Apropos of nothing - a random HP thought.

[ridicully]

Where does half the fandom get the impression that Harry is cheating by using a book with notes in it?

They are allowed to use their book while brewing and are supposed to have read up on the potion they are preparing in class.
And in written tests, I doubt they are allowed to use their books anyway, so the notes won't be any help to him there.
The only difference I see between Harry and a Ravenclaw (in this instance) is that the Ravenclaw would have made the notes himself - and probably not in the book, but on a spare bit of paper.

Having better reference material is rarely considered cheating. No matter how much of an advantage it gives you.

Comments

here from the Snitch

[clare-dragonfly.livejournal.com]

I can't see how it can possibly be cheating. Okay, Harry isn't an American college student, but American college students buy used books--often with highlights and notes in the margins--all the time. Nobody thinks it's cheating when we use them, whether for classwork or for papers.

It also drives me crazy that Madam Pince freaks out like that when she sees the book and all the writing in it. Writing in books is GOOD. Grrr.

Re: here from the Snitch

[nights-mistress.livejournal.com]

Well, if it's a library book, I can understand the irritation!

Re: here from the Snitch

[clare-dragonfly.livejournal.com]

But it's not, and she keeps shrieking at him even after he says that.

Re: here from the Snitch

[nights-mistress.livejournal.com]

Yeah, but if I remember my own high school days correctly, Harry has been marked a Book Despoiler, for having chocolate in the library. The REAL reason why Harry isn't going back for his seventh year is because Pince will kill him if he's anywhere NEAR her library.
< /tongue in cheek>

Re: here from the Snitch

[clare-dragonfly.livejournal.com]

::laughs:: Hey, I'd be scared of her too.

Re: here from the Snitch

[ryf.livejournal.com]

but American college students buy used books--often with highlights and notes in the margins--all the time.

German student here, but: Word! I used books with notes in in class and 50% of my grades in my last 3 years of education did come from class participation.

Re: here from the Snitch

[clare-dragonfly.livejournal.com]

I only said "American" because I can't vouch for other countries, being American myself ^.^

Re: here from the Snitch

[maelwaedd.livejournal.com]

Nope. I had a copy of Sense and Sensibility once that I couldn't bear to read because they'd crossed out all the old spellings and replaced them with modern spellings. *grrs* Oh, and another book I tried to read for some random GLBT literature class (of all things) had "helpful" synonyms written in the margins whenever there was a difficult word.

Re: here from the Snitch

[clare-dragonfly.livejournal.com]

Okay, that's just evil. But that's not writing notes, that's... correcting the books? o.o

For the second one, though, I can understand, because presumably the note-maker didn't understand those words, and had to make notes so that he or she could understand it without running to a dictionary every time.

Re: here from the Snitch

[maelwaedd.livejournal.com]

I can understand it, but I can't appreciate it. That said, it's possible that they came from a country where English isn't a first language. That would be okay, although international students are generally far more polite, and often have a better grip on the language than the rest of us do. :)

I still think they should have rubbed them out.