education and Harry Potter

Early in this chapter comes a line you know Rowling had a double meaning for in her own mind:

Hermione: “Well, can’t you find something useful to occupy yourself?”
Ron, sarcastically: “What, like reading kids’ stories?”

I’m guessing almost everyone reading this knows someone who thinks reading Harry Potter is a waste of time.

Potter’s Politics: Hogwarts Takeover

In any case, this chapter has many fascinating tidbits. Lupin shows up and fills the trio in on the goings-on in the Wizarding World, now under control of Voldemort. There are great little items like this for those of us who have argued for a libertarian reading of the series:

“Attendance is now compulsory for every young witch and wizard,” he replied. “That was announced yesterday. It’s a change, because it was never obligatory before.

Libertarian reading or not, it’s interesting that one of the first move Voldemort makes is to take over education. The purpose is twofold: [click to continue…]