004

[hairflyingheartpounding]

I'm really pretty excited about the goats, but I have to wonder why we Hufflepuffs are each being assigned one, too. I know Professor Mercer is head of Ravenclaw, so that makes sense, but us? It's not a bad thing at all, I'm just curious about it.

Comments

[bonafide_divinity]

Yes, goats are generally dirty and horrible, but this one goes above and beyond.

It's horns are too big for its head. Just look at it. It's unsettling.

[greenteengenius]

The horns? They're not abnormal growths, just horns. It's probably showing off to the other goats.

[bonafide_divinity]

It has two sets of horns, Dox.

Do you think that it willed itself to grow another set of horns to impress the other goats? That would be kind of That's completely impossible.

[greenteengenius]

I wasn't aware there was an upper limit on goat horns. Even if two is standard, mutations are possible.

[bonafide_divinity]

So, what you're saying is that your goat is a mutant.

[greenteengenius]

Possibly. The only hoofed mammal I'm familiar with is deer.

[bonafide_divinity]

So let's think about it this way: if a deer had an extra set of horns that looked like they might be about three times too big for the deer's head... what sort of conclusion would you draw?

[greenteengenius]

It might be a unique species, so perhaps I wouldn't eat it. I suppose it would depend on how hungry I was.

[bonafide_divinity]

[inkblot]

Are you saying that if you were hungry enough, you would eat a mutant deer? What's wrong with you?

[greenteengenius]

You're assuming it's a mutant. It might be a variant species not native to the Isles. Which is why I would not eat it--it might belong to someone.

[bonafide_divinity]

And not because it might have diseases?

[greenteengenius]

As I said, it would depend on how hungry I was. Wizards are hardy when it comes to illness but are still susceptible to starvation.

And I am still not convinced this is a result of disease rather than natural variation.

[bonafide_divinity]

[inkblot]

You have a point.

But there's a chance that it's a result of disease and that should be what would keep you from eating it. Not the fact that it "might belong to someone else"

[greenteengenius]

If it appeared as healthy as my goat I wouldn't let worry cheat me of a good meal, that is all I am saying.

And my goat is healthy, I am sure. They wouldn't give me one with such an obvious ailment.