[HPforGrownups] Hogwarts letters Re: Choosing sides

[Shaun Hately]

No: HPFGUIDX 118833

On 29 Nov 2004 at 22:01, delwynmarch wrote:

> Del replies :
> It doesn't have to be a choice between going to Hogwarts to learn to
> use magic, and not knowing what's going on. There could be a
> middle-ground where magical kids are told what they are and what they
> can do about it if they don't want to go to Hogwarts. A bit like a
> gifted child can be told that he is gifted and what it means, and how
> he can deal with it even if he doesn't want to develop or use his gift.

That might be a valid choice - it's very hard in my opinion to know 
if it is or not from what we see in the books. But given the things 
that happened to Harry before he went to Hogwarts, I'm inclined to 
doubt that that is a good choice.

The 'wild displays' like hair growing uncontrollably, and winding 
up on the roof of a school, risk exposing the existence of magical 
powers. That endangers the wizarding world. It also potentially 
endangers the untrained wizard and those around them.

I'm not sure that they can just tell the child what is happening 
and what they can do about it. It looks to me like they need 
training for safety reasons - and not just a little bit. Harry 
after two years of training has so little control he still blows up 
his aunt - under extreme provocation, I'll grant you, but that type 
of public display would have to be considered very risky.

> Shaun wrote :
> "You often can suppress your gifts, whatever they are, to lead a more
> 'normal' life. But it's very rarely a good idea in any field of human
> endeavour - most people who do it do wind up unhappy, or they find
> some other outlet (hobbies etc) where they can express their gifts. I
> see very little reason to think magical talent is psychologically
> different from other forms - and I also think it'd be one of the
> hardest areas to find a special outlet for it."
> 
> Del replies :
> Sure.
> But take Harry for example : he's always known there was something a
> bit different about him, but he never seemed bothered by it. Granted,
> he had more pressing things on his mind (the Dursleys), but still we
> aren't told that he ever felt bad about the strange things that
> happened around him or to him. He felt bad when he was punished for
> doing them even though he didn't do them consciously, but that's about
> it. In fact, when he is told that he is a wizard, he doesn't believe
> it at first. He sure doesn't go "Oh ! So *that's* it !".

Which, by the way, is also true of a huge number of gifted kids. 
They often know they are different. And often it doesn't bother 
them until they reach around age 10-12. And often they initially 
don't believe when they are told either.

> It doesn't seem to me like he would have been miserable living as a
> Muggle, had he had better parents than the Dursleys, and especially
> after being explained that he is magical and this is why some strange
> things happen sometimes.

Well, it does to me.

Maybe if he had had a loving environment and *never* found out 
about being a wizard, he might not have been miserable.

But if you knew that you had this potential, and that you could 
have developed it, and that you didn't... I can see that causing 
all sorts of problems in later life.
 
> I really don't see that the Muggleborns *need* to develop their magic
> in order to be happy.

It's not so much a matter, I suppose of needing to develop talents 
to make you happy... it's more a matter of knowing that you didn't 
miss the chance, that leaves people content.


Yours Without Wax, Dreadnought
Shaun Hately | www.alphalink.com.au/~drednort/thelab.html
(ISTJ)       | drednort at alphalink.com.au | ICQ: 6898200 
"You know the very powerful and the very stupid have one
thing in common. They don't alter their views to fit the 
facts. They alter the facts to fit the views. Which can be 
uncomfortable if you happen to be one of the facts that 
need altering." The Doctor - Doctor Who: The Face of Evil
Where am I: Frankston, Victoria, Australia