Harry's watch

[morgan_d_yyh <morgan_d_yyh@yahoo.com>]

No: HPFGUIDX 52664

I'm sure this has been discussed here at some point, but I've 
searched for the topic in the faqs and message archives and couldn't 
find any reference to it. So I beg for your forgiveness and for some 
patience with this silly newbie. If someone can point me to any past 
threads related to this, I'd be very thankful.

In GoF, Harry has a watch, which stopped functioning after being 
submersed in the lake during the second task of the Triwizard 
Tournament (GoF, ch 23). I don't know where that watch came from -- 
we're usually informed of the contents of Harry's birthday and 
Christmas presents, but I can't remember any watch. But even not 
knowing its precedence, I assume it was a magical watch, for three 
reasons:

1. According to Hermione's quotation of "Hogwarts: a History", "all 
those substitutes for magic Muggles use -- electricity, and computers 
and radar, and all those things -- they all go haywire around 
Hogwarts, there's too much magic in the air." (GoF, ch 28)  If a 
bugging system wouldn't work there, I can't see why a Muggle watch 
would. 

2. Only Hermione and the Dursleys would be likely to give Harry a 
Muggle present, but 
A) Hermione is aware a Muggle watch wouldn't work at Hogwarts
B) I can't see the Dursleys giving Harry a watch unless it were 
already broken.

3. Harry doesn't have Muggle money to buy himself a Muggle watch.

So let's say the watch was magical. Maybe an unmentioned birthday 
present from Sirius or Ron -- the narrator was more worried about the 
Dursleys' diet and only mentioned cakes and sweets (GoF, ch 3), but 
maybe there was something else in the packages. 

However, if the watch was magical, why would it be damaged by water? 
Why would a magical watch not be waterproof? 

And if I'm wrong in my assumptions and somehow the watch was indeed a 
Muggle object, why did it keep working until February 24? (date of 
the second task - GoF, ch 20)

Sincerely puzzled,

Morgan D.
Hogwarts Letters - http://www.hogwartsletters.hpg.com.br