| Manticore
Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: *Nom nom nom*
Posts: 43,197
Hogwarts RPG Name:
Mercer Branxton
Ravenclaw Seventh Year
  x7  x8
|  Made of Awesome | Ern-la the Best-wa | TZ's Apogee
SPOILER!!: Frens Quote:
Originally Posted by Bazinga  Oh yes she did kind of know this, but before she answered others were talking and he went on to explain it. That was okay though, she knew she had read about it and the fact they were going to do things that the merpeople might like. She went to grab some pretty purple and green beads when one of the students said their opinion on things, "Maybe some are, but I don't feel all are like that. Some are really wanting to make a difference, like the minister we have now. " She had read things, even if she did live in Germany, she tried to keep up on both ministries.
"What if the problem isn't really on the classification, but the prejudice we place with the classification, I mean what makes being a beast lower then a being? If you think about it aren't we, humans, just beasts as well? Maybe the classification system doesn't really work and things should be moved away from it instead. There are too many gray areas to look at, not everything is black and white like these categories try to make."
As for the singing, she wasn't even sure what the merpeople liked, "Do merpeople have a type of music they like over others?" That wasn't a bad line of thinking, and Cornish gave McCarthy a polite nod of agreement. "Sure, the system doesn't matter if we don't make it a hierarchy. I don't disagree with that. I guess we're just not very good at that. Maybe we need people like you to help us remember that different doesnt' mean one is better than another." Quote:
Originally Posted by Fireheart Avalon breathed a sigh of relief at the professor's response. At least he didn't think she was totally stupid and disrespectful. As for the latter part of his question back to her, she thought for a moment. Sure, merpeople had language and music. But were they really as complex as human beings? She supposed that if they had enough wits to create their own culture, they probably were. "I definitely think they are as smart as humans. Maybe even smarter. I just wanted to hear your opinion on it," she said truthfully. Avalon liked hearing Cornish's thoughts about magical creatures. He always had some wisdom to impart. She always felt like she left his classes a bit more informed than she was at the beginning.
As for his opinion on the classification of magical creatures, the first year certainly understood his reasoning. While she usually enjoyed categorizing things -- organizing was a hobby of hers -- it seemed stifling to put all creatures into a category. However, she also saw the other side of the argument, too. The classification system helped preserve safety and understanding of creatures. To be perfectly honest, she was torn.
But at least they were going to meet the merrows! Avalon had never encountered a merperson before. Making her way over to the box, she grabbed a few bright aqua, silver, and gold beads, along with a string. Now, should she make a bracelet, necklace, or something entirely different? She still wanted to please him, but it wasn't worth arguing with someone when they were on the same side as you. Cornish gave her a small smile. Yes, the man knew how to smile. Sort of. Quote:
Originally Posted by SilverTiger Mostly, the talk of merpeople, merrows and the like had caused Stasya to wonder if they were going to get to practice their Mermish. Although being inside the common room and therefore having the glass of the porthole window might restrict that activity, but it was entirely possible the professor had plans that would make that less of a problem. Not that she hadn’t seen the merpeople of the lake before anyhow, since she’d seen them from a distance during the field trip terms ago that had led to the inferi attack.
The debate was something entirely different, though. She’d gotten up to collect some cord and shell beads before she chose to speak, but speak she did. “Both the merpeople and the centaurs chose to forgo being status for those reasons, and honestly, I think they have every right to be annoyed by the way they’re seen,” she pointed out, thinking of the Divination professor among others. “I think it’s a little crazy that people think they’re better, too. Some witches and wizards are way less deserving of the qualification than some merpeople and centaurs, and it works the other way too. Just like how merpeople and centaurs probably have differences among their own species, like in personality and choices, so do we. But we think we’re better?”
