Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Book Thoughts: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

This isn't a review or anything of the book, just something that came to mind as I was listening to the book in the car. I generally try to reread the Harry Potter books - with the exception of the last two - during the fall, into the holidays. Being as I'm reviewing books now and forcing myself outside of my cozy little reading box, I've been listening to the audiobooks in the car. This is my first time in experiencing the series in this format, and it is definitely worth it. (Jim Dale might just rock my world a little.) Since the books are being provided to me in someone else's voice, there are things that I'm noticing because my mind has more free time to wonder.

Why did the Ministry of Magic never find Sirius Black?!

Yes, I'm very well aware that he was in hiding, but something occurred to me while listening.

Owls.

When Ron Weasley snatched up Pigwidgeon at the Owlery in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and threw him out the window to deliver Harry's letter, it made me why the Ministry never tried something like this.

Couldn't they have used an owl with a tracking spell to search him out?

I'm sure that some wizard (Snape, for example) could have magicked some parchment since it's simple enough to assume that Harry and Sirius would be corresponding.

Yes, I realize that the story would not have been nearly as good if any of those scenarios had played out, but I seriously thought about this most of the day.

Has this occurred to any of you? If this has been addressed anywhere (and I'm sure it has), how was the idea dismissed? I'm interested in reading your thoughts.

5 comments:

  1. Hmmm...that is something to ponder! Maybe because the owl has to have a general direction of where to go to get to its recipient? But then how would it get Harry's letters?

    OR, the Ministry doesn't think of that simple type of magic, kind of like how Voldemort overlooks a lot of simple magic that defeats him. The Ministry and Voldemort are arrogant and probably think simple spellwork or solutions are below them. Kind of like how are modern day government works. They aren't very good at solving problems, just enforcement. So they are unsuccessful at finding any of their escapees. They trust in the dementors too much.

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  2. Maybe an obfuscation spell by Sirius? Maybe the owl /tracking spell gets confused since he's in dog form and so no longer "really" Sirius Black? Maybe the HQ of the OotF has a concealment spell?

    Owl strike?

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  3. @Julia It's weird because they never mention the need for the general direction in the books. Your theory of the magic being too simple really is plausible - exactly like modern day government.

    @Will Sirius was the first to come to mind, but it could also definitely apply to Voldemort. *ponders*

    I think maybe it has to do with the owls themselves, or at least that was the best that I could figure this morning during my daily wall-staring. I think if wizards would have violated their trust and duty to carry mail equally to all wizards, the owls would stop carrying the mail period. *scratches head*

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  4. Hmmm, this is a great question. I was thinking that the owls themselves can find people, but maybe not necessarily the Ministery themselves. So if they sent an owl out, sure the owl may find him...but so what? Does that mean the Ministery also knows?

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  5. But why did the Ministry never try to track or spell the owls that were delivering the letters to Sirius, Voldemort, etc.? Or, why didn't they deliver Eee-Ville packages?

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You are going to put words in my box?! *squeezes you* Now I shall stalk YOUR blog!