Breaking Magical Contracts (Re: The names in the Goblet)

[Jen Reese]

No: HPFGUIDX 96720

Jim: 
What bothers me about it is that Harry didn't enter into 
> > anything. Can you sign a contract for me? You can not.  How can 
> > Crouch!Moody bind Harry to a magical contract?  It's totally 
> > counterintuitive. It's also reality, so I had to get over it.
 
Bobby: 
I couldn't have said it better myself.  Hey, Jim, want 
> > to buy Jen's car for one dollar?  She doesn't seem to mind if 
two people agree to something that obligates a third party.

Jim: 
> Easy on Jen, Bobby, she's acknowledging the fact Harry did in the 
end
> become a Champion and compete.  I can think of one reason it could 
be
> so:  in other tournaments in days of yore, Headmasters may have
> entered the students' names into the Goblet, maybe without even 
asking
> them first. Students pretty much did what they were told by their
> elders in those days.  If this legacy was true it could explain how
> Harry became obligated.  What we do know is Harry became a 
Champion.


Jen again: Thanks for answering this one, Jim. And Bobby, I think 
you're assuming a lot to say a 'binding magical contract' is the 
same thing as a Muggle contract, and a typically Western Muggle 
contract at that. 

My point is you don't have to stretch your imagination much to think 
a magical contract can take different forms than two people signing 
their names to a piece of paper! Dumbledore often speaks of magic in 
very elusive terms, where a bond is created between wizards/witches 
that supersedes 'regular' magic. I would assume, as Jim points out, 
that this magical contract extends back for generations to the time 
the Goblet was created.

Again, I don't think this contract has anything to do with wizard 
law or the Ministry of Magic. Perhaps law enforcement could do 
something to Crouch Jr. for illegally submitting Harry's name 
(doubtful), but once it was submitted, there doesn't appear to be a 
choice involved.