Integrated worlds, separate, or co-existing?

[Kathryn Lambert]

No: HPFGUIDX 154856

Sandra Collins <sandra87b at yahoo.co.uk> wrote:          
<snip> I just can't get my head around the layout of the whole HP world.
<snip>I suppose my point is, if the characters have to go through a 
magical gateway to be on Platform 9 and 3/4 which exists in a 
'parallel' world, why don't the magical people reside permanently 
in that world? Sandra, back after ages away!


Katie:
  Well, my understanding was always that those magical things were NOT in a parallel world, but instead existing right there in front of all the Muggles, but they couldn't see them. Like St. Mungo's looks like a old run down department store, and Muggles just don't see what they don't want to see:  "Fred, George, and Ron stepped after them; Harry glanced around at the jostling crowd; not one of them seemed to have a glance to sparefor window displays as ugly as Purge and Dowse Ltd's, nor did any of them seem to notice that six people had just melted into thin air in front of them. " OotP, American Hardback, page 483.
  Hogwarts is enchanted to look like a ruin, and no Muggle notices that the Leaky Cauldron is there, probably because it's been enchanted, too. As I understand the HP universe, witches and wizards are mostly invisible to a Muggle public that wishes not to see magical things, but for the more important or difficult to hide secrets, an enchantment of some sort is needed. "Seats a hundred thousand," said Mr. Weasley, spotting the awestruck look on Harry's face. "Ministry task force of five hundred have been working on it all year. Muggle Repelling Charms on every inch of it. Every time Muggles have got anywhere near here all year, they've suddenly remembered urgent appointments and had to dash away again...bless them," GoF, American Hardback, page 96.
  As for the gate at Platform 9 and 3/4, I think it's just a regular kind of door, but magical. Again, enchanted so that Muggles won't see it. Dobby was able to make it malfunction in Chamber of Secrets, so it can't be a portal in a metaphysical sense. 
  Anyway, that's my understanding. Hope it helps!! Katie