Opinions on Ten Big Mysteries

[A.E.B.Bevan at open.ac.uk]

No: HPFGUIDX 26288

Laura  (justanopinion2001 at h...)  raised some nice points. I dont have 
a lot to contribute on most but a couple of thoughts:

>>>>Laura's point > 3.  In PoA, was Lupin simply sleeping on the 
train, or did Dumbledore ask him to take the train to protect Harry?

Basically its plot convenience but Im sure JKR can (will?) write in a 
good linking theme if it proves to be convenient and important for 
later events. See also comment on point 8  below

>>>>Laura's point > 8.  Are you convinced that you cannot apparate on 
the Hogwarts grounds, or is this a red herring?

Well I wrote out for my own amusement some of the ways this could be 
explained. This as an example for the booklet I am hoping Jo will 
write 'Introduction to Mugge Studies' and how I think some of our 
problems could be magiced away by literary means... hope this doesnt 
stray into off-topic..

Edis 

>>>>>>>>>>>>

Introduction to Muggle Studies.

(Extracts) 

Travel and space

Understanding how Muggles see how the world connects up is a big 
problem for Wizarding people. We have to let go of a lot of our 
assumptions to grasp how limited Muggle perceptions can be – but 
understanding this is vital for an understanding of how the Wizarding 
world can exist unperceived alongside the Muggle world 

As an example take travel to Hogwarts school. A Muggle given a simple 
explanation of (for example) the Hogwarts Express, the ban on 
apparating in Hogwarts,the apparent inability to link to the Floo 
network,  and the apparent inability to fly in by broomstick from 
long distances away will be in considerable confusion. 

Why for example do Hogwarts students have to go to `London'
to catch a train to Hogwarts? The answer, immediately obvious to 
anyone with a knowledge of the basics of Magical Geometrics, will so 
thoroughly confuse Muggles that they will spend years arguing about 
contradictions and logical impossibilities and come to no (Muggle) 
sensible conclusion whatsoever. Exercise 3B in the associated 
workbook  of this chapter will take you step by step through how 
Muggle Geometrics work to show you how they get to that peculiar 
state of mind.

Another problem will almost certainly be on apparating.  This is more 
understandable, as the magic basics of appartion require a level of 
magical resonance some Wizarding folk find it difficult to grasp. 
Muggles might understand this a little if the Magic is compared to 
the way a Muggle learns to ride a bicycle (see the Bicycle exercises 
in the workbook on having to turn right to go left).  

What a Muggle and some untrained wizards will find extremely 
difficult to grasp here is that because Hogwarts is both present and 
not-present in magical space, and is multiply unplottable, anyone 
attempting apparation automatically ends up at their starting point.  
Muggles, however hard they try to imagine a different order in the 
world, cannot rid themselves of the illusion of somewhere having to 
have an absolute  fixed point in space. 

When it comes to the advanced space-shifting spells (and the 
associated security measures) that allow the `Hogwarts
Express' to exist, or allow apparation-like approaches to
unplottable  location boundaries, matters go right beyond their 
comprehension limits. Muggle  concepts of Quantum Physics are 
oversimplified attempts to grasp these realities.

Advanced students with access to the InfoMagic Grimegoire (restricted 
library rules apply) may want to carry out the suggested exercises in 
the Ministry of Magic's Muggle Diversion Units so-called
`INTERNET'  sites; for example the International Federation
MOM  disinformation site  commonly known in the Muggle world as 
HPForgrownups. The strategies used to  confuse inquisitive Muggles 
will be instructive.

WORKBOOK OF PRACTICAL EXERCISES

***** MOM security spells apply. These pages will appear blank to any 
Muggles who by chance come across them ****** 

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