Accio Nitpickium! The Nitpickers Thread

[ShadowDog]

The thought of a full album just sent a chill down my spine!  LMFAO

Yeah, I hated how Harry was a lazy loser who cheated off of Hermione, yet we're supposed to believe he's special. Never, and I mean never, in any of the books does he show any special aptitude above the average wizard. They tried to say making a patronus was special, but he teaches everyone how to do it the very next year.

I agree with you for the most part, but he still learned the patronus spell earlier than anybody else.  Two full years earlier, wasn't it?  And Harry had extra skill on a broom.  We gotta give him that.  But otherwise, yeah, he wasn't anything special.

[Darth Geek]

Explain it?  It's magic, I don't have to explain it!

[Lovye]

Yeah, I hated how Harry was a lazy loser who cheated off of Hermione, yet we're supposed to believe he's special. Never, and I mean never, in any of the books does he show any special aptitude above the average wizard. They tried to say making a patronus was special, but he teaches everyone how to do it the very next year. Even the Weasley twins show more talent toward exceptional magic than Harry. We're supposed to identify with Harry's exceptional mediocrity, but he really comes off as a spoiled jock who thought himself above the rules who proved to be correct. Even by the end of the series, he never uses any spells the average fourth year could manage.

....Opinion noted, Severus.

[TTYT]

Yeah, I hated how Harry was a lazy loser who cheated off of Hermione, yet we're supposed to believe he's special. Never, and I mean never, in any of the books does he show any special aptitude above the average wizard. They tried to say making a patronus was special, but he teaches everyone how to do it the very next year. Even the Weasley twins show more talent toward exceptional magic than Harry. We're supposed to identify with Harry's exceptional mediocrity, but he really comes off as a spoiled jock who thought himself above the rules who proved to be correct. Even by the end of the series, he never uses any spells the average fourth year could manage.

And how much of all that advanced math learned in high school and college do most people who don't have jobs where it's required use in real life (consciously, at least)?

[Darth Geek]

Yeah, I hated how Harry was a lazy loser who cheated off of Hermione, yet we're supposed to believe he's special. Never, and I mean never, in any of the books does he show any special aptitude above the average wizard. They tried to say making a patronus was special, but he teaches everyone how to do it the very next year. Even the Weasley twins show more talent toward exceptional magic than Harry. We're supposed to identify with Harry's exceptional mediocrity, but he really comes off as a spoiled jock who thought himself above the rules who proved to be correct. Even by the end of the series, he never uses any spells the average fourth year could manage.

And how much of all that advanced math learned in high school and college do most people who don't have jobs where it's required use in real life (consciously, at least)?

I'm an Engineer and even I don't use my advanced Math I learned in college. But I don't regret learning it, though.

[ShadowDog]

....Opinion noted, Severus.

LMFAO  Look, Snape was a douche who went too far the other way, but it doesn't mean he wasn't right about a couple things about Harry.  Harry did cheat and he was lazy and he was a poor student in all but a couple classes.

[Compound]

And how much of all that advanced math learned in high school and college do most people who don't have jobs where it's required use in real life (consciously, at least)?

You'd be surprised. I ended up using algebra and geometry a lot in my last job.

[arutha1000]

I agree with you for the most part, but he still learned the patronus spell earlier than anybody else.  Two full years earlier, wasn't it?  And Harry had extra skill on a broom.  We gotta give him that.  But otherwise, yeah, he wasn't anything special.

It was 2 full years earlier (I was mistaken), except he also taught students who were younger than himself. Are we to consider those students he tutored to be as exceptional as Harry?  And I really hate the broom thing. He was born with broom skills, and I really don't get that. It's like saying I knew how to drive a car at age 2. It's the closest he comes to actual skills above the average person, but it's more like he's an idiot savant rather than an awesomely special wizard destined to save the world.

Hermione would've been a far better hero character. If she weren't in the series, Harry would've been dead in book 1. Heck, if she weren't in any of the books, Harry would've sat around with a dumb look on his face failing all his classes(but he'd be a great quidditch player).  Hermione knew 5th year magic by her second year, and even as a fifth year she was doing charms that rivaled the skills of most adults. And she EARNED it. Harry rode her coattails and got all the credit.

