[HPforGrownups] Re: Caring about people

[Philip]

No: HPFGUIDX 184585

Zanooda says:

When Moody explains the plan, he also doesn't say that Thicknesse and
the DEs can track Harry, if he Apparates, only that Thicknesse made it
"imprisonable offense" to Apparate from or to Privet Drive (p.46). I
don't know what this means exactly, but it seems obvious they can't
trace an apparating wizard, only to put a spell on a place (a house in
this case) which lets them know that someone *did* Apparate. 

Maybe the spell even shows *who* Apparated, otherwise how would they
know whom to "imprison" :-)? If Harry's apparition was traceable, I
believe Moody would have said so, instead of ranting about
"imprisonable offense" :-).

Philip responds:

Oh, come on. This is the Ministry who captured people like Stan Shunpike
without questioning. You don't actually think they care who they imprison do
you? <grin>

But yes, I do think that the spell is applied to the house rather than being
a function of the system itself. However seeing as they've cast
'non-Apparition' charms round buildings before (eg: Hogwarts - said about a
million times) this would have been a simpler explanation.

This said, I'm not entirely sure why they didn't apparate in OOTP - apart
from foreshadowing this event in DH.

Philip