Muggle Born Wizards and the Law of Secrecy

[thomac77]

No: HPFGUIDX 63205

I have had a nagging question in the back of my mind since I 
finished OoP  

We know that wizards are born of muggle parents (exactly how the 
genetics work for that I would love to know!) but presumably (from 
Aunt Petunia in Book 1), the parents don't know their child is a 
wizard until they receive their letter from Hogwarts in their 
eleventh year. Soooo



1.	Wouldn't the Muggle parents have a good laugh at the gag 
letter from Hogwarts they just received and chuck the letter in the 
trash?  Or do Muggle parents get a special packet in the mail 
explaining about the Wizarding World?  However, who is to say that 
they would believe such a packet, and wouldn't that packet violate 
the Secrecy Laws?

2.	Doesn't the very fact that non wizarding families receive a 
Hogwarts Letter violate the Secrecy Laws?

3.	Does someone from Hogwarts or the Ministry of Magic 
personally deliver the letters to Muggle families?  So they can 
demonstrate the fact that magic actually exists?  And if the Muggle 
parents still don't believe, do they have to perform a memory charm 
on the spot? 

4.	If muggle parents refuse to believe in magic, do their 
children just grow up as muggles and never realize their full 
wizarding potential?  Do these muggle/wizards still make odd things 
happen when they get angry or upset?  How does the Ministry handle 
magical accidents by these folks? 

5.	Even assuming that the parents embrace the far-fetched idea 
that their child is a wizard, how much about the Wizarding World are 
they allowed to know?  Hermione's parents show up in Diagon Alley

how do they know how to get there, and wouldn't seeing all that 
stuff blow their muggle minds?  Are they prohibited, as muggles, 
from telling their muggle friends about the WW (what school does my 
child attend? Oh..um
uh
)

6.	If knowledge is limited to family, who in the family gets to 
know?  Obviously siblings, since Petunia knew about Lily.  What 
about grandparents?  Aunts and Uncles?  Petunia told Vernon all 
about it, obviously, but wouldn't that be a breach of secrecy?

We know that Hermione's parents are normal, practical, well adjusted 
Muggles, (they are dentists, after all).  They receive a letter from 
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry telling them that their 
precocious little Hermione is a witch...and off they send her to 
school?  There must be more to this story.  


-Carisa