Spinner's End and Hogwart's protection

[littleleahstill]

No: HPFGUIDX 156748

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "laurawkids" <balrogmama at ...> 
wrote:
> 
> First, a question to you all.  Do we know where Harry's town, or 
> Snape's are?  Do we have general directions to place them here or 
> there in the UK?  If we know they are nowhere near each other, 
then 
> never mind, but if we have nothing on them yet, I think I have 
found 
> something in OOTP which may support what Carol says here.  
> 
> p. 56 OOTP US paperback:
> 
>    "Bearing south!" shouted Mad-Eye.  "Town ahead!"
>    "They soared right, so that they did not pass directly over the 
> glittering **spiderweb** of lights below." (** mine)
> 
> It's not much, but this may be a tip-off that Spinner's End is in 
> the next town over from Harry.  That may show that Snape took the 
> house years ago to be closer to pre-Hogwarts Harry, or the house 
is 
> really a safe-house for the Order with Snape being its main 
> tennant.  

Leah:

I think the only geographical canon we have is from PS/SS which has 
the original statement that Little Whinging is in Surrey, and we are 
also told that Harry returns from his trip to Diagon Alley from 
London's Paddington station.  Based on the fact that no town in 
Surrey is served from Paddington (it's either Waterloo or Victoria 
stations), an ingenious article:

http://www.hp-lexicon.org/atlas/britain/atlas-b-surrey.html

 in the HP Lexicon has worked out a location for Little Whinging 
near the Berkshire border, Berkshire generally being served by 
trains from Paddington. 

As to Spinners End, I don't think we are given any geographical 
location, although the setting, urban decay, canal and mill chimney 
strongly suggest a north country, possibly Yorkshire or Lancashire 
setting, though a large Midlands town like Birmingham or 
Wolverhampton would not be ruled out.  (It could of course be in 
Scotland or another part of the British Isles, but the picture it 
conjured for me was a northern English town).

If your idea is correct, and the lexicon essay is correct, then the 
town would have to be due south of the Egham/Staines area of 
Surrey.  The first large town due south is Guildford in Surrey which 
does not present the right sort of mental picture at all, being a 
commuter/service industry town, quite affluent.  Looking at this 
history of industry in Guildford:

http://www.guildford.gov.uk/GuildfordWeb/Leisure/Guildford+Museum/Gui
ldfordSites/HistoryNotes/Industry+and+Railways.htm

you can see that it was once a biggish railway town, had a large 
brewing industry and an ironworks, which might help your case.  It 
also has a canalised river, but that's well maintained, and the bits 
I've seen don't resemble the setting in OOTP.  

The problem with this, is that if the Lexicon essay has correctly 
located Little Whinging, then a flight south towards Guildford, (or 
anywhere due south of Little Whinging) would mean having to fly 
north east towards London, whereas Moody goes south east, then veers 
south west to avoid the motorway (M25 etc).  That only works if 
Grimmauld place is situated somewhere near the south coast rather 
than in central London. 

I have to say that I find the idea of a southern location for 
Spinners End highly dubious,given its description and if Snape was 
really placed there to keep an eye on Harry, wouldn't we have some 
hint of this in at least one of the books?   

Leah