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Random things
Sep. 30th, 2003 12:06 pmI just got told, "Gosh, you look very Canadian today." This from someone who is American by birth, dwelling, and citizenship; apparently my sweater is 'very Banff'. I dunno, never been out there myself. It's a black sweater with a broad stripe across the chest, white and grey and three shades of red. I'm also wearing jeans and a pair of black stompy work boots, but the sweater is apparently the major Canadian element according to this person, who is very, very fond of Banff/Jasper/the rest of that region as a vacation spot.
There really isn't any graceful way of telling someone "don't worry, I'm not sending you an anthrax package". I'm posting a bunch of Amazon Marketplace sale items today and they're all in brown envelopes that had to be taped up with clear packing tape and labeled by hand. I don't know how many people get suspicious of stuff like that when there's a return address and distinctive handwriting being used, but it just sort of niggles at my mind when I look at the packages.
According to Remus Lupin's words to Harry in Order of the Phoenix, "The world isn't divided into good people and Death Eaters, you know." Which means that there are probably plenty of wizards who are Bad, but not Dark. Which means that there are probably ordinary wizarding criminals who do things like mug and steal without doing it for magical power. Which means that, given the general wizarding sense of style, there is almost certainly a place in history for Gryffindor - the house of daring, nerve, chivalry, bravery, etc. - to have spawned several very flamboyant, very famous pirates. After all, according to Quidditch through the Ages, the Atlantic wasn't crossed by broom until the 1920's or so and Apparition over long distance is very much not advised, so most wizards crossed the ocean in ships. I just have this picture of some Gryffindor graduate going to sea- we are talking about a school that's over a thousand years old, there's plenty of room in that kind of history- only to find that he or she has a taste for danger and easy gold... and after all, what's the Ministry going to do? Apparate down to the Dry Tortugas and chide them for breaking the International Statute of Secrecy?
There really isn't any graceful way of telling someone "don't worry, I'm not sending you an anthrax package". I'm posting a bunch of Amazon Marketplace sale items today and they're all in brown envelopes that had to be taped up with clear packing tape and labeled by hand. I don't know how many people get suspicious of stuff like that when there's a return address and distinctive handwriting being used, but it just sort of niggles at my mind when I look at the packages.
According to Remus Lupin's words to Harry in Order of the Phoenix, "The world isn't divided into good people and Death Eaters, you know." Which means that there are probably plenty of wizards who are Bad, but not Dark. Which means that there are probably ordinary wizarding criminals who do things like mug and steal without doing it for magical power. Which means that, given the general wizarding sense of style, there is almost certainly a place in history for Gryffindor - the house of daring, nerve, chivalry, bravery, etc. - to have spawned several very flamboyant, very famous pirates. After all, according to Quidditch through the Ages, the Atlantic wasn't crossed by broom until the 1920's or so and Apparition over long distance is very much not advised, so most wizards crossed the ocean in ships. I just have this picture of some Gryffindor graduate going to sea- we are talking about a school that's over a thousand years old, there's plenty of room in that kind of history- only to find that he or she has a taste for danger and easy gold... and after all, what's the Ministry going to do? Apparate down to the Dry Tortugas and chide them for breaking the International Statute of Secrecy?
