Notice-Me-Not is just a fanon thing? Noooo :-O

[birdsofshore]

I was just searching for info on the Notice-Me-Not charm, and there isn't any, because it's a FANON INVENTION. NOOO! Really? The first webpage I found where someone was asking about it, had some smartarse saying "I think you'll find that's just a sad FAN FICTION thing, you poor deluded fool", I was smirking away: "heh, that's what you think, I have seen it in LOADS OF.....er.... loads of fics. Err. Ahem."

Did you all know this? Who made it up? What other fanon things have become so widespread that they can fool us like this? I know about Tempus, but can you tell me any others?

Comments

[melusinahp.livejournal.com]

There's a charm to repel Muggles so that if they approach a place they don't want to be approaching, like the Quidditch World Cup or Hogwarts, they suddenly remember an urgent appointment elsewhere and leave. Maybe Notice-me-not generated from that.

Personally, I have no problem with and rather enjoy fan-invented magic as long as it feels as if it could be part of the world JKR invented. Inventing HP spells, thinking about how JKR created her magic and trying to elaborate on that, is one of my favourite parts of writing fanfiction.

I do think some fan-invented ideas are more believable than others, though. Notice-me-not spells feel like they could be canon. They fit right in. Apparation Points make no sense to me at all, though, as they don't exist in the books and you can Disapparate anywhere. You don't need a "point". And magical signatures seem like a cheat to me. Canon has Priori Incantatem, but if magical signatures existed no one would ever be able to cast a spell without everyone knowing they'd done it.

[birdsofshore]

I agree that inventing spells and magic is a really fun part of writing. It bothers me when I have no idea what is canon and what isn't, though!

Sometimes it works the other way and I have thought something was completely the writer's invention, like Stanley having a willow pattern in the fantabulous Smoochfest fic that's posting. Then I reread POA and the willow-patterned tortoise was in there, hee!

[kedavranox.livejournal.com]

Apparition points make sense to me, especially in Muggle neighbourhoods. You can't Apparate in front of Muggles, so it make sense to me that there are particular places witches/wizards go to Disapparate with some privacy.

[melusinahp.livejournal.com]

I disagree. All you need is a wall or bush to hide behind. And Apparation points are never mentioned in the books, although Apparating is mentioned relatively often.

[kedavranox.livejournal.com]

I thought we already established that apparition points are fanon? Either way, it makes sense to me, since Apparition is fairly loud and a bush may not always be present. I think its a fairly cleaver thing fanon came up with. :)

[melusinahp.livejournal.com]

Like I said in my comment, there are fanon inventions that work well with the rules set by the canon world and fanon inventions that don't make sense given what we know about canon. And Apparation points don't make sense to me, as they'd have been mentioned if they were something magical people needed or ever used. They just don't serve any purpose.

[mab.livejournal.com]

actually. I'm pretty sure they had Apparation points set up in GoF for the Quidditch World Cup and it's mentioned in HBP, after Dumbledore drops Harry off at the Weasleys, that he and Tonks Disapparate from the same point due to the protections set up by the ministry and the Order.. I will have to fact check this..

[melusinahp.livejournal.com]

Ah, well that will be interesting and prove me wrong if you are right. And I agree that it does make sense that for an huge event like the QWC they'd set up Apparation points especially. Otherwise, people would be banging into each other every other second.

I still don't think it makes sense to have them scattered around London and the rest of the world for casual use, though.

[mab.livejournal.com]

Page 66 of Raincoast edition of GoF... "Some Apparate, of course, but we have to set up safe points for them to appear, well away from Muggles." Mr Weasley

Page 82 of HBP "He made Mrs Weasley a bow and followed Tonks, vanishing at precisely the same spot" about Dumbledore...

so yes.. in certain circumstances in canon, apparation points are established.. now as for them being scattered about the world, I agree that's unlikely, unless the Ministry has cracked down on Muggle secrecy for travel post war.

[birdsofshore]

good find, Mab!

[melusinahp.livejournal.com]

There we go. :) I guess that must be where the concept originated.

[amorette.livejournal.com]

I mean... they arent called "apparition points", so in my mind that doesnt exactly 'establish' it. Its just good examples pf when people did disapparate from the same spots. Which could have been independently planned out. The Quidditch World Cup, to me, was always a special case as it were.

But I am not for or against apparotion points either way :) hahaa I feel like its an odea that could be a plausible extension of Jkr's world.

[vaysh]

Isn't that a Portkey Point in GoF? *not sure*

[hollys_tree]

pssst, it's Apparition :)

[melusinahp.livejournal.com]

It's either, depending on which version of the book you have and which books you're looking at.

An apparition is a ghost type thing, although sometimes JKR does use the i instead of an a.

But thanks for pointing out my error!

[hollys_tree]

Really? I did not know that. I've never seen "Apparation" used in the books or any other online references, only in fics. And it always struck me as wrong looking. But then again... I only have one English version of the books. :)

[mab.livejournal.com]

*headdesk*... It is apparition.. fortunately for our sakes in a discussion we don't have to have our comments beta read. :P This is why I LOVE betas so damn much.. They keep me from sounding/looking like an idiot.

[vaysh]

Personally, I have no problem with and rather enjoy fan-invented magic as long as it feels as if it could be part of the world JKR invented. Inventing HP spells, thinking about how JKR created her magic and trying to elaborate on that, is one of my favourite parts of writing fanfiction.
That. :)

[capitu]

I'm always wondering about these "Apparation Points" mostly because (and maybe this is stooopid) if you stand too long on that place won't someone that might want to Apparate be splinched or Apparate on top of you?

I always think about that when they do that at a party and they have a moment right there on the point and i'm thinking 'omg, someone is going to Apparate into them!!!!' or something. lol

[melusinahp.livejournal.com]

I just don't get what purpose they are meant to serve (aside from large group events like the World Cup). We see characters Apparating from whatever spot they are standing on all the time in canon.

And, lol, you make a very good point. :)