Harry Potter universe

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article or section has multiple issues. Please help improve the article or discuss these issues on the talk page. It may contain original research or unverifiable claims. Tagged since July 2007. It describes a work or element of fiction in a primarily in-universe style that may require cleanup. Tagged since July 2007.

The fictional universe of J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series of fantasy novels comprises two separate and distinct societies: the wizarding world and the Muggle world. The Muggle world is the series' name for the world inhabited by the non-magical majority, with the wizard(ing) world existing coextensively with it but hidden from the awareness of the non-magical "Muggles".The plot of the series is set in contemporary Great Britain, but in a veiled and separate shadow society in which magic is real, and those who can use it live in enforced seclusion, hiding their talents from the real world. The term "wizarding world" refers to the global wizard community that lives hidden in parallel with the Muggle world; the different terms refer to different communities within the same area rather than separate planets or worlds.

Contents 1 Fundamentals 2 Geography 3 Population 4 Animals and plants 5 Blood purity 5.1 Pure-blood 5.2 Half-blood 5.3 Muggle-born 5.4 Squibs 5.5 Mixed species 6 History 7 Government and politics 8 Relations 8.1 To the Muggle world 8.2 Internally 8.3 Internationally 9 Education 9.1 Before Hogwarts 9.2 After Hogwarts 9.3 Wizarding Examinations Authority 9.4 Known foreign schools 10 Economy 10.1 Coins 10.2 Exchange rate 11 Medicine 11.1 Lifespan 12 Sports 13 Transportation 13.1 Floo Powder 13.2 Apparition 13.3 Broomsticks 13.4 The Knight Bus 13.5 Flying creatures 13.6 Portkeys 13.7 Other methods 14 Communication 14.1 Owls 14.2 Floo Network 14.3 Other Methods 15 Newspapers and magazines 15.1 The Daily Prophet 15.2 The Quibbler 15.3 Other Magazines 16 Food and beverages 16.1 Magical sweets 16.2 Butterbeer 16.3 Firewhisky 16.4 Pumpkin juice 17 Religion 18 See also 19 References 20 External links

[edit] Fundamentals

See also: Magic in Harry Potter

The society of the wizarding world is centred on two facts. The first and most obvious one is the presence and use of magic. Presented as an inborn capability to do otherwise impossible things, magic is honed through study and training into a skill. It permeates every facet of the wizarding world, both as a near-universal tool and imbued in objects, such as wands, vital amplifying/focusing devices for spells. As such, wands are used as both tools and weapons. Because of this, wizards feel naked and defenceless without a wand. Spells can have almost any effect, from finding lost objects and turning on lights, to healing and murder.

Secondly, it is not considered possible for the Muggle world to coexist peacefully with the wizarding one. As such, a great deal of effort is expended in keeping the Muggles unaware and ignorant about magic. Magical Laws have been enacted over the centuries, designed to keep the existence of the Magical World hidden from Muggles. Enchantment of Muggle artefacts is forbidden, underage students are restricted from using magic outside of school, and any deliberate revelation of magical ability to the Muggle community is, naturally, punishable. These laws are enforced by the Ministry of Magic, while a special arm of it, the Obliviators, has the job of making certain that Muggles who have seen magic in action will be left with no incriminating memories.

Exceptions to the secrecy include wizards' Muggle relatives and the highest political leaders, such as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (first mentioned in the Prisoner of Azkaban when the Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge notifies the Muggle Prime Minister of Sirius Black's escape and first seen in Chapter 1 of Half-Blood Prince). Another exception is in the defence of one's life or the lives of others (including Muggles). Harry used the Patronus Charm in the presence of Dudley, his Muggle cousin when they were being attacked by Dementors in "Order of the Phoenix."

Some aspects of the Wizarding world are depicted as being less-than-modern in comparison to the non-Wizarding world, sometimes even very old-fashioned or quaint. The technological development of the wizarding world is substantially behind that of its Muggle counterpart -- owls, for example, are a more cumbersome and slower way to send messages than simple phone calls. If one has instant access to magical power, the development of modern technology in the Wizarding World becomes unnecessary. However, a large number of technologically complex devices do exist, and most of these devices also exist in the Muggle world. From a certain respect, it can be seen that Magic and electricity are the equivalents of each other in their respective worlds, but electronic equipment sometimes 'goes haywire' around Hogwarts, and Muggle devices used by wizards (such as cameras and radios) are able to be powered themselves on ambient magic. Such examples are rare, however; wizards rarely make use of Muggle technology nor do they have much interest in doing so, even when such technology might make their lives much easier. Wizards are baffled by how Muggle technology works and most have no interest in understanding it. There are, however, wizards who find it fascinating. Ron's father is very interested in Muggle technology and would most like to know how an aeroplane stays in the air. "Muggle Studies" classes are also offered at Hogwarts for those students with an interest. On several occasions, Harry Potter is depicted as having to explain the workings of commonplace Muggle technology, such as introducing the telephone to Mr. Weasley in Chamber of Secrets; at the beginning of Prisoner of Azkaban, Ron is depicted making his first telephone call. The wizarding world has also not embraced modern Muggle modes of information transfer: instead of pens, paper, pencils, and word processing computers, Hogwarts students are depicted in the novels and films using ink-dipped quills and parchment to take notes and do their homework.

By the time the books take place, however (1991-1998), some level of Muggle pop culture has penetrated the wizarding world. Rock music, posters, and tabloids, are commonplace. Rebellious young wizards have learned to embrace Muggle culture full heartedly; young Sirius Black's room was filled with pictures of Muggle pinup girls, motorcycles and rock bands. Wizards and witches who are Muggle-born, or are half-bloods (of non-magical parentage or mixed parentage respectively) find it easier to integrate into Muggle society and take on Muggle trends as they are predisposed to Muggle ways growing up. Muggle-born Gryffindor student Dean Thomas has constant reference to him adorning his part of the dormitory with posters of football clubs. It is also stated in The Philosopher's Stone that Albus Dumbledore is an aficionado of the Muggle sport of ten pin bowling.

[edit] Geography

There is no separate "magical land" in the Harry Potter universe. The wizarding world not only coexists alongside the world of Muggles, but also is embedded within it. There is only one village in Britain, the small town of Hogsmeade, that is home to an entirely magical population. The vast majority of Witches and Wizards' locations are integrated within the wider non-magical area. Wizards will often live in small communities of several families within Muggle villages such as Godric's Hollow in the West Country (home of the Dumbledores and the Potters) or Tinworth in Cornwall. The all-Wizard Weasley family, as well as the Diggory, Lovegood, and Fawcett families, live in the Muggle village of Ottery St Catchpole, presumably near the real town of Ottery St Mary, in Devon. Many wizarding houses in the Harry Potter books are depicted as being on the outskirts of towns, usually somewhat isolated from the majority of the town.

