Apparating and the Theory of Relativity

[Carol]

No: HPFGUIDX 185883

Alla wrote:
> One of the sixteen essays in this book is called "Space, time and 
magic" by Michael Silberstein. <snip>
> 
> But then he also talks about magical travel means and the way he 
talks about apparating made me want to ask you guys a question.
> 
> He is supposes that apparating is not like teleporting instantly,
but moving through the space.
> 
> He uses the wording from this GoF quote to show that Harry is moving
through space and not just instantly appears in another one:
> 
> "It happened immediately:  Harry felt as though a hook just behind
his navel had been suddenly jerked irresistibly forward.  His feet
left the ground; he could feel Ron and Hermione on either side of 
> him, their shoulders banging into his; they were all speeding
forward in a howl of wind and swirling color; his forefinger was stuck
to the boot as though it was pulling him magnetically onward and then
- His feet slammed into the ground; Ron staggered into him and he fell
over; the Portkey hit the ground near his head with a heavy thud. - 
> ch. 6"
<snip>

Carol responds:
 I don't know anything about the Theory of Relativity, so I snipped
that part, but if your author is using this quotation to discuss
Apparation, he's confusing two different modes of magical
transportation. Although this description *does* sound as if it
involves traveling through space--feet leaving the ground and later
slamming into the ground, feeling others beside him, speeding forward
"in a howl of wind and swirling color"--it applies only to portkeys.

Since Harry had never experienced Apparation as of GoF, your author is
jumping the gun a bit, I think. BTW, Floo powder also seems to involve
moving through space. Apparition may or may not.

Splinching--leaving body parts behind--may indicate that it does, but
we'd need to closely examine a quotation from HBP or DH to be sure.
(BTW, I wonder whether wizards could bleed to death from Splinching if
the body parts aren't found. If someone magically closes up the wounds
so the Splinchee won't bleed, how could they reattach the body part
when it was found?)

Carol, probably overanalyzing the Splinching thing