I had a great time talking with the students of Pastor Priggie’s “The Postmodern World of Harry Potter” class via teleconference at Augustana College this past Friday. The conversation was recorded, and will be appearing as PubCast #65 tomorrow by this weekend (editing is taking longer than expected).
Taking up a portion of our conversation was the question of the Ministry of Magic’s abuse of power. We discussed what the Ministry did wrong (a lot) and right (not much, if anything). J.K. Rowling’s scathing critique of a government’s abuse of power during a time of war is paired with the courageous actions of free individuals whose efforts, apart from and even against Ministry activity, led to the downfall of Voldemort.
Ms. Rowling said this at her 2008 Harvard commencement speech:
Imagination is not only the uniquely human capacity to envision that which is not, and therefore the fount of all invention and innovation. In its arguably most transformative and revelatory capacity; it is the power that enables us to empathize with humans whose experiences we have never shared.
We do not need magic to change the world, we carry all the power we need inside ourselves already: we have the power to imagine better.
Per Pastor Priggie’s request, this post is for you to comment on for class. (Regular Hog’s Head patrons – please give this thread some time, a week or so, before responding, so that all students in the class can complete their assignment.)
This is an exercise in imagination. Comment on one of the following:
- Imagine yourself in the place of one of the oppressed groups in the Wizarding World. Given an opportunity to address the Minister of Magic, what would you say? (Place yourself in the role of house-elf, centaur, giant, goblin, Muggle-born, and address the Minister from that point of view.)
- Consider one action the Ministry of Magic took during the war against Voldemort that was an abuse of its power. Explain how it was counterproductive to the war against Voldemort, despite the intention of Ministry officials to thwart Voldemort. Then, imagine and describe what the Ministry should have done instead and how it would have been more effective in combating evil.
- Voldemort has fallen, and the Wizarding World, including the Ministry of Magic, is being put back together. You have been commissioned to create a fountain or statue to replace the one set up by Pius Thicknesse, which was promptly torn down by Kingsley Shacklebolt after Voldemort’s demise. In effect, you are now in control of what will become one of the most prominent cultural symbols in the Wizarding World. This is significant, in light of Hunter’s thesis that cultural wars take place at a symbolic level. What does your fountain or statue look like?
To the right of this post, in the sidebar, I’ve linked this post, because it will undoubtedly get lost in other posts in the coming days. I will leave it linked there, so it is easy for you to find, until all students have completed their assignment. I will then open the discussion up for regular Hog’s Head patrons, so be sure to check back and see what the regulars have to say!
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Answering the third question:
If it were in my power to create an object that represents the magical community, I would base it from the many lessons Albus Dumbledore taught Harry through out the Books. I would use a Phoenix, which represents rebirth from death and also is Dumbledore’s patronus. The animal was a positive symbol surrounded around the exceptional work and life of Albus Dumbledore. It also was a symbol of hope in resistance against Lord Voldemort. Along with the Phoenix, I would also have a quote from Albus Dumbledore: ” We are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided” This quote calls for the union of all magical creatures and creating a better world for them to live in. It also stresses the importance of working together and coexisting with one another. This is the symbol that would send a positive message to everyone associated and influenced by the ministry of magic.
Ministry Fountain:
Unfortunately, the inequality in the wizarding world was not fully resolved with the death of Voldemort. Inequality between the magical races was still a very real problem. The flaws and injustice in the “magic is might” mentality had been revealed, but the damage done by this mindset will take many years to repair. Because of the long journey still ahead I propose that the new Ministry of Magic fountain display a symbol of the work still needed to bring tolerance and equality to the wizarding world. I propose that the fountain portray a golden phoenix perched in the center of a pool of water. In a half circle behind the phoenix will be seven jets of water representing Voldemort’s seven horocruxes. The Phoenix will serve as a reminder of the rebirth of the wizarding world after the death of Voldemort. It will also be a reminder of the long process of reconstruction still ahead. On the right of the phoenix I would put an open silver scroll about two thirds the height of the main fountain. This scroll will depict an engraving of Hogwarts castle. Over the engraing I would list the names of all who died to bring peace and freedom to the wizarding world. This new fountain will be a symbol of the new beginning that all magical creatures fought and died for.
Can we play yet?
Their assignment deadline as been extended. You can play starting a week from today.
