Vague Thoughts on Apparation - Conclusion Confusion

[quigonginger]

No: HPFGUIDX 93512

Steve wrote:
> > It seems that both Percy and the Twins took there Apparation test 
at
> > the beginning of the summer holiday, which implies to me that they
> > learned the process during the previous school year.
> > 
> > So, does this sound reasonable to everyone, or am I way off base?
> > 
> > Just wondering.
> > 
> > bboy_mn
> 
> > Carol:
> > We know that the Twins turned seventeen in April of their sixth 
> > year. I had assumed that they practiced at home over the summer, 
> > maybe under their father's supervision, before taking their tests.
> 
> bboy_mn:
> OK, in GoF, we find out from Mr Weasley that Apparation is difficult
> and dangerous. If that's true, and we have no reason to doubt him,
> then why would the wizard world leave something this difficult and
> dangerous up to the parents to teach their children?
> 
> To me that doesn't make sense, all other necessary magic it taught 
at
> school, why would apparation be excluded from this?

> > Annemehr:
> > I got the idea that learning to apparate has nothing to do with 
> > Hogwarts. That would mean that everyone turning seventeen during
> > a given school year would go home for the summer and *then* learn 
> > how to apparate.

Now Ginger:  I snipped as much as I could, trying to get in all the 
good arguements. 

I have to wonder if the key isn't necessity.  People have been using 
driving/drivers licenses as an example, and I think it is a good one. 

Even in the US, the ages of driving vary from state to state.  Here 
in North Dakota, you can get a permit at 13 and a license at 14.  
People in populated states think we're nuts. They have public 
transportation.  Most of the rural kids were driving before that, on 
the farm.  It is a matter of necessity.  I won't bore you with OT 
details; let's just say that I have had to drive 90 miles to buy 
shoes.  Really.

In the WW we have all sorts of other forms of transportation.  Once 
the kids reach Hogwarts age, where do they have to go?  School, for 
which they have the Hogwarts Express.  If Ron wants to visit Luna, he 
has a broom (provided he takes care that the Muggle residents of 
Ottery St. Catchpole don't see him).  If he wants to visit Neville or 
go to Diagon Alley, there's floo.  When they went to the QWC, it was 
a portkey.  They really don't *need* to apparate, unless they are 
flying to the MoM to rescue a Godfather with no thestrals around, and 
that is probably a rare occurance in the life of a Wizarding 
child.:)  Muggle-born children have Muggle transportation, and can 
teach the Wizard-borns to use it if necessary.

In short (I know, too late), apparating probably is a big deal in the 
eyes of a kid, but isn't needed with all the other ways of getting 
around in their world.  Since we know it can be dangerous, even by 
Wizarding standards, they probably put it off until it is needed.  If 
floo powder didn't exist, I think we'd have a different story.

As to whether it is taught in school, again, good points made by 
all.  I guess it comes from what you're used to.  I still remember 
teeaching my sisters, and get a wicked laugh thinking of Snape 
clutching his wand and yelling "No, no, clutch in, *then* shift, 
Dunderhead!"  My personal thought is that it would be taught in 
Hogwarts, but that may be due to my strong desire to see CrabbenGoyle 
splinch themselves, leaving behind only their utterly stupid 
expressions.  Maybe then we'll actually hear them speak.

Ginger, with a bit of a mean streak today, it seems.