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Alex_Altair comments on Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality discussion thread, part 13, chapter 81 - Less Wrong
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This blew my mind.
What do you mean? Which part?
The part where I totally didn't notice that they didn't get married.
But I'm still confused; why not? What are the benefits of servitude over marriage?
I'm also confused about what actually happened.
Did he actually say anything? Or did McGonagall come up with the idea right before? And then didn't mention to Harry that she was making Hermione his servant instead of his wife?
Fewer shrieks of horror from their parents? Also Hermione doesn't need to change her name into Hermione Potter-Evans-Verres-Granger.
He didn't. It was right before. Harry knew of only marriage as a way to induct Hermione into his House. McGonagall knew of a somewhat simpler way, and one less emotionally charged than marriage.
I think he realized it the moment he heard the words McGonagall was having Hermione say. Keep in mind that it's not as if McGonaggal realized Harry was considering marriage at all.
I personally would find marriage to be vastly preferable to indefinite servitude. Servitude would definitely be emotionally charging for both of them, as humanists. And they're already deeply in love.
I find it quite astonishing how often I have to remind people that they're eleven years old.
I didn't forget that (but sometimes I do). We can have a 12 year old be a slave to an 11 year old, but we can't have them get married?
Welcome to feudalism.
Legal system do not have to be consistant. In Germany you can inherit since the time of conception, but still legally aborted afterwards.
That is seriously weird.
Not that much. Both rules have their reasons. Real consistency is hard.
They're not, mentally.
But yeah, they may not be able to get legally married. Surprising that they can get legally enslaved, though.
Feudal vassalage is a few steps up from slavery, I think.
Yes, but there's no verb that means to put someone into it...
Vassalize.
They are, mentally.
The mind is the body, and this is a rationalist fic.
Precocious children have a history of demonstrating they are not socio-emotionally prepared for some adult situations they are capable of confronting on an intellectual level. However smart or clever we are, we are still wet machines and we still grow in particular rhythms at particular times.
Non-violation of bigamy laws if you marry someone else.
Before McGonagall's stunt, I was worried the marriage would require consummation to be legally binding.
"I told you, no kissing!" and then some.
This doesn't strike me as much of an issue. Considering what was at stake it would be an utterly trivial cost and a requirement comparatively easy to fulfill. Just another taboo tradeoff.
"Let's see... is drastically underage sex with my girlfriend better than her death by torture?". Death by torture really makes decision making easy at times!
Well, yes. I mean, a canonical purpose of torture is to simplify decision-making.