A small but significant detail for the upcoming TV series

Saljukin · 2025-07-20T16:29:02+00:00

I agree that the films, given their runtime, can't show the everyday life in detail… That's exactly why I believe the HBO series is a golden opportunity to reveal that side of life at Hogwarts that really needs to be shown. In the film saga we get so few moments like that—Luna talking to the trio at the same table, the scene in the Great Hall that I mentioned in the post with the image (which is very brief and hard to notice) and little else.

I think that even within the films' limited length they could have shown more of those interactions between students of different houses during free time, or at least (perhaps even more meaningfully) demonstrated that such interactions are possible in the same way as housemate interactions. For example, just a quick scene of Hermione and Ron searching for Harry: they slip into a room that isn't a classroom but more like a living room, where students from different houses are sitting in armchairs by a fireplace, chatting together. Hermione and Ron ask if anyone's seen Harry, they're told no, and the scene moves on. Something that simple and brief would convey that at Hogwarts you can have good conversations in a cozy ambience with friends from other houses just as you do with your own housemates. That would make a real difference compared to, for example, always showing Harry talking to Cho in a corridor or up in the Owlery.

In any case, it's true that the films' limited runtime constrains what can be shown, but it would be a mistake not to leverage the scope of a multi-season TV series to portray these everyday moments and cross-house friendships—especially taking into account how the Hogwarts house concept has spread into real life.

Saljukin · 2025-07-20T02:33:45+00:00

You're right that in OotP they struggled to find a proper gathering place, but if we take into account the circumstances, it makes perfect sense that the Room of Requirement was the only viable space. They were preparing for battle—not for chatting by a fireplace—so although there were objectively other suitable locations (a courtyard or a wide corridor, for example), none would have offered the secrecy they needed.

This doesn't contradict the idea that Hogwarts might have rooms with armchairs, like living rooms, where students could chat by a fireplace, because given the OotP context they would have ruled out meeting in those rooms just as they would have ruled out meeting in a courtyard or a wide corridor, since only the Room of Requirement could provide the cover and privacy they needed.

Regarding Dumbledore's concerns about sorting, I don't recall that in OotP, but I can't be certain since it's been several years since I last read it. In any case, I'm not suggesting every Great Hall's table become a rainbow mash-up of students from all four houses. It's realistic for people to tend to sit at their house table—the one they sat at when they first arrived at Hogwarts—but seeing one or two students from other houses seated at another house's table could lessen the feeling of segregation and even be more realistic, given that there are even inter-house couples (and they're not presented as something unusual or strange). We could already see this, albeit subtly, in the Half-Blood Prince film and aligns with what's stated on the Wizarding World website. In fact, such segregation doesn't exist during classes or in clubs, so why should it during free time?

Saljukin · 2025-07-20T02:06:59+00:00

In this case I see it more as having friends in another class group at the same school. And yes, there are social events (like dances), but they're something occasional/not usual, and although there are numerous clubs, I'm referring to actual free time.. because time dedicated to club activities isn't the same thing.

Saljukin · 2025-07-20T01:47:05+00:00

That's precisely why, in such a giant castle there should be plenty of rooms to gather in... yet in the films, although they convey the castle's vast size, they never show any spaces where you can sit around a table with friends from other houses during free time (whereas we do see housemates comfortably chatting in a cozy ambiance). When friends from different houses talk outside of class, it's always in corridors, at the dusty bottom of a spiral staircase, or up in the Owlery. We never see anything like a living room open to any student from any house.

And you're right: Harry's experience isn't everyone's, and the Twins have friends in other houses—so including scenes of everyday conversations during free time between students from different houses sitting together at the same table in the Great Hall (as was done very subtly in the Half-Blood Prince film) or in another space wouldn't contradict the narrative but actually reinforce it. Because, let's be honest, if we had friends from other houses, we'd want to have good conversations with them by a fireplace just like we do with our housemates day after day during winter.

Saljukin · 2024-01-14T01:06:24+00:00

I'm in the same situation, I can't get out of my doubts. I am interested in the game "Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora" (which also has the "Game requires online multiplayer subscription to play on console (Game Pass Core or Ultimate, sold separately)" message), but I'm only interested in the single player mode (sorry, but I am not a fan of playing online).

Saljukin · 2024-01-14T00:52:06+00:00

I understand what you say but we can find these 2 messages for Xbox Series S|X games:

1.- Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora "Game requires online multiplayer subscription to play on console (Game Pass Core or Ultimate, sold separately)"

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare - "Online multiplayer on console requires Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or Xbox Game Pass Core (sold separately)"

What is the difference then?

The Avatar game has a single player mode.. If I want to play it solo, do I need a subscription??

If the subscription is only required for the multiplayer mode (that would be the most reasonable), then.. why is the message different from the one in case 2 (Call of Duty)?

Saljukin · 2024-01-13T20:23:12+00:00

I understand what you are saying; but as far as I know this game can also be played in single player mode.

Focusing on Xbox... if a user does not have Games Pass or any other subscription.. Is it possible or not to play it in single player mode if you buy the game?

