Early Apparation?

[Tonks]

Was reading through PS/SS lately, and this paragraph caught my eye:
On the other hand, he'd gotten into terrible trouble for being found on the roof of the school kitchens. Dudley's gang had been chasing him as usual when, as much to Harry's surprise as anyone else's, there he was sitting on the chimney. The Dursleys had received a very angry letter from Harry's headmistress telling them Harry had been climbing school buildings. But all he'd tried to do (as he shouted at Uncle Vernon through the locked door of his cupboard) was jump behind the big trash cans outside the kitchen doors. Harry supposed that the wind must have caught him in mid-jump.
We know that for witches and wizards to get into Hogwarts, they have to show signs of magic. However, disappearing from one spot and showing up a few seconds later on top of a building seems a bit bigger than the other signs of magic experienced by the other First Years (Neville), or even Harry himself.

This almost seems like some form of Apparation here, although obviously unintentional. Why could JKR have used this of all unnatural things Harry could have done, and could it tell us anything else about Harry (other than that he was showing signs of not being normal at a rather early age)?

[Tinkerbell]

Good point, Tonks, although I always thought of it as Harry being magically assisted to jump a long way, without actually hurting himself, a little like when Neville's Uncle Algie was 'testing' Neville for magical abilities and dropped him out the window and he bounced down the garden.

Is Apparating a 'natural' thing for wizards to do, or is it something they have to practice, particularly in view of the fact that they have to take a test in order to be able to perform it, and if it is not done properly, there is the danger of 'splinching'!!

[Alz]

LOL - dropped him out of the window and bounced down the garden - LMAO dont try that at home you lot ;)

Good thread Tonky - it does seem that apparation is a little advanced for someone 'showing signs' or magical abilities!
I always assumed apparation was like driving for wiz kids - like have to learn it ...

[Boing]

I had also always assumed that Harry had just jumped a little further than he had meant, not apparated.

Another interesting sign of his magical abilities is his hair growing back just by him thinking about it - this had always led me to believe that Harry is a metamorphmagus or however that is spelled!

That does make you wonder what everyone else had done - especially those without wands sitting all over the house - like Hermione - what did she do to display magic at an early age?

[Snuffles]

lol ;) I always thought that Harry was suddenly given a Jedi-like power and the ability to jump longer distances than most people can. :p he was trying to jump, but accidentally jumped too high

[The Frozen North]

As the saying goes, "Necessity is the mother of invention". It's amazing what even us muggles can do when it's really needed (oh yeh!! this is only fiction so I guess were not actually muggles but you get my point. lol) so either is equaly possible!!!!

[kashlie]

i never really thought about Harry's little jumping episode.
Maybe he is better at non-verbal spells than he thinks?
If you put yourself in his shoes, he was probably thinking something like 'i need to jump, i need to ... levitate...' or something (i know, fluking the actual spell is impossible, but it could be imprinted deep in his memory from his parents). Also, he has powers Voldemort knows not, so perhaps he has the ability to do these things without spells or a wand?