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The fictional universe of the Harry Potter series of novels contains two distinct societies: the "wizarding world" and the "Muggle world".[1] The term "Muggle world" refers to a society inhabited by non-magical people ("Muggles"), while the term "wizarding world" refers to a society of wizards that live parallel to Muggles.[2] The wizarding world is described as a veiled society wherein magic is commonly used and practised; the wizards live in self-enforced seclusion and hide their abilities from Muggles. The novels are set in 1990s Britain, which contains both Muggle and wizard communities.[3] Any new works taking place in this universe are released under the Wizarding World brand.
The plot of the Harry Potter series occurs between 1991 and 1998. The exceptions are the opening chapter of the first novel, which takes place in 1981, and the epilogue of the seventh novel, which takes place in 2017. At various points throughout the Harry Potter timeline, flashbacks and flash-forwards depict time periods ranging from the 1920s to the 2020s. The depiction of the wizarding world is centred on magic, which not only imbues objects such as wands, but is also portrayed as an inborn ability of individuals. This organic ability can be honed and mastered through study and practice.
Wizards expend a great deal of effort keeping Muggles unaware of magic and the wizarding world. The novels explain that in the past, the two worlds co-existed. Over the centuries, persecution of wizards by Muggles resulted in the creation of laws designed to keep the wizarding world hidden, such as the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy of 1692. Enchantment of Muggle artefacts is forbidden, underage wizards are restricted from using magic outside of school, and any deliberate revelation of magical ability to the Muggle community is punishable. These laws are enforced by the British Ministry of Magic and the International Confederation of Wizards. There are some exceptions: Muggle relatives of British wizards are allowed to know about the wizarding world, as is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
The film Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016) depicts wizarding laws in the United States during the 1920s. These laws differ in some ways from those in 1990s Britain. For example, the film reveals that American wizards are forbidden from having any contact or relationships with Muggles.
In the Harry Potter series, some aspects of the wizarding world are depicted as being less-than-modern compared to the Muggle world. Candles are used for illumination instead of electrical or gas lamps, and owls are used to send messages instead of phone calls or emails. Instead of using pens or computers to take notes and write essays, Hogwarts students use ink-dipped quills and parchment. Wizards do not use paper currency, but instead rely on three types of coins: the gold Galleon, the silver Sickle, and the bronze Knut. The wizarding world does have at least one train, the Hogwarts Express, which is pulled by a steam locomotive. The novels depict wizards using radio but not television.
The wizarding world of the Harry Potter universe is embedded within the Muggle world. Wizards often live in magical enclaves within Muggle villages, such as Godric's Hollow in the West Country. Many wizarding homes in Harry Potter are depicted as being on the outskirts of a Muggle town. Only one settlement in Britain, the village of Hogsmeade, is home to an entirely magical population.
The wizarding high street Diagon Alley lies in central London, just off Charing Cross Road. The Hogwarts Express train departs from King's Cross station using the fictional Platform 9¾. Magical locations are hidden by a combination of Muggle-repelling charms, illusions, and other protections. Some magical locations, such as the prison Azkaban and the stadium used for the Quidditch World Cup, are rendered "unplottable", meaning they are impossible to locate on a map. The castle of Hogwarts appears as abandoned ruins to any Muggle close enough to see.
Some extremist wizards oppose wizard-Muggle marriages, arguing that it dilutes the "purity" of wizard blood. These extremists use the term "pure-blood" to refer to a wizard who has very little Muggle blood in their ancestry, or who claims to have none at all. Pure-blood supremacists believe that blood purity is a measure of a wizard's magical ability, although Ron Weasley refutes this idea by pointing to the existence of so-called pure-blood wizards with low magical skills. He also claims that "most wizards these days are half-blood". J. K. Rowling stated that no bloodline is truly "pure", but those who wish to claim purity deny the existence of Muggles and Squibs in their ancestry.[4] Some families inbreed to maintain blood purity, which can result in offspring with mental instability and violent natures.[5][6]
"Half-blood" is the term applied to wizards who have both magical and Muggle ancestors. Half-blood is the most common blood status, far outnumbering pure-bloods and Muggle-borns. Rowling has stated that fifty per cent of first-year Hogwarts students each year are half-bloods. Pure-blood supremacists view half-bloods as inferior to them but superior to Muggles and Muggle-borns.
