room-36/#comment-317679 I always considered his purple robes a mark of his eccentricity, not status or sexuality. He's always been a unique individual, and as Percy tells Harry in Philosopher's Stone, Dumbledore is brilliant but "a bit mad". :) I always considered his purple robes a mark of his eccentricity, not status or sexuality. He’s always been a unique individual, and as Percy tells Harry in Philosopher’s Stone, Dumbledore is brilliant but “a bit mad”. :)

]]> By: reyhan http://thehogshead.org/around-the-common-room-36-612/comment-page-1/#comment-317554 reyhan Mon, 18 Feb 2008 11:59:59 +0000 http://swordofgryffindor.com/2008/02/15/around-the-common-room-36/#comment-317554 The symbol didn't come in until after Tolkien had died, so I think Saruman's orientation is unimpugned. However, I believe the Nazis forced known homosexuals to wear pink stars (don't think JKR would have outed DD under those conditions!) so Umbridge maybe was a little iffy, except for the fact that no one is likely to make a fashion statement with a badge of oppression except for someone truly edgy, which Umbridge with her boucle jackets clearly was not. The symbol didn’t come in until after Tolkien had died, so I think Saruman’s orientation is unimpugned.

However, I believe the Nazis forced known homosexuals to wear pink stars (don’t think JKR would have outed DD under those conditions!) so Umbridge maybe was a little iffy, except for the fact that no one is likely to make a fashion statement with a badge of oppression except for someone truly edgy, which Umbridge with her boucle jackets clearly was not.

]]> By: korg20000bc http://thehogshead.org/around-the-common-room-36-612/comment-page-1/#comment-317545 korg20000bc Mon, 18 Feb 2008 11:46:06 +0000 http://swordofgryffindor.com/2008/02/15/around-the-common-room-36/#comment-317545 Raibow as a symbol for homosexuality now makes me wonder what Tolkien was saying about Sauruman of many colours! Matthew Raibow as a symbol for homosexuality now makes me wonder what Tolkien was saying about Sauruman of many colours!

Matthew

]]> By: reyhan http://thehogshead.org/around-the-common-room-36-612/comment-page-1/#comment-317324 reyhan Mon, 18 Feb 2008 00:23:45 +0000 http://swordofgryffindor.com/2008/02/15/around-the-common-room-36/#comment-317324 Purple clothes were associated with royalty and power in the days of the Roman Empire - and even earlier - because it was very expensive to manufacture purple dye called Tyrian Purple: it was made from the gland of a shell-fish, and it took approximately 12,000 molluscs to produce 1.5 grams. Thus only the rich and powerful could afford to wear clothes which had been dyed purple. So if anything, Dumbledore's purple gear is suggestive of power and status and wealth. Not his sexual orientation. There is no one colour associated with being gay; rather it is the rainbow. Wikipedia tells us: "The rainbow flag, sometimes called 'the freedom flag', was popularized as a symbol of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) pride and diversity by San Francisco artist Gilbert Baker in 1978. The different colours symbolize diversity in the gay community, and the flag is used predominantly at gay pride events and in gay villages worldwide in various forms including banners, clothing and jewelry." I don't remember Dumbledore ever wearing rainbow colours. But then, I wouldn't expect JKR to use such a crude device to signal the sexual orienatation of a beloved character. Purple clothes were associated with royalty and power in the days of the Roman Empire – and even earlier – because it was very expensive to manufacture purple dye called Tyrian Purple: it was made from the gland of a shell-fish, and it took approximately 12,000 molluscs to produce 1.5 grams. Thus only the rich and powerful could afford to wear clothes which had been dyed purple.

So if anything, Dumbledore’s purple gear is suggestive of power and status and wealth. Not his sexual orientation.

There is no one colour associated with being gay; rather it is the rainbow. Wikipedia tells us:

“The rainbow flag, sometimes called ‘the freedom flag’, was popularized as a symbol of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) pride and diversity by San Francisco artist Gilbert Baker in 1978. The different colours symbolize diversity in the gay community, and the flag is used predominantly at gay pride events and in gay villages worldwide in various forms including banners, clothing and jewelry.”

I don’t remember Dumbledore ever wearing rainbow colours. But then, I wouldn’t expect JKR to use such a crude device to signal the sexual orienatation of a beloved character.

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