For the third question:
With the death of Voldemort, we cannot expect the Wizarding World to fully heal and come together right away. However, with the right tools and symbols, we can expect to see a much better and gradual change. My proposal for the new fountain would be the following: Seven witches and wizards forming a circle, standing next to each other facing the world. The circle formed in the middle, (behind each wizard/witch’s back) would be jet of water shooting into the air. Each witch and wizard has a wand and is pointing it to the sky, their faces looking up with their wands. Perched at the top of the jet of water is a phoenix. Like some of my other classmates have said, the phoenix is meant to represent the rebirth of the wizarding world. The wizards and witches standing next to each other is meant to represent that everyone needs to work togther to acheive this “rebirth.” The main message that I hope to achieve with this new fountain is that each wizard must trust and work with one another, and with magic as one of their tools, the whole wizarding community can rebuild itself and achieve a successful “rebirth.”
I REALLY hope that this description made sense! haha.
The Ministry of Magic, in its attempts (albeit, weak ones) to thwart Voldemort and keep the public blissfully unaware and happy, opted to ignore freedom of press. Granted, I don’t know if the wizarding laws allow for has freedom of press like we do, but allowing the government to actively lie to the community simple to maintain a positive reputation is wrong. When the Ministry showed that it was going to be dishonest and dividing with their lies, they alienated the very people that had the greatest chance to defeat Voldemort. In their pride and their distrust the Ministry successfully divided the wizarding community and failed to unite against the common foe. By trying to avoid a panic they weakened their defenses by turning a blind eye instead. The lies they spread made it more difficult for those trying to work against Voldemort. What the Ministry should have done is welcomed any help that they might receive in the fight against Voldemort and allow for the press to print the truth — that Voldemort was gaining power and that it was time to unite. Maybe if they were being supervised by the people their efforts would have been successful.
I went off on the ideas of my classmates. The phoenix is the most prominent symbol or rebirth, but I found some more as well. The fountain I would make would be of a phoenix, but with a lotus flower in its beak. This flower is the symbol of rebirth in Egyptian mythology, and it takes away the harshness of the idea of a bird that burns to renew itself. Also, I would have jets of water shooting out around the fountain because it’s a symbol for cleansing. Some people might say that what water symbolizes could refer to the cleansing of muggleborns and half-bloods, but what I would want it to refer to is the ministry and Hogwarts. Both of these establishments were covertly attacked by death eaters, and by the death of Voldemort, they can be weeded out.
I think that one of the most important symbols to represent in the fountain other than rebirth is unity. To do that, my fountain would depict a semi-circle of 7 figures: witches, wizards, and various magical creatures, all united by a golden ribbon that intertwines them in unity (not bondage). A phoenix to symbolize the rebirth of the wizarding world would be in front of them, with jets of water coming out of the ground around it. Around the rim of the fountain would be a “Greek Key” pattern, which symbolizes infinity and unity, and written inside it would be the names of those who died to bring down Voldemort.
One example of the Ministry of Magic’s abuse of power was appointing Umbridge as the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher in an attempt to secure power at Hogwarts. This was counterproductive in the war against Voldemort because instead of focusing their power on assembling a resistance and listening to Dumbledor’s warnings, they aimed to supress Dumbledore (the only wizard that Voldemort was afriad of) and to control his actions that did not involve the Ministry. If I had been in the Minister’s place, I would have seen the death of Cederic Diggory as Voldemort’s first act in an open war with the wizarding world. I would have done what Dumbledore had suggested and confronted the Giants, Centaurs, and taken Azkaban out of control of the Dementors. I also would have provided extra protection for Hogwarts upon Dumbledore’s request in order to protect the future of the wizarding world and to keep Harry Potter (the one chance they had at defeating He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named) safe.
For the second question, one major thing they did was arrest people and put them in Azkaban with no trial. This was counterproductive for two reasons. Reason one the Ministry usually arrested innocent people and this took people that could have helped in the fight against Voldemort. Reason two on the off chance they did actually arrest a death eater Voldemort would just break them out of Azkaben, cast the imperius curse on the rest of the prisoners and have a lot more people following him. Then the Ministry decided they shouldn’t say anything about the constant Azkaban breakouts so they abuse their power again keeping the Daily Prophet quiet. This stops anyone from knowing who is out of Azkaban, and who might be under the imperius curse. Voldemort now has a huge advantage because he is getting more followers and no one knows who is following him or who was arrested but is now free again. The ministry should have instead gotten a prison not guarded by dementors and should have had all the known death eaters guarded by highly trained wizards. Also they should have let the Daily Prophet tell of all the breakouts like they did with Sirius Black.
