Magic Space/Muggle Space???

[errolowl <nithya_rachel@hotmail.com>]

No: HPFGUIDX 50576



I think we discussed parts of this in ages past. Hmm, I've
pondered 
on this some, but never really tried to put my thoughts in order
– so 
here goes.

bboy_mn:
>> I assume that Diagon Alley is in what I call Magic Space; a 
physically world that is separate from the normal world which I will 
call Muggle Space. But I have to wonder, how big is this Magic Space 
and where and how does it end? We know that the Magic City extends 
beyond Diagon Alley since there are other magic places we have heard 
about; Knockturn Alley, the Ministry office, St. Mungos Hospital, 
etc.... Having said that, I have to wonder how big it is and what do 
you see when you reach the edge of it's boundaries?<<

I for one don't see one continuous "Magic City"
the WW
doesn't seem 
to go in for much city planning as far as I can see. It is more like 
they have continued to live in the midst of the muggle world, but 
felt the necessity to exclude certain places from muggle reach. When 
ever this need was felt, they could use muggle-repelling charms, or 
various other spells to camouflage these little pockets of space. 
These spaces haven't been created out of another dimension –
they are 
merely physical space that has been stolen and hidden away.  

And space can apparently be hidden in a variety of ways.

Mode 1, Camouflage:
Where you see the spatial extents, but not the contents/ buildings
Eg, Hogwarts

Much like with Hogwarts, muggles would see merely a deserted 
building, a land fill, letter box or some other innocuous item that 
they wouldn't give a thought to or be tempted to explore. But
this 
kind of misdirection would surely get complicated if a muggle decided 
to say, play around on the rubbish heap. The hidden building is still 
actually occupying the physical space, but not only should the muggle 
not see it, but not feel it or be obstructed by it either if he 
actually walks through the space. It's not only visual illusion,
but 
spatially similar to alternative reality/ virtual reality.  How do 
they manage to do that? Well, its Magic! (Is there a rabbit in the 
hat, or not?). since the virtual reality part might be tricky, visual 
camouflage is most probably combined with the second method, 
distraction.


Mode 2, Distraction/ Diversion:
Where you don't get close enough to see anything
Ex, Quidditch World Cup Stadium, possibly the forbidden forest

" Ministry taskforce of five hundred have been working on it all 
year. Mugggle repelling charms on every inch of it. Every time 
muggles have got anywhere near, they've suddenly remembered
urgent 
appointments and had to dash away again 
 bless them!" (GoF
U.S 
paperback, pg 87)

umm, mind control again. He-who-wanted-to-investigate-the-rubbish-
heap will have a kind of hypnotic suggestion leading him away. By the 
time he realizes he really had no appointment he needed to get to, he 
would at best have only a confused/ vague idea of what he had 
intended to do. Most probably he would have totally forgotten the 
impulse he'd had to explore. (now is this a combination of the 
imperious / memory charm??). This could work both ways, also keeping 
the Wizarding world *in*. The beasties of the forbidden forest get 
turned back at the boundaries maybe?


Mode 3, The pleated cloth :
Where you can't see even the spatial extents
Eg, Diagon Alley, Platform 9 3/4

"If Hagrid hadn't pointed it out, Harry wouldn't have
noticed it was 
there. The people hurrying by didn't glance at it. Their eyes
slid 
from the big bookshop on one side to the record shop on the other as 
if they couldn't see the Leaky Cauldron at all." (PS, 68)

The third alternative is probably the most prevalent, atleast within 
the city limits where large vacant plots of land would seem strange, 
and the number of people to distract everyday would be too many. The 
space physically still exists, but its like a zipper has been closed 
in front of it, bringing the opposite outer boundaries together – 
atleast to muggle eyes. There is no flat shimmering boundary wall of 
ether. Rather space is, shall we say, folded in on itself? There is a 
pleat in the spatial fabric, and you have to have wizarding powers to 
see the crease in the fabric which constitutes the gap/entry point 
(the Leaky Cauldron). Other entry openings could be created as 
necessary. Muggles just see a spatial continuum.  

Bboy_mn:
>>When you stand at the edge of that magic space is there a big cosmic
wall of shimmering ether that can not be penitrated? Does it just
gradually fade into Muggle Space? Are there assorted entrance/exit
point that server to define it's boundaries? Is the border just a row
of shops and/or houses between which and beyond which there are no
more streets, this row of building acting as a wall around the
perimeter of that Magic Space?
<snip>
If it is a magical box (small outside/big inside) then it would seem
to be bounded. When you reach the edge, whatever that edge may be, you
can't go any farther.<<


And yes, a fold of physical space means it is bounded. Diagon alley 
would be the space between the leaky cauldron and what the muggles 
perceive to be the building behind it, and the buildings on either 
side. And these could be said to form a "wall" around the
hidden 
space. However, since it is a matter of perception, I'd say 
this "walled-in area" is not small at all, but a significant
amount 
of real estate. *Significant* mind, but not (I think) a whole city in 
itself. I still hold that it was just another pocket of space they 
needed to hide – a commercial neighborhood that was too obviously 
magical.   There must be several such folds scattered around London. 
We happen to know of just Diagon Alley. St. Mungos could be located 
at the opposite end of the city.

This theory implies that the "Magic city" is a collection of
hidden 
pockets of space scattered throughout the muggle city. Though the 
pockets might be located at some distance from each other, they could 
still have a communicating gateway which leads from one to another 
(travel via another dimension, or just plain Magic!) without having 
to go through the "muggle spaces". Thus knockturn alley could
be in a 
totally different part of London, but be accessible from Diagon 
Alley. (Hmm, does each `stop' on the floo network stand for a 
separate `pocket'?). Surprisingly, platform 9 ¾ which we
know to be 
physically separate from Diagon Alley is not connected by some 
magical means.

And now regarding SIZE. 
Difficult. Really difficult. Would you say that approximately one 
third of actual London is hidden away from muggles? ;-). Not too many 
blocks in any one chunk, but a staggering total nevertheless.

Also, the hidden space can most probably be magically expanded a 
little, much like the Weaslys' car. Not too much though, for 
obviously there are limits on something like that. Else Authur could 
have had the interior of a Limousine inside his little Ford. Maria 
also brought up the point that Authur Weasly mentions it would be 
impossible to cram the entire QWC crowd into Diagon Alley or platform 
9 3/4. (Gof, 66) Since I assume that platform 9 ¾ is quite a small 
space (just a platform) I find it strange that Authur should mention 
it along with Diagon Alley as if they were roughly of comparable 
sizes. 

Hope my midnight rambling was atleast remotely coherent!

Errol
Who thinks that Maria's repeating-space concept was fun.
Farfetched, 
but fun. :)