JKR did not always appear to think things through

[annemehr]

No: HPFGUIDX 189433



--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Bart Lidofsky <bart at ...> wrote:
>
>   Bart:
> Over the years (I think I joined this list around the time of HBP), I 
> and others have brought forth a number of examples where JKR took her 
> ideas to a certain point, but didn't take them beyond (comparing 
> Dumbledore's age to the RW during the time he grew up is a good 
> example). In any case, another one (addressed in a couple of the current 
> questions) is the necessity, or lack thereof, of a Hogwarts education 
> for children. The regulations on underage wizardry are useful for plot 
> reasons, but frequently forgotten. To give the biggest example: there 
> are numerous references to playing/practicing Q (I'm too lazy to look up 
> how many d's there are in it) during off-season. But this is clearly the 
> practice of magic by underagers. The explanation is given that it is 
> magic practiced in the household, not the student. But that means that 
> students who come from wizarding families have a huge advantage over 
> those who don't; notably, an opportunity to practice skills over the 
> holidays.

Annemehr:

Regarding Quidditch, the young wizards are riding brooms, not enchanting them.

Apparently, young wizards in magical households are allowed to use magical objects as this does not count as "doing magic."  Remember in CoS, Harry wondered why the twins were not in trouble with the MoM for flying the Anglia, and they said "it's Dad's, we didn't enchant it."  And in GoF, at the QWC, we see that there are chidren's brooms that float low to the ground.

I would agree with you that children from wizarding families would have a huge advantage, although in PS/SS, when Harry confides to Ron that he is afraid of being way behind in magical knowledge, Ron says that kids from muggle families catch up quick enough.


Bart: 
> A secondary question is if some children are homeschooled, then how the 
> hell can they be if they can't practice magic outside of Hogwarts? It 
> does seem that some of the "lower class" wizards (like Stan) were 
> homeschooled. Are there other magic schools in England? The apparent 
> underuse of Hogwarts seems to imply not.

Annemehr:

I imagine they would just have to inform the MoM.  I don't know what the rules are in Britain, but in the States you are allowed to homeschool if you make it official with the state you live in.  Thus truancy laws aren't enforced against homeschoolers, for instance.