[HPforGrownups]The Burrow

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 84168

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Geoff Bannister"
<gbannister10 at a...> wrote:
> --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Steve" <bboy_mn at y...> wrote:
> > --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, John and Peg <notjustone at y...>
> > wrote:
> > > Does anyone know where The Burrow may be? ...
> > > 
> > > John & Peg
> > 
> > bboy_mn:
> > 
> > It is beleived to be in Devon which is in the southwest of 
> > England.
> 
> 
> Geoff:
> ... The Burrow ...there appear to be some anomalies in JKR's 
> description of the place, especially in relation to its location.
> 
> The favoured position for many people is in the area of Ottery 
> St.Mary. This lies on the river Otter just east of Exeter. ... 
> Several names in the area – Venn Ottery, Otterton and Upottery – 
> reflect the river connection. ...edited...
> 
> ... Ottery St.Mary ... to London about 165 miles or so.
> 
> The first problem is in COS when they get up at cock-crow and dash 
> around before leaving and then find things have been forgotten. 
> "They had almost reached the motorway when Ginny shrieked that she'd
> left her diary
"  ...edited... The logical way from the Ottery 
> St.Mary area ... would be to pick up the A30 near Honiton, then 
> A303/M3 into London. I, although living quite a bit further north,
> avoid the M5 and use A358/A303/M3 when going into London. ..edited..

bboy_mn:

Hummm... the USA edition says 'highway' instead of 'motorway', to
someone in the USA that might not seem like much of a distinction, but
in the UK, 'motorway' is the same as 'Interstate Freeway' in the US.
General main highways in the UK are referred to as 'Primary' roads,
and I assume that smalled 'back' roads are referred to as 'secondary'. 

Again, I'm working from maps, certainly our UK residence can give us
more refind information. The point is, and part of the point I think
Geoff is making, is that the in the UK the use of Motorway is very
specific, and implies one of the major highways who's designation
begins with 'M', as in motorway/highway 'M5'. Roads, we in the US,
would call highways, begin with the letter 'A'. 

The 'M5' that Geoff is referring to is a road that goes north from
roughly Exeter in the south to Bristol. That would mean traveling
about 50 miles north before turning east toward London; not a very
direct route.

If you have a map, you will see that the suggested A30/A303/M3
combination is nearly a straight line directly to London and made up
of major two lane and four lane highways with the last +50 miles into
London being a major Motorway/Interstate Freeway.


> geoff continues:
> 
> ... Muggle taxis in GOF ...  go from The Burrow to Kings Cross, 
> about 165 miles. To get a taxi from my village into Taunton, which
> is about 30 miles, recently cost a friend £42.00 (about USD 60). So 
> three taxis into London from East Devon would be in the stratosphere
> financially. ... who's picking up the tab? Surely not the 
> Ministry - they do not seem to consider Harry under threat ...
> 

bboy_mn:

Thank you for that example of taxi prices; something I have been
looking for for a long time.

I think this help illustrate that no matter where the Burrow is, near
or far, that three taxis to London would have been pohibitively
expensive for the Weasleys. Even you example time 3, is $180. That's
not chump change for a working class family.

There is only two people/entities that I can think of that could
afford a taxi ride like that.

The first is the Ministry. I have no problem with them paying for the
taxis. You can say that Harry wasn't in any danger, but Harry wasn't
in any danger when he and the Weasleys received a small fortune in
prime box seat tickets to the Quidditch World Cup. Could anyone in
Britian speculate what the cost of 10 VIP prime box seat would be to
the Soccer World Cup if it were played in England? I think my
statement of 'small fortune' would be fairly accurate. Do you really
think Mr. Weasley would have recieved the BEST SEATS IN THE HOUSE, if
Harry wasn't with them? I think not.

Next regarding the Ministry, I think they know more about Harry than
we are giving them credit for. They know Harry, in the past, is linked
to a specific event of immense importance to the wizard world, the
defeat or at least ghostification of Voldemort, but I am very sure
they also know that Harry is destine to play a very important role in
the future of the wizard world. 

Trelawney isn't the only prophet or 'reader of the signs' in the
wizard world. Information about Harry's destiny would surely come from
many different sources. Example, the centaurs seem to know A LOT more
than they are letting on in the surface 'ink' of the books. Even if
the Ministry doesn't have direct knowledge of the Prophecy, I'm
convinced that it is general knowledge amoung the 'higher-ups' in the
wizard world that Harry is destine to be vitally important to the
wizard world.

In the latest book, Dumbledore said it was time to tell Harry
'everything'. To that I say, HA! I seriously doubt Dumbeldore even
told him one tenth of 'everything'. Consequently, I have no problem
seeing the Ministry picking up the bill for three taxis. 

The alternative is for Dumbledore to have paid. We know from the
latest book that Dumbledore has been watching and guarding Harry far
more closely than we have seen from the surface of the printed page.
I'm sure Dumbledore would want to assist Harry in his safe journey to
Hogwarts from the Weasley's. So, I don't have any problem thinking
that he would pay the bill.

> Geoff continues:
>
> I believe that Jo Rowling had connections with Devon but the various 
> things I have outlined above raise questions in my mind. Possibly 
> they are items in the plot line which haven't been thought through 
> completely as not being vital to the main story line.
>

bboy_mn:

I think every author hopes to some small degree that his/her readers
will make some allowances for events that are slightly inconsistent
but move the plot along. Example, why didn't Harry 'Accio' the map to
him, when he was trapped on the stairs. Answer A.) he was a sacred kid
who didn't think of it under the pressure of the moment; answer B.)
because if he did, it would screw up part of the plot. The current
book seems full of 'why did't they do it this way' events, and of
course, the answer is, because if they did it that way, there wouldn't
have been any story to tell.

The Taxi Situation may or may not have a logical story related
explaination, and JKR may or may not choose to reveal that
explaination to us. In the mean time, all we can do is either doggeldy
swear that it is a mistake, or speculate likely explaination. You know
me, I go for the likely, and sometimes the unlikely, explaination
every time.
 
> Geoff closes:
>
> Finally, and a digression. I wonder whether the definition of "city" 
> in the US and Canada is different to the UK. ...edited...
> 
> Geoff

bboy_mn:

Generally, villages and small towns are 0 to 999 people. Towns are
1,000 to 9,999, and cities are 10,000 and over. Although, that's more
of a guideline than an absolute. Also, in Minnesota where I live,
'Village' is a legal designation for a small town and is a matter of
public record. The town I grew up in, of about 400 people, was legally
incorporated as a Village. In some states, the legal designation for a
town of the same size might be different.

Also, there can be a difference between common usage and legal
definition. Our village is frequently referred to as a town. 

So, to some extent, the official designation really hinges on how the
town has formed itself as a legal entity, and the official names and
range of the legal designations can vary from state to state.

Just a thought.

bboy_mn