Okay, maybe she didn’t think she was better, and she’d become resigned to the fact people thought she was odd for her ideas about creatures. But she’d been asked, and it sort of seemed like she agreed with the professor which she really didn’t mind. Creature people stick together, and she’d lapsed into silence again as she applied herself to the supplies she’d gathered, slowly letting a necklace come into existence. "Let's not put too noble a point on it. Centaurs and merpeople refused to be considered beings because they didn't like the company of hags and vampires, not because they thought other beasts should be beings too," Cornish didn't blame them, per se, although violence wasn't an indicator in the classification system. It was in the X - XXXXX system, which was at least more reasonable. "But I agree with you that we shouldn't put ourselves above them. The differences make our lives so much richer, don't you think?" Quote:
Originally Posted by sweetpinkpixie Eiji had been nothing but content in ignoring this conversation about classifications. How could one reasonably apply such status to sentient beings that did not share the same set of moral conduct as humans anyway? It was stupid and so was this conversation they were having. What were they going to do, sign a petition and send it off to the ----
What?
WHAT?
W H A T?
Eiji set his pathetic attempt at jewelry down - it sparkled and that was what counted, or whatever - and STARED at the Hufflepuff prefect. Grandpa Charles may be up there in years but the implications of pureblood status and just wanting to stay in power was BEYOND offensive. But he didn't want to give that Hufflepuff the time of day - she always seemed to crave chaos and debate and he, frankly, did not have the energy.
"I am certain, professor, that if you request an audience with the Minister he will hear your concerns," he said as calmly as one could when the hairs were standing on the back of one's neck. "Private debate," ...complaining really... "...without proactive actions won't change anything."
Not that he thought things needed to change, he just hated the implications that his uncle was some stuffy old hat.
Now...back to adding something else that sparkled to this...necklace? Keychain? He wasn't sure what he was making anymore. Rasting woke up. Interesting. "I'm also certain that public discussion foments consensus and action. One man's opinion is just that. Many men... that's a revolution. Not that I'm trying to revolt or anything, but I'm keen to let you lot know that there are things worth caring about. What we call things, how we reference things... it matters. It changes us. So. I'm not telling you to care about this, but I"m telling you why we talk about it. Make your pretty jewelry." Quote:
Originally Posted by SneakySeverusSnape Continuing to thread her bracelet, Analiese thought of suitable songs for the particular purpose. She was genuinely struggling to think of some. The only song in her head was God Rest Ye, Merry Hippogriffs. It was playing in repeat in her head. She began humming it quietly as she finished beading. She stopped humming after a minute and raised her hand. " In my opinion, acromantulas, centaurs and merpeople deserve to be classified as beings more than humans. Some humans even deserve to be classified as beasts!" The young Ravenclaw paused for a second to take a breath. "And I think that the people in the Ministry are just too scared that they will lose their position in the hierarchy pyramid of society if they try to speak up about it. What we need at the Ministry is a good Minister for Magic, good department heads and good employees. I'm not saying that Charles Hollingberry and any of the department heads is in anyway bad, but they need to do something about the classification system. However, if the acromantulas, centaurs and merpeople do not want to be classified as beings, and instead want to be classified as beasts there is nothing wrong. I know that merpeople and centaurs were given the chance to be classified as beasts but they did not want to be the same classification as hags and vampires, but has anyone tried to change the classification of acromatulas? No. Why? Because they have a taste for human flesh. However, the quality which centaurs, merpeople and humans have in common is present in acromantulas too. Also, nobody has tried to make vampires beasts because they are of human intelligence. However, they also have a taste for human flesh, just like acromantulas. Acromantulas have human intelligence, in my opinion, and should be classified as beings."
Was that too much? Probably. "Well said, kid The right to choose is an important right too," Cornish agreed with the girl. AND she already knew about the dirty history of merpeople, hags, and vampires.
"Okay, enough discussion, and I want you to wrap up your jewelry making now. We're missing our party guests here, and you can't have a party with no guests." Cornish set the bracelet he'd made on the sill of the porthole and touched the runes again. "Professor Beryl helped me with these. They allow us to be heard and to hear through the glass, and there's some fancy automatic translation going on. The merrow speak English, but I think it's polite to speak to them in their own language. They're much more eloquent and we're much less likely to offend them."
The water beyond the porthole was dark and murky, seemingly too dark and murky to see more than a few feet out into the lake right now. If there were merrow close by, they weren't visible. Really, nothing was. Cornish hummed softly and peered out into the dark water. "If you have a gift to offer, I suggest you place it on a sill and present a song. I can't promise anything will happen, but if we don't try, nothing will." So step up to a porthole, offer your jewelry, and sing a song. Let's see what happens. You can join a group if you don't want to sing alone.
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