Is this a mistake in Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince?

Question: Is this a mistake in Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince!?

Hello,
On page 167 the students find out that Snape is going to be the potions professor!. Harry is upset, but says at least Snape'll be gone by the end of the year, because the job is jinxed!. He then says he hopes he dies!. Then Ron says he might go back to teaching potions!. He says "That Slughorn bloke might notwant to stay long-term!.Moody didn't!."
Well!.!.!.as Ron knows!.!.!.Moody was never there! It was an imposter the whole time! So why does he say that!? Any links to J!.K!. Rowling commenting on it it or other readers commenting on fan sites would be much appreciated!.ThanksWww@QuestionHome@Com

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

Listen to the HalfBloodPrince himself, hahaha!. No, actually don't, he's a bit wrong, I do believe!.
No, I don't think it's a mistake!. Real Moody made a deal with Dumbledore (it says so in the books, too) to teach one year only before Barty Crouch captured him!. So, the real Moody didn't want to stay long-term, and it was not the impostor's decision!. And Ron was correct!.
Not a mistake, just a tad confusing!.

It says it!. I'm not going to go find my copy at a quarter till 2am, sorry!. But Moody came out of retirement because Dumbledore asked him to, until they could find another replacement, for one year!. They just never did, which was how they got stuck with Umbridge in OotP because Moody didn't come back after ONE YEAR!. You see!?Www@QuestionHome@Com

It's one of those things you can take either way!. Either it's because Ron is used to thinking of him as Moody (they had a whole year to get used to him) or he meant the real Moody, who didn't want the job either and just got talked into it by Dumbledore (just like Slughorn) or!.!.!. J!.K!. screwed up, as is known to happen!. :-)Www@QuestionHome@Com

While Moody did not actually teach at Hogwarts, he was always only going to teach in Harry's fourth year!. He was going to come in as temporary teacher for a year while Dumbledore searched for a new long-term professor!. Of course events, and DEs conspired against him and he never got a chance to teach, but he never wanted to assume a long-term role either way!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

My interpretation of that sentence was that Moody was actually at the school for a year, technically hired, even though he didn't actually teach!. He didn't want to stay for the next year, even though he didn't teach the first!. He was STILL hired for the year and chose to walk away for the second!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

People! Moody WAS there!
He was INSIDE the trunk!
At Hogwarts!
AND!.!.!.!.!.!.!.the contest was announced at the BEGINNING of the school year!
Nobody said that he didn't stay on after he was found either, to finish out the school year!
And Dumbledore DID say Moody was only HELPING out, and would not be permanant!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I don't think it's a mistake at all!. Crouch was killed by the dementors so they can't be talking about the crouch moody!. They are saying that the real moody did not want to stay at the school and teach even though he never got to teach!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

But didn't the real Moody agree to teach for a year before he got attacked!? The impostor didn't decide to teach for a year, Moody did!. So Ron is right, even if Moody wasn't actually there!. I think!. I need to reread those!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Ah yes!. I remember this , i gave the same question when i was reading this part , but i dunno is there any explanation from JKR!.
there are really unmatching things in these series!.

Someone, please answer to my question:
http://answers!.yahoo!.com/question/index;!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Well, when the Mad-Eye Moody impostor taught the class, all the kids called him Moody, so Ron could just be referring that the Impostor didn't stay all term!. So there really isn't a mistake!. Good Eye though;DWww@QuestionHome@Com

Moody WAS planning on teaching, even though he ended up being stuck in a trunk!. And he WAS only planning on teaching for the year!. Oh, and FYI, I'm pretty sure you mean DEFENSE AGAINST THE DARK ARTS, not POTIONS!. Www@QuestionHome@Com

umm

halfblood is wrong
tim e is right

ron was referring to moody's desire to get harry killed which is y he didnt want 2 stay long term and they were refrring to the impster moody as moody which is 1 thing halfblood got right

<3eliWww@QuestionHome@Com

My opinion,
Moody didn't because he was sent there originally to help protect Harry but got kidnapped!. Moody never intended on being a long-term teacher, it was just an assignment for him!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

not a mistake, although you're right that it seems to be a stupid thing to say!. However, many movies and books have small glitches like this one!. Sometimes they just make things easierWww@QuestionHome@Com

They're just used to calling him that!. And he was going to teach, but then got kidnapped!. Maybe he didn't want to teach teh next year!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

read what u wrote again
snape has ALWAYS been the potions master
so the job isnt jinx
i think u need to over everything again
cause even ur question is WRONGWww@QuestionHome@Com

