Sneakoscope (was Red Herrings)

[Jennifer Piersol]

No: HPFGUIDX 19195

First there was Milz:

> Milz wrote:
> > 
> > Sneakoscope: Harry's sneakoscope IS a toy. According to Ron, Bill 
> said it was rubbish but it was squealing at the same time because 
> Fred and George were playing a prank. It went off again when Ron 
> was tying it to Errol's leg and Ron wasn't supposed to use Ron. The 
> next time it went off was on the Hogwarts Express. For a toy, it 
> seems pretty accurate, but Harry tucks it away in his trunk.

Then Trina replied:
 
> But the question you must consider is this:  Was Scabbers (aka 
> Pettigrew) in Ron's pocket at these times?  During the trip to 
> Hogwarts he was.  It squealed once more in the boys' dormitory at 
> Christmas and Scabbers was there too.  Therefore, I, for one, *do 
> not* believe it is a toy.  It actually works.
> 
> Trina

It can be both!  There *are* toys out there that work like their 
"grownup" counterparts - witness EasyBake Ovens and my old toy sewing 
machine that really stitched, but when it ran out of thread, we had 
to look high and low for a new CARTRIDGE instead of just reathreading 
a bobbin or two.  And then there are toy (music) keyboards (work just 
like more professional electronic keyboards, but don't have as many 
features and are more durable.  That's the key.  I think that the 
Sneakoscope Ron bought in the gift shop was meant to work, but meant 
to be for kids.  Therefore, it was built to be roughly handled 
(stuffed in socks?), and probably doesn't have as many features as a 
real one.  Come to think of it, what kind of features *does* a real 
Sneakoscope have?  More sensitive?  Some kind of pointing device that 
specifically names the liar/sneak?  A gauge that describes how big or 
what kind the lie is?  Maybe *that* is why "Moody" had to disable all 
his sneakoscopes... because they were pointing all at him with a big 
"Polyjuice Potion!" sign! ;)

Anyway, in conclusion - everyone is right. ;)

Jen (happy birthday to me!)