[HPforGrownups] Underage magic (was: Re: Silent/Wandless Magic?)

[Barbara D. Poland-Waters]

No: HPFGUIDX 101555

>>>From: SnapesRaven at web.de [mailto:SnapesRaven at web.de]

It strikes me as a very strange thing that Harry accidentally set the snake
free at the zoo (PS) and didn't receive his first telling-off back then. I
recollect that in CoS it was Dobby's magical activity *at the Dursley's
house* that earned Harry the letter. But Ron, Fred and eorge didn't suffer
any consequences after using their father's enchanted car, did they?<<<

This is a very interesting topic. We've all read in the book when Hagrid
asks Harry if he ever made something happen without meaning to. Is this even
considered magic? Apparently, young wizards do this sometimes before they
know they're wizards. But what about those from Wizard families like the
Weasleys? Are they allowed to do any magic before they start going to
Hogwarts? And like you said, is riding an enchanted or magical item (Ford
Anglia, broomsticks) considered "doing magic" or are they just utilizing
charmed items?

I've just been reading GoF again and there is a baby playing with his
father's wand and enlarging a slug. I don't know if that is the baby doing
magic or just the wand having some leftover power or something. Seems to me
it would be hard to keep your wizard child from picking up a thing or two
from Mom and Dad by the time he's 10 or 11 and ready for school.

And I've always been bothered about the warning Harry got after Dobby did
magic at his house. The MoM knows so many other things, why didn't they know
that Dobby did the magic, not Harry?

Barbara
bd-bear