Brian Welch wrote:

Rann Aridorn wrote:

Chen Yong wrote:

I do recall the HP books mentioning once or twice that electronic
devices are effectively disabled within Hogwarts grounds. Nothing
that can't be worked around, but do make sure you get to it later.
^_^

Yup, it's part of the network of spells that keep people from
apparating into the school or using magic spying techniques, and
helps them hide from the non-wizarding world.

As I remember it, it's the "magical interference" being produced by
those spells which renders technology unusable at Hogwarts.

That's the way that I remember it too...

It's a side effect of the protective spells (some of which are to keep
non-magic people away from the place), not a specific protective
spell itself.

Maybe, maybe not.  I don't recally any specific description of *how*
magic interfereces with electronic devices...  It's possible that simply
having large amounts of magical energy in one place makes electronics go
wonky, or, it could be the fault of some protective spell or other.

It's quite possible that no witch or wizard actually *knows* how/why
electronics don't work in Hogwarts, or in other magical places, only
that it doesn't.

Since Mrs. Rowling doesn't say, *we* certainly don't know.  It's quite a
mystery to us. :)

One possibility is that all buildings in the magical community must have
a standard set of protection spells... one of which might be a
protection against lighting.  Obviously, such a protection spell would
interfere with electrical devices, especially if they sent electricity
through the air.  Such a thing would definitly effect the cathode ray
tube of a tv or computer, or any vaccuum tube... but it wouldn't effect
solid-state electronics, or purely electromagnetic devices.

Since protections of this type would have been on the buildings long
before electronics existed, and since most witches and wizards don't
really have a good understanding of how electronics work, it would be
quite understandable for them to not know why electronics *don't* work,
and just chalk it up to "magical interference."

Also, without a Real World timeframe for when H.P. takes place, it's
quite possible that "State of the Art" in electronics *is* vacuum
tubes... and clearly Rockman.EXE is far beyond that, with solid state
computers, and presumably and LCD screens for most computers.

(Wizards live very long lives -- it could easily be 50 years or more in
the future from the HP series, with Dumbledore passed away, and Minerva
now headmaster.)

It seems to be electrical devices which don't work.
Harry's watch (wind up rather than battery powered?) and Collin's
camera work at Hogwarts, though a telephone will not.

I don't recall anything indicating that the camera had any electronics.
The shutter could have been mechanical, and the flash done with flash
powder.

Since working around that spell would probably be at the least
difficult and at the worst dangerous to students,

I doubt the magic could be shielded against easily, or else Hogwarts
enemies would have already done so. Dark wizards are known to be some
of the primary users of muggle artifacts. Still, if anyone could
devise a shield for the computer and peripherals, Dumbledore could.

Assuming, of course, that the interference is due to a different
protection spell other than my proposed explanation, or else it
surpresses all electricity, not just arcs (lightning)...

We already know that Hogwarts is Unmapable, and we've seen in _Harry
Potter and the Order of the Phoenix_ that an Unmapable place can only be
gotten to with an invitation from it's Secret Keeper...  Obviously, the
school's Secret Keeper is Dumbledore, since it was his signature on
Harry's initial invitation.

I would further assume that Dumbledore, as the school's Secret Keeper,
could probably also bypass or temporarily deactivate any of the school's
protections -- this is presumably why Fawkes can apparate within
Hogwarts (either that, or because she's a phoenix not a human).

Thus, if the "interference" is due to one of the school's protections,
he could easily turn it off (or create a small hole in it) to set up a
computer and send an email.  *If* he knows which protection spell it is
that interferes with electronics.

As for the other possibility I suggested (too much magical energy in the
area)... then the solution would definitely be shielding, and certainly
Dumbledore would have the skill to pull it off.  

****

I don't think that it's really an effect of the spells which prevent
apparation or scrying/spying spells -- electronics are too useful for
too many other things.  Also -- one can't use electronics for *visual*
spying -- well, one can record video, I suppose, which might be
important to someone but there's little difference between looking
through a telescope, and recording with video.  For audio -- it's
possible that there are spells on school grounds which prevent sound
from travelling too far.  This would block all sorts of auditory spying,
including, but not limited to, electronic eavesdropping.  So there's no
reason to specifically target electronics, if spying was the only
concern.

Where were Dark wizards mentioned as primary users of muggle artifacts?

ISTR that most of what the Dept. of Misuse of Muggle Artifacts deals
with are things like Disappearing Keys, and other equally childish
pranks, not anything seriously Dark.

-- 
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