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FiftyTwo comments on Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality discussion thread, part 17, chapter 86 - Less Wrong Discussion

9 Post author: Alsadius 17 December 2012 07:19AM

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Comment author: FiftyTwo 17 December 2012 11:02:08PM 4 points [-]

kill half of all Dark Lords who ever lived by owling them bombs.

Meh, Minerva mentions that a trained wizard can deal with a gun, I imagine explosive deactivating spells would be a standard part of your self defence/mail checking spells.

Comment author: loonyphoenix 05 January 2013 09:43:49PM 0 points [-]

I think it was cannons, not guns :D

Comment author: MugaSofer 18 December 2012 07:14:23PM 0 points [-]

Magic bombs. Or other destructive artifacts.

</nitpick>

Comment author: beoShaffer 18 December 2012 11:16:27PM *  2 points [-]

I may be unduly influenced by how its handled in the DAYD fan-verse, but my impression is that wizards understand the concept of a letterbomb and screen for them if circumstances (for example being Mad-Eye Moody) call for it. They just don't do it routinely anymore than normal people do.

P.S. I prepared explosive runes this morning.

Comment author: MugaSofer 19 December 2012 01:30:18AM 0 points [-]

DAYD?

And I wouldn't be surprised if wizards - at least those with know enemies - screen their mail (although this isn't mentioned, and it's apparently unavailable to students.) I was just nitpicking the idea that you couldn't send a Wizard something they would be unable to neutralize with magic once they had it.

Comment author: beoShaffer 19 December 2012 03:38:24AM 1 point [-]

Dumbledore's Army and the Year of Darkness, one of the main stories involves anonymous owls.