apparating in and out of Hogwarts

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 131280

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "smilingator4915"
<smilingator81 at a...> wrote:
> > --- amiabledorsai <amiabledorsai at y...> wrote:
> > > "...In CoS, Dobby disappeared from Harry's  grip with a loud
> > > crack when Colin Creevey was brought in.  Now, house elf magic 
> > > may be a bit different than human, but one exception implies 
> > > the possible existence of others."
> 
> Juli:
> > Jo has explained it at the website (under FAQ), here's
> > the quote:
> 
> > "You say that people cannot Apparate or Disapparate
> > within Hogwarts and yet Dobby manages it, why is this?
> > House-elves are different from wizards; they have
> > their own brand of magic, and the ability to appear
> > and disappear within the castle is necessary to them
> > if they are to go about their work unseen, as
> > house-elves traditionally do."
>  
> > As for other beings, I don't think they can, only
> > elves
> 

> smilingator4915:
> 
> Yes, house-elves can apparantly apparate and disapparate at 
> Hogwarts. But are they the only non-humans that can? After all, 
> can't phoenixes apparate and disapparate? In CoS, "... flames 
> erupted at the top of the nearest pillar (in the Chamber). A crimson
> bird the size of a swan had appeared..." The bird is of course, 
> Fawkes. 
> 
> Dobby got into Hogwarts in CoS... though he was trying to help Harry
> out. But could Dark Wizards send their house-elves into the castle 
> to do treacherous things?
> 
> smilingator4915

bboyminn:

A couple of minor comments-

First I want to thank Juli for that quote, I can't believe I missed
reading it in the past, or perhaps I read it and it just didn't sink
in. Notice that JKR specifically mentions "...ability to appear and
disappear WITHIN the castle...". Now sometime, like all people, JKR
generalizes in her responses to question, and we as eager reader and
discussers take what she says as an absolute all-encompassing
all-defining statement of fact. But you will notice that this
particular statement only deal with 'popping' about WITHIN the castle.
She doesn't imply that Dobby or other elves can cross the boundary or
perimeter of the castle grounds. But neither does she say the Elves
are limited to 'within' the castle only 'popping'.

I'm not sure whether to accept that as an all-defining statement,
meaning within the castle, yes, but across the perimeter, no, or if
she is simply illustrating how elves are different from wizard and
why, but without intending it to be an all-encompassing statement. 

Also, related to this, and to Smilingator's statement about other
creatures like the Phoenix being able to Apparate, I want to say that
we need to make a distinction between that which is Apparation and
that which is Apparation-LIKE. In a sense, it's the old 'apples and
oranges' argument. By some stretch of logic we can say that cars are
the same as airplanes, and to a neutral outside third party, a fair
argument could be made for that, but to people who are knowledgable
and who are able to look beyond the surface, we see that cars are not
really all that much like airplanes.

My point is that the castle was created by wizards for wizard, and is
defended against other dark wizards, and rightly so, since the
beginning of time, man has always been his own worst enemy. 

And while Elves may be very loyal and very willing, they don't seem
like they would make very good soldiers. You might be able to send
them on a specific task with a specific objective, but it is unlikely
they would take any initiative to fullfill the mission beyond a direct
straight line approach.

So, in general, I don't think there is much need to defend against
attack by other creatures. The only creature who seems intelligent
enough, as well as independant and free thinking, not to mention
trouble making, are the goblins. And right now the goblins are holding
all the money in the wizard world, so I don't think wizards are likely
to do anything to antagonize them. 

I guess my point is that while we can ponder somewhat likely
alternative plans of attack on the castle, the rare and generally
unlikely, and poorly effective alternatives aren't really that much of
a thread. It would always be far more effective for a free thinking
human to attempt to attack the castle than for a servile elf.

Just a thought, though admittedly a somewhat rambling thought.

Steve/bboyminn