Two problems in the very first chapter

[hp_lexicon at yahoo.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 28691

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "Marcus " <prefectmarcus at y...> wrote:> 
(1) Dumbledore says he passed several parties and celebrations on 
the 
> way to Privet Drive.  If he apparated there, does that mean the 
> effect is not instantaneous?  Or does this mean he came in 
stages?  

In my opinion, JKR hadn't figured out Apparition yet, so she isn't 
consistent. But it's fun to try to explain it away. Perhaps if 
you're really really good at it, you can be aware of things in the 
places you're apparating through. Or, perhaps more likely, 
Dumbledore wasn't apparating but using some other unspecified magic 
form of travel which isn't instantaneous, the same one that he used 
later to go to London.

> 
> (2) McGonagall complained about wizard folk appearing in broad 
> daylight not wearing muggle clothing.  How would she know that? 

There are all sorts of problems here. When did she meet up with 
Hagrid, for example. He tells her about Privet Drive but not about 
anything else, not even that Harry had been rescued from Godric's 
Hollow. Had he not yet gone to Godric's Hollow then? But how much 
time could there have been between the attack and Hagrid's arrival? 
It seems like it was pretty close together, since he got Harry out 
before any Muggles arrived on the scene. It's difficult to figure 
out where to place that in a timeline of events so that it fits what 
had happened.

I'd love to think that JKR has some nifty surprised waiting for us 
here, but I think it's just as likely that she doesn't and that she 
just didn't work it all out to the minute when she wrote it.

Steve Vander Ark
more tired still