Secret places

[gwen_of_the_oaks]

No: HPFGUIDX 148686

> Deborah said:
> >Is it possible to Apparate to a place you know only by name? Could
> >Harry Apparate to Godric's Hollow just by saying/thinking the name?
> >
> >And if not, could he Apparate to "the house across the road from my
> >parents' house in Godric's Hollow"?
> >

> Then Rebecca:
> 
> Yes this is a bit confusing.  I don't think Apparation is limited 
>to only places you have seen or been before.  That would mean that 
>if you wanted to go to a new store or a new friends house you could 
only get there by conventional means (.
> 
> We know there is an exception for places that have alot of magical 
> securities lined up like Hogwarts and to places where there is a 
secret keeper involved.
> 
> I'm not sure on this one but it just doesn't make sense that you 
can't apparate to a new place.  Anyone  else?
>

Now Gwen:

I don't think Hogwarts is an exception.  In HBP, on their way to meet 
Slughorn, DD tells Harry "In any case, most Wizarding dwellings are 
magically protected from unwanted Aparators." (Am. ed. pg 60)  And 
Arthur Weasley doesn't aparate into his own house, but relies on 
Molly to let him in (Mollywobbles).  So it seems to be standard 
operating procedure to charm a building so that it cannot be aparated 
into at will - even if you are the owner.

As for Deborah's question, I think as long as you have enough 
information about where someplace is, you can aparate to it without 
having been there previously.  As an example: I've never been to Los 
Angeles, but I could get pretty close without a map just by getting 
on major highways going west. So Harry could "find" Godric's Hollow 
just by knowing roughly where to go.  The farther away, the less you 
know about it, and the weaker your powers - the more unlikely you are 
to aparate somewhere accurately.

Likewise, I'm guessing you can't aparate someplace without some 
geographical sense of where it is, even if you've been before.  Harry 
might not be able to get back to the cave in the cliff, for example, 
just by thinking about it.  He knows it exists, but he doesn't know 
*where* it is.   And you can't just concentrate on an attribute of a 
place you know nothing about, like: "take me to wherever the Horcrux 
is hidden" - and wind up there.  

So, Harry could get to Godric's Hollow but not necessarily "Next door 
to my parents old house".  Although, having actually lived there as 
an infant may give him subconscious memories that boost his accuracy.
Just my 2 knuts.

Gwen