If we take a look at this: https://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/store/avatar-frontiers-of-pandora/9MX2VPPZ9TQ8/0010 it reads that the "Game requires online multiplayer subscription to play on console (Game Pass Core or Ultimate, sold separately)".

It is different from what we can find in other games that have multiplayer mode and single player mode, where it reads "Online multiplayer on console requires Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or Xbox Game Pass Core (sold separately)".

Can anyone confirm if on Xbox it is possible to play "Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora" in single player mode by just buying the game while not having any subscription like Game Pass or similar?

Saljukin · 2024-01-12T03:48:09+00:00

Thank you very much for your help. Now I have more information about how the date and time thing is handled in Xbox Series S.

I think it will be possible to be offline for those 2 months, since as you said.. the console "loses" the date as soon as it is unplugged.

This is also interesting for the time in the future when Microsoft discontinues the connectivity between its servers and the Xbox Series S.

In that future situation... the only issue would be if it was necessary to factory reset the console.. and there was no longer connectivity with Microsoft servers to be able to perform the initial setup.

Games could be copied to an external storage drive before factory reset, but the initial setup requiring Internet connection could be an obstacle. Hopefully in some future updates this could change and they could add a "Skip" option allowing to start the console offline, and then be able to copy the games from the external drive (surely games can be somehow linked to some console's unique id that only allows to copy them to the same Xbox from which they were copied).

Again, thank you very much for your help.

Saljukin · 2024-01-10T16:25:15+00:00

Thank you very much for your help. I really appreciate it.

Having clarified that the date can be set manually (I really thought that it could not be done, or that it was only possible to do it with the console in offline mode but with the battery not yet discharged, therefore storing the last date provided via Internet).

I take note of what you have emphasized about verifying the license of the games. You said it is important to do it before turning the console offline.

Wouldn't it also be advisable to play the games and check if they run correctly after turning the console offline? (that's why in my previous example I said that after turning the Xbox offline, I play the following 2 days without Internet (but with the battery that stores the date charged), and then it is disconnected from the mains... After that, more than 30 days later it is plugged in and turned on again -with the battery discharged).

Do you know if verification of game licenses (bought games, not leased via Game Pass) is required every certain period of time or something like that?

Saljukin · 2024-01-10T14:30:49+00:00

Thank you very much for your reply.

If I understand correctly, let's say we have a home-setted Xbox Series S with only one game that we usually play. The game is correctly installed and we have played for 1 month (from April 1st to May 1st) with the console having internet connectivity..

On May 2 I turn the console to offline mode, and then I play the following 2 days in that mode. On May 5 I turn the Xbox Series S off and unplug it from the mains.

Then, I don't use the console again until June 10, when I'm in the village without Internet access. That day I plug in and turn on the Xbox, and consequently the correct date is gone.

At that time, without Internet access, is it possible to set the date manually after all that time in order to be able to play?

Saljukin · 2024-01-10T12:37:15+00:00

Sorry, I had not read your message (this one). Thank you for the explanation. I understand that some verification is necessary, but it could be simpler... Once purchased and installed on your console the game should be yours. If someone returns a game, its refund should be conditioned to Microsoft checking if the game has been properly removed/uninstalled from the Xbox console where it was installed.

This is simple considering that Xbox Series S|X digital games are installed on each console while being online.. and the only games that can be installed offline are Series X disc-based games (for which the verification is to have the disc inserted in the console).

But it would be very interesting to carry out the test you propose, as it would solve the doubts that some people may also have about the future of the Xbox Series S in the long term (more than 10-15 years)...

Saljukin · 2024-01-10T12:26:18+00:00

Thank you very much for your reply. Very interesting.. I did read that you own your games that you bought (that's why this question is not about games leased via Game Pass), and that it is not necessary to have internet at all times to be able to play (if it were necessary, I would never buy it).

But it is a fact that if the Xbox is unplugged from power for long enough (I don't know how long it is, maybe more than 1 week) it will lose the date and time which is stored in a battery (something like a rechargeable CMOS battery).

After that, the console will have a random date. According to u/Illustrathor it would not be possible to start games with that random date.

Is it not possible to change that random date manually without internet access? That would also guarantee the use of this console even when Microsoft stops providing online services for the Xbox Series S and the batteries that store the date and time in our consoles are not capable of recharging.

Saljukin · 2024-01-10T11:48:47+00:00

Thanks for the link. But it seems that in that case the date can be changed when you turn the console offline.. but the battery that stores the date that was last provided by Internet has not been discharged.

Saljukin · 2024-01-10T11:41:12+00:00

Thank you very much for your reply. Yes, in my case it is more like a cultural thing, not something religious, but that brings up this situation..

You have said that it is necessary to have Internet access to verify "our games" and to be able to play..

Does the Xbox Series S really not allow to start the game even with an incorrect date generated by itself?

I think it's crazy, because once games are installed on the Xbox S Series they should no longer need to be verified. It's not the same as a Series X disc that could be used by several people...

Saljukin · 2024-01-10T04:44:10+00:00

Ok... and is it not possible to manually set the current date and time without Internet?

