Put-Outer

[cynthiaanncoe at home.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 27082

Joy wrote:

> > What's the deal with the Put-Outer?  Why would Dumbledore need a 
> > special device just to put out some streetlights?  Was his wand 
in 
> > the shop for repairs or something?
> 
Luke wrote:

> Ooh, a nice question.  Here's some possibilities:
> 
> 1) Up until this point, none of the strange occurences (mass owls 
> flying by day, cats reading signs) has been identified as being 
> related to wizards.  JKR could be putting off this revelation until 
> later, and hence, for Dumbledore to use a wand so soon would tip 
her 
> (albeit rather obvious) hand before she wants to.  As it is the 
scene 
> maintains a certain amount of unfamiliarity that using a wand no 
> longer has in our fantasy-exposed society.
> 
> 2) At the time when all these wizard spells were 
discovered/invented, 
> electricity did not exist so there may not be traditional spells 
> (those using wands, incantations, potions, etc.) to affect 
electrical 
> devices.  I certainly can't think of any that we know of.  Hence 
the 
> put-outer, presumably a more recently designed device in wizard 
> society, was necessary for such a purpose.
> 

Ah, the Put-Outer.  The Put-Outer bothers me because it is so 
inconsistent with what we know about wand use (and because the name 
is kind of awkward and not as creative as other magical devices like 
Pensieve).  So here's a big old elaborate theory with precious little 
basis in canon to explain the Put-Outer and other issues about magic 
on Privet Drive.

The theory is that Dumbledore certainly could have used his wand to 
put out the street lamps.  But anytime a wizard uses a wand, it 
generates palpable energy.  We have seen this a few times, like 
Voldemort's Crucio spell cracking Riddle's headstone in GoF, and 
Harry reporting feeling spells whiz past his head.  That wand energy 
gives away the wizard's location, like sound gives away a submarine's 
position on sonar.  Perhaps wizards are able to locate other wizards 
by tracking the energy of their wand use, and the Put-Outer does not 
generate this energy.  

Why would a powerful wizard like Dumbledore care if DEs could track 
his wand use?  Although Dumbledore knows Voldemort has just fallen, 
he still has to be concerned about the DEs tracking his position to 
Privet Drive.  This is a part of the protection surrounding Privet 
Drive that has kept Harry safe while in the Dursley's care -- for 
lack of a better term, a "force field" that makes it difficult for a 
Dark Wizard to locate Harry.  Unless magic is used at Privet Drive 
and gives away Harry's position, that is.

Consequently, Dumbledore does not want to use his wand at the 
Durley's house to avoid allowing anyone to find out where Harry is.  
That is also why the MoM quickly knows about and freaks out whenever 
they think Harry uses magic at Privet Drive, although they don't seem 
to care when the underage Weasleys do it.  

The dialogue between McGonnagal and Dumbledore could be read to 
support this idea a little bit.  Voldemort has fallen, and McGonnagal 
is complaining about Dedalus Diggle shooting stars or something.  JKR 
makes it sound like the concern is that Muggles will find out.  But 
perhaps the real trouble is that Dumbledore's "troops" are 
celebrating with wands and giving away their position, which might be 
a bad idea if the DEs are planning to rally around a new leader and 
continue the fight.

This idea also makes sense in light of the Dursleys' aversion to 
magic, and Vernon's decision to flee when the letters start 
arriving.  If Dumbledore explains this "sonar" issue to the Dursleys 
in his letter, they would live in mortal fear that Harry's little 
bursts of magic will give them away and a band of dark wizards will 
descend on the house.  So they would overreact whenever Harry or 
anyone else uses magic there.  

One other fact supports this theory (sort of).  MoM is having no luck 
finding Sirius.  He has no wand, so doesn't send off these little 
wand energy blasts.  If Sirius were using a wand, MoM might be able 
to find him more easily.

I like the idea of Dumbledore using the Put-Outer because wizards 
need a little help to deal with things like electricity.  But then 
again, Mr. Weasley apparently had no trouble bewitching the Ford 
Anglia, which has electrical components, although he may have had to 
use special tools to do it.

The Put-Outer does tend to help us along with another recurring 
question -- what do wizards keep with them when they Apparate?  The 
answer is apparently that they can keep magical devices with them.  
This assumes, of course, that Dumbledore Apparated to Privet Drive 
instead of arriving as an Animagus (like a bee or something).

OK.  Now you can throw ripe tomatoes.

Cindy