Muggle Parents of Magical Children

[darrin_burnett]

No: HPFGUIDX 40770

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., Alexander <lav at t...> wrote:
>   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
> 

Alexander wrote:

>   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.
> 



Ah, but what about Muggle parents who have no desire, for whatever 
reason, for their children to be brought up as a witch or wizard?

Say, Dudley started to display Magic ability. Vernon and Petunia 
would sooner be turned into ferrets than to have him go to Hogwarts. 
I have a hard time believing all Muggles are overjoyed to find out 
their children have this potential.

And we know that Wizard parents have the option of sending their 
children to other schools. Lucius nearly sent Draco to Durmstrang. It 
is possible some UK Wizards -- especially Slytherins -- would not 
want their children anywhere near Dumbledore.

Are Muggle parents FORCED to send their children to Hogwarts?

Darrin
-- If my parents tried to stop me, I'd turn them into ferrets.