Muggleness in the wizard world

[alhewison]

No: HPFGUIDX 39568

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "archeaologee" <JPA30 at c...> wrote:

> Harry breaks his watch in GoF (in the lake).  
> 
> Why is it not already broken.
> 
> I hardly think the Dursley's the sort of people to give him a good 
> watch and the wind up kind (if they are to have any accuracy) are 
> highly expensive (and quite often will work again if dried out).
> 
> The only solution I can think of is that it is a Digital (cheap) or 
> at least a quartz crystal watch - batteries, circuit board and all. 
> And this is working for three years in Hogwarts.

When Harry is sent to his cupboard after the "Boa Constrictor" 
incident in PS/SS he didn't have a watch at all 

"wishing he had a watch. He didn't know what time it was and he 
couldn't be sure the Dursleys were asleep yet." p27 PS UK paperback. 

However, Dudley was given a gold watch for his birthday - so isn't it 
perfectly possible that Harry inherited Dudley's old one (He must 
surely have had at least one already?). If he did get an old one of 
Dudley's, isn't it possible that it was an expensive wind up kind. 
Afterall, the Dursleys always try and give Dudley the best don't they!

The Weasley twins have wristwatches, and as they haven't got much 
money, it's likely that you can get watches compatible with the 
Hogwarts environment relatively easily in the WW - perhaps this is 
too small a detail to mention which is why JKR omits it. She 
sometimes seems to have forgotten that some of her readers scan every 
word of her text analysing acts and occasionally finding omissions - 
or even FLINTS!

Ali

(currently thinking that July 31st would be a good day to announce 
the publication date of OoP if there is any possibilty that it is 
going to hit the shops later this year!)