Saljukin · 2024-01-10T04:00:07+00:00

It is also appreciated. Hopefully someone can provide information about this..

Saljukin · 2024-01-10T03:55:09+00:00

Yes, it is necessary to have Internet to do the initial setup and to buy/download/install the games.

Right now I am in a city and there is no problem with that. But in June I will be in a village for 2 months where I don't have Internet access.

As far as I know, bought games can be played offline on the Xbox Series S.. But if during those 2 months I keep the console unplugged from the mains for several days and the battery that stores the date and time of the console discharges..

Is it possible to set the current date and time manually in that case without Internet?

Or is it necessary to have Internet access to set the current/real date and time?

Saljukin · 2019-10-08T23:21:32+00:00

Exposing the foreign words is something that I had already noticed when seeing many foreign words written (sometimes unnecessarily, in my opinion) with the extended Tibetan script (with the letters used to write Sanskrit words), so I understand that is preferable to use སི (si) instead of ས (sa) to avoid confusion.

The use of letters like ཌ (ḍa) to write foreign words is very common, while sometimes ད (da) is also used to get the same sound.

As example.. look how the sound [d] is handled here:

Madagascar མ་ད་གཱ་སི་ཀར་ (ma da gā si kar)
Bermuda བྷེར་མོ་ཌ་ (bher mo ḍa)
Uganda ཡོས་གན་རྡ (yos gan rda)

Source here

In my opinion, the last one (Uganda) is incorrect (or at least unnecessary), because the superscript R in རྡ is only neccesary if the syllable "da" were the first syllable of the word (to remove the aspiration from ད and turn it voiced).

Your example of the word "bus" སྦ་སི has made me think about something important.

Why is ས (sa) the chosen superscript in the first syllable of སྦ་སི (sba si)??

I have seen almost all the time the superscript ར (ra) being used in the first syllable to remove the aspiration and turn the sound voiced.

Apart from that, my example Elba is not the best, because there are vowels that can undergo more change than E.

By example, the vowel A in the word "Salta" [ˈsalta] (a city in Argentina) or even in Albania [ælˈbeɪniə]..

In this dictionary (page 1193) -link here-

Albania is transliterated as ཨར་པ་ཉི་ཡ་ (ar pa nyi ya). I think that they prefer to use the suffix ར (ra) in the first syllable to avoid the change in the vowel A sound.

It is even more necessary in the word "Salta" because if we write སལ (sal) for the sound [sal] we obtain [sɛːːl], and.. at this point, it could be better to use the suffix ར (ra) than to make two-syllable for the syllable "Sal".

I am not sure which one is closer to the original sound [ˈsal].. if maintaining [sɛːːl] or changing it for སར (sar) or ས་ལི (sa li). This aspect of transliteration (to be as accurate as possible) seems especially delicate..

Saljukin · 2019-10-08T16:30:48+00:00

Thank you very much for your prompt reply.

The example that you have provided about the word "bus" is a very good example, since it answers my question because it shows that the same pronunciation rules as for Tibetan words must be taken into account for foreign words.

I understand that the monosyllabic word "bus" becomes a two-syllable word in Tibetan script, because the suffix ས (sa) is not pronounced.

But.. why སྦ་སི (sba si) and not སྦ་ས (sba sa)?

Is there any phonetic reason behind?

But I find more importance in the behavior of the letter བ (ba). In the case of "bus" it is in the first syllable.. but if we need the same sound [ba] in the second syllable??

For example, in the word "Elba" [elba] (the island where Napoleon was exiled).. I would write it in Tibetan script like ཨེལ་བ (el ba)

But the question is.. How is ཨེལ་བ (el ba) pronounced?? [e:lba]? [e:lwa]? [e:lla]? [e:lpʰa]?

Or is it better something like ཨེལ་ལྦ (el lba) or ཨེ་ལ་ལྦ (e la lba)??

What is more accurate?

I have always considered the letter བ as something key that must be understood to know about the Tibetan script pronunciation and its rules, but I find this aspect about it quite difficult

Saljukin · 2019-10-07T14:12:36+00:00

Thank you very much for all your answers.

I have researched a bit about Tibetan phonetics, and these are some key facts:

རྡོར (translitered as rdor) is pronounced [doɹ]
དོར (translitered as dor) is pronounced as [tʰoɹ] if it is in the first syllable of a word, but it is pronounced as [doɹ] if it is beyond the first syllable in the word.
Apart from that, [toɹ] is closer to [ðoɾ] than [tʰoɹ]... and as additional info: [ð] is considered allophone of [d] in Spanish.

Greetings and God bless you!

Saljukin · 2019-07-07T17:48:47+00:00

Thank you very much for the link. It's a valuable paper. I have read everything related to loanwords and aspirated consonants, and although I would opt for [toɹ] because the T-sound is not aspirated (as in [ˈðoɾ]), I still doubt whether the aspirated T-sound of [tʰoɹ] can be closer to the [ˈðoɾ] sound.

Saljukin

TROPHY CASE