A pet theory concerning magic in the real world.

[rainy_lilac at yahoo.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 18020

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "Neil Ward" <neilward at d...> wrote:
> Egg On My Head said:
> 
> <<This is a pet theory I have been harbouring for some time, and 
have tried
> out on a few people and developed.  Basically it is an
>  explanation for those who insist on believing that J.K. Rowling 
must  have
> got her ideas from somewhere.  Basically, my problem is that we  are 
never
> told how the muggle killings that characterised voldemorts reign 
were
> explained - memory charms cannot surely destroy memories  of loved 
ones.  My
> idea is that as the muggle prime minister is in contact with the 
minister
> for magic, the magic minister (mm) aranged  with the prime inister 
(pm) so
> that all the troubles in northern  Ieland of the seventies and 
eighties were
> invented - therefore any  killing was as a result of magic - and the
> troubles were invented as an excuse - to stop any muggles getting
> suspicious.  The few  terrorist activitis were commited by death 
eaters -
> unwilling to  admit defeat - the recent rise of voldemort would 
explain the
> recent  upsurge in terrorist activity.>>
> 
> Hi Egg on My Head (I hope that isn't your regular name!),
> 
> Welcome to the group.
> 
> I think that JKR may have drawn on her general knowledge of 
terrorism and
> intolerance in the world in her portrayal of the Death Eaters, but I 
doubt
> that she would have consciously used Northern Ireland as a specific 
example
> in the way you imply.  The troubles in Northern Ireland have brought 
very
> real death and destruction to that part of the UK and for anyone 
living
> there (or in the UK as a whole) it remains a sensitive subject.
> 
> The level of terrorist activity in mainland Britain has been quite 
low
> compared to that in Northern Ireland.  If your theory were true, 
which is
> unlikely, IMO, there would have to have been a disproportionate 
number
> 'magical' deaths in Northern Ireland and I don't see anything in the 
books
> that suggests that Voldemort's reign of terror was focused there.
> 
> [Admin note:  We can't get too deeply into the political element of 
this, as
> there is still a ban on politically-sensitive discussions on this 
list].
> 
> On the general point you led with, I'm sure that most writers are 
influenced
> or inspired by the world around them.  An interesting aspect of 
fantasy
> writing is how much of the real world creeps in and how much is left 
to pure
> invention (if there is such a thing).  I'd say that fantasy writing
> generally has its anchors in the real world and I like the way JKR 
uses this
> connection between fantasy and reality as an opportunity to explain 
the
> magical causes of mysterious or even actual events in the real 
Muggle*
> world.
> 
> Neil
> 
> * Ahem - not associated with Real Muggles [TM]
> ________________________________________
> 
> Flying Ford Anglia
> Mechanimagus Moderator
> 
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> ["The Leaky Cauldron", PoA]
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