"Muggle-born" is the term applied to a wizard whose parents are Muggles. Pure-blood supremacists often use the derogatory term "Mudblood" to refer to a Muggle-born wizard. When Voldemort returns to power, Muggle-borns are required by law to register with the Ministry of Magic. Under Voldemort's leadership, the Department of Mysteries claims that Muggle-borns acquire their magical ability by stealing magic from "real" wizards.
"Squib" is the term applied to a person who is born to magical parents, but has no magical abilities. The only Squibs mentioned in the novels are Argus Filch, Arabella Figg, and a cousin of Molly Weasley. Unlike Muggles, Squibs are aware of the wizarding world and can see magical places (such as Hogwarts) and magical creatures (such as Dementors).
Some wizards are the offspring of unions between humans and magical creatures. Examples include Fleur Delacour and her sister Gabrielle, who are both a quarter Veela; Rubeus Hagrid, who is half-giant; and Filius Flitwick, who has goblin ancestry.[7] Prejudiced wizards sometimes use the derogatory term "half-breed" to refer to mixed-species individuals.
The Harry Potter universe is home to many magical creatures. Some are derived from real-world folklore and mythology, while others were created by Rowling. Some are modified versions of creatures from real-world lore. Below are a few of the more notable creatures described in the series.
Notable creatures
- Acromantula – A gigantic spider that is capable of human speech. The Acromantula is an invention of Rowling.
- Basilisk – A giant snake originating in European mythology. In the Harry Potter universe, a person or animal will die if they make direct eye contact with a Basilisk, but will be merely Petrified (immobilized) if they make indirect eye contact, such as through a mirror.
- Boggart – A shapeshifter that takes on the form of its victim's worst fear. In Prisoner of Azkaban, Remus Lupin teaches his students the Riddikulus charm to combat Boggarts. The spell makes a Boggart's appearance less fearsome or even comical. Rowling's Boggarts are derived from those in English folklore.
- Centaur – A creature with a head and torso resembling those of a human, and with a lower body resembling that of a horse. Centaurs live in forests and are skilled in healing and astrology. Centaurs who associate with humans are often seen as traitors to their kind. The centaurs in Rowling's novels are based on the centaurs from Greek mythology.
- Dementor – A tall, black-cloaked creature created by Rowling. Dementors drain happiness from people and force them to relive their worst memories. They can suck a person's soul out through their mouth, which is known as the Dementor's Kiss.
- Giant – A humanoid creature commonly found in real-world folklore. In Harry Potter, giants have some immunity to magical attacks. They can interbreed with humans, but wizards have actively driven them out of civilisation.[8][9]
- Goblin – A short and stocky humanoid with black eyes, a domed head and long fingers.[10] Goblins run Gringotts Bank and speak a language known as Gobbledegook.[11] Goblins originate in real-world folklore.
- Hippogriff – A real-world mythological creature that is part-eagle, part-horse. Wizards can own hippogriffs provided they cast a daily Disillusionment Charm on them.
- House-elf – A type of short, skinny elf unique to the Harry Potter universe. House-elves are enslaved by wizards and wear discarded items such as pillowcases. A house-elf's master can free them by giving them an item of clothing.
- Thestral – A carnivorous species of winged horse visible only to those who have experienced loss through death.[12] They are described as having dragon-like faces, blank white eyes and large leathery wings. Hogwarts has a herd of Thestrals which pull the carriages that transport students to the castle. The Thestral is an original creation of Rowling.
- Veela – A being that sometimes resembles an exceptionally beautiful woman, and sometimes resesembles a harpy. Veela are known for having the power to bewitch and enchant men.[13] Rowling's Veela are based on the vila of Slavic folklore.