In response to question number 3, I feel that the statue itself shouldn’t have anything on it that represents separation of groups (such as that one group is more powerful than another). I say this mainly due to the experience in our world, during the 1960’s when blacks were finally gaining their well-deserved rights, we didn’t see statues of a white person and a black person together, so why should we expect to see a statue with Muggles and Wizards together?
What I personally would have liked to see would be all types of magical creatures shown on the same scale, supporting each other in a friendly way for a statue. Social norms like house elves will never change if action is not taken or that it all of the sudden becomes more acceptable to recognize them as equals to wizards and witches.
For some of these social norms to change, it may take a generation or two. If you think back again to the civil rights movements, it was the adults of that generation which had the hardest time adjusting – and many still don’t accept it (such as my grandparents, who although liked Obama, still talk down about blacks in general for no reason at all). You look at kids today though, and there is very little racism. Its all about baby steps. Maybe by the time that Harry is an adult (like in the epilogue) other magical creatures will be considered equals.
Question 1:
As Kingsley Shacklebolt sat in his office, musing over the ever growing (and enchanted) pile of paperwork associated with rebuilding the Ministry, the snapping of wood and bending of metal rippled through his office. His wand already drawn, he was surprised to see as the dust cleared a giant hunched over in the room. He couldn’t help but contain a little chuckle on the inside with the sight in front of him; the giant appeared to have attempted to stitch together a robe for himself made up of half a dozen wizard sized ones.
“Can I help you?” queried the Minister of Magic.
“Uh, right yes, sorry about the door.” the giant nervously apologized. “You may be surprised how well I can speak English, I’ve been deemed an oddball by my people ever since I was a child. I’ve come to you, Minister, because I believe my people need your help.”
Kingsley had a hard time containing his surprise, but quickly recomposed himself. Putting his wand away, he sat down in his chair behind his desk.
“And exactly what can the wizarding community do for your kind? I don’t know if you’ve noticed but we’re very busy fixing our own problems at the moment.” he stated with a calm smile.
The giant cleared his throat and continued. “My name is Gorm, my tribe resides in Northern England. I understand completely that we contributed a fair deal to your kind’s problems over the past couple of years, but this last conflict has us at a breaking point. We’re…” a slight sigh escaped Gorm’s lips “dieing off. Many giants are unhappy with the result of this last war, and they are taking their aggression out on each other. Our numbers dwindle to less and less every month.”
Kingsley listened to the giant’s words carefully, considering their situation as well as what effects a magical race becoming extinct would have on the wizarding community.
“As much as I’d like to help, you have to understand that most wizards and witches have less than amiable feelings for the giants. What sort of help do you want exactly?” said Kingsley.
With a creak of the floorboards, Gorm slowly sat down on the floor, the chairs in front of the Minister’s desk far too small.
“That’s just it,” Gorm began. “I’m having a hard time coming up with a place to start. We are an aggressive race that don’t really value brain over brawn. Maybe what we need first is to have you wand carriers act as mediators within tribes. I already have the support of my own tribe to give this a shot, and what we learn from this trial run can help us find the next step.”
The Minister saw the look of desperation in the young giant’s eyes, a strange contrast to his intimidating demeanor. It occurred to him that there has been little attention given to the giants by anyone in the Ministry. The idea was a bit sketchy but they could easily work out the details.
“You realize that this will be a lot of hard work on both our peoples, right?” Kingsley asked.
“I understand that, but we have to start somewhere don’t we?” Gorm retorted.
Kingsley gave a small smile. “I believe so. I’ll be sure to find the best men and women for the job, avoiding any with an abundance of prejudice.”
“And I’ll be sure to help your kind during the process by talking to my brethren.” the giant stated.
“One more question Gorm…” Kingsley started. “How exactly did you get into the Ministry?”
Shuffling his hands together, Gorm tensed his shoulders. “What do you think of having a skylight in your offices?”
Question 2:
I think the biggest instance in which the ministry abused their power appears in the chapter entitled “The Will of Albus Dumbledore”. Hermione gets Rufus Scrimegeour to admit that he has taken the items and held them from Harry, Hermione, and Ron in order to test them to figure out for what reason Dumbledore has left them for the three. He is able to do this with a law that gives the ministry the ability to withhold items in order to test them for dark magic. Scrimegeour may believe he is aiding the war against Voldemort by trying to figure out everything possible, however he is only making matters harder for Harry, Ron and Hermione. His action only delays their efforts, and creates more obstacles in their quest to fight Voldemort. The best way the ministry could have avoided this would have been to not only trust the efforts of Albus Dumbledore, but also to allow people the privacy to their wills. This would have been benificial to the gang because it would have saved them a good amount of time, and taken more time away from Voldemort.
this is in response to question two.