Likewise the Wizard emporium Diagon Alley lies in central London, just off Charing Cross Road. The train to Hogwarts School departs from the very real King's Cross Station, albeit from Platform 9¾. These locations are hidden by a combination of Muggle-repelling charms, illusions, other magical protections (many magical locations, such as the island of Drear off the coast of Scotland, and the wizarding prison, Azkaban, are rendered Unplottable, or impossible to locate on a map) and depend on the natural tendency of everyday, non-magical people to ignore anything they cannot explain or understand. Although wizarding society lives for the most part directly amongst Muggles, few wizards are aware of basic Muggle culture (for example, as a rule, wizards do not understand Muggle clothing customs). On the odd occasions when it may be necessary for a wizard or witch to dress in Muggle clothing, the result is usually comical. Many are also proud of their ignorance. While the series is set in Great Britain, the Wizarding world has locations throughout the globe.

[edit] Population

The terms wizard and witch are used in magical society more or less the same way the terms boy/man and girl/woman are used in the Muggle world. Mage, warlock, and similar words are rare and usually only seen in titles or such.

There is no completely definitive knowledge about the demography of the Wizarding world. We do know that on the year Harry Potter entered Hogwarts, there were 39 students who started school with him^[HP1] - Rowling having produced a list to this effect. This seems to indicate a very low birth rate, or a very low number of witches and wizards in Great Britain and Ireland, or a combination of both.

Additionally, J. K. Rowling has stated that she imagines the Wizarding population of the UK to be around 3,000. This estimate, although to Muggle eyes amazingly small, is understandable: a larger population would be far harder to hide from Muggle knowledge. Rowling has also said that there are about 1000 Hogwarts students then later changed it to 600. Neither of these numbers would fit plausibly with a UK wizarding population of around 3,000, as this states that 1/5 of all UK wizards or witches are aged 11-18, or it may be possible that the Wizarding population has entered a population burst, much like the baby boomer generation of the "Muggle world."

[edit] Animals and plants

Main article: Magical creatures (Harry Potter)

The wizard world is home to a number of magical creatures and plants, many of which are familiar from folklore and myth. Giants, dragons, unicorns and gnomes all have roles in the series, while many plants long believed to have magical properties, such as mandrake root, aconite and asphodel, also make appearances. Within the stories, the conceit is that these creatures and their magical powers are in fact real, but have been hidden for centuries from the non-magical world by the efforts of wizards, to the point where they have faded into folklore. In Hogwarts, four types of pets are allowed: Cats, Owls, Rats and Toads.

[edit] Blood purity

The longstanding separation between the wizarding and Muggle worlds in the Harry Potter universe has led to a number of wizards advocating that the two should be kept absolutely apart. This view has in turn led to a minority of wizards seeing Muggles (and wizards of pure Muggle parentage) as untrustworthy, foolish, or, in extreme cases, racially inferior. The common practice of wizards marrying Muggles (at least half of all wizards have one Muggle parent) is viewed by such extremists as miscegenation, and they instead advocate maintaining a so-called "purity of blood."

[edit] Pure-blood

Pure-blood is the term applied to wizards who claim to have no "Muggle blood" at all in their genealogical pedigree. To be a pure-blood, all of a wizard's grandparents (or further more generations) must have been wizards.^[1] To maintain their blood purity, supremacist families have been known to inbreed into their own families by marrying their cousins; this results in mental instability and violent natures.^[2][3] Over the course of the books, some of the remaining families die out while others hang on the brink of extinction with only one male heir (after the books, the Weasley family is the only known to have five male heirs).

Pure-blood supremacists believe blood purity a measure of a wizard's magical ability. However, quite to the contrary, characters such as Hermione Granger (a Muggle-born) are highly skilled. Supremists also believe Muggles as "low-lives", having no magic in them, though consider Muggle-borns even lower than Muggles. Supremists as well apply the term Blood Traitor to pure-bloods who harbour no prejudice against non-purebloods (enjoying their presence and relations with them). The antagonistic wizards in the Harry Potter books are all supremacists (Lord Voldemort and Gellert Grindelwald), and as critic Colleen O'Brien notes, the wizards who see themselves as superior because of their heritage are the books' villains, while Harry Potter and his friends disagree with this ideology. Rowling draws several parallels between the pure-blood supremacists and Nazi ideology in "Deathly Hallows" (the belief that pure-blood Wizards have the right to subjugate the Muggle world and view themselves as being a "master race", laws requiring Muggle-Borns to register with the Ministry of Magic, the establishment of blood purity laws which restrict which people witches or wizards can marry, rounding up undesirables, etc).^[4] Lord Voldemort (descendant of Salazar Slytherin, a supremacist) is a pure-blood advocate; however, though his maternal genealogy is pure-blood, his father was a Muggle.

At the same time, some pure-blood wizards are not themselves advocates of blood purity: both the Weasleys and Longbottoms are old pure-blood families (all the known members of these two families reject notions of blood purity).^[5][2][6] The Black family, who are traditionally pure-blood supremacists, also seem to have produced one or two such "black sheep" in every generation.

[edit] Half-blood

Half-blood is the term applied to wizards who come from "Muggle & magical", "Muggle-born & half/pure-blood", or "half & half-blood" parents (all including part-Muggle ancestry). Half-bloods are the most common kind of wizard blood, out-numbering pure-bloods and Muggle-borns. Rowling has stated that of the Hogwarts annual intake, 50% are half-bloods. Pure-blood supremacists view half-bloods as inferior to them, although superior to Muggles and Muggle-borns.^{[citation needed]} Harry Potter is a Half-Blood as his father James, is pureblood and his mother, Lily is a Muggle-born. Lord Voldemort is also a half-blood, as his father, Tom Riddle Sr. was a Muggle.

[edit] Muggle-born

Muggle-born is the term applied to wizards who come from Muggle parents. In the Harry Potter books, it has never been explained how Muggles are rarely able to produce magical children. However Rowling revealed that Muggle-borns will have a magical ancestor in the genealogy, possibly numerous generations back. Pure-blood supremacists refer to Muggle-borns with the offensive derogatory term Mudblood, a term analogous to racial and ethnic slurs found in the non-magical world. Supremacists as well believe Muggle-borns to be magically deficient, despite obvious proof to the contrary such as Hermione Granger and Lily Evans, who have proved to be exceptionally skilled in their abilities. According to J.K. Rowling, the average Hogwarts annual intake for Muggle-borns is 25%.^{[citation needed]}

During Lord Voldemort's racist totalitarian government, Muggle-borns are lawfully required to register with the Muggle-born Registration Commission. Supposedly, the Department of Mysteries discovered that Muggle-borns acquired their magic by "stealing" magic and wands from real wizards. Thinking wizards and witches reject this ridiculous notion, as Ron asks, "How is it possible to steal magic?" After the regime is eradicated, the head of the Commission (Dolores Umbridge) and the supporters of this ideology are imprisoned for crimes against Muggle-borns.