- Werewolf – A human who transforms into a wolf-like creature during the full moon. The person has no control over the process and cannot choose whether or not it occurs. The werewolves in Harry Potter are derived from those found in real-world folklore.
The Ministry of Magic is the government of the British wizarding community. The Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge, first appears in Chamber of Secrets.
Young wizards in Britain usually attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Following completion of a Hogwarts education, there is no standard tertiary education, and there are no known wizard universities. Successful Hogwarts students are considered ready to function as adults, though some wizarding professions require special training programmes after Hogwarts. These include the professions of the Auror and the Healer. In addition to Hogwarts, the novels mention the French wizarding school Beauxbatons and the Northern European school Durmstrang. In 2016, Rowling created four additional schools and described them on the Wizarding World website. These four schools are Ilvermorny (United States), Castelobruxo (Brazil), Mahoutokoro (Japan) and Uagadou (Africa).[14]
Owls
Wizards use owls to deliver mail, newspapers, and parcels. The novels do not explain how an owl locates a recipient.
Patronuses
A Patronus is conjured with the Patronus Charm and is primarily used to repel Dementors. It can also be used for communication by a talented wizard. Albus Dumbledore devised a method of using Patronuses to deliver vocal messages, which he used in the service of Order of the Phoenix. Minerva McGonagall is the only character in the series who demonstrates the ability to project multiple message-carrying Patronuses.[15]
Floo Network
While the Floo Network is intended for use as a method of transport, it also occasionally serves as a method of communication. A wizard can throw a pinch of Floo Powder into a lit fireplace connected to the Network and put their head into the flames, causing it to appear in the fireplace of the wizard with whom they intend to speak. This use of the Network is first seen in Goblet of Fire when Harry observes the head of Amos Diggory in the Weasleys' fireplace. Harry uses this method to communicate with Sirius Black on several occasions during the series.
Dark Mark
Voldemort uses a method of communication called the Dark Mark, which is like a brand on the inner forearms of the Death Eaters. When the mark is pressed, contact is made with other Death Eaters and Voldemort himself. Pressing one's Dark Mark causes every other Death Eater's mark to burn, signalling them to Disapparate from wherever they were and immediately Apparate to Voldemort's side.
Hermione uses the principle of the Dark Mark in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Instead of burning/engraving the message into the members of Dumbledore's Army's skin, she uses fake Galleons which all mimic each other and have messages on the rim. Later Malfoy and Madam Rosmerta, who was under the Imperius Curse, used Galleons to contact each other.
Other forms of communication
Characters painted into magical portraits can carry messages between locations where their portraits hang. For example, the former Hogwarts headmaster Phineas Nigellus travels between Dumbledore's office and his other portrait in Grimmauld Place.
Another form of closed communication used in the books and films is a set of mirrors that belonged to Sirius Black. Sirius gives Harry one mirror in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, with a note explaining to Harry that Sirius and James Potter used to use the mirrors to talk to each other when they were put in separate detentions. In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Harry uses a shard of his broken mirror to call for help from the Malfoys' cellar, and later finds out that Aberforth Dumbledore had been watching over Harry using Sirius' mirror, which he obtained from Mundungus Fletcher.
Apparition
Apparating is disappearing from a place and appearing almost instantly in another. Wizards and witches often Apparate to their destinations, which is quite similar to teleportation. It is quite difficult to Apparate; therefore underage wizards and witches are forbidden to do it. There are many examples of failed Apparition attempts made by people who have not passed their "Apparition test", which is like a Muggle driving test. If not Apparating correctly, a person may lose a body part in the process, referred to as "splinching". In Deathly Hallows, Ron gets splinched after being grabbed by Yaxley, a Death Eater.
Portkeys
If a wizard is unable to Apparate or is travelling with an underage companion, a Portkey can be used. A Portkey is usually an ordinary object that has been enchanted. The user touches the Portkey and uses the charm "Portus" to travel to the desired destination. A Portkey is often a mundane object such as an old boot or tin can, which allows the device to avoid scrutiny from Muggles.
