Skip to main content

harry potter - Why didn't Dumbledore or Ministry of Magic ask for Muggle help to search for the Chamber of Secrets?



There are lots of Muggle technologies in existence which can find and map hidden structures precisely. e.g. ERT (Electrical Resistivity Tomography), BOTDR (Brillouin Optical Time Domain Reflectometry), Underground Radar, Seismic Imaging - MASW (Multichannel Analysis of Surface Waves) etc.


Talking about restriction on electricity, I believe the restriction can by lifted by the headmaster. If not, some of the techniques can work without electricity. Sometimes, all you need is ideas, not Muggle devices. e.g. vibration can be created by a wizard and a non-electric device can measure deviations in reflections. All you need is experts in the domain. Lots of hidden sections of pyramids were found even when electricity wasn't in existence.


Talking about International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy, it doesn't need to be told that Hogwarts was a wizardry school. It could easily be disguised as a Muggle castle. And, as a last line of defense, there was always memory charm.


Why didn't Dumbledore or the Ministry of Magic ask for Muggle help to search for the Chamber of Secrets?



Answer




It’s very unlikely most wizards at Hogwarts or the Ministry would consider it useful to enlist Muggle help in looking for the Chamber of Secrets, especially as it would be an inherently ‘magical’ thing, so wizards would likely be thought more capable of finding it. If skilled wizards couldn’t find it, it’s unlikely they’d think Muggles could. Hogwarts had been searched for the Chamber of Secrets by many skilled wizards and witches, who were unable to find any evidence of its existence.



“The whole thing is arrant nonsense, of course,’ he said. ‘Naturally, the school has been searched for evidence of such a chamber, many times, by the most learned witches and wizards. It does not exist. A tale told to frighten the gullible.”
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Chapter 9 (The Writing on the Wall)




It’s considered evidence against the Chamber existing that so many Hogwarts headmasters and headmistresses couldn’t find it after generations of looking for it.



“Nonsense, O’Flaherty,’ said Professor Binns in an aggravated tone. ‘If a long succession of Hogwarts headmasters and headmistresses haven’t found the thing –”
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Chapter 9 (The Writing on the Wall)



These unsuccessful attempts to find the Chamber of Secrets had most people convinced it was a myth. After that, it’s unlikely they’d believe Muggles could find it when skilled wizards couldn’t.



“That will do,’ he said sharply. ‘It is a myth! It does not exist! There is not a shred of evidence that Slytherin ever built so much as a secret broom cupboard! I regret telling you such a foolish story! We will return, if you please, to history, to solid, believable, verifiable fact!”
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Chapter 9 (The Writing on the Wall)




Therefore, it would likely seem silly to those in charge to call in Muggles to search for the Chamber.



Also, even if a Muggle search team was asked to search Hogwarts for the Chamber of Secrets, the majority of their equipment would likely fail, as electric devices don’t work inside Hogwarts.



“All those substitutes for magic Muggles use – electricity, and computers and radar, and all those things – they all go haywire around Hogwarts, there’s too much magic in the air.”
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 28 (The Madness of Mr Crouch)



This is because of all the magic in the air at Hogwarts, which can’t simply be removed if they want Muggles to search it. Also, radar, which would likely be one of the most useful Muggle methods of searching for the Chamber, is explicitly stated as something that won’t work in Hogwarts.


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

futurama - How much time is lost in 'Time Keeps on Slippin''

In time Keeps on Slippin' , Farnsworth creates a basketball team which he matures by abusing Chronitons. This leads to time skipping forward by random, but ever increasing amounts. How much time was skipped in this way? Answer Unfortunately, I don't think a good estimate can be made for this, for two reasons: Many of the time skips move forward by an indeterminate amount of time. At one point, the Professor mentions localized regions of space skipping forward much more than others. We then see two young boys on the street below complaining about having to pay social security, only to suddenly become senior citizens and start complaining about wanting their money. Thus, each individual could have experienced a different amount of time skippage.

harry potter - How could Expelliarmus beat Avada Kedavra?

I want to be very careful about how I ask this question – I am not asking How did Voldemort die? [CLOSED] Below the text is the relevant passages from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows if anyone wants to review them (I'm sorry for the amount of text). How did Expelliarmus beat Avada Kedavra and kill Voldemort? I feel the reason Harry's Expelliarmus overpowered Voldemort's Avada Kedavra curse has to do with who was master of the Elder Wand and how the Elder Wand works. I've always had trouble understanding fully how the Elder Wand works, though. How much did the fact that Voldemort never truly won or mastered the Elder Wand factor into how Expelliarmus reacted to Avada Kedavra and caused Avada Kedavra to rebound and kill Voldemort? An answer based in book canon would be especially welcome, but any canon source really is fine. Harry heard the high voice shriek as he, too, yelled his best hope to the heavens, pointing Draco’s wand: ‘ Avada Kedavra !’ ‘ Expelliarmus !...

game of thrones - Is Syrio Forel dead?

In the episode 'The Pointy End' (Season 1 Episode 8) when Arya runs from the Lannister guards you hear the sound of a sword being dropped (around 4:56): [embedded content] After that neither Syrio or Ser Meryn Trant is never mentioned or seen in the show again, except when Arya mentions to the Hound that Ser Meryn Trant killed Syrio. Is there any mention in the books that Syrio actually dies?

tolkiens legendarium - Difference between elves and dwarves blacksmithing in the Lord of the Rings

Both the elves and the dwarves were famous for their metal work in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, but what is the difference between what they made, and which one had the better skill of making amours and swords? Answer James Christopher's answer sums up the second part of your question well, but as to the difference in what they made, a little more detail is needed. Once the Elves learned to forge with steel, the shape of the sword changed, now being able to take on the form of a great broadsword or a light and agile curved sword. Additionally, they took great pride in decorating their swords. As we see in the Lord of the Rings , some swords like Sting had magical properties such as glowing blue when orcs are near. As far as the use of Mithril, lotr.wikia has two contradictory passages: Thus, Elven blades became renowned as great weapons, capable of performing deeds beyond the skill of their handlers and were even more glorious when the use of Mithril was allowed to the Elves. ...