Hogwarts Homework -- Practicing Spells Away From School

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 114281

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "gelite67" <gelite67 at y...> wrote:
> If the students are not allowed to do magic away from Hogwarts, why 
> don't they get into trouble for practicing spells during the summer?  
>  ...edited...
> 
> Angie

bboyminn:

This open the door to my making some points I've made before.

First, as someone already pointed out, summer holiday homework is in
the form of research and essays, not actual spells.

Second, underage use of magic outside of school is governed by several
different rules and laws.

First, is the school rule that no magic is allowed outside of school.

Second, is the Ministry law that underage wizards are not allowed to
use magic except under special circumstances, and I will add,
unsupervised; Restriction of Undeage Wizardry. (somewhat generalized
and paraphrased)

Third, the Statue of Secrecy Law, forbids revealing the magic world to
muggles, although there are exceptions, which reasonably implies not
using or making magic in front of muggles.

Next, based on the second and third items, I draw a distinction
between underage magic in the wizard world and any magic in the muggle
world. 

Underage magic in the wizard world, if it is contained to a safe area
and/or supervised by an adult qualified wizard is so minor as to be of
little or no concern to the Ministry. Techincally a violation, but
very low priority. Underage magic in wizard's public space disturbs
the peace and order of the wizard world, but is still more of a
mischief law than a hard and fast criminal law. I think as a simple
matter of priorities, the Ministry doesn't concern itself that much
with underage magic in the wizard world unless it literally becomes a
public nuisance. So, Fred and George, who are in their own home, away
from muggles, and under the somewhat supervision of their parents
don't rate very high on the michief scale. 

Harry, on the other hand, appears to have performed magic in the
muggle world and in front of muggles (the hoover charm, COS and
Patronus, OotP). THAT is the greatest breach of wizarding law. JKR
said in one of her interviews the the Ministry of Magic's primary
purpose is to keep knowledge of magic and the magic world away from
muggles. So, Harry's apparent actions rate very high on the Ministry's
priority scale. It is a breach of one of their most important and
fundimental laws. 

In addition, magic in locations associated with the wizard world flood
the Ministry's magic detectors with indicators. Magic occurs all the
time at the Weasley house, a few more minor spells here and there
would go largely unnoticed. 

However, magic at the Dursley, which I believe is very heavily and
closely monitored, would stand out dramatically. In conjunction with
this, I believe the higher ups in the Ministry and key players in the
wizard world know that Harry wasn't simply 'The Boy Who Lived', but
that there were indicators that Harry would eventually play a very big
role in the future of the wizard world, and because of this his safety
and wellbeing were of paramont importance to the wizard world as a whole. 

Note, that while I believe that Dumbledore has keep the goverment
informed of Harry's destiny, as always, Dumbledore is very selective
with the exact details. For example, I believe that many key players
inside and outside the Ministry know of the existance and importance
of the Prophecy, they don't necessarily know the exact details. There
is a Prophecy that says Harry will be instrumental in defeating
Voldemort, if he should ever return, but very little beyond that.
Perhaps the Prophecy itself isn't even mentioned, Dumbledore may have
simply conveyed that Harry will be important if Voldemort returns.
>From Dumbledore's perspective, they only need to know as much as the
need to know, and this is only as much as Dumbledore need convey in
order to get what he wants. This applies even to people in the Order.
They may know more than most, but I don't see Dumbledore being very
free with the exact details.

Just a few thoughts.

Steve/bboyminn (was bboy_mn)