In another thread here in the Forum, someone brought up the question of how Underage or Restricted Magic is detected by the Ministry. Well, the simple answer is: we don't really know. The instances in the books don't really seem to be very consistent.
Let's look at the warning Harry got when Dobby used the Hover Charm. Very prompt, isn't it? It came just a few minutes after Dobby used the charm.
In Book 3, Harry blew up Aunt Marge. He didn't get a letter from the Improper Use of Magic Office. But that was most likely because it was stopped by the Minister, because they wanted to keep him "safe" from Sirius. But then again, it would've been better to "arrest" him, than to let him wander off. It was a good thing the Knight Bus picked him up, then.
In Book 5, Harry was also sent an owl. But since it seems Harry is not favored by the Ministry anymore since the events that took place in GoF, they've decided to send an owl telling him he's expelled. That was fast. And Arthur picked up on it again, same as in Book 2.
So how does the detection mechanism work? Is it attached to the location? For example, any magic done in #4 Privet Drive and its surroundings will automatically tip off the Ministry that Harry did illegal magic? It does seem so, because they didn't distinguish between Harry and Dobby. Unless Dobby was good enough to fool the Ministry's detection system, but that seems a bit too much power for a House-Elf. But who knows?
I HAVE NO IDEA. ITS STUPID IF ITS JUST ATTACHED TO THE LOCATION. I MEAN, LETS TAKE THE BURROW FOR INSTANCE, WHERE EVERYONE CAN DO MAGIC. IF THERE WAS MAGIC DETECTED IN THE BURROW, IT COULD EASILY BE RON OR MRS WEASLEY DOING THE MAGIC. HOW CAN THE MINISTRY PINPOINT WHO? IF IT WAS MRS WEASLEY, THEN THAT’S OKAY, BUT IF ITS RON, THAT’S UNDERAGE MAGIC. UNLESS OF COURSE THERE IS THIS ALERT MECHANISM THAT SAYS “UNDERAGE MAGIC IN THE BURROW…”. PROBLEM IS, HOW WILL THEY KNOW IF IT WAS FRED, GEORGE, GINNY, OR RON?
SO CLEARLY, THIS SYSTEM THE MINISTRY ADOPTS FOR DETECTING UNDERAGE MAGIC WILL ONLY WORK IN A PLACE LIKE PRIVET DRIVE WHERE ONLY ONE PERSON CAN USE MAGIC.
I wondered this myself. I think that the detection rests in the location. The Ministry office knowing that Harry is the only underage wizard in the area.
When Dobby dumped the dessert, the office had to assume it was Harry, since although Dobby isn't "underage" it was probably"illegal" magic.
Same thing in OotP except this time he had already been warned to they were looking to expel him, as opposed to PoA when they were just relieved her hadn't been killed by Sirius when they caught wind underage magic had happened.
What about accidental magical occurances, such as teddy bears turning into spiders and glass vanishing?
My theory is that the ministry isn't much concerned with accidents happening in with young children as they are common until the kids learn how to channel their magic properly. So Fred turning Ron's teddy bear by anger isn't so bad, and probably common among wizarding siblings. In fact, I wonder if "underage" really just means 11 yrs old through 16. Because can you really punish a mere 2 year old from accidentally accioing a cookie?
Once school begins and the students are expected to behave responsibly and follow the rules, the Ministry takes these breaches of underage magic seriously.
The rules are somehow unfair. Because we know that Fred and George spent the summer when they were only 16 created goodies for their snackboxes. So would this be considered illegal underage magic? And what if they didn't use their wands, only mixed potions and such.
And Hermione says in SS/PS on the Hogwarts Express that she's done some spells and they;ve worked for her. She was underage... . BUT since she hadn't yet started at Hogwarts, then is it not considered underage, but just a juvenille accident. Problem is, the spells weren't an accident, they were done on purpose...
And don't get me started on the underage magic consistancies in the movies... _________________ ^made by Fiendfyre
it's quite simple; the ministry can detect magic...if it's in a place full of muggles where they know there is only one young wizard, it's easy for them.but in the Burrow, for example, they expect that the elder people can control the young ones.conclusion:when mrs weasley is busy, fred and george are developing strange things _________________ RP:Draco Malfoy
RP too: Edward Rivers, from Ravenclaw
and his sly brother, Steven.
i really have no idea. yeah i was also thinking of that when hermione said that she tried the spells at home.
and about fred and george creating stuff, the ministry should have seen that someone in the burrow was doing illegal magic. why didnt they send a letter telling mrs weasley that one of her sons was doing magic.
unless of course the minstry did, and she investigated, and found them making those toffee candies that made you squeak or squawk or whatever. then again, its still not very accurate, is it? if you live in a house full of percy weasleys, then you wouldnt know who did the spell since they are all law-abiders and thus it would be hard to suspect any of them. _________________
I love my handsome Erik
it's quite simple; the ministry can detect magic...if it's in a place full of muggles where they know there is only one young wizard, it's easy for them.but in the Burrow, for example, they expect that the elder people can control the young ones.conclusion:when mrs weasley is busy, fred and george are developing strange things
Exactly. The ministry knows where there are under-aged wizards. _________________ Name: Arwen Black
House: Gryffindor
Patronus: Snowy Owl
Wand: Phoenix Feather, Redwood 8 3/4 inch
Blood: Pure
yes they know where the underaged wizards live. that wouldnt be a problem in a place full of muggles where only one underage wizard stands out.
but in the burrow for instance - if ron does illegal magic, the ministry, while it can detect that underage magic occured, will not know who was the perpetrator. so to whom will the sanction be applied? fred, george, ron, percy, or ginny? _________________
I love my handsome Erik
but in the 6th book didnt DD say that the ministry can only detect the magic, not who cast the spell. thats why HP got in trouble for Dobbys hover charm in CoS.
yeah it's not flawless, in places like the burrow where there is a whole family of wizards they leave it up to the parents to enforce the rules of under age magic, technically they could get away with it if they managed to hide it from Mrs. Weasley... _________________ ~*Mags*~
Umm what was all that talk in the seventh book about the Trace? Underaged wizards have the Trace on them that is controlled by magic...it must be attached to the underage wizard...what I think is, its a powerful piece of magic, to keep tabs on every underage wizard in the UK would take up alot of energy and require a really extremely skilled set of workers...so I think that each wizard is studied..and thus resulting in leaving the trace on their location...whether permanent or seasonal or whatever...the ministry knows, of all people to study, Harry Potters system of life.. They put the trace on him while he's at the burrow, and otherwise, they put the trace on the dursley's house while they knows hes there...that's how they caught dobby, thinking that it was harry. Even though that explains alot, I thought that maybe how come some organization as powerful as the ministry not be able to detect the difference between magic of an elf, and magic of a wand [which I believe contains the underaged wizards Trace...the only form of connection to the wizard...]
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