Harry Potter books

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I"m re reading the series and am on book 1. Does anyone have the hardcover US version? I know that the UK version has a different title. I'm on Chapter 10, Halloween, and the question I have is on page 173. What does it mean by search me??

Before search me here is the sentences.

"What's he doing?" Harry whispered. "Why isn't he down in the dungeons with the rest of the teachers?"

"Search me."

I may have an updated version of the book because in checking the inside I found the next 6 books in the series.

Thanks

"Search me" basically means "I don't know."

Oh ok thanks Is that a slang term? I never heard of search me before unless someone tells someone else "search him" like check for weapons, etc.

Yeah. It's just a more casual way of telling someone you don't know something.

I believe, directly, its short for something like "You can search me for an answer, but if I had one Id have told you already" or something to that effect.

I believe it came from England initially, and IIRC the term was used moderately frequently in the Sherlock Holmes books, but /shrug, this sentence is generated from my memory, and is subject to being entirely wrong, feel free to do your own research.

Aldran

What are wizard crackers? How did Harry get a new chess set? Who gave it to him?

He got some wizard crackers during the Christmas feast, where he got a few things including a chess set.

Ah so maybe the professors put the gifts together? Or we don't know? I have to watch the first movie again. Maybe it will make a clearer picture. I have to picture the wizard cracker in my mind.

Interesting...I'm learning more and more about Harry Potter every day.

In other wards wizard magic?

The Nicholas Flamel chapter. How come Ron says that the stone will be gone by next Tues? How does he know?
Page 227 in hardcover edition US.

Also in Defense Against the Dark Arts class, how come Harry doesn't complain of his scar hurting? It seems that it hurt during the sorting hat ceremony.

I just wanted to ask Luvsterriers, have you ever heard of the term "Figure of speech"? IE, saying something metaphorically, or with sarcasm or irony or rhetorically? The Harry Potter books (And a great deal of fiction out there, particularly British fiction), has a lot of "Slang", or "Sayings" that aren't specifically true, but are meant to demonstrate something like annoyance, frustration, anger, or many different other forms of unhappiness.

Without actually referencing the quote, for instance:
The character of Ronald Weasly was designed to be a little short tempered, and easily frustrated. So he tends to often say things that aren't specifically true, but are representative of the circumstances hes referring to while at the same time demonstrating his unhappiness with the situation. So the question you asked about his saying "The stone will be gone next Tuesday!", IIRC, again without actually going and reading the whole page again (Ive read those books probably 10 or so times start to finish, more for the earlier ones), he doesn't know that that stone will be gone by next tuesday, but rather hes saying that to express his exasperation for what he feels is inadequate protections for the stone. Or to translate it more directly "If thats all thats protecting the stone, the I wouldn't be surprised if the stone was gone by next Tuesday!" This is pretty common NT behavior in my experience, both in real life and in fiction, to say something inaccurate as a result of how they feel rather then any actual knowledge, and Ronald Weasly personifies this....

I will also add that, in a book that deals with something as amorphus as Magic (Meaning, though there might be some sort of rule system, as there is in the Harry Potter books, governing how a person can "physically" use it, its still "magic" at its core and can always have room for expansion according to the author's will), you should be ready and expect to find things, both writing style wise and woven into the plot, that aren't meant to be taken literally or taken for granted. IE, there are MANY examples of what Im talking about all through out the Harry Potter books in particular.

Happy Reading,
Aldran