[edit] Squibs

Squib is the term applied to a child born of magical parents but possessing no magical ability; squibs are the opposite of Muggle-borns.^[7] Squib births are rare anomalies, and the Ministry of Magic does not keep records of them.^[7] Squibs share some things in common with wizards and they are aware of and comprehend the wizarding world. However, according to Ron Weasley's Aunt Muriel, the custom with Squibs has been to send them to Muggle schools and encourage them to integrate into the Muggle world, which is "much kinder" than keeping them in the magical world, where they will always be "second-class."

The "Kwikspell" correspondence course seems to be something of a con-job that plays on Squib insecurities by suggesting that it can help Squibs acquire some measure of magical ability, though it never works for Argus Filch.^[7]

[edit] Mixed species

Some wizards are the products of unions between humans and magical creatures of human intelligence. In wizard parlance, any creature with human intelligence, including humans, is called a "being". Known beings capable of breeding with humans include goblins, giants, and Veela. Prejudiced wizards (such as Dolores Umbridge) often use the insulting term half-breed to refer to mixed-species wizard. This term is also used on werewolves, and to creatures like merpeople and centaurs (who are pure bred within their sole species) because of their part-human/beast appearances.^[HP5]

[edit] History

Readers have so far learned very little about the history of the magical world. The teaching of History at Hogwarts is conducted in a distinctly lacklustre manner, causing most students to drowse during lessons; since the reader depends upon Harry (who has no interest in history at all) for information, the reader gains little knowledge of the topic. Wizarding records also seem confusingly erratic in their accuracy: Ollivander's, a local wand shop, gives a precise date of 382 BC as its inception; however, the founding of Hogwarts (a seminal event in British magical history) is given a vague date of roughly a thousand years before present events. The various Quidditch teams in the United Kingdom trace their founding to the 14th century and earlier. Floo powder, one of the mainstays of Wizard transportation, was invented in the 13th century. There are many hints that wizard history has paralleled Muggle history to some extent. Dumbledore is noted for having defeated the dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald in 1945, the year of the Allied victory in World War II. Also, the seventh book states that Grindelwald never gained control of Britain. Similarly, Hitler never controlled Great Britain. Apparently, Magical History has been revised and certain events have been ignored or glossed over because the Wizarding world is embarrassed by how it behaved in the past.

The broad swathe of Wizard history can be gleaned from the books: until the Middle Ages, Wizards and Muggles appear to have co-existed, albeit grudgingly. Hogwarts School, which was built at some point in the tenth or eleventh century, owes its isolation to its founders' fears of Muggle intrusion. During the Middle Ages, witch persecutions increased (although witches were rarely burned in England, this being a punishment primarily reserved for heretics). In 1692, magical peoples gathered from around the world to sign the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy, which permanently split off the Wizard world (as well as magical creatures such as dragons and unicorns) from the Muggle world. This is notably the year of the Salem witch trials in Massachusetts, where many so-called witches were killed by the puritans.

[edit] Government and politics

Main article: Ministry of Magic

[edit] Relations

[edit] To the Muggle world

The Muggles remain--for the most part--oblivious to the wizarding world, a situation considered eminently preferable to the alternative by wizards. Most things of magical nature are hidden or otherwise obscured from Muggles; others (such as Dementors or ghosts) simply cannot be seen by them. It is commented that Muggles generally have the ability to dismiss anything they cannot explain (sometimes referred to, though not in the books, as Sunnydale Syndrome).

To most magical people, the Muggle world is also unknown. Even if they know it is there somewhere, the regular wizard and witch are oblivious of the functionality and differences of the Muggle world. Their attempts to disguise themselves as Muggles, as when they have to venture out into "normal" streets, often have humorous results. A common running gag is the mispronunciation of common Muggle terms like "telephone," "escalator," "plumber," "firearms" or "policeman," as "fellytone," "escapator," "pumble," "firelegs," and "please-men," respectively.

Muggle Studies is an option of study at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. However, while some professions require its study, to others it is often considered a "soft option."

The only official relations described with the Muggle world are between the Minister for Magic and the Muggle Prime Minister of Britain. In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince it is revealed that the Minister of Magic privately introduces himself to each new Prime Minister. There is a magical painting in the Prime Minister's office that notifies him of such visits, and a fire that is connected to the Floo Network. Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge advised the Prime Minister (who can be assumed by chronology to be John Major, but never identified by name) of the escape of Sirius Black in order to obtain assistance from the Muggle authorities in apprehending him. Fudge also informed the Prime Minister that several problems he was facing were, in fact, rooted in the war against Voldemort, and that his new secretary Kingsley Shacklebolt was actually an Auror. It can be presumed that Internationally the Prime Minister's counterparts also meet with the leaders of their magical communities. Operatives of Cornelius Fudge once cast a memory charm on another country's president so that Fudge and the prime minister could talk uninterrupted.

The exact extent to which the secrecy and isolation of the wizarding world is maintained varies. Many references are made to the Ministry of Magic performing memory charms to preserve secrecy, however, some Muggles are shown to be aware of the wizarding world. The parents of Hermione Granger are both Muggles, but have been seen in Diagon Alley. They are fully aware that magic exists, but they forbade Hermione to use magic to fix her teeth (as dentists themselves, they felt that this was cheating). The Dursleys are also aware of the wizarding world; Petunia Dursley indicates that she learned of it when her sister, Lily, was accepted to Hogwarts. She apparently shared this information with her husband, who is shown to be contemptuous of the wizarding world even before Harry shows up at their doorstep. There is no indication that Dudley was aware of any of this until Harry himself is told about Hogwarts.

In addition to the families of Muggle-born wizards, there are mixed marriages. Seamus Finnigan reports that his mother was a witch who did not inform his Muggle father until after they were married.

There is also some unspecified financial relationship between the two worlds, as it is possible to exchange Muggle Money into Wizard Money, as Hermione's parents are shown doing in the second book. It is unknown if Wizard gold can be changed back to Muggle money, but Harry Potter believes that it cannot be done.

