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

[RSFJenny19 at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 54811

Troels writes:
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.

my response:
Very true, the intelligence could've been anyone from Dobby to Mrs. Figg, not 
necessarily a big brother type observer, which explains how so much else is 
allowed, but it begs the question, if they can't detect it, why do they tell 
students they can't use magic?  Why have a rule you can't enforce except by 
mere chance?  It seems it would diminish the MoM's perception of control over 
the wizarding world.
(btw - I checked out your link too, it was a great read, very informative, 
thanks!)

and Ffred writes: 
I also wondered this on early readings - and concluded that in order to
detect every use of magic, it would involve an enormous department of
magical snoopers, or alternatively a magical map almost on a Borges scale!

my response:
I agree, it made me believe that either 1) J.K. merely didn't think about 
what it would take to monitor the world, or 2) she has some really cool tool 
that they use to do this monitoring with.  Personally, I'm leaning toward the 
latter because the former seems awfully shortsighted for the amount of times 
she references things the MoM
tracks.

Ffred also writes:
Most realistically, the question to ask would be "Why would the MoM monitor
the use of magic by magic-users?" And the answer would have to lie I think
in the absolute iron law that muggles mustn't find out about the WW. So if
someone uses magic at Hogwarts or the Burrow, the MoM isn't interested. It
knows that that's a wizardly location. Privet Drive is mugglish. Magic
shouldn't be happening there. The Ministry would really have to be
monitoring the entire Muggle side in order to pick up any unusual
occurrences (the same way that they make sure that Muggles don't remember
seeing dragons and the like).

my response: I like this reasoning more than the one about Harry being the 
reason they all get these letters (which would mean Dumbeldore gave these out 
all previous years so it would be consistent when Harry came to school? That 
seems a little too complicated). If that were the case though, I wonder why 
the letter isn't more specific to that effect, because it would be common 
knowledge among wizarding families that it wasn't enforced in the wizard 
world if that were so.  And if that were so, why would Fred care about 
getting the letter?

I like your map idea best, especially because it makes me wonder if that's 
how MWPP got the idea for the Mauraders map...

Jenny