When did the "trace" come about?

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 176223

---  "zanooda2" <zanooda2 at ...> wrote:
>
> ---  Meliss9900@ wrote:
> 
> 
> > Because it could have been Morfin.  All the Trace 
> > shows is that *someone* did magic around an 
> > underage wizard. It doesn't reveal the perpetrator's
> > identity to the Ministry.
> 
> zanooda:
> 
> I thought *around* really means around, close by :-).
> At least in the same house! Gaunt house and Riddle 
> house were on two different sides of town. ... 
> shouldn't it show that the person is underage? In 
> Riddles case, the Trace should have shown that either
> some teenager killed them, or that some teenager was
> present (around) when Morfin did it. ...
> 
> zanooda
>

bboyminn:

We have seen from other examples of encounters with
wizard's law that the Ministry is not the most
consistent or thorough system around. They may have
indeed detected Underage Magic, but when they 
came to investigate a known muggle hater in the
area, he confessed...case closed.

The fact that some underage wizard might have been
in the vicinity seems minor when you have the person
who actually committed the crimes and further have
his complete confession. 

The Ministry, being the politicians that they are,
would want the case solved and want the embarrassing
incident over and done with, and out of the public
mind. So, once they can a confession, the would have
not proceeded further in the case.

Look at the case of Hagrid's conviction. That story
has more holes that Swiss Cheese. Yet, Hagrid's 
conviction satisfied the Ministry and School needs.
It eliminated a lot of embarrassing question that 
neither the Ministry or the School would want to 
answer. 

The rule of law seems to be, get someone in jail and
sweep the details under the rug.

I'm not at all surprise that this little detail was
overlooked.

Steve/bboyminn