Ravenclaw

Throughout the series one of the most prevalent themes is power.  Rowling uses different characters to show different aspects and types of power.  Though never a main character in the stories Professor Flitwick is never portrayed as a powerful figure but the fact that he is a professor at Hogwarts shows that he has reached a certain level of proficiency in magic.  In addition as mentioned in the earlier post Flitwick was a dueling champion when he was younger, and despite the fact that it was only mentioned in passing this underlines the subtel ways that power can be portrayed in the series.  Flitwick is often described as being a kind and soft spoken person and is even portrayed as foolish when in Half-Blood Prince Flitwick is knocked out by Snape when Hogwarts is under attack.  But in Deathly Hallows in the Battle of Hogwarts a different aspect of Flitwick is shown, Flitwick is the person who begins casting the charms to defend Hogwarts, and later joining in the fighting itself.  Flitwick is an example of the idea of being loved rather than feared.  Unlike Snape who is a more Machiavellian representation of power amongst the teachers at Hogwarts, Flitwick is respected as opposed to feared.

Not much biographical information is given about the founder of Ravenclaw House, Rowena Ravenclaw. However, it is her philosophy that ultimately governs centuries of Ravenclaws: valuing intelligence above all other attributes. While this may at first seem wise and harmless, there is evidence throughout the series that perhaps solely striving for intelligence can in fact be detrimental. Take Rowena’s relationship with her daughter Helena. It is revealed in Book 7 when Harry is searching for the diadem, and finally gets the information from the Grey Lady, AKA, Helena. Rowena’s diadem was said to give wisdom and intelligence to whomever wore it. Helena, in a fit of jealousy, stole it from her mother and ran off to Albania. Rowena, ashamed of her daughter, hid the fact that she no longer had the diadem. It was only when she was on her deathbed that she sent the Baron to bring Helena back, ending in the deaths of both the Baron and Helena, who rejected his affections.

Perhaps if Rowena hadn’t been so intent on knowledge, wisdom, and intelligence, she would have been able to have a relationship with her daughter that was built on something more concrete than pursuit of wisdom. While JKR never goes in depth, it is clear that Rowena’s intellectual pursuits built up a jealousy within her daughter that could never be fixed. The constant pursuit of intelligence over all things perhaps doesn’t leave room for much else, like love. While this is a bold statement, and certainly not true of all Ravenclaws, it is an interesting perspective to explore. Voldemort, for example, while not a Ravenclaw, valued intelligence and wisdom perhaps just as much, if not more, as Rowena did. He was constantly seeking ways to increase his magical knowledge, and telling Dumbledore that he has “pushed the boundaries of magic further, perhaps further than they have ever been pushed,” (HP and the Half-Blood Prince). His pursuit of knowledge led to splitting his soul, through cold blooded murdering, into 7 different pieces. Rowena didn’t push magic quite like Voldemort, and she most likely would have been disgusted by the fact that Voldemort used his knowledge for such evil. And yet, it is important to note that too much knowledge can turn destructive, or perhaps hinder what is truly important and right.  

JKR reveals this in an interesting way in the Battle of Hogwarts. When Snape vanishes after fighting McGonagall in the Great Hall, Voldemort then makes an ominous announcement echoing throughout Hogwarts. If Harry turns himself in, everythings good and will go back to normal. “Give me Harry Potter,’ said Voldemorts voice, ‘and none shall be harmed…”(HPATDH 610). Pansy Parkinson, in typical Pansy Parkinson fashion,  immediately rises up and yells,”But he’s there! Potter’s there! Someone grab him!”(610). In an epic fashion, all the Gryffindors rise up, wands raised, and block Harry from Slytherin. JKR writes, “Then the Hufflepuffs stood, and almost at the same moment, the Ravenclaws,” (610). Everything JKR writes has some meaning, and the fact that Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw did not stand at the same time shows that perhaps the Ravenclaws were apprehensive about choosing sides. Their intelligence and common sense was probably telling them that Harry had a very slim chance of defeating Voldemort. And that is okay. Because they eventually did stand. But they hesitated, and JKR wants to make it clear that they hesitated. 

Furthermore,  when McGonagall orders all the students who are not of age to leave Hogwarts, all of the Slytherin table emptied, “a number of older Ravenclaws remained seated while their fellows filed out, even more Hufflepuffs stayed behind, and half of Gryffindor remained in their seats,” (610-611). Once again, JKR is subtly pointing out that by all means, intelligence should be holding people from joining in the fight. Yes some Ravenclaws remained, but not as many as Hufflepuffs or Gryffindors. Intelligence prohibited them from seeing what was truly important: defeating Voldemort, who also valued intelligence. 

