[HPforGrownups] Re: Apparate or Die Trying (WAS TBAY: MACHINGARMCHAIR)

[Bernadette M. Crumb]

No: HPFGUIDX 39442


----- Original Message -----
From: "cindysphynx" <cindysphynx at comcast.net>
>
> This *is* bothersome, isn't it?  JKR has not done a single
thing to
> explain the many instances when wizards ought to apparate out
of
> trouble but just don't.  Sheez, all kinds of wizards just
*stand*
> there all flummoxed, about to be blasted to *bits* when they
should
> be popping right out of there?

Well, if there are more than one DE present in these raids, could
some of them have the job of doing some sort of temporary
anti-apparition wards to keep the victims from escaping?

>
> OK, so James and Lily don't apparate, er, because they can't do
it
> with Baby Harry.  Fine.  Frank and Mrs. Longbottom have the
same
> problem with Toddler Neville.  Whatever.

Hmmm. It is true that we've only ever seen single wizards
apparate... they don't seem to be able to take another person
along with them (regardless of what so many fanfics like to
claim).

> So why doesn't Bertha apparate away?  How about Real Moody pops
out
> of a tight spot before he is captured by Crouch Jr. and
Wormtail?
> How about Crouch Jr. apparates out of the top box to freedom?
> Wormtail's chances of survival are probably better if he just
> apparates away when Sirius corners him instead of this
elaborate
> self-mutilation scheme, right?  That Wormtail *still* hasn't
sorted
> out the ins and outs of apparition when he doesn't apparate out
of
> the Shrieking Shack, preferring to sweat profusely and glance
at the
> door instead.  Sirius doesn't apparate out of the Shack when
Harry
> is about to blast him either.  And Lupin and Sirius fail to
apparate
> out of Snape's clutches, preferring to take their chances with
the
> dementors, apparently.

With Bertha, we don't know the actual circumstances.  I get the
impression that she was lured into a place/position that gave
Wormtail and Voldie the upper hand... and <speculation>
considering that she would have grown up during the former reign
of terror, realizing who she was facing could have put her in an
emotional state where she truly believed that there was
absolutely no way for her to get out of there... "You can't get
away from You-Know-Who."  So she doesn't even try...
</speculation>

Sirius hasn't gotten to practice Apparition for 12 years...
there's all those warnings about if you aren't careful you'll
splinch yourself... I get the impression that apparition is one
of those things that you need to practice to be good at it...
Without the practice, you're not going to be able to control it
safely.  Also, Sirius is probably still half in the Azkaban
mindset... can't apparate out, can't use magic to get away,
etc... and overcoming that kind of conditioning is very
difficult, particularly in moments of stress. And I would
definitely say that he's stressed out in the whole Shrieking
Shack incident.  And as far as Peter goes, perhaps he's just not
good at it... he seems bloody pathetic at almost everything else
we've seen of him.  Barty Crouch, Jr. is in the same lack of
practice boat as Sirius... We hear the word splinched describing
a serious hazard of apparition, but we really don't know what it
entails... is it just annoying, or is it potentially lethal?  If
the risks are high enough that you could die from a messed up
apparition/disapparation, I'd see that the ones who were out of
practice would be leery of trying it...  As far as the real Moody
goes... I'd guess that to apparate you need to be able to
concentrate on your destination and all... but when Moody got
jumped by Barty Jr, etc. he might have been really distracted by
other things, like his alarms going off.  And if they were
jumping on him really fast, he wouldn't have had time to
concentrate on a safe place to blink to... (although, now I
wonder if wizards and witches who have jobs like Moody did
wouldn't have trained themselves to apparate to a "safe haven"
when things got too bad.... )

> Good grief!  Why did JKR even add the concept of apparating to
HP if
> she wasn't going to set up some reasonable rules governing it?
> Yeah, we know that you can't apparate off of the Hogwarts
grounds.
> Yeah, yeah, yeah.  But what about everything else that happens
away
> from Hogwarts?
>
> I hope she fixes this soon, 'cause wizards aren't doing
*nearly*
> enough apparating to suit me so far.

Not enough to suit me either, although my mind keeps coming up
with excuses!

Bernadette

"Life's greatest happiness is to be convinced we are loved."
- Victor Hugo, Les Miserables, 1862