NEWTs to be a Healer

I'm not sure exactly what you're trying to get us to choose between, CoMC and ... Charms(?) or Astronomy.

Obviously they'll need Charms, so if you're thinking between CoMC and Astronomy, then I'd go for CoMC . Hagrid also looks after the animals, he knows how to heal them (as does Professor Grubbly-Plank), therefore some rudiments of animal care must be taught.

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Originally Posted by Olive Oil Med

For a Healer who specialized in the treatment of werewolve, Astronomy would probably also be of good use. A Healer who could predict when a werewolf would transform down to the minute would probably be a very highly sought-out person.

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To be honest the full moon isn't that hard to calculate (just grab yourself a Muggle diary), and I would imagine Healers could consult someone else (there's probably a Percy-like person at the Ministry who sits and calculates all day). But some Potions and their ingredients are supposed to be brewed under certain celestial conditions. Whether a Healer would need Astronomy is questionable (It's not mentioned in the leaflet that Ron reads out), but an Apothocary would need it.

Carole

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Originally Posted by Equinox Chick

To be honest the full moon isn't that hard to calculate (just grab yourself a Muggle diary)

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Sure, any moron with a calander can tell when the full moon is, but I have a feeling that when it comes to predicting when a werewolf will transform is a bit more complicated than that. I mean, in PoA, it had been night for quite a while before Remus transformed. Does the moon need to be at a certain height in the sky? Does a werewolf need to be exposed to the moon's rays for a certain amount of time? When does a werewolf turn back into a human? It is possible for the sun and the moon to be in sky at the same time. Does the moon have to be completely set, or does the sun cancel out the effects?

Maybe I'm just over analyzing this, but I just feel like there would be more to it than just knowing what day the full moon is.

Granted, I still don't think this would be something every Healer would need to know. Maybe there are just specially appointed Astronomers who Healers use in this.

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Sure, any moron with a calander can tell when the full moon is, but I have a feeling that when it comes to predicting when a werewolf will transform is a bit more complicated than that. I mean, in PoA, it had been night for quite a while before Remus transformed. Does the moon need to be at a certain height in the sky?

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Er no, according to JKR (in one of her interviews - I would post a link but I'm not allowed to) the werewolf transformation occurs as soon as the full moon rises. When it's been pointed out that Remus didn't transform until he emerged from the tunnel, she said that when he went to the Shack it had not risen... ie appeared in the sky. It rose just at the time he emerged from the tunnel. Being inside won't delay any transformation. The film is misleading because it gives the impression that Remus only transformed when the moon's rays hit him.

In June, when the Shrieking Shack incident occured (after exams) moon rise is around 9pm or later. (It's currently 8pm here in UK and the sun is only just starting to set.) You may wish to debate/disagree with JKR's thesis, (and it is a touch woolly, I admit) but unfortunately it's her book.

Basically, whilst I'm not denying the usefulness of Astronomy for an Apothocary, , I doubt someone would need the NEWT to find out about the full moon. Harry comsults Moon charts in year one. It's kinda easy and yeah, a moron could do it.

Muggle diaries, incidentally, (and our daily papers) give out exact times for sunrise and sunset.

Carole

...And then there's the other thing about that werewolf stuff of course, namely... how would it be extremely helpful if a Healer knew the exact minute at which a werewolf is going to transform?

It's not like they'll be sitting around sipping tea the night of the full moon, and then suddenly the Healer checks their watch and leaves because else they might be ripped to pieces... Probably as soon as the sun sets, the werewolf would be isolated anyway.

And if this is after the invention of the Wolfsbane potion, it's not like anything is going to happen anyway (except that they sprout some more hair). And if this is before the invention of the Wolfsbane potion, the wizarding world is far too suspicious of werewolves to put them in a hospital and take good care of them.