thoughts about wands and broomsticks

[dorapye]

No: HPFGUIDX 89072

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, anneli lucas 
<annelilucas at y...> wrote:
> I've been thinking about wands.  In PS/SS when Harry's
> trying out wands Ollivander tells him 
> "...you will never get such good results with another
> wizards wand." p.64, PS, UK ed.
> 
> In this case, why would Percy have given his wand to
> Ron.  Unless perhaps it had originally been passed on
> to Percy from someone else, and he didn't actually get
> his *own* wand till Ron started school.
> 
> Maybe this is one of the reasons that Neville doesn't
> do well - he uses his Father's wand.
> 
> Also, I assume that a muggle or a squib wouldn't be
> able to do anything with a wand, but a house elf
> apparently could (GoF, when Winky is accused of
> conjuring the Dark Mark at the World Cup).  Can all
> magical creatures potentially use wands I wonder?  Are
> wands mainly a conduit for magic, or do they contain a
> lot of their own magic?
> 
> I thought that the MoM might keep track of underage
> magic through the wands, so if an underage
> witch/wizard's *wand* does magic they get in trouble. 
> which might explain how the Weasley's can play
> quidditch and Harry's occassional uncontrolled magic
> isn't counted.
> This would mean that children in magical families
> could still do magic in the holidays if they used
> someone else's wand (I know there was a discussion
> about what happened to wands when the owner dies - was
> there a conclusion?)
> 
> On to broomsticks:  can only witches and wizards ride
> broomsticks?  When Harry gets the firebolt (PoA) it
> automatically hovers at the right height for him.  Can
> brooms sense whether someone is innately magical, in
> other words if Filch got on one would it just fall to
> the ground?
> 
> My apologies if this has all been gone over already
> (and for the babblyness).
> 

Now dorapye:
yeah, the whole 'Restriction of Underage Thingy' has bothered and 
puzzled me from time to time, but I drew my own, at least partly 
satisfactory, conclusions which you are quite welcome to add 
to/dismiss/argue against....

I go back to CoS when Harry first gets into trouble, not for using 
his wand, but for magic occurring in his home, which, since it is 
known he lives with Muggles, is assumed to be of his doing by MoM. 
They also appear to know when wandless magic occurs at his address - 
Aunt Marge in PoA. Move on to OotP, and the magic is occurring near 
his home, this time using his wand, 'in a Muggle-inhabited area'.  

Later, at the hearing, we learn that the MoM have always closely 
monitored Harry's address:

"We have no record of any witch or wizards living in Little 
Whinging, other that Harry Potter,"said Madam Bones at once. "That 
sitation has always been closely monitored, given...given past 
events."

This makes me feel it is more the *location* which is monitored and 
not Harry or Harry's wand....magic occurring in Privet Drive is 
deemed Harry's doing. 

This makes me wonder if Harry has been singled out particluarly for 
close scrutiny of his magic use during school holidays, ostensibly 
for his safety, though, by this point, the surveillance is being 
manipulated for Fudge and Umbridge's own ends.

But maybe it is not just Harry who is put under the Ministry's 
watchful eye during the holidays, but all Hogwarts students who are 
*Muggle-born or living with Muggles*.  Possibly Hermione gets the 
same (or similar) scrutiny as Harry. 

Children from wizard families are mor lucky. The Weasley children 
seem to get up to all sorts during their holidays without the 
Ministry getting involved.

e.g.in CoS 

"...and small explosions from Fred and George's room were considered 
perfectly normal."

(really, I need to look for other examples, and perhaps I will get 
onto this during the week, but I'd be grateful if anyone has any 
others they can think of)

Yet they recognise the importance of avoiding getting caught doing 
magic at Harry's house, using lock-picking to free Harry's things 
from the cupboard under the stairs.

Perhaps they are not afraid of using magic in their house, as the 
MoM would have no immedicate suspicion that the magic was not being 
done by one of the qualified wizards in the home.  Also, since there 
are no Muggles also living at the address, perhaps the MoM doesn't 
bother to monitor the magic being done in the house, as it is not 
considered a risky area. Perhaps the MoM would expect the parents of 
the Hogwarts students to control their use of magic during the 
holidays in this particular low-risk situation.

Then there is the flying car, which Ron tells Harry:
'Oh this doesn't count. We're only borrowing this, it's dad's, *we* 
didn't enchant it....'

So does this explanation go some way to explain the broomsticks that 
apparently can be used during the holidays? (though I agree that 
magic is needed to make them hover, and probably control them).

The next problem I'm forced to consider is DD's guarding of Harry, 
and the wizards and witches who must apparate and disapparate in and 
out of Privet Drive....if the MoM is monitoring *all* the magic 
being performed in or near Harry's address, are they not aware of 
DD's guard?  

Or was Mundungus's disapparation (it's very noisy, isn't it? And 
Harry recognises the noise immediately...if he had heard it before 
in Privet Drive, he would have remembered it and recalled it) just a 
one-off, as he was nipping off somewhere for a quick bit of dodgy 
dealing.  

Maybe DD has his people broom-it in and out of Little Whinging to 
dodge under the MoM's radar, knowing that the MoM keep a close eye 
on magic use in the area and will blame Harry for any magic done 
there as they have no record of other witches and wizards in the 
town.

Harry does not get blamed for Dung's disapparation, though, so it 
must have escaped the MoM's attention.  Maybe they picked it up, but 
assumed that it could not have been Harry, as he has not studied for 
and passed his Apparation Test...or would this not have been the 
perfect opportunity to pin another illegal activity on Harry?  I 
think it must have escaped their attention...but why?

Okay, there are my theories, but as you see, there are a few holes 
that need filling...any suggestions?
dorapye