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During the last HP movie I didn't understand why the other schools from HP: Goblet of Fire didn't help Hogwarts during its time of need? You could say maybe it's just a domestic problem of some sort and it's Hogwarts problem, but they will still be affected if somehow Voldemort defeated Harry and the gang. (Seriously I don't get it: where are their parents and other wizardly people?)

Niall C.
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Anton
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    I don't recall, them asking for help. – James Jenkins Aug 14 '13 at 10:32
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    @JamesJenkins It's like you're saying a school is being threatened for years by a madman with an army. And nobody would intervene and help? even if the children are not asking. This is how the human race implodes. – Anton Aug 15 '13 at 03:37
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    Do you mean the Battle of Hogwarts? Well, that sort of just happened. There was no time to get re-inforcements from across the globe. The DA members were there because of Hermione's coin alerting them. The Order members were there because they also got called. Harry (and co.) were there to retrieve the Diadem, and Voldemort was there because Alecto carrow called him there with her dark mark. The battle was not a planned and organised event. – Möoz Apr 23 '14 at 05:49

5 Answers5

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I have thought about this for a while, it seemed that the entire war, from when Voldy returned in GoF to the end, that it was only the British who were making a stand against him. Dumbledore says in his speech at the end of GoF:

"Every guest in this Hall," said Dumbledore, and his eyes lingered upon the Durmstrang students, "will be welcomed back here at any time, should they wish to come. I say to you all, once again -- in the light of Lord Voldemort's return, we are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided. Lord Voldemort's gift for spreading discord and enmity is very great. We can fight it only by showing an equally strong bond of friendship and trust. Differences of habit and language are nothing at all if our aims are identical and our hearts are open.

I would assume based on this that he was inviting international communities to help each other and to form strong bonds so that when the time came to make the stand once Voldy was out in the open. Yes the Battle of Hogwarts was only a day or so long, but there was plenty of fighting underground before that. the only time we see Krum since GoF in person is at Fleur's wedding. Why did he not stay and fight after the wedding; he had lost his family to Grindelwald, he knew what was at stake.

I don't subscribe to the idea that they had their own wars to fight. I don't discard this idea, because I am sure that fighting the dark arts is an on going battle, but I do see it strange that JK introduces this international cooperation ideal to us in GoF and then its swept under the carpet when Britain is in need of it most.

BP_Phoenix
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  • Possibly a parallel to when the US didn't enter WW II until attacked by Japan, and the subsequent declaring of war by Germany on the US. Germany was attacking Britain almost daily long before the US entered the conflict. Also, if Karkaroff was afraid of Voldemort (likely), he wouldn't be likely to show up with a contingent of Drumstrang students to start fighting. – JohnP Aug 14 '13 at 18:52
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    Yep, J.K. just swept it under the rug. But it would have been awesome tho if help would have came during the direst of moments. – Anton Aug 15 '13 at 00:22
  • @JohnP US knew that war was inevitable. They were even sending relief to Britain. But all it needs is an event to trigger mass support by the "Citizens", and Pearl Harbor happened. – Anton Aug 15 '13 at 00:24
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    @Anton - If the Japanese don't attack PH, the US possibly never enters the war. Certainly not for a couple more years at least. But I get what you are saying. – JohnP Aug 15 '13 at 00:52
  • @JohnP Karkaroff was dead by the last book as well, he wasn't bringing anyone! :) it might have been Krum rallying the troops!! :) – BP_Phoenix Aug 15 '13 at 07:00
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Here is a theory:-

Just as every country has it's own Mafia problems(with international links ofcourse), so do the wizards have their own domestic crime problems.

Just as Italy, India, Russia etc. have their own Mafia, so do the wizards of Beauxbatons Academy and Durmstrang Institute have their own dark lords to deal with. And ofcourse as all the mafia are interlinked on some level, Voldemort had his influence there as well with Karkaroff.

Just a theory.

