JKR did not always appear to think things through

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 189444


>
>   Bart:
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.

Pippin:
And who says the rules have to be fair to Muggleborns? Is anyone in the WW going to be deeply concerned if Muggleborns don't have an equal chance to become first class Quidditch players? 

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.

Pippin:
Hogwarts students aren't allowed to use magic outside school. Since the penalty is expulsion from Hogwarts, it obviously does not and cannot apply to underage wizards who are not enrolled. We don't know what the rules are for other wizard kids, but  Morfin isn't in trouble until he curses a Muggle.   

I agree that although JKR seems at first to be creating a window into an imaginary world, that's not really what she's doing.  Her ultimate purpose, IMO, is to hold a funhouse mirror up to this one. Laws, she is telling us, don't necessarily serve their purpose as advertised, and this is not always unintentional. Think about it -- if the wizards really wanted to prevent underage magic outside Hogwarts, they'd just make the students turn in their wands at the end of term. 

But we see that the primary use of the law in action isn't to protect young wizards from foolish actions or even to shield Muggles - it's to protect the secrecy of the WW. That isn't threatened by young wizards doing magic in magical households, or by Muggleborns doing magic in the privacy of their homes. Lily and Hermione don't get in any trouble for doing magic at home, though the trace must have been activated when they did. 

But in Harry's case, Dumbledore and his friends in the Ministry must be aware that the law could be manipulated to use against Harry. Even before the rise of Umbridge there  are people who would like to see Harry expelled, and perhaps Mafalda Hopkirk's warning in CoS was meant as  reminder to Harry that he shouldn't give them a handle.  

Bart: 
> Finally, of course, there is the strongly Anglocentric worldview in the 
> books. Morty does conquer the British WW, but it is known that there are 
> wizards in other countries.

Pippin:
Why shouldn't Morty have a highly Anglocentric worldview? He was, after all, born into an era when Britain was a supreme world power, and orphan boys  were trained up to be soldiers of the Empire. In Voldy's none-too-rational mind, conquering Britain and conquering the world might be more equivalent than you think. 

Pippin