"yard" / "Ottery"

[bboy_mn]

No: HPFGUIDX 42982

TARA Wrote:

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., hunibuni22 at w... wrote:
> I never really thought of whether the Weasley's lived in a 
> muggle town or not, until now...  
> 
> Wouldn't the muggles certainly consider the shape and height of 
> their house, just plain odd?  (CoS)  "Several stories high and so 
> crooked it looked like it was held up by magic... four or five 
> chimneas perched ontop of the  red roof...  out front lay a jumble 
> of boots and a very rusty caldron...".  Also, if the Weasley's were 
> afraid that townsfolk might see them flying on broomsticks, 
> wouldn't they be a little worried about the flying tables that Bill
>  and Charlie were banging against each other (GoF, I think)?
> 
> Not that I am disagreeing with you, just some fuel for the fire, I
> suppose!  
> 
> Tara, hoping that this posts correctly as I've been having some
> problems.

BBoy_mn, who has nothing better to do this late at night, RESPONDS:

The Weasley's live on a farm, and Mr. Weasley seems to own a
reasonably nice sized piece of land by what I assume are English
standards. There is the farmhouse, a large yard/garden, a grove of
trees that are across a small field and a small pond. 

So, I assume that since they keep to themselves and are hardly known
by anyone in the village (although probably recognized by the
villages, they certainly don't associate much). I also assume that by
trees or hills or enchantments there house is blocked from view. They
could live down a long dirt road that doesn't go anywhere accept to
their place. The point is, they can be within walking distance of the
village and still be somewhat visually isolated from it. This also
explains why no one sees the flying tables.

When the boys fly their broom the go across the field to the grove of
trees that has a clearing in the middle. That's where they
play/practice Quidditch, but they have to be very carefull NOT to fly
about the treetop or the muggles will see them. Usually, Quidditch
practice consists of throwing apples at each other.

So, this is my view; they have a nice plot of land, that is on a small
dirt road by itself, it's hidden by trees and/or other natural
features, and there are basic enchantments like apathy charms that
work only on muggles.

Here's something I wonder about. At some point in the last 25 years,
some of the  Weasley kids must have wandered into town, just for an
adventure if nothing else; kids are curious. So while their house/farm
may have apathy charms, their kids probably didn't (although they
could have; nice way to get hit by a car though). So the town's people
must have been aware that the Weasley's existed. You would think some
of the town busy bodies would have wondered why their kids were never
in school. If there were a pack of kids like that here in the US, it
wouldn't take Social Services/Child Welfare long to stick their nose in.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

bboy_mn