Lily Potter's Underage Use Of Magic, why wasn't she expelled from Hogwarts? |
  Aug 11 2006, 08:31 AM
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Professional Diagon Alley Window Shopper  Posts: 74 Joined: 2:56pm July 21, 2006 Location: Queen City  |
Again, forgive me if this in the wrong place... I have a knack for starting threads in precarious places.
I am re-reading the series and I came across something that puzzled me. In PS/SS chapter 4 (?) "Keeper of the Keys" when Harry first meets Hagrid on the island and first learns he is a wizard we hear Petunia say about Harry's mother... Explaining what a freak Lily was and that she would come home on vacation from "that school" and turn tea cups into rats and oh, how proud her parents were there was a witch in the family. So Lily was performing under age magic. This means, most importantly, that whole permise that Uncle Vernon didn't know about Harry not being able to use magic @ Privet drive is false because Petunia would have known that Harry couldn't do magic away from school... unless Lily never got in trouble for doing underage magic @ her home away from school. There is an instance in one of the later books, I forget which, that Arthur or maybe DD tells Harry that the MOM can't tell who does the magic in the home, but can only tell that magic has been done. Which is why Harry got in trouble for Dobby's floating cake magic... the MOM knew magic was performed in that house & he was the only wizard @ Privet drive... so it must have been Harry doing magic according to their logic. Does that mean that there were other wizards in the Evans household when Lily & Petunia were children? We are led to believe that Lily's parents are muggles and do no magic. Some one in that house must have been a witch/wizard if Lily was getting away with underage magic...  -------------------- The Cannonball
But you can call me "Kat"  |
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Aug 11 2006, 09:05 AM
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Kibble Boy/Girl at the Magical Menagerie Posts: 288 Joined: 9:23am June 13, 2006  |
That's exactly what also struck me whilst re-reading PS a couple of days ago ... it's really strange actually. Because she certainly didn't have a special permission to turn tea cups into rats. I was wondering if Petunia was maybe not telling the truth but inventing something. But that wouldn't make sense ...
 I doubt that anybody apart from Lily could do magic in the Evans family. Her parents were Muggles just like her sister and I doubt she had some wizard grandfather or witch grandmother because Petunia surely would have mentioned their "abnormality" too. That could be a mistake J.K.R. made, I'll try and read a couple of interviews on PS and maybe I'll find something out ... This post has been edited by S.u.n.n.y: Aug 11 2006, 09:07 AM -------------------- Wisdom doesn't automatically come with old age. Nothing does - except wrinkles. It's true, some wines improve with age. But only if the grapes were good in the first place. Abigail Van Buren |
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Aug 11 2006, 09:10 AM
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Just Through the Brick Wall Posts: 9 Joined: 9:47am August 9, 2006 Location: caught between wanting to know how it all ends and not wanting it to end |
Has there ever been a mention of when the restriction on underage magic started? That would be one explination, if it was after Lily's time.
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Aug 11 2006, 09:15 AM
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In Charge of Invisible Books of Invisibility Posts: 1,157 Joined: 12:28pm November 28, 2005 Location: Diagnosing severe cases of spattergroit |
From the HP Lexicon
QUOTE Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery 1875 (CS2, CS5, PA3, OP2, OP8) violation under paragraph C knowingly, deliberately, in full awareness of illegality, to do magic in a Muggle-inhabited area and in the presence of a Muggle (OP8) clause 7 magic may be used before Muggles in exceptional circumstances, which include situations that include the life of the wizard or witch himself, or witches, wizards, or Muggles present (OP8) Hope this helps a little 
-------------------- Former Chamber 8ian, Room 2 with a Viewer, Game Roomer and Room 18er Fabulous Avatar by mudluv at strixwitchicons and Aislinn |
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Aug 11 2006, 09:43 AM
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Professional Diagon Alley Window Shopper Posts: 74 Joined: 2:56pm July 21, 2006 Location: Queen City |
