JKR's Site (+Changes)/Belinda

[Catlady (Rita Prince Winston)]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at yahoogroups.com, "Belinda" <bhobbs at m...> wrote:

> As for the ads, I think they're wonderful!  So clever and totally 
> Jo's sense of humor!  
> Some of the things that caught my attention:
> Dragons give milk??? (recipes for Dragon milk cheeses)

I questioned that, too.

As for the ad for Muggle Repelling Doorbell:
<< Tired of muggle neighbors walking in when you've got a Potion on
the Boil? Weary of the Scramble to Hide Broomsticks when the Doorbell
rings? Try our Muggle-Deterring-Gate!
One touch of a non-magical finger and our gate emits the Muggle-
repelling alarm of your choice! Choose between: ghostly wail of woe,
sinister cackle of laughter or eerie scream of pain!
This product is not Ministry of Magic Approved. >>

I can see WHY the Ministry wouldn't approve "ghostly wails of woe,
sinister cackles of laughter, and eerie screams of pain". 

They try to keep wizarddom secret from Muggles and surely also
non-frightening to Muggles -- rumors *will* get around, and surely
rumors that make the wizarding folk sound cute and harmless are less
likely to attract mobs of peasants with torches (to refer to the old
monster movie cliche) than scary rumors. 

Sound effects that lead to rumors about Satanic sacrifices,
cannibalistic serial killers, and other very bad things that are
reported in newspapers to have happened in Muggle RL are more likely
to lead to law enforcement or vigilantes bashing into the house to
find out what's going on.

Personally, I'd prefer the Muggle-repelling sound effect to be,
y'know, *happy* moans and screams -- sexual sound effects that the
Muggles would be too kind and polite to disturb.