Harry Potter question...

I have re-read all the books again, and reading them again has given me a few questions.

My biggest question is about underage magic. In either HBP or DH (i cant remember which), it is explained that the ministry cant tell what wizard does what magic, just where the magic happens. So, in wizard families, the ministry have to trust that the parents wont let the kids do magic in their house coz they cant tell if it is the kids or the parents...

So, when Dobby does magic in COS, Harry gets the blame coz it is in his house and the ministry have no record of any other wizards in the area. So, my question is that if Harry got in trouble for Dobby doing magic, then why doesnt he get in trouble for Mr Weasley doing magic in GOF, Dumbledore going magic in HBP, Tonks doing magic in OOP etc at Privet Drive...

At first, i thought that maybe it was coz of the trace and that they get alerted to any underage wizard doing magic, but cant tell what underage wizard, just like they cant tell what of age wizard does what magic... but then that confuses me with what it says about the wizarding families... coz they could tell with those underage wizards then too... also, surely if that was the case Dobby wouldnt come under underage magic, and therefore not cause Harry to get into trouble... and also, you would think they could tell between a wizard and a house elf

Im sure that answer is simple, and i am missing something really obviously but it is really bugging me i have asked other HP fans that i know, and no one knows... so anyone here know?

I am a massive HP nerd, this thread has made me quite excited

It's a tricky question, however I think perhaps I have an answer

Within the books (Or at least within books 1,2,3,4 and 6 when the Ministry is still on Harry's side) the Ministry either know where Harry is or are actively protecting him. In book two when Harry escapes from Privet Drive and goes to stay with the Weasleys, his Hogwarts letter is sent to him at The Burrow. In book 3 Cornelius Fudge meets Harry at the Leaky Cauldron after he blows up Aunt Marge and runs away from Privet Drive. In book 5, the ministry knows Harry has left Privet Drive and so send letters about his expulsion from Hogwarts and his upcoming court case to The Burrow and in book 6 they know he is staying at The Burrow and so send his OWL results there, instead of to Privet Drive.

The way I see it is, the examples you have given all involve someone from either the ministry (Mr Weasley or Tonks) or a person of high authority (Dumbledore) so the chances are that the ministry have been filled in on what is going on because they are protecting him or are not suspicious because they know of his whereabouts.

I think it is also possible, however, to maybe just assume that JKR made a bit of a mistake on this one I love her books but she's made a few 'mistakes' before (There was a misprint in GOF and also the issue with Time Turners in POA/OOTP) so I don't think it'd be too much of a stretch to think that perhaps this is one of the things she's missed She's a very organised and planned out lady when it comes to the Harry Potter series but she is human afterall (supposedly)

I am a bit of a HP nerd as well

Ok, i have been thinking about these points all day and well, i am just getting more confused... you said about how the letter in COS knew where to go. Thats the same with PS, but they know exactly what room he is in... but how do they tell that? like when it says 'cupboard under the stairs' and 'smallest bedroom' etc. And the Weasleys clock know where all the members are ... the whole thing with the trace confuses me...

In POA, Fudge doesnt seem to know where Harry will be and says he has been in a right flap or something like that... but if the trace told them exactly where he was, they would know he was ok, and could just apparate to him

Also, when Tonks does magic it is in OOTP so you would think the ministry would be itching for a reason to get Harry in to trouble (he is already in trouble coz of the dementors) coz they were all against him at that point.

oh, i dunno... its all very confusing

Same with in PS when Hermione says she has practiced magic before going to Hogwarts.

Dont forget the zoo incedent ..magic in front of a muggle ..

But in the zoo, it was before he knew he could do wizard so there was no intent.

Glad to meet another HP nerd!

I think the Weasley's clock is charmed, rather than using the trace to keep track of it's members. Otherwise by the time you reach TDH there'd be no one left on the clock except for Ginny

As for the trace telling them exactly where Harry is, I assume it mustn't do that - otherwise the death eaters would have been able to track where Harry was being hidden when he leaves Privet Drive in TDH.

I always assumed with the letters in the first book, it was because Dumbledore and the Ministry had been keeping track of Harry. They definitely had Miss Figg keeping an eye on him.

Regarding the Hermione thing - perhaps because she is technically not a pupil of Hogwarts yet, they let the underage magic slide? Like how they do with Harry in the first book.

As I said before though, I think sometimes these things tend to be little plot holes