Changes: Owl Postal Service

Revision as of 23:40, 16 May 2013

"Point me!"
This article is about the system of sending messages. You may be looking for the first chapter in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

Vernon: "What does she mean, 'the normal way'?""

Harry: "Normal for us, you know, owl post. That's what's normal for wizards."

Vernon: "How many times do I have to tell you not to mention that unnaturalness under my roof?"

— Harry Potter irritates his uncle by mentioning owl post inside 4 Privet Drive.

Owl post is a wizarding system of sending messages or items using owls as the carriers. Besides the Owl Post Office, individuals and organisations with their own owls use them as their mail bearers. Harry Potter's owl, Hedwig, was used as his primary means of communicating with his friends and his godfather, Sirius Black. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry had a number of owls that anyone at the school could use. They, along with students' personal owls, were kept in the Owlery.

Post owls are quite intelligent, and can usually find their mail's recipient with little to no direction.

Other birds can be used for delivering messages. Sirius Black, while in hiding, sent unspecified tropical birds as message carriers while communicating with Harry Potter, leading Harry to speculate that Sirius was hiding in a warmer environment than England. However, the preponderant bird used for messaging was the owl. Muggles have their own form of post and therefore do not use owls, nor were they generally aware that owls or other birds could be used for correspondence.

Fred Weasley and George Weasley conducted much of their business for Weasley's Wizard Wheezes via an owl order service.

In 1995, the British Ministry of Magic enacted several laws regarding censorship of owl post.

It is also noted that owls can address 'real owners' under pen-names, as Hedwig did this as he wrote 'Padfoot' or 'Snuffles' and Hedwig successfully delivered these to Sirius Black. Though Harry might have said who to send it to, thus owls might be capable understanding of human speech.

Behind the scenes

It is possible to make oneself impossible to be traced by owl post; Sirius Black and Lord Voldemort both were able to do so to avoid having the British Ministry of Magic find them^[1]
According to W.O.M.B.A.T., it may be illegal to send mail-bearing owls across international borders without authorisation.
The non-canonical Educational Decree Number Forty-Seven required Hogwarts students to submit to their post being searched for illegal contraband. In the Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix novel, Dolores Umbridge had her Inquisitorial Squad examine the post of all incoming owls, apparently regardless of student consent.

Appearances

Notes and references

↑ F.A.Q. Question on J. K. R. Official Site

[JKR-1] F.A.Q. Question on J. K. R. Official Site

[1]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{Youmay|the system of sending messages|the [[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban#Book chapters|first chapter]] in [[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban]]}} [[File:Owlpost.jpeg|thumb|Owl Post]]
+{{Dialogue a-b-a|Vernon|What does she mean, 'the normal way'?"|Harry|Normal for us, you know, owl post. That's what's normal for wizards.|How many times do I have to tell you not to mention that unnaturalness under my roof?|Harry Potter irritates his [[Vernon Dursley|uncle]] by mentioning owl post inside [[4 Privet Drive]].}}
-'''Owl post''' is a system of sending messages or items using [[owl]]s as the carriers. Besides the [[Owl Post Office]], individuals and organisations with their own owls use them as their mail bearers. [[Harry Potter]]'s owl, [[Hedwig]], was used as his primary means of communicating with his friends and his godfather, [[Sirius Black]]. [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry]] had a number of owls that anyone at the school could use. They, along with students' personal owls, were kept in the [[Owlery]].
+'''Owl post''' is a [[Wizardkind|wizarding]] system of sending messages or items using [[owl]]s as the carriers. Besides the [[Owl Post Office]], individuals and organisations with their own owls use them as their mail bearers. [[Harry Potter]]'s owl, [[Hedwig]], was used as his primary means of communicating with his friends and his godfather, [[Sirius Black]]. [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry]] had a number of owls that anyone at the school could use. They, along with students' personal owls, were kept in the [[Owlery]].
 Post owls are quite intelligent, and can usually find their mail's recipient with little to no direction.
-Other birds can be used for delivering messages. [[Sirius Black]], while in hiding, sent used unspecified tropical birds as message carriers while communicating with [[Harry Potter]], leading Harry to speculate that Sirius was hiding in a warmer environment than England. However, the preponderant bird used for messaging was the [[owl]]. [[Muggle]]s have their own form of [[Muggle Mail|post]] and therefore do not use [[owl]]s.
+Other birds can be used for delivering messages. [[Sirius Black]], while in hiding, sent unspecified tropical birds as message carriers while communicating with [[Harry Potter]], leading Harry to speculate that Sirius was hiding in a warmer environment than England. However, the preponderant bird used for messaging was the [[owl]]. [[Muggle]]s have their own form of [[Muggle Mail|post]] and therefore do not use owls, nor were they generally aware that owls or other birds could be used for correspondence.
+[[Fred Weasley]] and [[George Weasley]] conducted much of their business for [[Weasley's Wizard Wheezes]] via an owl order service.
+In [[1995]], the [[British Ministry of Magic]] enacted several [[Owl post Ministry censorship legislations|laws]] regarding censorship of owl post.
+It is also noted that owls can address 'real owners' under pen-names, as Hedwig did this as he wrote 'Padfoot' or 'Snuffles' and Hedwig successfully delivered these to Sirius Black. Though Harry might have said who to send it to, thus owls might be capable understanding of human speech.
 ==Behind the scenes==
+*It is possible to make oneself impossible to be traced by [[owl]] post; [[Sirius Black]] and [[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]] both were able to do so to avoid having the [[British Ministry of Magic]] find them<ref name="JKR">[http://web.archive.org/web/20110721034717/http://www.jkrowling.com/textonly/en/faq_view.cfm?id=18 F.A.Q. Question on J. K. R. Official Site]</ref>
 *According to [[Wizards' Ordinary Magic and Basic Aptitude Test|W.O.M.B.A.T.]], it may be illegal to send mail-bearing owls across international borders without authorisation.
+*The non-[[canon]]ical [[Educational Decree Number Forty-Seven]] required Hogwarts students to submit to their post being searched for illegal contraband. In the ''[[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix]]'' novel, [[Dolores Umbridge]] had her [[Inquisitorial Squad]] examine the post of all incoming owls, apparently regardless of student consent.
 ==See also==
@@ Line 28: / Line 38: @@
 *''[[Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)]]''
 *''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows]]''
+*''[[LEGO Harry Potter: Building the Magical World]]''
+*''[[LEGO Harry Potter: Characters of the Magical World]]''
 *''[[Harry Potter Trading Card Game]]''
+*''[[LEGO Harry Potter|Harry Potter LEGO Sets]]''
+==Notes and references==
+{{Reflist}}
 [[Category:Communication]]