PoA CH 1-3 post DH look

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 181379

---  "dumbledore11214" <dumbledore11214 at ...> wrote:
>
> ... Indeed, Wendelin the Weird enjoyed being burned so much
> that she allowed herself to be caught no less than
> forty seven times in various disguises." -  PoA, p.7, brit.
> ed, paperback
> 
> Alla:
> So, did they or did they not enjoy being burned? I seem to
> remember vigorous debates in the past and some posters 
> claiming that it is a lie, I mean lie in the text book and 
> the witches were really burned, etc. I honestly do not 
> remember anything in the later canon showing that it was a
> lie. Any help? Oh, and hi Batilda dear.
>

bboyminn:

I think it very much depends on circumstances. If mob
mentality rules and you are captured and taken directly to
the Stake, then you have your wand, you can perform the
proper spell to protect yourself, and when the flames 
get high enough, you can just apparate out of there.

However, if the capture has a little more legal force behind
it, and you are captured, imprisoned, tried, convicted, and
sentenced, then you likely don't have your wand and you are
toast.

Keep in mind that there were certainly a lot of petty 
self-serving accusations going on. Get into an argument with
some one, and it is a race to see which accuses the other
of being magical first. Once the accusation is made, in most
cases, the proof of innocent results in death just as the
proof of guilt does. 

So, the answer is 'some'; some wizards enjoyed it, some
wizards got away with it, and some didn't. But regardless, 
of what happened to actual wizards and witches, far more
innocent people were tortured and killed. 


> ...
> 
> "Hedwig," he said gloomily, "you're going to have to clear 
> off for a week. Go with Errol, Ron'll look after you. I'll 
> write him a note, explaining. And don't look at me like that"
> – Hedwig's large amber eyes were reproachful, "it's not my 
> fault. It's the only way I'll be allowed to visit  Hogsmeade
> with Ron and Hermione" – p.22
> 
> Alla:
> I had asked this before, I am sure, but just how smart owls
> in general and Hedwig in particularly are? ...
> 

bboyminn:

Indeed I think Hedwig is an exceptionally smart owl, but I
also believe that Post Owls are magical creatures with a
magic all their own. While I can't prove it, I also suspect
that Owls are capable of a limited degree of magical flight.
That is, the actually ground cover in flight far exceed the
perceived flight speed. 

To illustrate, I estimate perceived speed of a Portkey at
about 30 to 40 mph, but the actually speed is about 400 
miles in one minute, or 24,000 miles per hours. It's Magic!
(That is a very conservative estimate.)

There are limits to Portkey and other magical means
of travel as stated by JKR, though she has yet to spell 
them out in detail. 

> ...
> 
> "Hagrid the Hogwarts gamekeeper had spent two months there 
> only last year. Harry wouldn't soon forget the look of terror
> on Hagrid's face when he had been told where he was going 
> and Hagrid was one of the bravest people Harry knew" – p.35
> 
> Alla:
> I have similar question, I guess. I am sure there are many 
> nasty rumors about Azkaban, if Hagrid knows that it is so 
> horrible and has a look of pure terror on him, but how does 
> he and everybody else knows that Azkaban is so horrible if 
> nobody escaped from there ...
> 


bboyminn:

True, no one may have escaped, but lots of people were let
out. Do you really imagine that everyone who goes there has
received a life sentence? Hagrid was only there a short while.
The Order member who didn't return Moody's invisibility cloak,
(was it Podmore?) only receive a 6 month sentence. And quite
logically, the prison has levels of security. I believe Sirius
even made reference to himself being in the high security 
area. 

So, how do people know, well people served their sentences
and came back and told them. Plus, some people in general
must know about the affects of the Dementors, and could
easily for an idea of what Azkaban might be like.

Steve/bboyminn