[HPforGrownups] Re: Electronics at Hogwarts

[Jordan Abel]

No: HPFGUIDX 158362

On 9/15/06, Ken Hutchinson <klhutch at sbcglobal.net> wrote:
> --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Jordan Abel" <random832 at ...> wrote:
> >
> > I will try to summarize the various theories on why electronic devices
> > don't work at hogwarts. There are several aspects to this
> >
>
> I think we have to give it up, Jordan.

You're dismissing quite a lot of my post that _doesn't_ need to be
"given up" in light of this answer, like the speculation that either
spells could be developed that did not cause interference, spells
could be cast on devices to make them work normally, or devices can be
shielded against this interference. (and let's not forget that what
JKR says isn't actually canon - she's changed her mind on things like
population size, etc, before.)

> I just re-read the bit on JKR's
> website FAQ where she answers the questions about Colin's camera. She
> says the battery doesn't work at Hogwarts therefore the camera must
> run on magical energy the way a wizard's radio does, apparently
> acknowledging that his camera does have some internal electronics.
> Hermione, I think, says radios emit static at Hogwarts. Harry probably
> has an electronic watch but JKR will say it runs on magical energy at
> Hogwarts.

Which leads, inevitably, to the conclusion that all battery-operated
devices automatically run on magical energy while at Hogwarts without
any intervention by the user. Even in the existing answer, "his camera
is running off the magical atmosphere" rather than "he modified his
camera so that the flash is done magically" seems to imply he didn't
have to do anything special to make it work. Everything in her answer
seems to lead to "batteries don't work, but aren't needed".

> So the batteries don't work, some devices do work but run on
> magical energy, but radios don't work ....

Except they do - static is evidence that it is working in all other
aspects except receiving a signal.

I think the simplest explanation is that JKR wanted a way to preserve
the "atmosphere" of the books against all the little muggleborn kids
wanting to bring cd players and cell-phones, and didn't feel the need
to describe in detail why they don't work or what if anything could be
done in the future (by an enterprising muggleborn, muggle-raised, or
arthur-weasley-ish researcher) to make them work.

It's not important to the story for it to be impossible, or even more
than moderately difficult, to get electronics to work in an
environment like Hogwarts, only that it be inaccessible to
11-year-olds at the present time.

The spark plugs, headlights, etc, on the Anglia seem to work well
enough - sure, it breaks down when they get to hogwarts, but shouldn't
the charms on the car itself interfere with those?

-- 
Random832