Other objects
Characters in the series make use of several magical devices and artefacts to transport themselves within the Wizarding World and to the Muggle world. Among the most common of these objects are broomsticks, the Floo Network (a network of fireplaces magically connected to one another), the Knight Bus, and the Hogwarts Express. Some characters have been known to enchant Muggle vehicles to have magical features, such as Arthur Weasley's Ford Anglia or Sirius Black's Flying Motorbike. In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, a discussion is held around the politics of importing flying carpets.
Thestrals
Thestrals are winged horses which can only be seen by those who have experienced loss through death. They pull the Hogwarts school carriages and can also be tamed and ridden.
The Daily Prophet
The Daily Prophet is the most widely read daily newspaper in Britain's wizard community.[16] Its journalistic integrity is lacking; it has been known to be more concerned about sales than about factual accuracy and is often a mouthpiece for the Ministry of Magic; as described by Rita Skeeter, "The Prophet exists to sell itself!"[17]
The Prophet remains respectable for the first three books, but by Goblet of Fire, it has hired Rita Skeeter, an unscrupulous journalist who supplies several thrilling and blatantly false articles.[18] When Minister Fudge takes the stance of firmly denying Voldemort's return, the Prophet initiates a smear campaign against Dumbledore and Harry, the most influential proponents of the opposing view. After Fudge is forced to admit that Voldemort has returned, the Prophet changes its stance overnight, calling Harry "a lone voice of truth".
According to Rowling, Ginny Weasley becomes Senior Quidditch correspondent at the Prophet after the events of the novels.[19][20]
The Quibbler
The Quibbler is a magazine first mentioned in Order of the Phoenix. It is edited by Xenophilius Lovegood and often prints articles about conspiracy theories and cryptozoology. In Order of the Phoenix, Hermione blackmails Rita Skeeter into writing an article about Harry's encounter with Voldemort. The interview is published by Xenophilius, and he later sells it to the Daily Prophet.
Radio
The most popular wizard radio station is the Wizarding Wireless Network. Harry learns about the wizarding band The Weird Sisters from his peers who listen to the WWN. In Deathly Hallows, Ron introduces Harry and Hermione to Potterwatch, an underground anti-Voldemort radio program.
Butterbeer
Butterbeer is a drink popular with young wizards. It can be served cold or hot, but either way it has a warming effect. Rowling said she imagines it tastes like "less-sickly" butterscotch.[21] The Wizarding World of Harry Potter themed area at the Universal Orlando resort sells a line of food and beverages inspired by Butterbeer, and the Jelly Belly candy company has produced Butterbeer-inspired sweets.[a] The celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal created a version of the drink for his show "Heston's Tudor Feast".[25]
Magical sweets
Many types of magical sweets are mentioned in the series. Some have bizarre side effects, particularly those created by Fred and George Weasley. Chocolate Frogs are packaged with collectible cards depicting famous wizards. According to Rowling, Harry and his friends are featured on Chocolate Frog cards after the events of the novels.[26] Both Chocolate Frogs and Bertie Bott's Every-Flavour Beans have been manufactured in the real world.[27] The Bertie Bott's Beans produced by Jelly Belly include flavours such as black pepper, dirt, earwax, grass, sausage, soap, and vomit.[28][29] The Hershey company has also produced various candy items based on Harry Potter.[30]
Quidditch
The most prominent sport in the Harry Potter universe is Quidditch, which is a team sport played up in the air on broomsticks. Every House at Hogwarts has a Quidditch team and competes in the Quidditch Cup. Outside of Hogwarts, the Quidditch World Cup is a major international event that draws teams and spectators from countries around the world.
Wizard's Chess
Wizard's Chess is a version of chess played with pieces that are magically animated. In Philosopher's Stone, Harry, Ron and Hermione become human chess pieces in a life-sized game of Wizard's Chess, which Harry wins thanks to Ron's skill at the game.
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