"Occulus Repairo!" charm by Hermione/Underage magic

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 88725

Julie wrote:
> I think Hermione's use of the charm is movie contamination.  I saw 
> the movies before I read the books and I remember that as standing 
> out.  I agree with your conclusion that magic probably can be used 
> in the "protected" areas of the train and Diagon Alley.  However, I 
> remember reading where the Weasley kids practiced Quidditch in their 
> field at the Burrow.  That's how they knew Ginny could play.  Wonder 
> how they got by with that?  (I do not have my books with me so I 
> cannot reference book/page.  I think it was OotP but it may have 
> been GOF.)  Seems like Draco also talked about flying, as he was 
> upset about not being able to take his broom to Hogwarts his first 
> year.

Carol:
Hermione's use of the charm is movie contamination. In the book,
Arthur Weasley fixes Harry's glasses with a tap of his wand (no
"reparo" or any other spoken command).

As for quidditch and flying in general, maybe they're undetectable by
the MoM because they don't involve a wand. A better example of
underage magic that doesn't get reported, IMO, is the twins making
experimental products for their future joke shop, which they do while
they're still underage (even though one of them, I think it's George,
complains about receiving the warning letter--"I keep hoping they'll
forget to give us these," or something like that). Possibly the twins
get away with it because their father is hiding his own tinkering with
Muggle artifacts and somehow sees to it that other MoM officials don't
know what's going on at the Burrow. Also, Arthur deals with the
ton-tongue toffee incident all by himself; he returns Dudley to his
normal state and doesn't bother to modify the Dursleys' memories (they
already know about the WW and aren't likely to talk about the incident
to other Muggles). Fred gets off with no more than a scolding from his
dad, who has already bent the rules by connecting the Dursleys' house
to the Floo network. (Would a Muggle-born like Dean Thomas or Colin
Creevey get away with similar behavior if they were as inclined to
mischief as the twins?)

Harry, OTOH, seems to be under constant surveillance by both the Order
and the MoM. Whatever happens to him, even the move from the cupboard
under the stairs to the smallest bedroom is instantly known by someone
in the WW (Dumbledore?). Interestingly, one of the letters from the
MoM states that "hover charm was performed" (passive voice), which
leads me to wonder if the writer (Mafalda Hopkirk?) knew that Harry
hadn't performed it.

At any rate, while the restriction of underage magic theoretically
applies to all witch or wizard children, it seems to be most strictly
applied in cases where the magic might be detected by Muggles, and to
Harry most of all because of the Voldemort connection, whether or not
anyone besides Dumbledore knows about the Prophecy. What's more
interesting to me is the difference in Fudge's handling of the later
instances of Harry's underage magic--the "blowing up" of Aunt Marge is
swept under the rug as accidental magic and Aunt Marge's memory is
modified, but the Patronus charm (admittedly deliberate but also
entirely necessary under the circumstances) is a matter for a hearing
and possible expulsion. Setting aside Fudge's motives and whether he's
under an Imperius curse or not, how does he know what Harry is doing?
And how does Dumbledore know? Is there a spy, or more than one? Mrs.
Figg (or her cat) might have known about the move from the closet to
the bedroom, but not about the hut on the island. And she certainly
wouldn't have reported Harry's accidental or deliberate magic to the
MoM. So how do they know about it? Ideas, anyone? 

Carol