obstruction of justice

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 44857

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "brainattic" <brainattic at y...> wrote:

> According to the Lexicon, Riddle murdered his father's family 
during  the summer vacation before his seventh year. Why wasn't 
he caught by  the Ministry for violating the Decree for the 
Restriction of Underage  Wizardry?<<

Riddle could have turned seventeen during his sixth year, just as 
Fred and George did. JKR has also said that when Harry turns 
seventeen he'll be allowed to do magic outside school.

Also, the Lexicon dates conform to canon but are not the only 
possible interpretation. By making slightly different assumptions, 
one can devise other chronologies that fit the canon just as well 
and make Riddle a year or so older than Steve does.

>> Also, since they seem to be able to pinpoint your exact 
location and what kind of spell you did, shouldn't they have 
known  that he perfomed the Avada Kedavra Curse? <<

They don't seem to have known that Frank Bryce was killed by 
magic, either. (We know he was, because he came out of 
Voldemort's wand). In fact, Dumbledore says that the Ministry 
paid little attention to Frank's disappearance even after they were 
told it might be connected to Voldemort. 

The fact that the Riddles' deaths were the subject of a prolonged 
investigation by the Muggle authorities most likely means
the Ministry never connected their deaths with magic at all, much 
less Tom Riddle. Had the ministry been involved, they would 
have covered up the whole thing with memory charms, and there 
would have been no mystery for the village to muddle over for fifty 
years.

Concerning Fred, George and Lily, the Decree for the 
Reasonable Restriction of Underage  Sorcery says "not 
permitted to perform spells" at least according to Mme. Hopkirk.  
This is a loophole plenty big enough for a Weasley to wiggle 
through, since the creation of canary creams and  ton-tongue 
toffees would  most likely involve potion-making  not spell-work. 
As for Lily's teacups that turn into rats, she could have charmed 
them while she was at school--another loophole. Or maybe it 
was not magic at all but sleight of hand --- and the rat was Peter!

Pippin