JKR did not always appear to think things through

[Librasmile]

No: HPFGUIDX 189440

--- 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.


Hi I'm Librasmile, I lurk :^)

<*engages delurk mode*>

No JKR didn't think things through. Which in some ways sucks. But in
others provides us an opportunity. You wondered about "low class"
wizards like Stan Shunpike and why the law against underage magic seems to have too many loopholes. I think the answers are fairly simple. There ARE other wizard schools. And I'm not just talking about Durmstrang or Beauxbatons. I gave this idea a lot of thought and came up with the story Confessions of a Cornwall Grad
 
<http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5475961/1/Confessions_of_a_Cornwall_Grad> 
that lays it out there for you. :^)  (or paste into your browser:
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5475961/1/Confessions_of_a_Cornwall_Grad)
Logline: We can't all go to Hogwarts you know. Doesn't mean we want to
end up making change on the Knight Bus.


As for the law, that's also simple. Anti-muggleborn prejudice was built into the law. This is not my idea swythyv has looked at stuff like this at length and she comes up with some REALLY interesting ideas about why the law for underage sorcery exists. You can find her work here

http://community.livejournal.com/hp_essays/204750.html
<http://community.livejournal.com/hp_essays/204750.html>