Unanswered questions

[grey_wolf_c]

No: HPFGUIDX 39482

Disclaimer: Most of these answers are not canon-based

Marcus wrote:
> (1) Why didn't anybody receive a Howler during Harry's first year?  
> Harry was unacquainted with them until Ron got one the second year.  
> They seem pretty common after that.

They did. Harry didn't notice. They happened at other tables and to 
older students (i.e. everyone except to eleven-year-olds, who are 
considered to be too young to receive howlers). When loud screeming 
occured at the morning table, Harry just disregarded it as another 
unexplained magical thing.
 
> (2) Why doesn't Dumbledore have a real, functional sneakoscope 
> sitting in his office?  Wouldn't that help root out some of those 
> those pesky polyjuiced staff members?  Why hasn't Harry cottoned to 
> the value of his?

The sneakoscopes don't work at schools: Moody said so, and stands to 
reason. The smaller versions of it aren't trustable enough. D'dore 
prefers his instincts (even if unreliable at times). Maybe he'll start 
using gadgets on OP
 
> (3) There is a whole invisibility section in the library.  Harry was 
> hiding in it when he was overhearing the Hufflepuffs in CoS.  Why 
> aren't there more invisible people running around?  I just don't see 
> a whole library section with book after book simply stating, "To 
> become invisible, get a hold of an invisibility cloak."  Several 
> books would be on the manufacture of said cloaks, but not a whole 
> section.  It would be then called, "The Invisibility Cloak Section."

Where are they going to get the practice/ingredients/whatever needed to 
be invisible? Stealing from Snape has only happened twice, and we know 
what happened both times. Those books could be well talking all about 
the theory, too, but not the practice. Or they could be saying versions 
of "it can be done with a cloak, and with powerful enchantments, but 
it's unpractical".
 
> (4) If the maturing mandrakes threw a loud raucous party in 
> Greenhouse #3, who would be alive to tell the tale?

If a tree falls when there is no-one to hear, does it make any noise? 
Sprout talks about mandrakes changing pots, so in the morning (when 
they're sleeping the party off), she can check. Or she uses the 
ear-things.
 
> (5) If all the copies of "Hogwarts, a History" were checked out in 
> CoS, why didn't the details concerning the chamber spread through the 
> grapevine?

When I checked out a book from school, I just read the part I need to 
do my homework. I've got neither the time nor the inclination to read 
the rest of it. Only Hermione, in fact, would read it for fun.
 
> (6) If the Weasley clock has a "Mortal Peril" reading, why hasn't 
> Molly Weasley noticed all the times Ron has been there?  Ginny would 
> also have been there everytime she was controlling the Basilisk.

But she does: she's always poping for visits at the end. She doesn't do 
so more often because Ron isn't in mortal peril more (just near the 
ends), and because as long as D'dore is around, she trusts him, and so 
does the clock. Ron wasn't in mortal peril in the chess fight at PS 
(even if HE didn't know it). Only briefly in the forest in CS, and 
during the day, when Molly was out buying food. Never was in danger at 
the end of CS. Broken leg in PA when Molly was already in bed (since it 
was late at night). He was never in danger in GF, not even in the 
second task (everyone except Harry knew that).
 
> (7) Why did Dumbledore just open the back of Colin's camera?  Yes, 
> the film was fried, but if it wasn't, he would have destroyed some 
> very valuable evidence.  How would he know before hand that the film 
> was fried?

He doesn't really know it would ruin the film. And, nonetheless, a 
special enchantment could bring it back (no, there is no canon for such 
spell).
 
> (8) How would an age line stop a banishing spell or the equivalent?

The goblet had an inmovili enchantment on it. And another to stop 
papers thrown from outside the circle from entering.
 
> (9) Why is the entrance to a 1000+ year-old chamber hidden behind a 
> modern bathroom fixture?  I don't think the Picts enjoyed indoor 
> plumbing around the time of Alfred the Great.

The wizards still remembered Roman technology. Or, the pumbling was 
installed by a Slytherin descendant (Riddle's Great-Grandparent, for 
example).

> (10) Why did Uncle Vernon sleep through the bars being torn off the 
> wall, but woke up at one screech from Hedwig, and come storming into 
> the bedroom that they had locked down?  I would think that they were 
> used to Hedwig by now, but not the ripping of bars off a window.

He woke up AFTER the grates had been pulled out. He sat in his bead, 
wondering what had woken him, and then heard Hedwig.

> Marcus

Hope that helps,

Grey Wolf