[edit] Internally

See also: Death Eater

Since a person's most important capability – magical aptitude – does not depend on sex, gender equality is highly advanced in the wizarding world, and the "battle of the sexes" never became much of an issue. Similarly, racial equality seems highly advanced in the Wizarding world, with Hogwarts students featuring a wide range of racial and ethnic backgrounds and the black Kingsley Shacklebolt appointed Minister for Magic without any comment. However, in other respects, prejudice and discrimination seem not only endemic to the Wizard world but in some cases ingrained to the level of apartheid. The most obvious example of wizard prejudice is a longstanding disdain (in some cases, genocidal hatred) for Muggles and wizards and witches of Muggle parentage (Muggle-borns, half-bloods). This has led to a eugenic philosophy among some of the older wizarding families, leading to a practice of "pure-blood" intermarriage that has exposed many of them (such as the Gaunt family) to the risks of mental instability.

Another fairly obvious prejudice, which echoes the condescending attitude taken by various peoples in our world toward natives in conquered lands, is the suspicion or disregard for other species of human intelligence ("beings" in Wizard parlance). Voldemort and his allies frequently exploit these divisions to bring non-human magical creatures, particularly werewolves and giants, over to their cause.

Werewolves, who for most of the days in the month can function as reasonably normal human beings (whilst spending the remainder as terrifying murderous monsters), are so hated and despised that to reveal their affliction is to end all possibility of future employment; admittedly, some of the hatred and terror of werewolves is inspired by their wolf-form. Matters have been further worsened by the werewolf Fenrir Greyback, a delusional, cannibalistic and humanly savage werewolf with a taste for children's flesh: he has made himself a name of terror in the wizarding world. Whether his attitude is in part a reaction to that of the wizarding world, or whether the attitude of the wizarding world is in part a reaction to his reputation, he has undoubtedly worsened the reputation of werewolves in the wizarding world.

Centaurs, creatures of human intelligence or perhaps greater, are treated with fear and suspicion due to their fiercely proud nature and their love of their nature based traditions. Their half human nature has led to some of the wizarding community calling them 'half breeds', and due to centuries of human attempts to control and assert their dominance over them the Centaur tribes have developed a dislike for all humans, and will often kill members of the tribe who aid or serve humans as they see this as an admittance of inferiority. The tribe that resides within the Forbidden Forest near Hogwarts often confronts humans who wander in, and have an on/off relationship with the Gamekeeper Hagrid.

Giants, normally solitary creatures given to territorial aggression, have been rendered nearly extinct by the refusal of Wizards to allow them near habitable land, which has forced the few of their species remaining to cluster together, leading to fights among themselves and further deaths.

House-elves, the brownie-like beings who inhabit houses and willingly (indeed joyfully) perform whatever tasks their wizard "masters" ask of them, have been exploited for centuries as a slave-class, often ruthlessly and thoughtlessly. The fact that most appear to like living in servitude has encouraged wizards take them for granted, to the point where some families, for instance the Black family, have made it a tradition to place the heads of their dead house-elves on their wall. A house-elf can be cast out of a family on the slightest pretext, and their word is often not accepted as valid testimony in criminal cases. The only method by which house-elves may be set free by their masters is by being offered an article of clothing (such as the sock given to Dobby in 'Chamber of Secrets'). House Elves possess powerful magic that is independent of Wizarding magic. This allows them to Apparate and Disapparate into and out of places where human wizards cannot due to anti-Apparation and anti-Disapparation charms.

Goblins, while they appear to have at least a grudging co-existence with the wizard world, have nonetheless experienced much discrimination from wizards, and many have led significant uprisings against them in the past. This animosity, however, is returned by Goblins as seen in Deathly Hallows. Bill Weasley explains to Harry that Goblins never consider a wizard to actually own any Goblin-made product, instead the money that was paid for it was simply "rental" money and upon the purchaser's death, the object should pass back into Goblin ownership. They also do not trust a wizard to keep his word. Goblins are forbidden by Wizarding Law to own a wand.

Ageism too seems endemic in the wizarding world, particularly towards the young. Their elders often ignore the opinions and thoughts of young people, and teachers at Hogwarts are allowed to bully and maltreat students in a fashion that would be considered highly inappropriate in our world today. Since wizards appear magically capable until advanced old age, there seems less prejudice toward the old.

[edit] Internationally

The magical governments of the world are to some degree united in the International Confederation of Wizards. This organisation, the details of which have not been revealed in the books, plays an important role in maintaining the secrecy of the Wizarding World. It seems to be similar to the United Nations.

[edit] Education

Main article: Hogwarts

[edit] Before Hogwarts

There appears to be no official precursory education, either; apparently, wizard parents home-school their children in basic non-magical topics, such as literacy and arithmetic. Muggle-born wizards, however, clearly experience an ordinary Muggle primary education before enrolling at Hogwarts, something that could be viewed as a cognitive edge. There are also no compulsory educational laws which exist in the British Wizarding World. Parents may continue to home-school their children, send them to Hogwarts, or send them abroad to other wizarding schools.

[edit] After Hogwarts

Following completion of a Hogwarts education, there is no standard tertiary education, and there are no wizard universities. Successful Hogwarts students are considered ready to function as adults, though some wizarding professions do require special, years-long training programs subsequent to finishing Hogwarts. These include the professions of the Auror and the Healer (the wizard physician). Sometimes, the young wizards travel the world to "observe foreign witches and wizards" after graduation to complete their education. In the Deathly Hallows, Elphias Doge describes how his plans to travel the world with his friend Albus Dumbledore were disrupted by the passing of the latter's mother. Similarly, we learn that Professor Quirrell took some time off to get some first hand experience after a celebrated academic career.

[edit] Wizarding Examinations Authority

The Wizarding Examinations Authority is an organization responsible for examining students in their fifth and seventh years taking their O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. exams. The head, Griselda Marchbanks, is an elderly witch who examined a school-aged Albus Dumbledore in his N.E.W.T.s.

[edit] Known foreign schools

• Beauxbatons Academy of Magic
• Durmstrang Institute
• Bill Weasley had a pen pal at an unknown school in Brazil, who took offence when Bill couldn't afford a student exchange programme and sent him a cursed hat that made his ears shrivel up.
• Salem Witches Institute is mentioned in Goblet of Fire whilst Harry is at the World Cup.

[edit] Economy

In the Harry Potter series of novels by J. K. Rowling, a fictional system of currency is used by the wizards of the United Kingdom. The currency uses only coins as the units of account. It is based on three types of coin; in order of decreasing value, the gold Galleon, the silver Sickle, and the bronze Knut. Wizarding banks provide money-changing services for those with Muggle currency. The only reference to a bank in Harry Potter is Gringotts, which is located on Diagon Alley in London and has hundreds of vaults. In these vaults, a person can keep whatever he wants (like a security vault). Hagrid indicates that wizards have "just the one" bank.

