Hermione's Parents, Muggle skepticism

[saintbacchus]

No: HPFGUIDX 35943

Eledhwen writes:
<<
I don't think this is the biggest problem, cover
stories are easy to make up. The truth works too, but my
question is: Why do Hermione's parents or any of the
other muggle parents and children belive in the letter
from Hogwarts?
>>

On cover stories, there's always classic British
subtlety, of course. "Hermione goes to a private school,
where she's at the head of her class," etc. There's no
need to mention O.W.L.S. or wizarding at all, for a clever
speaker. Even so, I have to wonder: with the apparent boom
in Muggle-born wizards, how does the Wizarding World
defend themselves against word-of-mouth and so on? Muggles
have friends, probably also Muggles, so...? Also, are
these standards international, or are there places where
Muggles and wizards live together without the hush-hush?

J's idea of sending a representative is logical and
believable; I think private schools do that sometimes, or
can be requested to do so. Then again, the whole of my
knowledge of private schools comes from reading X-Men
comics, so I could be wrong. ^_~


Porphyria continues:
<<
What I think is interesting is the implied value
judgments against the various Muggle characters based on
their attitude towards magic.
...
I guess this actually piques me a little bit because I
wonder why there's so much hostility towards typical
Muggle disbelief. Are there no nice, loving, helpful,
well-meaning Muggles who happen to be skeptics?
>>

Hagrid also doesn't give Muggles much credit when he notes 
that "everyone would be wanting magical solutions to their
problems." Sure, a lot of people would, but how many
others would be leery of it, like the Grangers? For that
matter, what's keeping the whole of the Wizarding World
from using magical solutions to THEIR problems? Lockhart
sure doesn't seem to have a problem with obliviating the
occasional hero.

One movie reviewer described Rowling's "rage at the
Muggle world" - I didn't notice it myself, but now that
you've fleshed it out a bit, I see what you're both on
to. Although a lot of it seems to be Rowling's own
attitude, I'm inclined to read it as a bit of
racial-type tension in the Wizard World. Even when
"inter-magical" couples exist, they either don't last
(Mr. & Mrs. Riddle) or there's some tension (Seamus
Finnegan's parents). I'm on my second read-through now
- just finished CoS - so I've probably missed something,
but I don't recall anyone who has a name (besides Seamus)
being half-blood.

In any case, this kind of tension has logically got to
bubble over sooner or later, but I don't know whether
it actually will....


--Anna, facing a crisis: Harry or Zelda?