How do we know this? They repeatedly burn themselves to rejuvenate but do we know anything about their reproduction. After being remade in fire it is the same phoenix.
Also, parthenogenesis isn’t the same thing as hermaphroditic self-fertilization. If phoenices were parthenogenetic (which we have no reason to believe) that just means they would be female, not “it”.
HPMoR phoenixes have a fairly thorough fire symbolism; the teleportation is compared to a flame extinguishing in one place and rekindling elsewhere. It seems reasonable to assume that phoenixes reproduce in the same way that flame spreads, kindling themselves wherever they can find a hero to burn for fuel.
It seems reasonable to assume that phoenixes reproduce in the same way that flame spreads, kindling themselves wherever they can find a hero to burn for fuel.
“The phoenix’s price isn’t inevitable,” the boy said. “It’s not part of some deep balance built into the universe. It’s just the parts of the problem where you haven’t figured out yet how to cheat.”
It might be a burning-bush type of thing where the hero doesn’t get ‘used up’ by the phoenix. The metaphor is still strong enough that, in my opinion, phoenixes should work like that.
I just thought the wording of ‘phoenix’s price’ was auspicious, I agree that that’s an interesting and poetic idea. (And looking back through, the fire symbolism is even more robust than I remembered.)
Problem: Dumbledore (who presumably should know) says in Chapter 62
“Harry,” whispered the old wizard, “phoenixes do not understand how winning a battle can lose a war.” Tears were streaming down the old wizard’s cheeks, dripping into his silver beard. “The battle is all they know. They are good, but not wise. That is why they choose wizards to be their masters.”
Edit: Does that make it clearer? I just thought the quote seemed to indicate a relationship other than ‘use as fuel for reproduction’.
How do we know this? They repeatedly burn themselves to rejuvenate but do we know anything about their reproduction. After being remade in fire it is the same phoenix.
Also, parthenogenesis isn’t the same thing as hermaphroditic self-fertilization. If phoenices were parthenogenetic (which we have no reason to believe) that just means they would be female, not “it”.
Okay, I’m going to change that to ‘asexual’.
What makes you think that phoenices are asexual, exactly?
HPMoR phoenixes have a fairly thorough fire symbolism; the teleportation is compared to a flame extinguishing in one place and rekindling elsewhere. It seems reasonable to assume that phoenixes reproduce in the same way that flame spreads, kindling themselves wherever they can find a hero to burn for fuel.
“The phoenix’s price isn’t inevitable,” the boy said. “It’s not part of some deep balance built into the universe. It’s just the parts of the problem where you haven’t figured out yet how to cheat.”
It might be a burning-bush type of thing where the hero doesn’t get ‘used up’ by the phoenix. The metaphor is still strong enough that, in my opinion, phoenixes should work like that.
I just thought the wording of ‘phoenix’s price’ was auspicious, I agree that that’s an interesting and poetic idea. (And looking back through, the fire symbolism is even more robust than I remembered.)
Problem: Dumbledore (who presumably should know) says in Chapter 62
Edit: Does that make it clearer? I just thought the quote seemed to indicate a relationship other than ‘use as fuel for reproduction’.
Okay, I think I see now.
I don’t think that Dumbledore knows as much about phoenixes as he thinks he does.
I don’t see what that quote has to do with fire symbolism.
Fire burns its fuel.
The inexorable conclusion is that phoenixes are fueled… by evil!
Edited for clarity.