[edit] Coins

The Galleon is the largest and most valuable coin in the British wizard currency. It is gold coloured, round and larger than either of the other coins.

Around the rim of the Galleon is inscribed at least one serial number, which identifies the goblin who was responsible for minting the coin. In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Hermione Granger enchants fake Galleons to show the time and date of the next Dumbledore's Army meeting instead of the serial number.

Some analysts have speculated that the coins might actually be shaped like their namesakes, the galleon, sickle and knut respectively. However, numerous references to other objects in the Harry Potter universe being "as round as galleons" ^[OP Ch.16] imply that the galleon, at least, is not shaped like a ship. In Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire the Muggle who owns the campsite in which the Quidditch World Cup is held talks about being paid with solid gold coins the size of hubcaps.

[edit] Exchange rate

One Knut is	One Sickle is	One Galleon is
1	29	493	Knut.
0.03448	1	17	Sickle.
0.002028	0.05882	1	Galleon.

J. K. Rowling sets the approximate value of a galleon at five pounds (i.e. approximately US$ 10 or € 7.5), although "the exchange rate varies".^[8]

In the book Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, two pieces of information are given which hint at how much wizards' currency is worth in comparison to real-world money. Firstly, it is said that £174 million raised for charity is equivalent to 34,000,872 Galleons, 14 Sickles, and 7 Knuts (the figure is truncated to 34,000,000 galleons in Quidditch Through the Ages). It is also stated that the book costs £2.50 ($3.99 US), or 14 Sickles and 3 Knuts.

The first piece of information suggests that 1 galleon = £5.12, but according to the second figure 1 galleon = £3.01 approximately.

See also: Galleons-to-Muggle money converter from the Harry Potter Lexicon, CNN Harry Potter currency converter, DIY Harry Potter coins

[edit] Medicine

Wizard medicine is well ahead of its Muggle counterpart. While Muggle medicine largely attempts to stimulate the body's own healing and defence systems, magic can simply impose well-being. Healing is not as simple as ordinary spells, but should be able to cure minor injuries in a negligible amount of time and just about every other somatic problem (even missing or boneless limbs) given somewhat longer. Conventional ailments, save from large-scale neurological damage, appear to be very easy to fix. Of course, a number of problems in a setting like this do not qualify under conventional ailments. It is known that wizards may eat chocolate after confrontations with Dementors (in ^[HP3] Professor Lupin gives Harry chocolate many times, and when Lupin and Harry are in the hospital wing Madam Pomfrey asks "Have they had chocolate yet?"). Despite their advanced medical "technology", wizards apparently cannot use magic to cure minor inherent conditions such as myopia.

Wizards have had a cure for the common cold for years: it is known as Pepper-up Potion and is characterised by the patient emitting steam from their ears.

Wizards do not appear to make use of vaccinations, however: a common cause of death appears to be Dragon Pox.

Wizard doctors and surgeons are known as Healers. While Madam Pomfrey runs a hospital wing at Hogwarts, the central establishment for this purpose is the St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries.

Various magical diseases, such as "dragon pox", "spattergroit" and "vanishing disease," are mentioned in the books, but little is known about them.

[edit] Lifespan

Though this is never explicitly mentioned in the books, Rowling has admitted that the potential lifespan of a witch or wizard is longer than that of a Muggle. Albus Dumbledore, old by any standards, is approximately 115 years of age at the time of his demise in the penultimate book.^[9] In addition, the character Griselda Marchbanks appears in the fifth novel, stating that she once examined Dumbledore during his N.E.W.T.s. She would have to be at least 1-5 decades older than Dumbledore if this statement held true. As another example, Hagrid, who is portrayed as a relatively young adult, is actually in his sixties; he was expelled during his third year at Hogwarts, and this occurred about 50 years ago.^[HP2] However, despite this claim, Rowling has not shown many long-lived wizards: indeed, the Black Family Tree shows most listed members dying at ages not even at average for Muggles. Rowling has never given a specific average lifespan for a magical person, but it is at least understandable that magic may have profound effect on prolonging a witch or wizard's life (as is most obvious in the case of Nicolas Flamel in the first book) or perhaps general exposure to magic may increase lifespan. It must also be understood that (as in the case of the Blacks) magic can have a profound effect on shortening one's lifespan.

[edit] Sports

Sports, specifically Quidditch, play an important role in the Wizarding world, and in the Harry Potter series. Quidditch is a team sport played up in the air on brooms; Quidditch is similar in style to polo and association football. It is fanatically followed by wizards all around the globe, in a similar manner to soccer, and the Quidditch World Cup is a major event in the wizard calendar.

Harry is a great player at Hogwarts and several Harry Potter books detail his activity on the Quidditch pitch. Harry has helped lead Gryffindor to a number of wins. Harry is the Seeker for his team whose role is to try to find and catch the Golden Snitch.^[HP1] The Quidditch matches at Hogwarts were commentated by Lee Jordan until he graduated from school. Unlike in all previous books, Quidditch does not appear in the final book.^[HP7] Quidditch is referenced in the fourth book as Harry flies to obtain the dragon's egg in the first event of the Triwizard Tournament.^[HP4]

Other wizard games and sports include Gobstones (a version of marbles in which the stones squirt foul-smelling liquid into the loser's face) Exploding Snap (a card game in which the cards explode) and Wizard Chess (in which the pieces are alive and under the command of the player). The wizard world is also home to a number of other wizard spectator sports, such as Quodpot (an American variant on Quidditch), Creothceann (a now-banned broom game from Scotland in which players try to catch rocks with cauldrons strapped to their heads), and broom racing.

[edit] Transportation

The Wizarding world is fragmented and disassociated in structure. It can be represented by a single small terraced house in an entirely Muggle town, or a single street in the back alleys of London. The population is small and sparsely scattered. Wizard modes of transport, therefore, embody the necessity of covering large distances very quickly.

[edit] Floo Powder

Floo Powder is a means of magical transportation available to witches and wizards. In order to use floo powder, the witch or wizard grabs a handful, steps into a fireplace, states loudly and clearly where they want to go and throws the powder to the floor of the fireplace. The wizard is immediately engulfed in fluorescent green flames and disappears (and hopefully reappears in a fireplace at the correct destination). If a person mispronounces where they want to go, there is no telling where they he end up. Harry experienced this at the beginning of "Chamber of Secrets" the first time he used Floo Powder. Floo Powder is a very popular method of transportation, and there is even a Floo Network. A fireplace must be on the Floo Network for one to travel to it. Muggle fireplaces can be placed temporarily on the Floo Network if it is necessary for a wizard or witch to travel to a place in the Muggle World. How exactly the Floo Network is operated is unclear, but we do know that Ministry officials are able to monitor it.

