[HPforGrownups] anger magic

[yellows at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 60500

In a message dated 6/15/2003 1:09:59 AM Eastern Standard Time, Sayaka writes:

> All those times when Harry did magic 
> without meaning to (when he was staying with the Dursley's), all he 
> had to do was get really angry, or something like that. But there are 
> other times he's gotten really angry (at Snape, Malfoy, etc.), and 
> nothing has happened. Is there an explanation for this? Is it only 
> muggles who are effected by this power? And it still counts as 
> breaking the rules when he does it over the summer, even though he 
> doesn't do it on purpose. Shouldn't there be a class or something at 
> Hogwarts that explains this sort of magic and how to effectively use 
> and control it? Could this be another genre of magic 
> altogether? 
> (Like wand magic, Old Magic, etc.)

Here's what I always thought (though I essentially know nothing at all, so take it for what it's worth):  

When Harry was mad at the Dursleys and inadvertently performed magic (like the growing back of his hair or the opening of the snake display in SS), this was just an instinctive defense, and not something Harry was aware of doing. He thought he was the same as every other little boy his age, perhaps a bit less lucky as far as family goes, but nothing special. He had no notion of his magic abilities and certainly no idea how to use them. 

But in moments when he really needed something to back him up, his magic came through for him anyway. It probably happened that way for a number of other children who thought they might be squibs or who came from Muggle parents. They were unaware of the magic, and so the magic made itself known to them.

This, I believe, can't be counted as a breech of the rules against magic outside of school, because the child didn't even know what he or she was doing. After the student has attended Hogwarts and is made aware of magic and the restrictions surrounding it, then the child can be held responsible for using magic when he or she isn't supposed to.

Similarly, I think that once a child is made aware of his or her abilities, then the instinctive magical reactions don't happen as regularly. The student has better control on this power and can prevent random acts of magic <g> from happening.

What I wonder about is how Hermione practices when she studies over the summer, as she undoubtedly does. Is there a ban on doing magic at home for the purpose of academic study?

Brief Chronicles -- who is having a birthday today.  :)