[HPforGrownups] Remember my last, Petunia!

[Robert A. Rosenberg]

No: HPFGUIDX 107222

At 11:55 -0500 on 07/21/2004, Miller, Gina (JIS) wrote about Re: 
[HPforGrownups] Remember my last, Petunia!:

>Gina:
>Maybe DD sent it but it was not his voice? Maybe someone else left the
>message for DD to send Petunia if she ever tried to send Harry away??? But
>don't howlers explode or something if you do not open them? It has been 16
>years! On the other hand I believe we will not solve any of this because
>there can be too many spells/potions, etc added to the story that we have no
>way to know about - like one that allows you to save a howler for over a
>decade!
>Gina

Yes they explode if not opened but I think you might be ignoring 
something. I think the clock starts running upon DELIVERY not 
envelope sealing or dispatch (Otherwise you might have a problem with 
it going off while it is still in the process of being delivered - 
The owl gets delayed, has further to go and not enough "Transit" time 
was allowed, or the dispatch was delayed). Thus it is the actual 
touching of the envelope by the recipient that starts the spell into 
motion.