Owls to hidden places/people

[kiricat2001]

No: HPFGUIDX 111453

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, macfotuk at y... wrote:
> IMO this is one of JKR's most classic 'Flints' (mistakes) excepting 
> that there is no way for her to get out of it. The attempt she made 
> relatively recently was in my view absolute rubbish (* below). You 
> just have to accept that it is necessary for the story for owls to 
> be able to find Sirius *somehow* but noone, even with all the 
> diverse and advanced magic available to the WW, at the Ministry 
> having the nonce to be able to do the same. 

> * this is what JKR said about owls at www.jkrowling.com:
> 
> http://www.jkrowling.com/textonly/faq_view.cfm?id=18
> 
>  Section: F.A.Q.
> In 'Prisoner of Azkaban', why couldn't the Ministry of Magic have 
> sent Sirius an owl, and then followed it, to find him?
> Just as wizards can make buildings unplottable, they can also make 
> themselves untraceable. Voldemort would have been found long ago if 
> it had been as simple as sending him an owl!
> 
> this is *REALLY* unsatisafctory - it simply says it can't be done, 
> not (really) WHY. 

Marianne:

Yes, that is one of those things that irks me.  It says, in essence, 
that Voldemort can't be found because he can make himself 
untraceable.  So, he's safe anywhere at anytime unless perhaps in a 
moment of carelessness a bunch of Aurors happens to stumble across 
him sitting on a park bench.  And, according to JKR's explanation, 
Fugitive!Sirius also could not be found by the simple method of 
sending him an owl because he, too could make himself untraceable.  
But, in OoP, Sirius must remain hidden at 12 Grimmauld Place in 
perpetuity because to simply set foot outside could lead to his 
discovery and capture or death.  Wouldn't the same scenario apply?  
Could he not make himself untraceable, and thus, unless someone 
stumbled across him, could he not also do the same thing as 
Voldemort - move about when necessary and hide in any one of a 
million places?

Marianne
Marianne