How Much Do The Owls Really Know?, A disscussion about the Owls in Harry Potter |
 Aug 4 2006, 03:02 AM
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#1
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Flesh-Eating-Slug Catcher  Posts: 184 Joined: 12:08am May 16, 2006 Location: On a hunt for the sacred advanced copy of Book 7   |
Since the first book we have been lead to believe that owls are a big part of wizarding culture in the Potter Verse.
But how much do the owls really know? They seem to know where all the witches and wizards live, and can even find some that are in hiding. As seen with Hedwig and Sirius. From the first book we see that the owls are used to bring letters to new students, and apparently when they don't reply the houses are litteres with them, each delivering the same letter. What's that about? How knowledgable are the owls or any other pet in the Potter Verse? So everyone that cares just post your thoughts on what the owls magic really is... Can it be related to the House Elf magic??? Does it have anything to do with the plot, maybe it does...maybe it doesn't...discuss -------------------- LOOK HERE ! ! ! QUICK...QUICK...QUICK ! ! !
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Aug 4 2006, 08:38 AM
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Director of Farcical Aquatic Ceremonies  Posts: 9,160 Joined: 2:55pm January 28, 2005 Location: Classified, until such time as the Ministry sees fit to release it. |
I believe this belongs over in Magical Theory.
**sends it over via Owl Post** Pleione LL Moderator 
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Aug 4 2006, 10:11 AM
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#3
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Shopping for a New Firebolt Posts: 844 Joined: 9:18pm July 24, 2005 |
I see owls as the magical version of homing pigeons. Trained pigeons were used to send information just like the owls. They could find their way home from anywhere, but that was about it. This results in obvious limitations since the trained pigeon had to be taken along until it was needed to send some bit of information. One had to decide if the information was worth sending if they were out and about, because they would never be able to recover that pigeon until they went back for it. Also, they would have no way of knowing if the information they sent went through.
Owls, though, have the magical ability to know where the intended recipient is, and so can be used for 2 way communication even while travelign about. I don't think the owls know where everone is at all times, but they can always find the intended recipient of each letter. Now an interesting question this brings to my mind is, do magical owls have this ability bread into them, or is it a carefully worked spell by the breeder that might be performed on any owl? |
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Aug 4 2006, 10:15 AM
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#4
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Cauldron Bottom Measurer Posts: 128 Joined: 12:36pm June 29, 2006 Location: Chillin' by the fire in the Gryffindor common room |
QUOTE Now an interesting question this brings to my mind is, do magical owls have this ability bread into them, or is it a carefully worked spell by the breeder that might be performed on any owl? I always wondered about this. Is it every owl has this inate abbility to be a mail currier or only certain magical owls or is it a spell put on them. There are so many different types (species) of owls that carry letters that it kind of seems like all owls could carry letters if they were domesticated. |
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Aug 4 2006, 11:53 AM
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#5
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Cauldron Bottom Measurer Posts: 108 Joined: 12:25pm August 2, 2006 |
Hedwig and Pigwidgeon seem uncommonly emotional for animals, at least of their type. We've seen Hedwig be 'reproachful' of Harry a number of times, and Pig bursts with effervescent elation. Likewise, the owls that deliver the Daily Prophet can nip at the receiver until payed and the Hogwarts owls came up with some particularly clever ways of getting his acceptances to the Dursleys.
While Scabbers' more human behavior can be lent to the fact that he was an animagus human, Crookshanks seems likewise possess uncanny resources for a common housecat. As we are shown in the Magical Creatures Shop in Prisoner of Azkaban rats, at least, come in distinctively magical and non-magical varieties (and the shopkeep proclaims that Scabbers was the latter of these options). So it then leads me to conclude that wizarding animals all come in magical and nonmagical versions, and post owls given their emotive and cognitive characteristics are a magical breed unto themselves, unless the spells bestowed upon them include adding personality traits - I suppose they certainly did to the enchanted chessmen of Philosopher's Stone. |
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Aug 4 2006, 12:00 PM
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#6
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Just Through the Brick Wall Posts: 13 Joined: 11:53pm December 5, 2005 Location: augusta, ga, usa |
I was also just thinking about this topic! I was re-reading HBP and Hedwig can understand such complex instructions such as Harry telling her to peck Hermione and Ron until they produced decent length letters. Which implies that she would be able to judge about what would be a long enough letter...
I'm inclined not to think it's a spell cast on them because I don't think they would have as much personality as they do if it was just an enchanment. So it must either be inate abilities or it's breed into them or something of the like... --------------------  |
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Aug 4 2006, 05:53 PM
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#7
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Eeylops Owl Cage Cleaner Posts: 220 Joined: 4:22am March 30, 2006 Location: Being eaten be sand flies in Queensland |
I was just thinking that maybe the post owls are a cross between a normal owl and some other magical creature. Something like Crookshanks being a cross between a common cat and a Kneazle. Although I can't think what the magical creature is (will have to re-read Fantastic Beasts & where to find them again)
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Aug 4 2006, 10:24 PM
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#8
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Dumbledore's Personal House Elf  Posts: 573 Joined: 3:20pm December 27, 2005 Location: Loyally performing House Elf duties at Hogwarts  |
Maybe all owls possess the magical ability it just takes training to bring it out, kind of like the falcons you see at shows.
Of course us muggles would never see that!! -------------------- [center]A good friend will bail you out of jail but a true friend will be sitting there with you saying "We screwed up but we had fun!' - In memory of James and Sirius  |
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Aug 5 2006, 08:31 AM
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#9
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Disgruntled House-Elf at The Leaky Cauldron Posts: 408 Joined: 3:22pm August 10, 2005 Location: Hermione's handbag |
Hedwig seems to be particularly in tune with Harry and his friends and needs; however, this may not be the case with all owls. When Harry checked in at The Leaky Cauldron and found Hedwig there wating for him the landlord said to him "Very smart owl you've got there. Arived about five minutes after you did." If this was worth commenting on it could indicate that not all owls could have done that.
-------------------- Now, if you will excuse me, I have better things to do than to listen to adolesent agonizing
- Phineas Nigellus |
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Aug 6 2006, 04:15 AM
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#10
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Kibble Boy/Girl at the Magical Menagerie Posts: 288 Joined: 9:23am June 13, 2006 |
Well obviously owls can understand English because Harry often talks to Hedwig and gives her orders like in OotP: "Don't come back if they haven't given you a really long answer." (or something similar to that
 )And I guess owls just sense where people are, they couldn't really smell them. Sirius was way too far away from Hogwarts and I don't think birds can smell that well. Actually it's really interesting and I can't possibly think of a way how the owls would do it ... J.R. has never explained anything about owls really, only that they deliver letters and do all the post stuff. -------------------- 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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