Do you guys think that a snitch collection could be used as a contact system? What complications would there be in that sort of thing? Would you ba able to carry on a long conversation (not urgen of course being slow and all) by bewitching them and sending them to a friend after them touching them? Would you be able to use one more than once to insert or engrave something in them? I just thought this would be a popular topic and it didn't seem to have beenbrought up yet. I'm intrested to see what you come up with.

The Golden Snitch was created by Bowman Wright of Godric's Hollow to accurately replace the Snidget, a small bird used in primitive quidditch. The Snitch was enchanted to mimic the erratic flight patterns of the Snidget. Given that Quidditch is taken very seriously, there are most likely charms to prevent the bewitchment of a Snitch, thus it would take a strong bit of magic to override the intrinsic spells of a Snitch to utilize for mail. It would be easier to charm a paper airplane than a Golden Snitch, and far less expensive.

Yes I agree with Albus Dumbledore. The snitches are very hard to bewitch and would take too much effort to use for daily mail. Also, they can carry a message and/or a small item inside. If you remember from the Deathly Hallows, we learn that snitches can only reveal their "secret" when they are touched again by the skin that first touched it when caught. Thus, many snitches would be wasted in this possible mail scenario. So having snitches deliver mail might be a bad idea...especially since owls work so well...however, snitches would make a great messenger for secrets...a perfect example is when our friend Albus Dumbledore utilized the snitch for delivering a message/ring to Harry right under Rufus Scrimgeour's nose.

I somehow do not believe that all snitches are capable of this secret message trick that was portrayed in the Deathly Hallows. I believe Dumbledore bewitched the Snitch to act in this way specificly to prevent Harry from retrieving the Ring until he was prepared to die... hence "I open at the close."

If it is said elsewhere that all snitches are capable of opening like a capsule, then please enlighten me.

Umm, I know that in the Deathly Hallows, it is said that snitches can carry messages on them when Rufus Scrimgeour ais trying to get something out of Harry in the beginning of the book. As for Dumbledore bewitching it to hold something...I'm not sure. I would think that either the snitches naturally can and open once the person touches it unless the sender bewitches it to open at a certain point...e.g. "I open at the close."

Or the witch/wizard has to bewitch it to hold something every time.

I'm not sure which one is true if either is at all, maybe there is some other possibility that we're missing. The part that makes it a hard call is that Dumbledore was the sender because when he sends, then we don't know if any wizard can bewitch or just someone like Dumbledore...what do you think?

I'll be perusing through Deathly Hallows this evening looking for this. It is certainly possible it has slipped my mind.



The reason I think bewitchment is more plausible is due to the convenience of it all should the nature of a Snitch be that it can hold messages/objects. Why mention this at the end of the series making it seem like a desperate add-on? Dumbledore could easily bewitch the magical ball, providing the message-holding ability of the Snitch while preserving JK Rowling's writing quality.



I must admit that I am lost with the last part of your post.

this is what Rufus Scrimgour said when explaining the magical properties that snitches hold, called flesh memories, to Harry. So it seemes that it did have to be enchanted to hold something and Rufus kind of hints that it would only be easy for Dumbledore.
I guess that answeres your question.

Thanks! I found that last night after signing off and was afraid I'd have to write it all out.

So it seems evident, from the text, that Snitches are not intrinsically made to hold things. Dumbledore, using his immense imagination and skill, enchanted the ball to utilize the existing charm regarding flesh memories. However it seems even more complex than that, seeing as he enchanted it so that only Harry could open it as well as WHEN Harry could open it.

This might sound a bit simple but I gues the answer is: Yes, but why would you want to?
It seems like a lot of trouble bewitching an expensive snitch with a powerful to charm to take a message to someone else. You'd probably have to put a disillusionment charm on it too to stop muggles seeing it, and it just seems like a lot of fuss for something that an owl would do. It's like walking around on your hands instead of your feet - yes you could do it, it's possible, but why would you want to when it's a lot easier to do stuff the normal way (:

Well even if you could bewitch the snitch to carry a message how would you make it go to the person you are sending the message to? As far as I know there is no way of controlling a snitch besides summoning it, and if you were summoning the snitch than the sender would have to send you a message to know when to summon it, so it would seem pointless to bewitch the snitch in the first place.

I suppose if you really wanted to get technical you could Wingardium Leviosa it to the person you want to send it to. I can't really think of a way of bewitching it either though. Stick to the owls in my opinion (: