Sirius and jail

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 167566

JW wrote:
> > If the owl delivers the message, the owl could be followed and the
recipient found.  It appears this is what JKR means.

Random832 responded: 
> No, this was what the questioner meant. JKR was IMO refuting that
statement.
 
JW:
> > The only answer is that an owl sent by the MoM would not find
Sirius or LV.
> 
Random832:
> Or that if the MoM sends an owl, it will find them but they (the
MoM) cannot follow it.
 
JW:
> >  As NOBODY has EVER found a careless mistake made by JKR ;D it
must be that untraceability can be customized.
> 
Random832:
> I don't see how it's unreasonable to think that, instead, the owl
itself could find them, but rather, they can cast a spell on
themselves such that an owl directed at them cannot be tracked.
 
> It seems illogical, but remember, the analogy to unplottability,
which allows you to cast a spell on a property such that even on the
survey maps that were _already_ made showing #12 right between #10 and
#13 Grimmauld place, no-one can find it.
 
JW:
> > How can this be?  Shesezo strikes again!  It is GOOD to be Lord of
the Universe!
> 
Random832:
> Except "the owls can't find them" isn't what she actually said. She
said the Ministry couldn't use that method to find them (which is
perfectly satisfied by "they can send an owl, but they can't track the
owl in that case")

Carol joins the discussion:

I hope that I've attributed these remarks correctly as they weren't
labeled in the post I was responding to. If not, please correct me.

Although I certainly agree with JW that JKR makes the rules of the
Potterverse and that her books are littered with inconsistencies, only
some of which she appears to be aware of (she's corrected a few and
made excuses, starting with Marcus Flint repeating a year, to cover
others), I think that Jordan (Random832) is correct in this instance.

No Muggle (with the possible exception of the Dursleys) can find or
see 12 Grimmauld Place because it's unplottable. No wizard can see it
unless they've been told (and understand) the secret: It appears to
Harry only after he's read and memorized the note in DD's handwriting.
But owls can find it. No one has told Hedwig the secret, much less the
owls that deliver the Trio's book lists and RH's Prefect badges, and
yet owls have no trouble finding them. The eagle owl finds Voldemort
in GoF as well. And, of course, Hedwig finds Sirius Black when no
human being has any idea where he is.

The only exception that I can think of is Horace Slughorn. Maybe he
moves to a new Muggle house (piano and all) when an owl finds him, or
maybe he does something additional to prevent owls from finding him.
(Dumbledore must have used those mysterious silver instruments to fid
him! <wink>)

Carol, who hopes JW will forgive her for saying that she's almost as
tired of "Shesezso" as of "Snapey-poo" (the term, that is, not Snape
himself)