Magic by kids (was: "Conjured" food)

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 118185


Juli wrote:
> Weird yes, but I think they can do magic, as long as
> it is wandless magic; the twins did lots of magic at
> home before their 17th birthday, just not charms with
> a wand, they could do potions or whatever they did to
> create their stuff.
> 
Vivamus responded:
> > What about all the kids who know lots of magic
> > (e.g., Snape and hexes) before they even come to 
> > Hogwarts?  What about all the stories about kids
> > hexing each other, charming objects (Ron's
> > pillow/spider), etc., while growing up?  If none 
> > of them could use any magic at all before coming 
> > to Hogwarts, and it was monitored by the Ministry, 
> > it would strain credibility.
> > snip
> 
> 
> Juli wrote:
> I was just thinking what if kids can only get a wand
> when they are accepted at Hogwarts, before then they
> could do accidental magic (Ron's pillow, the girls at
> the Quidditch Cup with brooms), or potions, reading,
> whatever they like, as long as it's not 'active'
> magic. I think it would be extremely hard for kids in
> wizard families spending 11 years without doing any
> magic, so I guess they must steal their parent's wand
> and do some little meaningless magic but still
> illegal, I just don't think the MoM pays much
> attention to it.

Carol notes:
Certain types of wandless magic can be detected (e.g., Dobby's hover
charm in CoS). The MoM didn't know who had performed the spell; they
assumed it was Harry since he was the only known wizard in the area
(and his Muggle relatives didn't own a house-elf). I think in a
wizarding family, parents are supposed to monitor their children but
they don't always succeed, and the MoM wouldn't know the difference
between a charm performed by the Twins or one performed by their
parents. I'm guessing that little Severus's parents didn't prevent him
from learning all thoses hexes (or playing with potions), and Snape
seemed to know that Draco (admittedly a second-year) could cast a
Serpensortia, not the kind of spell he'd have learned at Hogwarts but
one that his dad might have taught him. Also, Draco already knew how
to ride a broom before coming to Hogwarts, certainly a form of magic,
and a conspicuous one, too, if there are Muggles in the neighborhood.

IOW, I think that some students are monitored more closely than
others, and Harry is monitored more closely than anyone else. The
underage magic restriction is probably impossible to enforce in all
instances.

Carol