[edit] Apparition

Apparition and Disapparition are other forms of transport for witches and wizards. This is when they are able to disappear and appear at another place almost instantly. This particular mode of transportation is difficult to master and it becomes increasingly unreliable over long distances. It requires an ability to concentrate on the destination, focus that determination on the desired destination, and a sense of deliberation to reach your goal. Normally, only Apparition-licensed wizards, over the age of seventeen, may apparate at will. There is also "Side-Along Apparition," where a wizard unable to Apparate, for whatever reason, takes hold of an arm of another wizard, who is legally able to Apparate; the two can then Apparate together entirely under the power of the able wizard. House Elves can also take wizards with them in Side-Along Apparation. This is especially useful when the wizard needs to get into or out of a place where anti-Apparition charms prevent the use of Wizarding Apparation. Elf magic operates according to different principles than Wizarding magic and Wizarding enchantments have no effect on elf magic. (House Elves Apparate and Disapparate at will from within Hogwarts grounds. Wizards and witches cannot do this). Side-Along Apparation can be used as a means of allowing an underaged wizard to legally Apparate: it is used in book six when Harry and Dumbledore go to Professor Slughorn's residence. It is also used when Harry and Dumbledore return from the Horcrux cave, however Harry is the one who Apparates with Dumbledore holding on to his arm, also in the sixth book.

Poor focus results in splinching, a term for the separation of body parts. Played mostly for laughs in the first six books, in book seven Ron loses part of his arm because of splinching, and Rowling makes a point of contrasting the humorous sounding effect with the seriousness of it. Even experienced wizards hesitate when using this method to travel great distances — it is usually safer to use another method.

[edit] Broomsticks

The brooms wizards use have enchantments on them that enable them to fly. They are used to travel long distances, or for sport, particularly in the game Quidditch. Modern brooms have a Cushioning Charm (invented by Elliot Smethywick) to prevent great discomfort. For a greater knowledge of the evolution of broomsticks and of the various sports involving them, consult Quidditch Through the Ages by Kennilworthy Whisp.

Some modern broomsticks include the Comet series, Cleansweep series, Nimbus series, and the Firebolt.

[edit] The Knight Bus

The Knight Bus is a magical triple-decker bus. It is described as "violently purple," with "gold lettering over the windscreen." It is the job of the Knight Bus to transport any stranded witch or wizard anywhere they need to go in Britain. The bus is capable of teleportation, and can transport a wizard from and to any location that does not require traveling under water. To flag it down, all a witch or wizard must do is stick out their wand arm. The driver is Ernie Prang and the conductor was Stan Shunpike, who was imprisoned in Azkaban in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

[edit] Flying creatures

A range of flying creatures is available for transport, although this appears not to be a common mode of travel among the wizarding community.

It is possible to travel using Hippogriffs. In Book 3, Harry, Hermione and Sirius travelled using the Hippogriff Buckbeak.

Harry Potter used Thestrals to travel in Book 5. The book also mentions that Dumbledore sometimes uses a Thestral when he wishes to travel in secrecy. Thestrals also pull the Hogwarts carriages that transport students from Hogsmeade station to Hogwarts castle. Thestrals are used again in evacuating Harry from Little Whinging at the beginning of Book 7. Thestrals can only be seen by those who have witnessed and fully comprehended the meaning of death.

Headmistress of Beauxbatons (Book 4) travels in a carriage drawn by several winged horses called Abraxans.

In Book 2, Harry and others are carried by Fawkes the Phoenix. The travellers hold on to his tail feathers. Dumbledore in Book 5 uses a different technique, where he grabs Fawkes's tail feathers and both vanish in a flash of fire.

[edit] Portkeys

Portkeys are ordinary objects that have been magically granted the power to transport people who touch them. Portkeys can be dangerous, as they can send unsuspecting people anywhere, and are thus illegal to operate without authorization. Either Portkeys can be set to activate at a prearranged time, or as soon as the person meets them. To prevent Muggles from accidentally touching and activating Portkeys, wizards usually choose to enchant objects that are unlikely to be noticed or interfered with by Muggles, such as old potion bottles, drinks cans or shoes.

[edit] Other methods

• Hogwarts students are transported to and from Hogwarts on the Hogwarts Express.
• Students from the wizarding school Durmstrang travelled to Hogwarts on a ship. Apparently, even though it suddenly appeared from a whirlpool in the Hogwarts Lake, there is still rowing involved. This could perhaps be to promote discipline.
• Students from Beauxbatons travelled to Hogwarts in a horse powered massive carriage. It's size is explained as soon as the headmistress (Madame Maxime) steps out of the latter.
• Flying Carpets are a primary form of wizarding transport in Asia. Flying carpets are their equivalent to the broomstick. Flying carpets are designated as contraband in Britain, under the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Act (broomsticks are not considered Muggle Artifacts).
• Very rarely, a Centaur will allow a human to ride on his back. This is the most solemn of events, offered only to highly honoured riders.
• Wizards sometimes travel in enchanted Muggle transports. In Book 1, Hagrid took Harry to his aunt by travelling on a flying motorbike formerly owned by Sirius Black. In Book 2, it is mentioned that Arthur Weasley had enchanted a Ford Anglia, which could fly or become invisible when a button is pressed.
• In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Draco Malfoy finds a way to travel from the shop Borgin and Burkes to Hogwarts using a Vanishing Cabinet.
• In the seventh book, it is revealed that Lord Voldemort has discovered a magical means of flying under his own power, unaided by broom, carpet, or other conveyance. This demonstrates his advanced magical capability, as no other wizard in history has been mentioned who could fly without some kind of bewitched vehicle. Towards the end of the story, Severus Snape demonstrates the same ability, most likely taught to him by Voldemort, but it is unclear whether this discovery will outlive its inventor's death.

[edit] Communication

A variety of magical communication methods is available to the wizarding world.

[edit] Owls

By far the most popular method of communication is via owls. Owls are used for conveying packages, with multiple owls acting in concert for heavier ones; sending mail; delivering newspapers; and in general acting as a replacement for the Postal Service of the Muggle world. There is payment in some circumstances; with the owl requesting that coins be placed in a leather pouch attached to its leg, but this is inconsistent. Not only owls may be used; Sirius Black makes use of a tropical bird, likely a macaw, on one occasion. Owl Mail is regulated by the Ministry of Magic.

