Chapter Text
Note: This is the Head cannon chapter for my work- I will be adding to it as needed. I created this in order to expand the wizarding world
Excerpts From An Introduction to Wizarding Britain: A Comprehensive yet Concise Guide well suited for Muggleborns
Overview
Wizarding Britain or Wizarding Great Britain and Ireland, formally called The Most Noble Wizarding Union of Great Britain and Ireland, refers to the magical society of the British Isles. This society has at least 650,000 members who are Witches and Wizards, as well as goblins, dwarves, vampires, trolls, centaurs, merlings, giants or other magical folk who the Ministry considers magical creatures…….
It is part of the wider network of communities that make up Wizarding Europe and the North America (Also called the Wizarding North Atlantic), a subsect of the International Wizarding Community, which act as a shared cultural sphere as the magical's of these lands are shaped by common cultural forces………
Wizarding Britain is not as relatively populated compared to its muggle counterpart. Whereas Muggle Britain is the third most populated country in Muggle Europe after Russia and Germany, Wizarding Britain is 5th behind Italy, Russia, France and Germany ranked by population in that order, barely larger than Wizarding Spain…..But despite Wizarding Britain lacking in population compared to its immediate neighbors, not even considering Wizarding China, it is one of the strongest magical communities in Europe and the World due to its large number of Ley lines and Ley intersections. With a firm supermajority of triple and poly Ley Line intersections in Europe occurring in Britain as well as having the largest network of near surface ley lines, with the length in Ibrim Lay Miles being as much as Spain, France and Germany combined. These have allowed Wizarding Britain to punch above its weight in terms of defensive structures allowing it to resist foreign wizarding invasion since the fall of the Roman Empire and its Imperial Mage Legions…….
Furthermore Wizarding Britain is on a per capita basis one of the largest producers and exporters of magical products from potions ingredients to magical materials and manufactured products. This is as the high number of Ley Lines and their intersections allows for 1) More Magical forests, springs, and plains, 2) Relatively more British firms are able to access these powerful natural magic sources, allowing them to produce more than their continental counterparts with much less Wizarding labor giving them a distinct cost advantage and 3) The number of nationwide magical services being able to be supported by the ley lines is much higher. This can be seen in the British Floo network which is the most extensive and cheapest to operate in the world, with almost all houses added to the network without need for constant enchantment. Similarly the size and number of its Wizarding only urban magical settlements is much higher, on par with Italy and Russia as it can support more of the complex wards and enchantments needed to conceal and operate these areas.……..
Navigating Nomenclature
One of the earliest, and often most perplexing, hurdles a Muggleborn faces upon entering the wizarding world is the terminology surrounding magic itself. While many might assume a simple gendered division – wizards being male practitioners and witches female – the reality is far more nuanced, and frankly, rather muddled. Historically, all wand-based magic, regardless of the caster’s sex, was termed “wizardry.” Conversely, more passive, innate magical abilities, often associated with healing, divination, potions and certain forms of charm work, were traditionally classified as “witchcraft.”
The problem, as you’ve likely already surmised, is that Muggle society, with its own ingrained gender biases, has heavily influenced the popular understanding of these terms. The result is a linguistic quagmire. Many witches, identify with the term “witch” regardless of their magical specialisation, including many if not most of those brought up in the Wizarding world itself, reclaiming it from its often-negative Muggle connotations. Similarly, some male magical practitioners, even those primarily skilled in passive magic, may still prefer the title of "wizard,". This clash between traditional magical classifications and modern social interpretations creates considerable confusion, particularly for Muggleborns who may not be aware of both meanings, or even if they are aware they are unable to parse out which one is being used. The most glaring example of this terminological tension lies in the very name of our society: the “Wizarding World.” For many Muggleborn witches, this name can feel exclusionary, as if their magical contributions are somehow less significant, or less worthy of recognition.
While efforts have been made to promote more inclusive language, the term "Wizarding World" persists as traditional wizards and witches decry changing the established names over the 'ignorance of muggleborns', a constant reminder of the historical, and ongoing, influence of Muggle societal norms on our own.
This linguistic conundrum serves as a crucial lesson. Just because the Muggle and wizarding communities of Britain share a language, it doesn't mean we share the same understanding of it. Words, even seemingly simple ones, can carry vastly different weight and meaning depending on context and cultural background. Navigating the wizarding world requires more than just learning spells and brewing potions; it demands a conscious effort to understand the nuances of our shared language, and a willingness to acknowledge the potential for misinterpretation.
History
Wizarding Britain as a separate and independent political community began with the Wizards' Council in the early tenth century. Until then Wizarding politics were well integrated with that of their muggle counterparts with the Magical nobility holding both exclusive and overlapping authority on the land with their muggle counterparts under the Crowns and different regimes. With political unity and relative stability in Muggle England, Wales and Scotland the Wizarding council was able to develop as an independent authority stretching across the isle and its political boundaries, aided by the fact that compared to their muggle Counterparts few if any old noble families had been replaced in the Norman Conquest with the muggle crown trading increased magical autonomy for non interference from the magical nobility . During the following years the Wizards council and its increasing bodies and offices began exercising increasing influence on the magical community to the determent to the authority of the Crown and Parliament. This would be seen most clearly in 1344 when the Magical Nobility created the Wizengamot, the paramount legislative and judicial body for magical's in the land, usurping the role of the Parliament and stripping away the absolute authority of the Crown. Part of the increasing disconnect was also a consequence of the much more egalitarian law the wizarding world had towards witches and same sex couples……..
