[HPforGrownups] Binding magical contracts

[Jesta Hijinx]

No: HPFGUIDX 48428







And here's another thing...the WW seems to sort of and sort of not recognize 
an age of capacity/age of adulthood dividing line.

In canon, there is a restriction against the use of underage magic; and you 
have to learn to Apparate and get a license for it.  Those are two examples 
of age-based controls.

However, Dumbledore speaks gravely of the GoF exercise as a binding magical 
contract.  I initially thought one of the reasons for an age limit was to 
have an informed age of capacity/age of consent.  Because in this country, 
at least, a minor *cannot* make a binding contract; his or her parents must 
make contracts on his or her behalf,and *they* are the responsible parties.  
However, once you hit 18, blam, overnight you're assumed to have learned 
everything you know to avoid signing bad contracts.  :-)

Felinia



>
>In message <OE35ljBOh8s4KWiGtXs00004282 at hotmail.com>, Christopher
>Nuttall <christopher_g_nuttall at hotmail.com> writes
> >Simon"What form does this obligation take? (I assume it's nothing as
> >prosaic as a Muggle law court!) What would have happened to Harry if he
> >had simply refused to take part in the tournament?"
> >
> >I think its just an 'if you sign, you must do' type of agreement.
>
>OK, but who or what would make Harry take part if he absolutely and
>adamantly refused? The contract is described as a "binding magical
>contract", so I don't think the obligation to take part is being
>enforced in the same way that a Muggle agreement might be enforced. If
>so, wouldn't there have to be another party who demanded for the
>agreement to be enforced? But nobody wanted (or could openly say that
>they wanted) Harry to take part in the Triwizard Tournament. Dumbledore
>said that he couldn't see how to resolve the problem without Harry
>entering the tournament; if there were a 'diplomatic' non-magical
>solution (corresponding to a non-magical way of enforcing the
>agreement), then surely Dumbledore would have tried it. Surely this
>implies that there is some degree of *magical* compulsion involved. IF
>this conclusion follows, then how is this any different from using the
>Imperius curse on somebody, especially if you can become bound by a
>contract that you never agreed to?
>
>Chris:
> >If Harry had not wanted to take part, he would have had to convince
> >people that he had not managed to get round the charm defending the
> >goblet.
>
>But Harry did manage to persuade a number of people that he hadn't got
>around the charm. How many people would he have to persuade? Do you
>think that the agreement is enforced on him by the people who think that
>he entered? Quite a lot of those people would have been only too happy
>to prevent Harry from entering, so why would they be enforcing the
>contract?
>
>--
>Simon Nickerson
>"I went on the Underground - "
>"Really?" said Mr Weasley eagerly. "Were there escapators?"
>


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