Tailkinker

Chosen answer: Harry and friends leave Hagrid's hut, then watch as Fudge and company arrive, go into the hut for a short time, then exit and supposedly execute Buckbeak. However, as they can't actually see the area where Buckbeak is, they don't realise that what they think is an execution is actually the executioner slamming his axe onto the floor in frustration at Buckbeak being missing. Buckbeak was rescued by the future Harry and Hermione while Fudge was in the hut; as Buckbeak was out of sight, their younger selves didn't see it happen.

Tailkinker ★

Chosen answer: They can't be seen to avoid people asking questions. It's generally known where Harry and Hermione were during the course of events, so if somebody later claimed to have spotted them somewhere, people might realise what had really happened, which could cause them problems. As for the paradox, I don't see one - it's a simple course of events. Harry and Hermione live through the chain of events once, including a couple of unknowing interactions with their future selves. They then use the time-turner to travel back and re-experience the events and interactions with themselves again, this time from the alternate perspective. They catch up with the time left departed from and continue onwards. It's pretty straightforward, with no obvious paradox involved.

Tailkinker ★

Answer: It's the plural form of Mr. Effectively the same as saying "Mr Mooney, Mr Wormtail, Mr Padfoot and Mr Prongs", but without the repetition.

Tailkinker ★

Answer: According to the Harry Potter Wikia, someone using a Time Turner can only stay in the past for five hours at a time, to avoid doing irreparable damage to the timeline or the time traveler themselves.

Chosen answer: To change time, even with good intentions, would be to break one of the most important wizarding laws. Hermione was only allowed access to a Time Turner under very carefully controlled conditions; Professor McGonagall had to write many letters to the Ministry on her behalf and, according to Hermione, told her a number of stories about occasions when wizards had attempted to alter time with horrific consequences. Going back to kill the infant Voldemort would simply not be an option.

Tailkinker ★

Answer: It's also shown that the Ministry have some discretion in what's allowable. Given that Harry's using a low-level spell, out of the sight of any muggles (the incidents that get him into trouble in books 3 and 5 both take place with muggles present), in a repeated fashion that would clearly indicate practice, it's reasonable to think that the Ministry would exercise its discretion in this instance and choose not to pursue the matter.

Tailkinker ★

Chosen answer: Probably because it was eighteen months later by that point and, in the end, Harris really had nothing to do with that film, making a tribute to him in the credits inappropriate.

Tailkinker ★

Answer: He's laughing at Harry's situation, expecting him to get mauled at any moment.

Tailkinker ★

Answer: To summarise their entry in "Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them", a companion book written for charity by J K Rowling (under the pseudonym of "Newt Scamander", a Kneazle is a small cat-like creature which is intelligent, independent and occasionally aggressive which, should it take a liking to a witch or wizard, makes an excellent pet. They have an uncanny ability to detect unsavoury or suspicious characters and can be relied upon to guide their owner safely home if lost.

Tailkinker ★

Answer: Dementors are drawn to unhappy memories, bad emotions and so so - Harry's got more of those than just about anybody else on the train, which would draw the Dementors to him. It's also not really the case that Harry was really attacked as such - the presence of the Dementor would have brought bad memories to the fore for all those present. Harry having worse memories than the others, he was simply affected to a much greater degree.

Tailkinker ★

Answer: Although I don't think it's ever been mentioned, given their absence to date, his grandparents must be deceased. I believe that it's established in the books that James Potter was an only child, while Lily had only one sibling, Petunia, who married Vernon Dursley. Dudley is therefore his only cousin.

Tailkinker ★

Answer: Actually, in the book, Lupin compliments Hermione on noticing that the boggart turned into the moon when he was present. Rowling initially describes it as a silvery orb, presumably to preserve the mystery of Lupin's nature, but it's clearly intended to be the moon all along.

Tailkinker ★

Answer: No - he's a werewolf, nothing more. His friends, Sirius, Peter Pettigrew and James Potter all became animagi so that they could help him, but he himself is not one.

Tailkinker ★

Answer: According to the IMDB, they filmed at Loch Shiel.

Tailkinker ★

Answer: There is something that witches and wizards can learn, and it's called nonverbal spells.

Answer: There are numerous examples in the series of adult wizards and witches casting spells without any incantation. Presumably, as they age and gain experience, they no longer need to say the incantation out loud - they may choose to, or possibly speaking the words aloud increases the potential power of the spell. The pupils at the school need to know the incantations, so are told to speak them out loud - this would allow the teachers to correct flaws in pronounciation and so forth.

Tailkinker ★

Answer: I think any glider pilot would take issue with that last statement. This is a choice by the filmmakers in their portrayal of the Dementors - the books never state, as far as I can remember, that the Dementors aren't capable of leaving the ground, so it's not necessarily an incorrect interpretation. J.K. Rowling is consulted during the making of these films, so she presumably has no problem with this.

Tailkinker ★