Well, for "muggles", depression can cause the same kinds of losses that Tonks' did for her. Depression, in general terms, deprives us of our ability to function normally - can't eat, can't sleep, (or sleep too much/lethargy or overeat), can't, well, can't cope with life - even simple things.
Tonks lost her "morphing" abilities, but she didn't lose her magic - she was still able to perform various spells, even complicated ones like the Patronus. Depression strikes each of us in different ways - causes different 'disabilities'. For Tonks, she lost her morphing abilities. We don't really know how depression affects other wizards (well, besides Sybil who went right for the cooking sherry! :-P)
I don't agree with you with regard to school drop outs being restricted. We've never seen any indication that you need a "license" to do magic. OWLS and NEWTs are exams, yes, but even for us, a person with only a 6th grade education still has the same basic rights as a PhD once they come of age.
It's not like being licensed to drive or perform medicine. It's an age-related issue only. Once a wizard comes of age, (s)he is an adult, and no longer under the auspices of the Under-Age Magic restrictions. Merope and her brother very likely (and most probably) did not go to Hogwarts or receive formal training. Her brother didn't get into trouble for using magic, he got into trouble with the ministry for using magic ON MUGGLES.
With Hagrid, Hagrid was expelled from school for a reason - he was accused of harbouring a creature that killed a student. Sort of the equivalent of manslaughter, and we've seen how the Wizarding "justice" system works. His wand was snapped as punishment, but I'm not so sure it was just because he was expelled. Any of-age wizard can get hold of a wand. (It's just harder if you're a wanted criminal. Heh.) But Hagrid, also being half-giant (and we know they're not kind or fair to "half breeds"), the severity of the charges (compounded with Myrtle's death) were probably to the point where he was specifically banned from doing magic, in lieu of Azkaban. We know that Hagrid had been there before he was sent back in CoS - he was terrified of the place and mentioned "not going back".
I really think Dumbledore made a deal - Hagrid's release in exchange for a promise that he not "do magic" (or perhaps not own or carry a wand -probably more likely), and Dumbledore would...be the magical equivalent of his parole officer - take custody of him. So I think Hagrid's situation was very different from other underage wizards. His sentence wasn't revoked when he came of age. He tells Harry "strictly speaking, I'm not supposed ter do magic" because he was expelled, but I really don't think he was telling the "whole" truth there.
Restricting the use of magic in underage wizards is a protection issue, (for adults AND children!) in the same vein as our laws for age of consent for sex, drinking, and laws where you can't apply for a driver's license until a certain age.
I still wonder just how the ministry "keeps tabs" - on underagers (there were young kids using magic at the Q World Cup), on various uses of magic (how would they arbitrarily know someone splinched - does an alarm go off or does the splinched wizard need to call for help?) and the like. See, THAT would be an interesting tidbit of information for her to give us - else we can create our own "rules" and means for that. Which, of course, we do.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2007-03-23 07:20 pm (UTC)Tonks lost her "morphing" abilities, but she didn't lose her magic - she was still able to perform various spells, even complicated ones like the Patronus. Depression strikes each of us in different ways - causes different 'disabilities'. For Tonks, she lost her morphing abilities. We don't really know how depression affects other wizards (well, besides Sybil who went right for the cooking sherry! :-P)
I don't agree with you with regard to school drop outs being restricted. We've never seen any indication that you need a "license" to do magic. OWLS and NEWTs are exams, yes, but even for us, a person with only a 6th grade education still has the same basic rights as a PhD once they come of age.
It's not like being licensed to drive or perform medicine. It's an age-related issue only. Once a wizard comes of age, (s)he is an adult, and no longer under the auspices of the Under-Age Magic restrictions. Merope and her brother very likely (and most probably) did not go to Hogwarts or receive formal training. Her brother didn't get into trouble for using magic, he got into trouble with the ministry for using magic ON MUGGLES.
With Hagrid, Hagrid was expelled from school for a reason - he was accused of harbouring a creature that killed a student. Sort of the equivalent of manslaughter, and we've seen how the Wizarding "justice" system works. His wand was snapped as punishment, but I'm not so sure it was just because he was expelled. Any of-age wizard can get hold of a wand. (It's just harder if you're a wanted criminal. Heh.) But Hagrid, also being half-giant (and we know they're not kind or fair to "half breeds"), the severity of the charges (compounded with Myrtle's death) were probably to the point where he was specifically banned from doing magic, in lieu of Azkaban. We know that Hagrid had been there before he was sent back in CoS - he was terrified of the place and mentioned "not going back".
I really think Dumbledore made a deal - Hagrid's release in exchange for a promise that he not "do magic" (or perhaps not own or carry a wand -probably more likely), and Dumbledore would...be the magical equivalent of his parole officer - take custody of him. So I think Hagrid's situation was very different from other underage wizards. His sentence wasn't revoked when he came of age. He tells Harry "strictly speaking, I'm not supposed ter do magic" because he was expelled, but I really don't think he was telling the "whole" truth there.
Restricting the use of magic in underage wizards is a protection issue, (for adults AND children!) in the same vein as our laws for age of consent for sex, drinking, and laws where you can't apply for a driver's license until a certain age.
I still wonder just how the ministry "keeps tabs" - on underagers (there were young kids using magic at the Q World Cup), on various uses of magic (how would they arbitrarily know someone splinched - does an alarm go off or does the splinched wizard need to call for help?) and the like. See, THAT would be an interesting tidbit of information for her to give us - else we can create our own "rules" and means for that. Which, of course, we do.