Wow, some people take Harry Potter way too seriously. (On the other hand, I like the use of Harry Potter to illustrate problems related to trust, since it may help to put abstract concepts into terms more people can understand.)
Personally, it doesn’t surprise me that Rowling’s universe isn’t consistent. She uses magic as a gimmick and as a cheap plot device, without much regard for what it will do to the series as a whole. In contrast, magic is ever-present in Willow, but it is a parlor trick, not sorcery, that saves the day. Sometimes magic just isn’t the best tool for the job.
(Willow came to mind because Jeff and I just finished watching it, but there are many other examples of good literary/artistic uses of magic. A Wizard of Earthsea, to cite an even more pertinent example.)
Via senji.
TrustBlog says:
Hogwarts Security
As Laurabelle writes in her blog, "Sometimes magic just isn't the best tool for the job." But this is better than teaching children that magic (or for that matter technology) can provide perfect security.