Rowena set the standard for Ravenclaws. Intelligence and the pursuit of intelligence are ordinarily very valuable attributes in a person. But when they are put on a pedestal above all else, they can lead to destructive ends. Whether it is Voldemort’s quest for conquering all types of magic, or hesitating to doing the right thing, or shoving aside familial relationships, too much emphasis on intelligence can sometimes bring out the stupidity in people. 

            With all the different philosophical questions that one can ask in regards to Moaning Myrtle’s life, and her after-life, the question of life and death should be brought up. After all, Moaning Myrtle is one of the few characters that have first hand experience with the after-life and death. Myrtle, however, is not necessarily the best philosophical study of the effect of death on a person. Perhaps because she is still in an immature state of mind, how she was in school when she died, and refused to grow, or maybe because she is very sensitive and defensive towards others that she will not let anyone, not even Harry, see how truly affected she is by death and living in the after-life. Heidegger said, “If I take death into my life, acknowledge it, and face it squarely, I will free myself from the anxiety of death and the pettiness of life—and only then will I be free to become myself.”

This is a very interesting concept, that once a person accepts death and realizes it is inevitable, he or she can become who he or she is suppose to be. Going by this philosophy, Myrtle, being a ghost, is an excellent study. In life, and in death, Myrtle has not let go of the “pettiness of life.” She is constantly angry with others and self conscience. Her last living moments were spend crying in a bathroom because a girl was making fun of her and bullying her. After death, she decided to repay the very same girl who had tormented her, until that girl’s dying days. So, Myrtle did not necessarily ever fear death before she died, but maybe she never acknowledged her hidden fear. Instead, the fear was masked with insecurities. Therefore, she never had a chance to accept death, or any other issues in her life. All she did was feel sorry for herself, and never actually knew herself. This is a worst fate, in life and death, than that which Heidegger talks about. Heidegger and people who follow his philosophy have a chance to get to know them. Once they accept death, they can be free to be who they want to be, and although very clichéd, they can live life to the fullest.

Myrtle never had a chance in life to come to this conclusion on life, no fault of her own, however, as many teenagers have yet to truly know them. Myrtle had a second chance in her life as a ghost at Hogwarts to truly know herself, yet she has not taken up any opportunity of the past several decades. She has not realized how petty life can be, even while she is dead! One can hope that eventually, Myrtle will come around and want to mature, want to analyze life (or her death life), and finally be free of all the burdens she carries around. 

In the last installment of the Harry Potter series (the book, of course, because the movie changes the conception of Ollivander by allowing him to be aware and explain the Deathly Hallows), Ollivander explains to Harry, Ron, and Hermione what the Elder Wand is.  It is clear from Rowling’s description of Ollivander’s voice and facial expressions that he is enraptured by the idea of the Elder Wand, and even more so the idea of the Elder Wand in Voldemort’s possession.  Harry senses a sort of ambiguity within Ollivander while discussing the “great things” Voldemort will accomplish with the Elder Wand, although Ollivander (thankfully) keeps from using that exact language.  

Following a Kantian outline, Samuel J. Kerstein describes humanity, “So that you treat humanity, whether in your own person or in the person of any other, always at the same time as an end, never merely as a means.”  Ollivander’s fascination with the Elder Wand, and what Voldemort could accomplish it, therefore implies a kind of fascination with death itself.  It is well known by this point that Voldemort’s ultimate objective is to kill Harry Potter, and Ollivander seems strangely excited by this concept.  In this point of view, Ollivander is not treating humanity as an end, because he is fascinated with the idea of Harry’s death at Volemort’s and the Elder Wand’s hands.

In Simon Critchley’s post about Heidegger’s conception of living, one of the criteria of being-towards-deat is, “To say that death is not to be outstripped simple means that death is pretty damned important.”  Voldemort is trying to outstrip death by having in his possession both the Elder Wand, and all of his horcruxes.  He has no idea that Harry, Ron, and Hermione have been hunting them.  Ollivander has no idea about the horcruxes, but he is aware that Voldemort wants the Elder Wand in order to conquer the magical world.

Ollivander’s fascination with death is ambiguous and puzzling, but clear because of his fascination with Voldemort’s actions that we analyzed in the first book.  Despite the fact that Voldemort is attempting to conquer the magical world, Ollivander still manages to be enraptured by that idea.

