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

[potioncat]

No: HPFGUIDX 97085


 
> Jim Ferer (I think--unsigned post) responded: 
> 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.
> 
> Carol:
> As Dumbledore says, *the placing of the name in the goblet*
> constitutes a binding contract. The goblet doesn't know who put the
> name in, and Crouch!Moody's case complicated the business by using a
> confundus spell on the goblet so it would have to choose a fourth 
name
> (Harry's), the only one in its category. Once Harry has been chosen 
by
> the goblet, he has no alternative but to compete.
 
Potioncat:
I agree with Carol.  I think the word "contract" is throwing people. 
Obligation might be a better word. Just like Snape has an obligation 
via the life debt to save Harry's life.  He never agreed to this.  
This is magic and we've been told by JKR that magic is not logical.  
And we have our myths where people are magically obligated to perform 
tasks that they didn't really agree to.

In this case we have a magical situation where contestants are 
obligated to perform the tasks.  Then along comes someone who can 
trick the system, but the system is still functioning along its own 
rules.  It seems pretty consistant with how this sort of situation 
has worked in our own mythology.
Potioncat