I think that the ministries biggest waste of power during the fight against Voldemort was essentially the entire situation in “The order of the Phoenix.” The ministry spent so much time and energy trying to prove Dumbledore wrong and convince the entire wizarding world that Voldemort had not returned. The spent a little under a year telling everyone that Dumbledore was crazy and Harry was nothing but an egotistical liar. This is a huge sign of Fudge’s immense pride and the fact that he wanted to seem like he was in control, so instead of believing the much wiser Dumbledore, who was also Fudge’s former mentor of sorts, and turning on Dumbledore and Harry at the same time. Instead Fudge could have begun warning the wizarding community to get ready for war. The “Daily Prophets” that the Ministry devoted to bad mouthing Harry could have been used to tell people of defensive spells they could use and to warn them about things like the Imperious curse, infiri, etc. Overall, the ministry wasted an entire year proving that they were right(when they obviously were not) when they could have been saving lives and fighting back.
If I were to make a statue after the fall of Voldemort, it would depict the idealistic way of living in the wizarding world. Although the destruction and separation Voldemort’s temporary rise to power may take several years to reconstruct and unite, the new statue will represent the futuristic goals many witches and wizards will have developed after living through and witnessing what the damage of segregation and misuse of magic have done. The statue will involve several different witches of wizards of different race and profession: one pure blood, one mudblood, a professor, and a ministry worker. Also along with the wizards will be a house elf standing in the middle to represent all other magical creatures. The house elf and witches/wizards will all have an arm outstretched toward a single wand. The different statuses and races of the wizards under one wand will represent unity among them. The house elf will represent equality. Underneath the statue will be the saying “for the greater good”. The central message of the statue will be to use magic “for the greater good” no matter what occupation you hold or race.
So I dedcided to answer question three, and the link below will take you to a rough sketch of my idea of the fountain:
http://raistlover.deviantart.com/art/HP-fountain-scrap-118269952
I basically wanted to recreate the original fountain the way it should have been made. I chose to place all the classic characters (Centaur, witch, wizard, house elf, and goblin) along with a new character (werewolf) is a way that I thought represented beauty, tranquility, and joy. The house elf is smiling, perched on the shoulders of the wizard, a centaur placing his arm around the two. On the second tier of the fountain, a witch is holding hands with a goblin and has her body facing the werewolf in a welcoming manner. The jets of water are behind them and form a heart formation. The entire fountain is full of color, rather than being made of stone or gold. Everyone is smiling and happy.
My idea for the fountain was to place the characters in a friendly and peaceful way. It should represent the future if we can all discover the beauty in each race and the magic of accepting one another’s differences. Though the fountain may not reflect the way the current wizarding world is, it is supposed to be a flash forward to a better future. By opening ones heart to all of the beautiful new things the world has to offer, we can all find happiness and joy!
In response to question 3:
The fountain would include a statue of a witch and a wizard, house elf, centaur, goblin standing in a circle. In the center of the circle there would be either a phoenix or a butterfly to represent rebirth or a new beginning. Around the outer circle, outside of the figures are children, magical and non-magical, arm in arm with their faces looking skyward. In between the children and the larger figures there are jets of water shooting up and they end in the middle splashing on the back of the phoenix/butterfly. The inner circle represents unity among magical beings and the outer circle represents tolerance between magical and non-magical people.
If I could appeal to the minister as one of the oppressed groups, I would appeal as a muggle born. My appeal would go as follows:
Minister, please consider the plight of our people, a race of natural-born witches and wizards who have been born to muggle parents. We have constantly received a certain stigma attached to our bloodlines. We have for years been seen from two distinct viewpoints. One viewpoint being that of the open minded, and the other being of the narrow minded. Those with the former viewpoint have treated us quite well. They have treated us as we truly are–witches and wizards. Those of the latter have been irrational and unjust in their actions. They have treated us as an inferior race. The narrow minded have called us mudbloods, and our allies blood traitors. To them, we are seen as enemies to the wizarding world. I would ask that the ministry take charge and promote open-mindedness. So far, the ministry has taken a passive stance and has done nothing to stop the prejudice and injustice against those of muggle descent. Furthermore, during the reign of Voldemort, the ministry took on the narrow minded viewpoint against us. We simply ask that the ministry promote a sense of unity and inclusiveness in the wizarding community. We ask that we be treated as equals and our talents and lineage be accepted.