Rajeev Bhatia
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    Interpol == Ministry of Magic Though the ministry is under the influence of Voldemort, it's like everyone in the HP world are pussies. – Anton Aug 14 '13 at 07:01
  • And because the Ministry is pretty much controlled by Voldemort, they do not even do anything to stop international Dark Lords...works out perfectly for him! – Rajeev Bhatia Aug 14 '13 at 07:06
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    One of the schools might have been a bit disorganized with its headmaster gone. Also, submarines and giant horse carriages take several days to reach Hogwarts and the whole siege took only about a day long. – b_jonas Aug 14 '13 at 07:45
  • Well help could have come in the form of apparition...you can't apparate inside hogwarts but you can do so outside it! – Rajeev Bhatia Aug 14 '13 at 07:52
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    Each school surely had their own problems from time to time, but they're not all constantly besieged and fighting off major evil forces at all times. Clearly most schools are equipped to handle some level of crime/evil, but when they're on the brink of total defeat, that's a bit like being hit with a major natural disaster. Unless all other schools are simultaneously fighting for dear life, then not pitching in to help would be like if all the non-tsunami-devastated nations were to refuse to give aid to Japan, even during a recession or other less dire domestic crises. – Lèse majesté Aug 14 '13 at 08:16
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    They should have started hunting Voldemort since the HP: Goblet of Fire. I mean seriously why should they let one boy do all the work? Even if he is that powerful, I think a thousand wizards could take him down easy. Come to think of it Voldemort reminds me of religion. If you don't join him you will experience eternal suffering. Well that justifies why 90% of the wizards were kiss ass to Voldemort. Seriously the ratio was 50:1, Harry's team the latter. – Anton Aug 14 '13 at 08:47
  • Also I think one thing we are missing is that it is not necessary for schools to be fighting fronts. It just happened to be that way because of Dumbledore for Hogwarts. Considering Durmstrang's instability and Beauxbaton's principal's connections with giants who were allies with Voldemort(and maybe all giants did hate wizards...Hagrid just liked them because he was adopted and because..well Dumbledore), the schools might not have wanted to get involved. – Rajeev Bhatia Aug 14 '13 at 09:46
  • Worth noting is that Voldemort was trying to take over Hogwarts by installing Death Eaters as professors. He might have tried to do the same at the other schools and thus their civil conflicts may have kept their war on evil at the local front! – Rajeev Bhatia Aug 14 '13 at 09:47
  • @Rajeev That's a rather good point, through Voldemort wasn't really the driving point as much as the Death Eaters doing it themselves to curry favor. Very Quisling of them. – Jersey Aug 15 '13 at 14:55
  • Good point....and I can see how they might have been even more eager to regain control of Durmstrang after Karkaroff – Rajeev Bhatia Aug 15 '13 at 15:18
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I seem to remember that some of the other students from the other schools seemed supportive of the fight against Voldemort, though I don't remember if the other Headmasters/teachers ever expressed anything.

But here's a possible answer.

J.K.R.'s 6th and 7th book suffered piracy on a few occasions, and it was pretty well known that she had to scrap the outlines for both when the 6th book was half-released over the internet. There might have been plans for such, but it may have been lost due to this reason.

Also, Hogwarts was also under figurative fire with the multitude of Headmasters in the last few years, under constant scrutiny by the Ministry of Magic, still reeling from the death of Dumbledore, and of course the nice human tendency to stick our heads in the sand when things get bad. Durmstrang was very close in alignment to Voldemort's beliefs, and since the Beauxbatons School seemed a bit French and liberal, they probably opted to sit it out. I know it was mentioned that the schools were protected from location spells and teleportation spells, but that was obviously chucked right out the window for the seventh book, since the Dark Lord came with an army.

Kevin
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Jersey
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    you could not apperate into Hogwarts, not even in book 7, hence why the trio did so in Hogsmeade and set of the caterwauling charm. I cannot remember if it changed once the actual Battle started – BP_Phoenix Aug 14 '13 at 15:28
  • @BP_Phoenix - While not book canon, I don't think you could apparate on the grounds even then. The army running across the bridge did not apparate, and Neville would have apparated if he could when it collapsed. Also, during the scene when Lucius and Narcissa take Draco away, they walk, not apparate. – JohnP Aug 14 '13 at 18:45
  • @JohnP I don't think Lucius, Narcissa, or Draco had the presence of mind to apparate without splinching at that point... – Izkata Aug 14 '13 at 22:53
  • @JohnP i do concur with that statement – BP_Phoenix Aug 15 '13 at 21:33
  • @BP Yeah, you couldn't apperate, but the reasoning behind the train was that was suppose to be one of the very few ways to get to the school. Lucius had to take the train in Prisoner, but then again Sirius was contacting Harry throughout Goblet. I'm sure, like the legal world, the wizarding one is filled with loopholes. Where Hermione made her money, figuratively speaking. – Jersey Aug 29 '13 at 20:32
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In Britain, many people were on Voldemort's side and many people weren't. The same would probably happen if Hogwarts and that area of the wizarding realm intervened with the other schools and countries for help; some would join Voldemort and some would not, so they probably didn't want to risk Voldemort gaining more followers even though they would gain more followers if you add it all up it wouldn't make a difference.

Möoz
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Rachel Hileman
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In the last 2 books. Ron was constantly hearing of "missing wizards" on the radio..I think maybe most of them were sympathizers of Harry's cause... They were either depleted from the onslaught of the wizard-ee-ish Nazi regime rounding up wizards, or afraid to fight if Harry lost. That and if you look at it in a historical aspect... Even as the German citizens watched these atrocities, they faced the same cruelty for sympathizing. With the ministry under voldemorts power people would rather not be involved and live, than fight and die or worse, lost and live with their acts under VOldemorts power

Chris Powers
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    The Ministy is under Voldemort's power, yes, but that's the British Ministry. The other schools are in foreign countries; you would've thought they should have more freedom to operate against Voldemort. – Rand al'Thor Feb 12 '18 at 01:55