Yeah I think they just refer to him as Moody because that's what he was going under even though he was an impostor!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I read it, but I never thought about it!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Yea, I know what you mean!. Www@QuestionHome@Com

read tim | e's

bahaaaaaWww@QuestionHome@Com

nothings wrong with itWww@QuestionHome@Com

I don't think it was a mistake!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

i don't understand your question fully enough but I'll give u what i know :
well, they were upset because Snape was going to teach defense against the dark arts not potions _harry was upset because Snape loves the dark arts how will he be teaching them the defense against it_!. and Slughorn will be teaching potions in the place of Snape!.!.!.!.!.!. but then they know that the defense against the dark arts job is jinxed as no one in all their years stayed in it more than 1 year (that is made clear in the middle of the story when harry sees the memory of riddle coming to Dumbledore and asking for it and when Dumbledore said no he jinxed the job so no one was able to stay: Quirrel, Lockhart, Lupin, Moody) so Snape'll leave Hogwarts after a year and they were happy, then they even considered that moody (it doesn't matter imposter or not he's talking about teaching) didn't stay even half a year, maybe Snape won't stay half a year as usualWww@QuestionHome@Com

Nope!. No mistake!. The original deal that Dumbledore made with the real Moody was to teach for one year!. Moody was abducted and impersonated after agreeing to take up the post for only one year!. The imposter Moody (who they call Moody instead of Crouch Jr, anyhow) may have informed them of that, but the real Moody is the one who made the deal!.

A little off subject, but I wonder!. What we don't know is who set that condition, Dumbledore or Moody!? Dumbledore knew that position was cursed so that no one could have the spot for more than a year!. Knwing that, why would he ask his friend to take it up post knowing the risk!? I bet Dumbledore asked him to teach for only a year, so that the curse could be fulfilled without inflicting harm upon Moody!. Www@QuestionHome@Com

Yay, finally a Harry Potter question! Okay:

It was not a mistake!. Ron said that for a reason!
'That Slughorn bloke might not want to stay long-term, Moody didn't':

The imposter Moody didn't want to stay long term because he was trying to get Harry killed throughout the duration of the Triwizard Tournament!. The imposter Moody (Barty Crouch Jr) wanted to be gone as quickly as possible, what with being at Hogwarts with Dumbledore!. So, obviously he didn't want to stay 'long-term!.' What Ron said had nothing to do with the 'one year agreement' between Dumbledore and the real Moody!. Ron was referring to the imposter Moody not wanting to stay long-term because he wanted to kill Harry as quickly as possible and get lost as soon as he'd done it!.

also, Ron thought Slughorn might not want to stay long-term (even though Dumbledore had insisted that Slughorn stay because Hogwarts was the safest place)!. Ron hoped that with Slughorn gone, Snape would go back to Potions, and they [Harry, Ron, Hermione and other Gryffindor's] would not have to endure Snape teaching them DADA, their favourite subject!. I know this because of what Ron said before the thing about Moody not wanting to stay long-term:
'He [Snape] might just go back to teaching Potions at the end of the year!.'

Something else I picked up!.!.!. when Dumbledore and Harry confronted Slughorn at his 'place of residence,' Slughorn practically point blank refused to go back and teach!. Maybe Harry told Ron and Hermione that Slughorn might have decided to leave before the end of the year, it is not mentioned!. Whatever the case, it might have been what led Ron to say that about Moody!. It really all revolves around the Triwizard Tournament!. The fact that the real Moody was locked in a trunk in the imposter Moody's office has nothing to do with it at all!. What Ron said can be interpereted in many ways!. I think it's what JK Rowling meant (and, based on all the stuff that's come out of Ron's mouth)!.

Hope this helped (and that it wasn't too confusing!)
-Tim :]

P!.S!. - HalfBloodPrince is sort of wrong!. He is right, however, in saying that the trio grew accustomed to calling the imposter Moody 'Moody!.' They didn't do this around the real Moody though, who was an active member in the Order!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Ron and the other students were used to calling him Moody!. Even if he was an impostor, it was what they got accustomed to!.

Edit:
Looney!.!.!.Barty Crouch Jr!. was the one that attacked Moody at his house!. Do you remember the the guy coming out of the fire and telling Mr!. Weasley that Moody got himself into some trouble again!. With the garbage cans and stuff!? That was when Barty Jr!. took over!. He knew Dumbledore wanted Moody to teach the Dark Arts!. That was his way of getting into the school!.

And!.!.!.Yes, they did make the agreement before school started!. But, I don't believe it actually said Moody was staying for one year did it!? I remember Slughorn saying he would teach for a year!.

If you find proof, tell me which page!. I'd like to know, because I really don't remember coming across it!. Thanks!.!.!. :PWww@QuestionHome@Com

I don't think it's a mistake!.!.!.!.You know, I think back in the 5th year, it might have been Moody when he first entered the school, then the guy (Bart's son) did all that mumbo jumbo to become like Moody, do you know what I mean!? Anyways it's not a mistake!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Honestly, you don't have to ridicule a little mistake like that!. JK Rowling wrote thousands of pages, it's bound to have at least ONE mistake in it!.

People like you who look into every single little detail really need to get a life!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

yeah, what half blood said!.Www@QuestionHome@Com