How the owls find the recipients of the letters they carry is not specifically stated. In some circumstance, letters have extremely explicit addresses to them (specifying particular rooms or locations inside of a building). Other times, there is no mention of an address, and the owl is simply told to whom to deliver. The Ministry of Magic used owls in the past to deliver inter-office mail within the ministry building, but according to Mr. Weasley, the mess was incredible so they were replaced by enchanted memos which fly throughout the building.

In addition, though owls are portrayed as flying directly to the recipient of their package, it is implied that owl traffic can be monitored and even interrupted. There are several references to "the owls being watched" and Harry uses different owls to communicate with Sirius since his snowy owl, Hedwig, would supposedly attract too much attention. On one occasion Hedwig is injured after being intercepted and searched (Supposedly by Dolores Umbridge).^[10]

[edit] Floo Network

The Floo Network consists of a network of fireplaces magically connected to one another and is frequently used by wizards and witches to travel from place to place. The wizard grabs a handful of floo powder out of a container near the fireplace, steps into the fireplace, states where he wants to go, then throws the floo powder down onto the floor of the fireplace. The wizard is then engulfed in green flames and is magically transported to his destination. This method of travelling is also used quite frequently to communicate; sticking your head, as opposed to your entire body, into the fireplace, typically does this. However, this particular method is quite uncomfortable. This seems to be the wizarding equivalent of the telephone.

[edit] Other Methods

• There is wizarding radio; how this does not conflict with existing Muggle radio is unexplained (although it is possible that Muggles simply cannot hear the broadcasts). It may be that magical waves are used instead of radio waves, only able to be picked up by magical radios. No mention is made of analogous television. However, this does not rule out the possibility.
• The Protean Charm allows objects to be attuned to the changes of a master object and change accordingly, thus allowing a broadcast message. Voldemort has used the charm to his advantage, as Death Eaters all share a common tattoo, and can be alerted by Lord Voldemort by his touching his own or one of the others. Hermione also used this charm on coins to inform members of the DA of meeting times.
• Memos shaped like paper airplanes are used for internal communication within the Ministry of Magic, as owls make too much mess.
• If magical portraits of an individual exist in multiple locations, the subject appears able to move between them, talking to others on each end and reporting on what is going on. Magical portraits appear generally to allow their occupants to visit each other, and to move from painting to painting. In both the book and film version of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, this is shown when one of the characters in the paintings deserts her own picture when confronted by Sirius Black. Restrictions on this method are not completely clear; it is stated that individuals portrayed at Hogwarts can move from frame to frame within the portraits there, regardless of the original subject of the portrait, but that the former Headmasters (and perhaps only them) can visit some or all of the portraits of themselves in places outside of Hogwarts.
• Magical mirrors, in pairs, can communicate by one holder speaking the name of the other holder into the mirror.
• Fawkes the phoenix is capable of giving long-range warnings via his feathers.
• In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Dumbledore makes a comment that members of the order "have more reliable methods of communicating" than the Floo Network. This could refer to sending messages through means such as using the Patronus Charm. For example, in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Nymphadora Tonks sends a corporeal Patronus as a message to say that Harry is safe, after finding him under his Invisibility Cloak on the Hogwarts Express. In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows this is expanded upon; a witch or wizard's Patronus will actually speak with the caster's voice (Kingsley Shacklebolt's lynx Patronus appearing at the Weasley/Delacour wedding to warn the wedding party that the Ministry of Magic had fallen, Scrimgeour was dead and Death Eaters were on the way and Ron's father sending his weasel Patronus to let Harry, Ron and Hermione know that the Weasley family was safe after the wedding was raided by Death Eaters).
• Howlers are letters sent in scarlet envelopes, which when opened yell at the receiver in the voice of the sender. Ron Weasley received one from his mother in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets for stealing his father's car, and she severely chastised him with it for doing so. Neville Longbottom also receives one in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban from his grandmother for letting Sirius Black into Gryffindor Tower. If the recipient tries to ignore the letter by leaving it unopened, it explodes and will scream even louder.

[edit] Newspapers and magazines

[edit] The Daily Prophet

The Daily Prophet is the most widely-read daily newspaper in Britain's wizard community.^[11] The articles include moving pictures.^[12][13] The Sunday edition is called The Sunday Prophet.^[14] Unfortunately, its journalistic integrity is somewhat 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.^[15]

The Prophet remains respectable for the first three books, but by Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, it has hired Rita Skeeter, an unscrupulous journalist who supplies several thrilling and blatantly false articles.^[16] These include an article that, while correctly asserting that Rubeus Hagrid is part giant, also makes numerous scurrilous accusations about his personal character, and declares Harry Potter "disturbed and dangerous" on the basis of remarks by Draco Malfoy.

When the Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge takes the stance of firmly denying Lord Voldemort's return, the Prophet initiates a smear campaign against Albus Dumbledore and Harry, the most influential proponents of the opposing view. After Fudge is forced to admit that Lord Voldemort has returned, the Prophet changes its stance overnight, calling Harry "a lone voice of truth". The newspaper even buys Harry's interview on Voldemort's return from The Quibbler.

The editor of The Daily Prophet is Barnabas Cuffe, a former pupil of the Potions master Horace Slughorn. It is unclear how long he has been editor of The Daily Prophet. Ginny Weasley becomes Senior Quidditch correspondent at The Daily Prophet, after her retirement from Holyhead Harpies.^[17][18]

The Warner Bros. Harry Potter website's news and events page has been named after the paper.^[19]

[edit] The Quibbler

The Quibbler is a magazine first mentioned in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

The magazine's editor is Xenophilius Lovegood. The Quibbler mainstays are conspiracy theories and cryptozoology. Articles in The Quibbler have claimed that Fudge has had goblins cooked in pies, and uses the Department of Mysteries to develop terrible poisons, which he supposedly feeds to people who disagree with him, and that he has a secret army of fire-demons called "heliopaths". Numerous (presumably imaginary) beasts are mentioned in The Quibbler, such as Crumple-Horned Snorkacks (which supposedly live in Sweden and cannot fly), the Blibbering Humdinger, and Nargles (which are supposed to infest mistletoe).

