[HPforGrownups] Is Big Brother Watching? (about the MoM)

[Troels Forchhammer]

No: HPFGUIDX 54758

At 03:43 04-04-03 +0000, Jenny wrote:
>What is it that allows the MoM to ascertain when and where magic is
>being used?  And, if they can detect magic, why can they not tell
>*who* is doing the magic? Some interesting points to note from the
>books:
>
>In CoS, the MoM dispatched a letter to Harry mere minutes after a
>Hover Charm was used in the Dursley home. However, it wasn't
>Harry who did the spell, and the MoM seemed unaware of this fact.
>(Possible answer: one of a house-elf's powers?)

I strongly suspect that the ministry isn't capable of
actually detecting anything.

The letter says that "We have received intelligence that a
Hover Charm was used ..." - nothing there to say from where
that intelligence came.

Did Dobby tell them? (Sending the letter in the same way as
the feasts at Hogwarts are sent up from the kitchen?)

Was someone keeping an eye on Harry - someone who wouldn't
mind if he got into trouble?

Or is someone at the Ministry of Magic keeping a close watch
on Privet Drive 4 for any use of magic, but without the
ability to see who casts that magic?

I have done a longer treatment of these things at
<http://www.hogwarts-library.net/reference/potterverse_faq.html#underage_magic>

Troels Forchhammer