In response to the third question:
I think that in light of the blood status quarrel that permeates the seventh book it is important to get a “minority”/”social Other” point of view. Unlike some of my other classmates responses to this particular question, I am going to approach this social hierarchal divide in somewhat of a different manner. As my final paper for this class is on the issue of race in the wizarding world, I naturally was compelled to answer this question. At the top of this hierarchal ladder are the pure-bloods, then the half-bloods, muggle-borns, muggles, house elves, goblins, centaurs, werewolves etc. in that order. A major topic which I will be touching more on in my paper, is this idea of “humanity” and how it dictates a lot within in the HP novels. Much of the prejudice that these “social Others” face is due to the conviction that only wizards of pure-blood or half-blood decent are worth anything or entitled to social rights within the magical community. And this type of thought is only further propelled by Lord Voldermort and the Ministry’s attempts to eliminate or lock up those who could not prove they were of pure blood. It should not matter who your parents, grandparents, so on and so forth, are. All that should matter is magical prowess and what you do/how you use that knowledge. Take Hermione for instance. Quite possibly one of the brightest young witches of her time and top of her class at Hogwarts, she could run circles around several of the witches and wizards employed by the Ministry as well as some of Voldemort’s Death Eaters. She uses her knowledge to accomplish good within the wizarding world and that is what makes her who she is, not her blood. The Ministry is so consumed with power and obtaining control that they turn a blind eye to what really matters. So why doesn’t anyone say or do anything? The answer is simple. Many members of the wizarding world are unaffected by what is going on and therefore are comfortable not challenging the ministry. This is the wrong choice. There are much more pressing matter at hand than seeking out all of the muggle-borns and locking them away. Voldemort is only using these actions to further his plans of pure-blood domination, and in order to combat/thwart these plans wizards, witches, and magical creatures alike must all band together in a quest for equality. It is only then that this misguided hierarchy can be broken down and the wizarding world can heal and start anew.
(Several of the points that I have made in this posting are kin to what I would say in a meeting with the Minister of Magic)
My previous posting was in response to the first question Travis posed, not the third. Sorry for the confusion!
I hope this entry still counts. I tried to submit my response earlier in the night, but for some reason whenever I clicked ‘post,’ the page would not load. This is in response to question two about the Ministry of Magic.
Though I believe almost everything the Ministry of Magic did in regards to fighting Voldemort’s rise to power to be rather unhelpful, there were some tactics that were definitely less effective. Giving Dolores Umbridge essentially full control of Hogwarts was probably the most unreasonable gesture. Not only did this aid in the degradation of Professor Dumbledore, it also allowed the Ministry to implement several ridiculous decrees that limited magical freedom within Hogwarts, yet the students still found ways to circumvent the educational decress. The “High Inquisitor” was appointed during one of the most crucial periods for Voldemort’s rising to power. As a result of one of her decrees, Hogwarts students were no longer able to study Defense Against the Dark Arts properly, which was key for combat. Though Dumbledore’s Army was formed and certain students were able to protect themselves, this decree left the majority of young wizards essentially helpless in a case that they would need to defend themselves. Considering the Ministry of Magic should consider the safety of the students, rather than endanger them more, this was the Ministry’s most counterproductive act. If, indeed the Ministry needed to appoint someone as “High Inquisitor,” than the Minister should have appointed a more capable and reasonable person that would have sought to protect the students and give them the tools they would need. By doing this, the students would have been more likely to band together and the quantity of students involved would have been higher as well, ultimately leading to more efficiency at Hogwarts.
I”m getting really bored and restless – the only action on the blog is the books vs movies rant and I don’t relate to that (apples and oranges thing, for me) so I really need somewhere to post and this looks like the only other option.
I need to get a life.
Rocker, I thought Travis said it was okay for regular posters to post on this topic starting this past Monday. I would’ve started but I’ve kind of been busy with Holy Week preparations.
Yes, you have the go-ahead. So go ahead!
I pick option #3: replacement fountain and/or statue.
First, some comments on some of the suggestions above.
Not too crazy about Kaitlyn’s inner circle / outer circle fountain statue. I like the idea of a circle, as in symbolizing unity, but having two circles promotes a two level heirarchy which by and by could lead to a return of the old thinking: all creatures are equal, but some are more equal than others.
