this post was submitted on 30 Mar 2025
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The Leaky Cauldron

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[–] OccultIconoclast@reddthat.com 37 points 5 days ago (6 children)

Dobby was really weird. The books just casually tell us slavery exists, and Harry frees one slave. Then in the next book, nobody talks about slavery at all. And then in the one after that, it turns out most elves actually like being enslaved. What the fuck.

[–] NJSpradlin@lemmy.world 17 points 5 days ago (1 children)

It’s the same mental gymnastics that slavery apologists make for African enslavement; “They liked it, we gave them a job, food, homes and healthcare. Forget about the whole murder, rape, and abuse parts, though.”.

[–] BeMoreCareful@lemmy.world 4 points 5 days ago (1 children)

A few bad slaveowner apples.

I still love HP, but it strikes me a wildly conservative now.

[–] NJSpradlin@lemmy.world 4 points 5 days ago (4 children)

Outside of the politics of it, after hearing about all the criticism about how the magic makes zero sense… it’s all been ruined for me. Give us some consistent rules, people.

[–] Smokeydope@lemmy.world 5 points 5 days ago (2 children)

give us some consistent rules, people

glances at hardcore science fiction

"You dont want that kind of life for yourself, trust me. Engaging fiction and 100% logical consistency rarely goes hand in hand. Any author who cares enough about rules to make sure they aren't broken will end up making a rule book with minor character drama."

[–] NJSpradlin@lemmy.world 4 points 5 days ago (1 children)

I mean, there are plenty of fantasy fiction series and books that have consistent ‘feeling’ magic rules. Can I name one off the top of my head right now? Not really. But, I have seen a few ‘HP has a terrible magic system, and this is why’ videos to have heard of plenty of examples. 🤦‍♂️🤷‍♂️

[–] OccultIconoclast@reddthat.com 3 points 5 days ago (2 children)

In Eragon, we learn the history of magic, how it came to work how it does, why the funny words make magic happen, and how magic interacts with the world.

[–] SkyezOpen@lemmy.world 1 points 4 days ago

Eragon also drags like a motherfucker. It's a decent story but not well written.

[–] vaultdweller013@sh.itjust.works 1 points 5 days ago (1 children)

If ya want a real mindfuck the CRPG Arcanum of Steamworks and Magick Obscurum also has a well thought out tech system. Though the broad points are that magic fucks with the nature of reality for example casting a fireball may reduce friction by 5 percent, technology is closer to anti magic and anchors reality down meaning it becomes really hard to do magic. Also don't mix the two someone in lore tried to put a fire enchantment on a flintlock rifle and took out a city block.

[–] OccultIconoclast@reddthat.com 2 points 5 days ago (1 children)

That's silly. Any sufficiently analysed magic is indistinguishable from technology.

That's kinda an element of Arcanum magic is a science and technology in Arcanum is in many ways a form of magic. They are simply two different sciences that are largely mutually exclusive, also it's part of a larger meta commentary of progress vs traditions as well as a critique on capitalism. Also it was made by alumni from Interplay most of whom worked on the original Fallout, gotta love Troika games they only ever made three but Arcanum, The Temple of Elemental Evil, and Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines are damned good ones.

[–] OccultIconoclast@reddthat.com -1 points 5 days ago

Read Mistborn.

[–] SkyezOpen@lemmy.world 2 points 4 days ago

How's this for consistent? Wizards used to shit themselves on purpose.

[–] Blaze@lazysoci.al 2 points 5 days ago (2 children)

LoTR magic system is as vague as HP. The biggest issues are with the world building itself

[–] NJSpradlin@lemmy.world 3 points 5 days ago

We learn how vague the magic is, but they never make rules about it. In HP they make rules and then immediately contradict themselves.

[–] OccultIconoclast@reddthat.com 3 points 5 days ago

Gandalf isn't the main character of LOTR

[–] stabby_cicada@slrpnk.net 7 points 5 days ago

It took twenty years for Rowling to explicitly out herself as a horrid bigot, but the signs were there from the beginning.

[–] Zoboomafoo@slrpnk.net 3 points 4 days ago

The only good explanation is Doylist, and it's that Rowling hypercorrects for criticism of her works in the next book, which leads to a one-book delay.

People ask why Harry never helps Ron with money after the "Ron is poor" plot in Chamber of Secrets, then Harry gives his Triwizard winnings to Fred and George in Goblet of Fire.

People start talking about how Time Travel solves all plots after Prisoner of Azkaban, then the whole supply gets destroyed in Order of the Phoenix.

Someone needs to isekai John Brown into magical Britain. There wouldn't be much slavery once he gets done, I don't wizards would do well against modernal John Brown with an assault rifle.

[–] Dadifer@lemmy.world 1 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Didn't Harry start a whole antislavery group thing?

[–] helpImTrappedOnline@lemmy.world 10 points 5 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (1 children)

Hermione did, and somewhere in the lore ~~she abolished it when she became minister~~ "greatly improving life for..." is how its phrased.

[–] threelonmusketeers@sh.itjust.works 3 points 4 days ago (1 children)

she abolished it when she became minister

Do you have a source for this? I can't find any mention of her abolishing any of her previous policy changes.

Prior to being elected minister, she did work for the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures:

After leaving Hogwarts, Hermione Granger spent some years working in this Department, "where she was instrumental in greatly improving life for house-elves and their ilk"

After reading a ton of the wiki page, it appears I have misremembered.

I think I took "greatly improving life" to mean no longer slave, because otherwise we're just being lied to.

[–] ieatpwns@lemmy.world 7 points 5 days ago

🪄🐍💥

[–] casmael@lemm.ee 9 points 5 days ago

Group chat memes are so hot right now

[–] angrystego@lemmy.world 6 points 5 days ago (1 children)
[–] synae@lemmy.sdf.org 4 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

like some kind of cauldron

Edit to add: I didn't even look what comm or instance this was posted in 😬