As I’ve mentioned earlier, we don’t really know that much about Helena Ravenclaw except what we learn in her very brief encounter with Harry.  I believe, however, that we learn a lot about her in this encounter.  She describes herself in relation to some very difficult and stressful choices she had to make, specifically when she stole the diadem from her mother.  Bassham agrees with Dumbledore, in that choices really make us who we are.  So, in relation to the self, who is Helena Ravenclaw?

The self is intrinsically tied to morality, choice, and experiences.  First, Helena Ravenclaw didn’t necessarily act morally when she stole her mother’s diadem and ran off with it.  In fact, it is safe to say she acted the opposite of morally.  This shows us something of Helena that she may not want to reveal about herself, that she is somewhat selfish and never wanted to be overshadowed by her mother.  Further and very obviously, she chose to steal that diadem.  And of course, all of her experiences make her who she is. 

I believe that it was somewhat a lack of sense of self that led Helena to steal her mother’s diadem and run away with it.  She wanted to outshine her mother, but I believe she only did this because she was unsure of herself.  Her actions and experiences as Rowena Ravenclaw’s daughter created the Grey Lady that we ultimately meet in Deathly Hallows.

Throughout the Harry Potter novels, as readers, we really only have direct contact with him in the first and seventh novels.  In the first novel, it is clear that Ollivander has some kind of obsession with power, whether it is used for good or for evil.

“Curious indeed how these things happen…I think we must expect great things from you, Mr. Potter…After all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things - terrible, yes, but great.”

This line has always puzzled me a bit, until I explored the idea of power further in this class. Ollivander is saying there is no divide between good and evil acts - he is emphasizing on the point that Voldemort is powerful and has the ability to use his power to have great influence.  He chooses not to harp upon the fact that Voldemort uses his great powers for evil.  Instead, he only acknowledges that Voldemort’s acts had a great effect on the magical world.

Machiavelli would say it is better to be feared rather then loved.  Ollivander was acknowledging that Voldemort made the choice to be feared, instead of being loved.  Voldemort chose to use his power to instill fear, and Ollivander is aware of that, and that power is later used on Ollivander himself.

In this quote, Ollivander is also acknowledging that Harry has great power.  It is indeed ironic that both Harry and Voldemort should have a wand that contains one of Fawkes’ phoenix feathers.  But it is clear to Ollivander that both wizards that claimed those particular wands must have great power.  

To touch on the wandlore behind power for a second, both wands contain a phoenix feather core that happens to be from the same phoenix.  Phoenix feathers are capable of the greatest range of magic, and show the greatest initiative, sometimes even acting of their own accord.  They are the pickiest of the wand cores, because the creature from which they are taken is one of the most independent and detached in the world.  They are the hardest to tame and personalize, and their allegiance is usually hard won.  This would support Ollivander’s theory that Harry, like Voldemort, will be a very powerful wizard.  

Harry’s wand is made of holly, while Voldemort’s wand is made of yew.  Holly, like the phoenix feather, is a rare wand component, and is considered protective.  They have an affinity to owners that are engaged in a dangerous and spiritual quest.  In the unusual event of pairing of holly and phoenix feather, such as in Harry’s wand, it is stated that nothing shall stand in their way.  Yew wands are also rare, and they are reputed to endow its possessor with the power of life and death.  The personalities of Harry and Voldemort, separately, are mimicked by the components of their wands.  

They both have a wand with a phoenix feather, which is very rare and powerful.  The wand of holly lends to Harry’s success because “nothing shall stand in their way.”  A wand of yew will only pair with a very powerful wizard.

Ollivander, in this case, even though we are not told in the novels, is giving us a lot of information about Harry and Voldemort’s personalities.  He knows that Harry will be a powerful wizard because holly pairs with one who will be engaged in a quest.  He also knows that yew only pairs with a powerful wizard.  So what is he ultimately saying about power? Ollivander is saying that power comes with a great responsibility, and the way that you use that power is totally up to you.  You can use it for evil, like Voldemort, or for good, like Harry.

In our class discussions, we have observed the philosophical interpretations of memory mostly in regards to how we recall our past. Our focus has centered on the methods of evoking memories and explored what triggers can best assist in our clearest recollections, whether they are through Casey’s use of “place”, the Art of Memory concept, or Sutton’s External Mind.

As opposed to discussing how to maintain memories, I would like to explore the extent to which we should or should not allow ourselves to focus on certain memories that may be harmful to our growth. There are certain elements of our pasts that must remain in our past to an extent in order to move forward with our futures with a healthy mindset. This is evident through the emotional burdens of Cho Chang.

