buybuydandavis comments on Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality discussion thread, part 17, chapter 86 - Less Wrong

9 Post author: Alsadius 17 December 2012 07:19AM

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Comment author: Cakoluchiam 17 December 2012 04:07:46PM *  21 points [-]

I'm a little surprised that HJPEV didn't immediately update his probabilities regarding Quirrell's motives in Azkaban with the new knowledge from Moody that "You've got to mean it. You've got to want someone dead, and not for the greater good, either.", which would seem to discredit the Defense Professor's excuse that "a curse which cannot be blocked and must be dodged is an indispensable tactic."

Comment author: buybuydandavis 18 December 2012 04:15:50AM 3 points [-]

Yeah, that kind of leaped out.

It also made me wonder how Quirrell and Dumbledore thought they were going to teach students the spell.

Comment author: shminux 19 December 2012 12:06:27AM 7 points [-]

Killing Curses don't kill wizards, wizards kill wizards!

Comment author: Qiaochu_Yuan 18 December 2012 11:22:57AM 6 points [-]

You don't think you can teach children how to want someone dead for the sake of wanting them dead? Children can be very hateful. (At least, this could be what Quirrell is thinking, and Dumbledore could be thinking or hoping that the children just aren't going to be able to cast it.)

Comment author: bbleeker 18 December 2012 04:21:37PM 11 points [-]

I'm very glad I didn't know that spell when I was little.

Comment author: Cakoluchiam 20 December 2012 09:46:57PM 1 point [-]

In canon, Moody used the unforgivables on a spider, and given the prevalence of ostensibly non-sentient things-to-fear in the magical world (e.g. boggarts), it's conceivable that they could have found a particular magical creature that even the most PETA-supporting student would have no trouble excising from the world. Also, as far as I can tell, there's nothing in canon to contradict that curses' targets are limited to Kingdom Animalia (see also: Harry's existential crisis about sentient plants), and I seriously doubt there are any 7th level vegans at Hogwarts.

Comment author: DanArmak 21 December 2012 07:38:26PM *  1 point [-]

I seriously doubt there are any 7th level vegans at Hogwarts.

How do you level up in being vegan? And what powers does it grant?

Comment author: Cakoluchiam 22 December 2012 01:33:21AM *  1 point [-]

It's a reference to an episode of The Simpsons, wherein Lisa's boyfriend states: "I'm a level 5 vegan. I won't eat anything that casts a shadow."

Edit2: Primary source found.