QUOTE(sweetcheeky @ Aug 11 2006, 10:15 AM) [snapback]910547[/snapback] From the HP Lexicon QUOTE Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery 1875 (CS2, CS5, PA3, OP2, OP8) violation under paragraph C knowingly, deliberately, in full awareness of illegality, to do magic in a Muggle-inhabited area and in the presence of a Muggle (OP8) clause 7 magic may be used before Muggles in exceptional circumstances, which include situations that include the life of the wizard or witch himself, or witches, wizards, or Muggles present (OP8) Hope this helps a little So it was ok for Lily to do magic in her home away from school because her whole family was aware of her being a witch. In the floating cake incident the people being entertained by the Dursley's did not know Harry was a wizard or that magic existed. [According to clause 7] Interesting... then why did Harry & Ron have to cut carrots by hand @ the Burrow (HBP) becuase they were still underage, while Fred & George laughed at them? Certainly if any household was used to magic it was the Weasley's. This post has been edited by carolina_cannonball: Aug 11 2006, 09:45 AM -------------------- The Cannonball
But you can call me "Kat" |
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Aug 11 2006, 09:47 AM
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Cauldron Bottom Measurer Posts: 107 Joined: 7:21am August 3, 2006 |
QUOTE(carolina_cannonball @ Aug 11 2006, 09:43 AM) [snapback]910573[/snapback] So it was ok for Lily to do magic in her home away from school because her whole family was aware of her being a witch. I think that all underage witch and wizards are forbidden to do magic outside hogwards, even if their family knows they are, even if their family is a wizard family, even if... no exceptions, and that's why it's weird but I think maybe petunia exagerated, maybe lily just showed her books and her potions ingredients or something like that (or maybe she threatened petunia of changing a cup into a rat) don't know
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Aug 11 2006, 10:23 AM
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Professional Diagon Alley Window Shopper Posts: 74 Joined: 2:56pm July 21, 2006 Location: Queen City |
QUOTE(loufoca @ Aug 11 2006, 10:47 AM) [snapback]910578[/snapback] QUOTE(carolina_cannonball @ Aug 11 2006, 09:43 AM) [snapback]910573[/snapback] So it was ok for Lily to do magic in her home away from school because her whole family was aware of her being a witch. but I think maybe petunia exagerated, maybe lily just showed her books and her potions ingredients or something like that (or maybe she threatened petunia of changing a cup into a rat) don't know I always thought it was the truth becuase it was a pretty accurate description of a typical transfiguration assignment. I remember Ron only being able to turn his cup into a furry cup with a rat tail & Hermione of course doing it perfectly. I don't think Petunia was exaggerating in this instance. Which still makes me wonder why they were so scared of Harry doing magic while he was home.
This post has been edited by carolina_cannonball: Aug 11 2006, 10:24 AM -------------------- The Cannonball
But you can call me "Kat" |
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Aug 11 2006, 10:44 AM
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Leaky's Official Donut Maker and Mosquito Man  Posts: 11,312 Joined: 10:51am August 25, 2005 Location: Playing kal-toh with Professor Snape  |
I think that this is better suited in A History of Magic.
May the discussion continue there. Mobilithreadus  Moose_Starr LL Mod --------------------   I'm 1 of the 99.99% W.L.Y.J.  When I sleep I dream, and when I dream I can rise above the walls Remember Cameron Duncan Thanks Jeff! |
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Aug 11 2006, 10:47 AM
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Professional Diagon Alley Window Shopper Posts: 74 Joined: 2:56pm July 21, 2006 Location: Queen City |
QUOTE(Moose_Starr @ Aug 11 2006, 11:44 AM) [snapback]910638[/snapback] I think that this is better suited in A History of Magic. May the discussion continue there. Mobilithreadus Moose_Starr LL Mod I told you I had a knack for putting threads in precarious places.  I knew it was only a matter a time before my thread was moved.  -------------------- The Cannonball
But you can call me "Kat" |
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Aug 11 2006, 11:00 AM
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Gambol and Japes' Research Department Posts: 1,375 Joined: 3:41pm July 24, 2005 Location: The Time Room of the DoM, trying to find a way to slow down time  |
Jo was actually asked this somewhere (sorry I looked and couldn't find it) but she said that Petunia was exaggerating. Though there probably is some truth there in my opinion. Would the ministry be able to detect the use of magical items? Like if Harry used the cloak at Privet Drive? Maybe Lily gave Petunia tea in one of those nose-biting teacups?
-------------------- "Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?"  Thanks for the use of the Garden image tanyal33! |
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