Yah, i agree ^ i never really thought about it though. When you stop and think, you really do realize it.

i think it is neccossery for the address bcoz the owl can only do a few at a time.

Totally agree with you!

But one thing is a bit odd... you know in the beginning of Book 4 Harry receives letters from Sirius sent using tropical birds. I can understand owls being able to deliver stuff cos they're probably trained in an Emporium or something... but tropical birds? I find that a bit... well, STRANGE. Any theories?

lockeheart only has 1 owl n wat happens if it forgetts were it is goin n it cheks the add

remember= Mr. H. Potter
Under the Cupboard
4 Pivet DR. Surrey

? post office owls needs to adressed. its like (i hope) a mailman or postmans route..

Envelope is not necessarily for writing the receiver's address, envelope is also for enclosing a letter (as in the paper of the letter).

All in all i think adresses are still necessary in the wizarding world.

Well, that's saying that all owls are smart like Hedwig. Some owls may be really dim and they need the address on the envelope. With Hedwig, it's like, take this to Ron. But another owl, they may need the entire address.Or if they are delivering to someone they never knew before.

Envelopes are to put the adresses on. Also the envelopes look nicer.

I agree here, that Hedwig is a very smart owl, but with normal owls, adresses are required.

Lockhart would think that any coorespondence with a fan should be considered a treasure and he would make it as personal as possible.

In the letters that we've seen in the story they always come in envelopes. Stamps aren't needed because the owls deliver them but I think in most cases an address is needed to the owls know where to go.

Well maybe it's to be more formal?

I agree. I think it depends on how much the owl goes to that one place, and how often it hears the name. And since Harry only sends letters to a limited amount of people, Hedwig doesn't have too many people to keep up with.

i think Lockhart would want to use envelpoes because he sees himself as important but it may not actually be necessary

its just polite really. And with the name on the front, it shows who it is for, because mabye there is more than one person living in that house. Also it is more convinient. You can take the whole lot to the post office and have them send the letters for you, the post office will need to know where to send it!

Hi, Umm this might be a bit off topic but the last thread reply reminded me of a role-play I did once (not on this site) as a child at Hogwarts and Lockhart was a perv and constantly tried to get me in detention with him, I complained to Flitwick and I sent a letter to my house elf at my manor named Eppy. (I lived by myself as an emancipated Minor) and Lockhart got a howler from my house-elf that said:


"HOW DAREZ YOU, YOU NASTY PERVY MAN I SWEAR LOCKHARTY IF YOU'Z GO NEAR MY YOUNG MASTER AGAIN ME'Z BE GETTING MY WHIP AND--" after that Eppy listed some colourful things....maybe too colourful for this site.


It was amusing to say the least.

maybe not all owls are as smart as Hedwig? i doubt it tho.


maybe its because maybe the owl has never been there.
maybe unless the owls are told where to go, they just read the envelope.

and the owl post-im guessing you just give your letters to them and the people give them out to owls and maybe that person tells them where to go according to the info on the envelope or maybe the owls just read it.