As far as the readers of the Harry Potter series can tell, Cho Chang did not undergo heavy misfortune or suffer difficult experiences for the first fifteen years of her life. She seemed to be a well liked and beautiful girl, who balanced a full schedule of classes, Quidditch, and a social life. Her biggest problem up to her fifth year at Hogwarts was deciding between two Triwizard Champions to go to the Yule Ball with. To be fair, this is all that is revealed to us as readers, so perhaps her character’s history was slightly more complex. However, if we operate under the assumption that what we’ve seen is what we get, then the following decisions by Cho Chang offer a negative commentary in regards to holding on to painful memories.

The death of her fifth year boyfriend, Cedric Diggory, is undoubtedly a very tragic event that must be extremely difficult to get past. Only about six months after his passing, Cho’s relationship with Harry begins to take form. Understandably, the closer she gets to Harry, the more consumed with guilt she becomes, since moving on with Harry means leaving Cedric behind.

Logically, however, there is no actual Cedric for Cho to hurt (as harsh as this statement may be). Her guilt is entirely internal, because she is pained by the idea of tarnishing her memories with Cedric by offering the feelings she felt for him to someone else. She certainly has the right to feel conflicted and be upset by this difficult process, but the extent to which she allows these memories to consume her end up damaging the potential for her to have a happy future. 

This becomes clear on her date with Harry at Madam Puddifoots on Valentines Day. She tries to substitute the loneliness she feels in Cedric’s absence by pressuring Harry into a quickly developed relationship level. Although technically being their first date, she brings him to a place that is clearly meant to be visited by more serious couples. She then tries to make Harry jealous and acts the part of an unappreciated girlfriend, when Harry does not necessarily owe her the role that she wants him to fulfill. Most significantly, she brings up her relationship with Cedric as well as his death, and tries to discuss this issue with Harry, expressing that she feels he must want to talk about what happened as well (since he was present for Cedric’s murder). Because of the extent to which she has allowed her memories of Cedric (and therefore her sorrow of his loss) to consume her, she has lost her sense of a healthy perspective.

Through Cho Chang’s unfiltered connection to her painful memories, we see how we must attempt some extent of control over how much we allow ourselves to access and dwell upon memories that may hurt us and therefore our ability to heal and grow. Rather than live in the present to focus mainly on her budding relationship with Harry and mourn Cedric as separately from Harry as she could, Cho carried her memories of Cedric with her instead. This ended up overwhelming Harry, since it became clear that she was not in an emotional state of being ready to move on to a relationship with him. She was still living with the memory of Cedric, not in fond and respectful remembrance, but in sorrow and guilt. Although our memories are precious and our class discussions on the various ways to access them are important, Cho Chang serves as an example of why, to an extent, some memories are best left behind.

Ravenclaw house was first is present in the Harry Potter series from the Sorcerer’s Stone onward. Founded by Rowena Ravenclaw the house’s colors are blue and bronze and its animal is an eagle. Members of the house are characterized by their intelligence, wit, wisdom, creativity, and individuality. While all of these characteristics are seen in many members of the house, academic intellect is by far the most vivid and appears to be the most uniting as a group. Taking light of the darker side of the house however, while intelligence is plentiful, wisdom, though present in the house overall, is in some members not abundant. Academic success can become so singularly important to some young witches and wizards within this house that they will turn against each other in pursuit of dominance. Another of the house’s weaknesses is pride. The house has a habit of claiming any intelligent witch or wizard as a Ravenclaw, believing such a characteristic to be inherently belonging to members of Ravenclaw house exclusively.

It is truly interesting that a house so strong in its intellect and logic can find itself so plagued by pride and lust for superiority. In many characters throughout the series that practice the dark arts, these are the same characteristics that lead to their undoing. Such development raises the question of whether pride corrupts witches and wizards to the dark arts, or if in fact it is the remedy, the tool of ultimate justice forcing characters like the Malfoys or even Voldemort himself to grow so powerful and become so conceited and confident that they eventually become oblivious to their own weaknesses and are destroyed, ridding them from the system. Leaving the question of whether this pride and violent passion to be the best is the self-evident source of a witch or wizard’s destruction, or whether it is the very mechanism that weeks the strong, wise, and truly good from the weak. Is pride an evil character flaw which ultimately destroyed them, or is pride as inert a characteristic as wit, which simply functions as the means to weed out those who cannot control the intellect that they have. Perhaps a test of pride, rather than blood purity is the true test of who is worthy of true power.