I love Molly’s fountain, although I have a few difficulties with it. The drawing – nice drawing! – looks too sweet. Disney cute critter sweet. The wizarding world is not sweet. In the real world, the centaur would not put his arm around a wizard, a house elf would be embarrassed to sit on a wizard’s shoulder, and the werewolf would simply eat the witch. My point is: all that love and beauty and harmony is too unrealistic. But very, very cute.
Ashley’s phoenix and Dumbledore quote has potential. Especially the quote. But it needs more substance. A phoenix alone isn’t going to convey enough meaning.
I like Laura’s idea of the phoenix, and the scroll depicting Hogwarts and the names of the dead. Not so crazy about the seven jets of water depicting the seven horcruxes. The less said about those horcruxes, the better.
Amber’s seven wizards/witches, seven jets of water, pointing to a phoenix is good for symbolism, but a little weak on specifics. Which seven witches/wizards? Why seven?
Julie’s phoenix / lotus fountain is cool, but the lotus symbol is new to the story and wouldn’t carry much weight with the wizarding world. Plus, the same problem as with some of the others: phoenix alone doesn’t say enough.
Bethany’s semi-circle of 7 wizards and asorted magical critters united by golden ribbon, facing a phoenix with the names of the dead at the rim of the fountain: again, why 7? And which magical critters? And why a golden ribbon? I do like the idea of incorporating the names of the dead though.
I like Brandon’s idea in principle: all sort of magical critters supporting each other – showing they’re all equal. Needs a bit more detail.
Like Justine’s idea of reps of different races working for the greater good – although what that greater good is still needs to be defined. Not too taken by the unequal representation: 4 figures to represent the witches/wizards and only 1 for all the rest of magicdom. Kind of maintains the existing power differential.
Good thoughts all.
And here is my suggestion for the statue.
Harry and Voldemort, in their final duel, at Hogwarts. Wands pointed. Voldemort with a snarl of contempt and anticipation on his face (and a touch of uncertainty). Harry, looking tired but calm, with a look of confidence on his face. Standing facing each other on a dais. Written in letters encircling the dais, Trelawney’s prophecy:
The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches…Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies…and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not…and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives
As the statue is going to stand in a large central hall, I would put plaques, either on the walls or better still on the floor of the hall, so you could not miss them, with the names of all the victims of the Second Great Wizarding War. The only question would be, would the ones who fought on Voldemort’s side be included?
I realized, in thinking this through, that it’s very similar to Mary GrandPre’s cover for Deathly Hallows. And why not? She’s an artist who gave a lot of thought to what image she was going to pick to carry the essence of the book.
My fountain for the Ministry of Magic would have a circular golden basin. Around the sides of the basin would be inscribed the names of all the people and creatures who died fighting or were killed by Voldemort and the Death Eaters in both the first phase and the second phase of the war. They would be listed in alphabetical order, mixed together without regard to whether they were adult, child, giant, centaur, house-elf, goblin, pure-blood, half-blood, muggle-born, squib, muggle, etc. In the center of the fountain, raised on a perch, would be a statue of a phoenix in red and gold, and phoenix song would be magically playing. Surrounding the phoenix would be colored jets of water, like a rainbow but organized so that opposite colors (red and green, purple and yellow, blue and orange) are on opposite sides of the phoenix, forming a light clear gold in the pool below. The fountain would be designed so that the phoenix rises above the level of the jets and the fountain would be situated in the center of the entry hall. The fountain would thus be a memorial (with the names of the dead), a symbol of an aspiration to equality (the inscription of the names in alphabetical order only), a symbol of hope, resurrection, and eternal life (the phoenix), a tribute to the Order of the Phoenix which led the fight against Voldemort et al. (the phoenix), and a symbol of unity and the resolution of opposites into gold (the colored jets with the phoenix at the center forming a golden pool of water). The phoenix song would strengthen the courage of those hearing it.
My fountain was not a comment on Red Rocker’s comments. I think we were writing at the same time.
Red Rocker, I would not include the names of Death Eaters or others who fought on the side of Voldemort unless they had come back to the good side or otherwise fought against him. So Regulus Black and Snape would definitely go on the memorial. Bellatrix, Rosier and other unrepentant death eaters would not. Crabbe would not. More ambiguous would be Wormtail. I’d say no to Wormtail b/c I don’t see a moment’s lapse in gripping Harry’s neck as a repentance or intended help to the good side, especially since he tried to follow up his moment’s lapse with a renewed attempt to grip Harry. Karkaroff is another ambiguous one, but I’d be inclined to say yes since he named names for the ministry and fled rather than go back to Voldemort and beg forgiveness.