In Harry Potter and the 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 for a very good price (enough to finance an expedition to Sweden to hunt for the Crumple-Horned Snorkack). In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, it is revealed that Xenophilius continued to support Harry in his magazine until Luna is kidnapped. Harry, Hermione, and Ron Weasley visit Xenophilius for information but discover that the latest issue features an anti-Harry story on the cover. Following Voldemort's ultimate defeat, the Quibbler goes back to its condition of advanced lunacy and becomes quite popular, still being appreciated for its unintentional humour.^[20]

[edit] Other Magazines

• Which Broomstick?: a magazine about flying broomsticks. Harry frequently browses through the magazine when searching for a replacement broomstick in his third year, and it is implied that Sirius Black uses it to buy Harry's Christmas present, a Firebolt. Ron mentions the magazine when showing off his new Cleansweep, as does Lee Jordan in Prisoner of Azkaban.
• Witch Weekly: a magazine for witches, in the style of the Woman's Weekly. Witch Weekly has been mentioned as publishing interviews by Rita Skeeter. Witch Weekly is first mentioned in the second book of the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, as Gilderoy Lockhart had won its "Most Charming Smile" award five times in a row.
• Transfiguration Today
• Challenges in Charming
• The Practical Potioneer
• The Evening Prophet

[edit] Food and beverages

The following are food and beverages unique to the wizarding world:

[edit] Magical sweets

See also: Magical objects in Harry Potter#Magical Sweets

[edit] Butterbeer

Butterbeer is the drink of choice for younger wizards. Harry is first presented with the beverage in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Though House-elves can become intoxicated on butterbeer, there is a very small amount of alcohol in it, and humans are usually unaffected by it save for a feeling of "warmth". In the sixth book, Harry wonders what Ron and Hermione might do at Professor Slughorn's Christmas party "under the influence of Butterbeer", indicating that it can lower inhibitions, though presumably in very large amounts. J. K. Rowling said in her interview to Bon Appetit magazine that she imagines it "to taste a little bit like less-sickly butterscotch". Butterbeer can be served cold or hot but either way it has a warming effect. Roald Dahl used a similar word-play in his book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in chapter 23 when he mentioned the Oompa-Loompas getting drunk on butterscotch and buttergin.

[edit] Firewhisky

Firewhisky is a type of alcohol that wizards under the age of 17 are not allowed to drink; however, this rule is not always followed. In the sixth book Harry (still underage) is given a box of Chocolate Cauldrons with firewhisky in them by a female student (also underage). Ron wonders hopefully if he can get one (illegally) in the Hog's Head, but Hermione will not let him. He finally gets one in the seventh book. In addition, the Weasley family, Harry, Hermione, and some members of the Order of the Phoenix drink this in the seventh book in honour of Mad-Eye Moody.

[edit] Pumpkin juice

This beverage is served in the dining hall of Hogwarts, and seems to be rather popular with the wizard population. It is served with breakfast, similar to orange juice, and from lunch carts on the Hogwarts Express, much like a soft-drink.

[edit] Religion

Christian holidays constitute the only explicit mention of religion in the series, other than the dedication of London's Wizarding hospital to Saint Mungo. Christmas and Easter are celebrated amongst wizards, though the celebrations mainly cover the non-religious portions of the holidays, such as Father Christmas, Christmas trees, gift giving, and Easter eggs. (Halloween seems to be held in higher esteem by wizards than Muggles, as it is the only holiday, apart from Christmas, to have a banquet to its honour). However, a Hogwarts suit of armour is referred to in The Goblet of Fire as singing Oh Come, All Ye Faithful, a sacred Christmas carol. In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Sirius Black chants what is evidently a wizard-carol or even an invention/improvisation of his own ("God rest ye merry Hippogriffs"). It is likely that the subject is merely avoided by the author, rather than entirely irrelevant to the wizarding world. It is known that witches and wizards bury their dead (at least in some cases in churches' graveyards), and that Harry Potter has a godfather (although this does not have to mean that he was baptized, as the conditions under which one gets a godparent may differ between Muggle and wizarding world). The existence of souls is taken as a given: an extensive discussion of souls, and the risks involved in splitting them, takes place in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Ted Tonks uses the phrase "God bless 'em" and there are churches at Godric's Hollow. The sign hanging above Ollivander's shop has a date referenced as B.C. (Before Christ). Also at least two of the wizard headstones shown in that same book have Biblical quotes carved on them (Matthew 6:21 and 1 Corinthians 15:26 respectively). When Harry buries Mad-Eye Moody's eye, he marks the spot with a cross. Additionally, the existence of an afterlife is taken as a given, especially in the latter book where it forms an important part of the plot.

Christianity is not the only religion alluded to. The Hogwarts students (and twins) Parvati and Padma Patil have very traditional Hindu names. They also retain some cultural influences, including wearing lehngas to the Yule Ball (as depicted in the movie adaptation of Goblet of Fire). This may or may not be canonical, as it is depicted in the film, because in the book Rowling describes the Patils as wearing dress robes, not lenghas; however, it is also mentioned that both twins are wearing sets of gold bangles on each hand, which is an obvious cultural influence. Also in Goblet of Fire, a man named Hassan Mostafa is referee at the Quidditch World Cup; both his first and last names are common Arabic Muslim names in Islam (and it is mentioned that he is from Egypt), which suggests that Muslim wizards exist in the wizarding world; another man named Ali Bashir (who also has a Muslim name; it is implied that he is from an Arab country) is also mentioned, and several other characters in the book note his attempts to smuggle illegal flying carpets to the Quidditch World Cup. Another student, Anthony Goldstein, would by his surname be presumed to be Jewish, as it is a common German surname among Ashkenazim (German Jews), but rare amongst non-Jewish Germans.^[21] His given name, however, is not typically Ashkenazi or Jewish in general.

[edit] See also

• Magic in Harry Potter
• Spells in Harry Potter
• Magical objects in Harry Potter
• Magical creatures (Harry Potter)

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• The Harry Potter Search Engine
• The Harry Potter Encyclopedia
• A map of wizarding locations in London

v • d • e The Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling Philosopher's Stone Film • Game • Soundtrack Chamber of Secrets Film • Game • Soundtrack Prisoner of Azkaban Film • Game • Soundtrack Goblet of Fire Film • Game • Soundtrack Order of the Phoenix Film • Game • Soundtrack Half-Blood Prince Film • Game Deathly Hallows Characters Harry Potter • Ron Weasley • Hermione Granger • Lord Voldemort • Albus Dumbledore • Severus Snape • Rubeus Hagrid • Sirius Black • Draco Malfoy • Ginny Weasley • Neville Longbottom • Luna Lovegood • Potter family • Weasley family • Hogwarts staff • Order of the Phoenix • Death Eaters • Dumbledore's Army • House-elves • Supporting characters Universe Magic • Chronology • Places • Hogwarts • Ministry of Magic • Quidditch • Magical creatures • Spells • Magical objects • Horcrux • Deathly Hallows • Hogwarts houses • Hogwarts Express Related Film series • Cast members • Music • Fandom • Influences and analogues • Legal disputes • Parodies • Politics • Religious debates • Translation Other books Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them • Quidditch Through the Ages • The Tales of Beedle the Bard • Harry Potter prequel Other games Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup • Lego Harry Potter • Lego Creator: Harry Potter • Harry Potter Trading Card Game