Underage magic outside Hogwarts?

Question

If underage magic is illegal in Harry Potter, then how do they use spells like lumos without even getting a warning. In the 7th book, while Harry is underage he is riding on Hagrid's bike, he uses various spells even though he is underage and doesn't even get a warning. Does that mean you can use small spells or just can't use magic with muggles around?

Answer 1

Well, there are several reasons why he used those spells when he was riding on Hagrid's bike..



1. He is being chased by Death Eaters, who want to capture him and take him to his certain death.

2. By this time, Lord Voldemort and the Death Eaters have infiltrated the Ministry of Magic, therefore they could care less that he was using underage magic. And Harry would care less that the Ministry knew, especially since many of the memebers were under the Imperius curse.

3. The trace wasn't able to detect him on the bike, so even if the ministry wasn't infiltrated, they wouldn't have known.



When Harry turns 17, the trace has broken and he is able to use magic outside of Hogwarts. That is why he summons his glasses and changes the color of the poster--because he knows he can do it without any consequences whatsoever and he is excited. In the past summers, he could've used magic but he would've suffered consequences as you may remember in The Order of The Phoenix. At that time, restrictions were a lot heavier.



At that point, most of the Ministry was on Pure-Blood mania and were only concerned with capturing Harry Potter. A simple act of underage magic was meaningless.

Answer 2

There is no way the Ministry is going to be able to tell who cast a spell up in the air when everyone else around Harry is an adult wizard. Don't you remember Dumbledore saying that an underage witch or wizard in a house full of magic folk could perform magic and the Ministry wouldn't know it?

Answer 3

Harry did get in trouble twice for underage magic--first when Dobby used magic in his house, and later when he was confronted by a Dementor in Privet Drive.



In the seventh book, there wasn't really anyone to enforce the laws of the wizarding world. [Also, if Harry was 17 at the time, he would have been allowed to use magic.]

Answer 4

You aren't supposed to do it outside Hogwarts until you're seventeen.



As this was a pretty extreme case, I think the Ministry is the least of their worries. But since the presence of Death Eaters in the Ministry, they probably overlooked this because they didn't want the non-Death Eaters of the Ministry to be alerted of the attack.

Answer 5

it's like having your learner permit,you can't drive without a licensed driver present.since he was with hagrid who was an adult and a teacher it was permissible

Answer 6

I haven't read these books yet but Iove your (and all the answerers') passion about them. It makes me all warm and tingly inside.

Answer 7

cause he had already mad many illegal stuff and it was chaos so nobody would ask harry potter why he defended himself

Answer 8

I'm fairly sure you can't do it in the presence of 'muggles'.