[HPforGrownups] Muggles in the Wizarding World

[Melissa McCarthy]

No: HPFGUIDX 85148

Ooh, good questions!  I'm going to take a stab at a couple; the last is just
too much for my poor tired head!

Wendy:
> Mostly, I'm wondering about Muggles interacting with the Wizarding
> World. We know that they can get into Diagon Alley somehow
> (Hermione's parents are there in CoS), but *how*? Could they have
> gotten through the entrance without Hermione and her wand?

I doubt that they could have simply wandered through the entrance.  There's
been a theory on the list before that the normal procedure for new Hogwarts
students with Muggle families is to give them a sort of wizarding advisor to
deal with getting into Diagon Alley, changing their money, shopping for
supplies, and so forth.  If that's the case, the advisor could get the whole
family in.

Wendy:
> I'm also curious about transporation. Obviously, Muggles can't
> apparate. It appears that not even all wizards can apparate. But
> what about Floo Powder? Is it the powder that holds the magic (in
> which case a Muggle should be able to use it), or does the hand that
> throws the powder need to have magic, as well (in which case,
> Muggles would just get very warm and not go anywhere if they tried
> to travel by Floo)? <g>

Floo Powder seems to be inherently magical.  In GoF, Harry doesn't really
know how to use Floo Powder and it still works (not so well, because he
coughed and stuttered, but it still works).  He didn't do anything magical;
he didn't do anything at all except step into the fire and say where he
wanted to go.  It's possible -- and seems likely to me -- that the person
putting the Floo Powder into the fire has to be magical or do something
magical to activate it, but that once it's activated, anyone who can speak
can use it.

Wendy:
> Same question for Portkeys - it is the
> Portkey that is magical, or it is the combination of Portkey and
> magical person that matters? I tend to think that anyone could
> travel by Portkey (including Muggles). I'm less certain that Floo
> could be used by Muggles, though.

Again, since the Portkey seems to work on its own without any action by the
person(s) being transported, it seems to me that anyone could use it.

Wendy:
> And what about broomsticks? Is the
> enchantment on the broom enough to keep a Muggle afloat, or does the
> person riding it need magic as well, to make it work?

The fact that Hogwarts students need to take broomstick lessons suggests
that it's not as simple as hopping onto a broom and taking off.  Perhaps a
broom enchanted specifically to start when a person is seated on it, rise,
fly to a specific place, dodging obstacles automatically, and land carefully
would work for a Muggle, but other than that, there seems to be a good deal
of magical skill involved in riding a broom.

Melissa, up way past her bedtime (blame any illogical statements on that!)