Yeah, I hated how Harry was a lazy loser who cheated off of Hermione, yet we're supposed to believe he's special. Never, and I mean never, in any of the books does he show any special aptitude above the average wizard. They tried to say making a patronus was special, but he teaches everyone how to do it the very next year. Even the Weasley twins show more talent toward exceptional magic than Harry. We're supposed to identify with Harry's exceptional mediocrity, but he really comes off as a spoiled jock who thought himself above the rules who proved to be correct. Even by the end of the series, he never uses any spells the average fourth year could manage.

And how much of all that advanced math learned in high school and college do most people who don't have jobs where it's required use in real life (consciously, at least)?

Math is a specialized skill which you may never need in life at, especially the advanced kind. We're talking about magic. That's ALL you learn at Hogwarts, besides potions and magical creatures. Imagine a wizard who can't do magic? Is that equivalent to an adult who can't do higher math?

Furthermore about the patronus spell, it's the classic "tell me" instead of "show me" technique of writing. People only ever say "Wow, that's a special spell" but it's never shown how or why. We see lots of adults use the patronus charm throughout the series in more skillful ways than Harry, and he teaches it to students younger than himself who never have any trouble with it. So we just have to kinda take someone's word. It would've been so much better if they'd actually showed that nobody else could do a patronus or something along those lines.

[Lovye]

As far as everybody cheating in the Tournament, we don't know that that IS actually part of the game.  We find out about this via Harry who is learning it from Barty Crouch Jr. in disguise as Alastor Moody.  A bad guy is telling Harry this.  Bad guys tend to lie.

Harry doesn't have to be great in school.  HE SURVIVED THE KILLING CURSE!!!  That alone is what makes him special.

....STOP TURNING HARRY INTO BELLA SWAN!!!!  >_<

:hates that everybody else brings about valid points.   )

[anais.jude]

....STOP TURNING HARRY INTO BELLA SWAN!!!!  >_<

I. am. speechless.

[anais.jude]

Thought this would be a good place to post this

http://www.collegehumor.com/article:1805570

Exerpts from the original draft of the Harry Potter serious with a character that continues to point out all the logical fallacys.

"Why don't you accio someone who gives a shit"

[ShadowDog]

It was 2 full years earlier (I was mistaken), except he also taught students who were younger than himself. Are we to consider those students he tutored to be as exceptional as Harry?  And I really hate the broom thing. He was born with broom skills, and I really don't get that. It's like saying I knew how to drive a car at age 2. It's the closest he comes to actual skills above the average person, but it's more like he's an idiot savant rather than an awesomely special wizard destined to save the world.

Hermione would've been a far better hero character. If she weren't in the series, Harry would've been dead in book 1. Heck, if she weren't in any of the books, Harry would've sat around with a dumb look on his face failing all his classes(but he'd be a great quidditch player).  Hermione knew 5th year magic by her second year, and even as a fifth year she was doing charms that rivaled the skills of most adults. And she EARNED it. Harry rode her coattails and got all the credit.

These are some strong points.  Though I will say the broom thing works for me.  It's like some people are born being better at math or music than others.

[djshire]

Thought this would be a good place to post this

http://www.collegehumor.com/article:1805570

Exerpts from the original draft of the Harry Potter serious with a character that continues to point out all the logical fallacys.

"Why don't you accio someone who gives a shit"

That...was...AWESOME!

[MSTJedi]

Thought this would be a good place to post this

http://www.collegehumor.com/article:1805570

Exerpts from the original draft of the Harry Potter serious with a character that continues to point out all the logical fallacys.

"Why don't you accio someone who gives a shit"

That...was...AWESOME!

Seconded. I really like the HP books and movies, but pointing out all those plot contrivances is just plain gold.

[dt55555]

This sorta applies to Harry Potter as a whole, but:  THE RULES OF QUIDDITCH.  It's all fine and good, until the Snitch is added.  Clearly added just so Harry can win the game for everyone, but unless the teams are so wildly mismatched that one team gets a huge huge lead, then it basically just invalidates the rest of the players and the game up until that point.  Especially because the game ends after one person gets it.