[HPforGrownups] Muggle Parents of Magical Children

[Alexander]

No: HPFGUIDX 40769

  Greetings!

> EtonBuffy wrote:

E> Jeez, that subject title sounds like a support group lol.
E> But it does bring questions on how muggle parents handle
E> finding out their children are wizards and such. Do they
E> recieve extra info to tell them how to get to Diagon
E> Alley? Or how to get on to platform 9 3/4? Are they told
E> where Hogwarts is or do they just have to have trust?
E> What keeps them from going to the media and spilling all
E> that info to other muggles? Questions, questions,
E> questions.

E> Tamara

  This subject was touched before, as far as I can remember
it was me who raised it last time, and probably it was
already raised a number of times before I wrote my first
words to the List (oh, I was young, and naive... well, more
naive than now ;).

  Actually, I was more interested in how muggle parents are
made to *believe* that damn letters are not a stupid joke of
some prankster. The only solution I could come up with back
then was that there *had* to be a wizard who would come to
their home and explain everything. After all, it doesn't
make much sense to advise muggle-borns to reply with an owl,
as it's quite difficult for them to get one...

  This, of course, also explains how do they get to Diagon
Alley and Platform Nine-and-Three-Quarters. They are just
escorted by this "guide" (from the Ministry or Hogwarts, not
really matters).

  As for the reasons that prevent them from spilling the
information in the local media... Well, first, it's hard to
belive them. Indeed, who will? Only "hot-news" newspapers,
but then they are publishing similar stories, and have
published them, and will, no matter if Hogwarts exists or
not.

  Also consider the resistance of children. Would they like
this info to be spilled by their parents? Hardly. So add
this influence as well.

  Also don't forget about the Ministry of Magic. Surely you
wouldn't seriously consider squealing on Hgwarts if you knew
that in case of doing so, you will be interrogated by a
bunch of wizards and then made to forget everything about
this...

  Last issue. Where is Hogwarts located, muggle parents know
not. That's for sure. But then wizard parents don't know,
either! So muggle parents are fed exactly the same
information as wizard parents. They are just supposed to ear
humble pie and get on with it.

Sincerely yours,
Alexander Lomski,
Gryffindor/Slytherin crossbreed,
always happy to throw weird ideas into community.

Thursday, July 4, 2002, 18:42 local time (GMT+2:00)