With the establishment of the Statute of Secrecy in 1689 the Wizarding community cut themselves off from the last vestiges of the Crowns authority though at this point it was a mere formality. The Wizengamot reorganised the structures of the Wizards councils and its many offices into the new British Ministry of Magic starting Modern British Magical History…….
By the late 1700's a series of political revolutions in Wizarding Britain had greatly diminished the authority of the Magical Nobility. While the Noble families decision to negotiate with rather than fight their opponents meant that they were allowed to retain their Family Seats and Estates, Fortunes, Wizengamot seats, Lands and Titles, democracy had been integrated into the structures of Magical Britain in reality if not by formal laws. For example while the official title of Wizengamot Peer was limited to the Family Heads of the Magical Nobility by now in the expanded Wizengamot over 2/3 of the seats of the Wizengamot were held by 'temporary advisory peers', selected by the public every five years, and who had the right to vote on legislation, serve of committees, draw salaries etc. And while at the end of the five years the noble families technically have the power of not calling for more advisors and ruling alone they have not had the courage (or foolishness) to do so.
Similarly while only the Noble families had the formal right to select the Minister of Magic via a vote in the Wizengamot the selection would be preceded by a 'non-binding advisory vote' open to the public who very well expected to be listened to.
As such while formal power remained with the Nobility and Britain is a Noble Republic by its laws in truth the retention of said formal control was contingent on the Nobility never actually exercising their ancient rights beyond voting in the Wizengamot and even this was constrained by traditions and conventions. In a sense they mirrored the position of the Crown in Muggle Britain, though they were much more influential due to their seats in the Wizengamot giving them an active and powerful political voice when they were untied on an issue. Though in practice this unity was generally lacking outside inheritance laws……
Reforms in the Late 1500's and early 1600's also lead to the creation of the Law Lords, Wizengamot members who were forbidden from voting, speaking in sessions or serving on any committee of the Wizengamot except the Judges Committee. This allowed for the creation of a professional and independent judiciary without formally undermining the role of the Wizengamot which remained the 'Font of Justice' and highest court of the land and also allowed for all to be tried in an impartial system. There were further legal reforms by time of the Statue of Secrecy abolishing the difference between Noble and Commoner for the purposes of law and criminal matters……………In general the public of Wizarding Britain has been happy with the bargain it struck with its nobility, avoiding the much more violent upheavals which characterised the transition to democracy that Germany and Spain saw…………
Family Structure and Society
Wizarding families are significantly different to their muggle counterparts. The prime two deviations from the muggle structure of the family are in regards to women and same-sex partnerships…..
Compared to the Muggle world witches have consistently enjoyed not just more legal equality but respect. From Matriarchal Noble families to larger number of women in the workforce Witches hold more influence in all spheres compared to their muggle counterparts. For example the first female Minister of Magic was appointed over 250 years before the first female prime minister. Similarly the equality of witches in harnessing magic is also a well established principle compared to the muggle world were women's capability was still an open question……As such compared to the Muggle world House husbands or stay at home fathers are much more common and accepted as women are not held inferior due to their gender and thus the stigma of men taking over domestics roles is not as high.….
The second largest difference is procreation and the related open acceptance of same-sex couples. Unlike the muggle world wizards and witches since ancient time have had many more options in terms of procreation. This has meant that not only is male pregnancy in relation to same-sex couples is an established and non-controversial part of the Wizarding world but such pregnancy and procreation also extends to opposite sex couples where the wizard rather than the witch would carry children to term due to a variety of reasons including more flexibility in work etc.…………
Geography
Wizarding Britain's population can be broken up into groups depending on how integrated they are into the muggle world, with most magical's living in what the ministry calls PWS- Predominantly Wizarding Settlements or EWS- Exclusive Wizarding Settlements. Though a portion chooses to integrate entirely into the muggle world.
PWS refers mostly to the magical villages that are settled mostly by magical's but are known and are open to the muggle population. In fact most of these settlements have some muggles living in them, but since these muggles are related to wizards in some way they can be told about magic without violating the statute of secrecy……. These settlements that have endured over the centuries are generally well integrated into the Muggle economy and society, making a living selling fruits, vegetables, meats, grains and other such products to muggles and acting as a conduit for trade from the EWS to the muggle economy.
And while agriculture has been important to the magical economy for centuries in recent years these products have been gaining increasing popularity in the muggle world as wizards are able to use magic to avoid the need for muggle commercial fertilizer, pesticide and herbicide. Meaning wizards are able to capitalize on the muggle organic food trend which has boosted the livelihoods of the average Wizard in a PWS…………
While the integration of these settlements into the muggle economy and governance structures poses some limitations, a series of wards and charms in each village and town makes it so that the magical population can mostly freely and openly practice magic and wizarding traditions while discouraging unwanted attention and visitors………The schools of these settlements teach the basics of magic along with muggle GCSE's, but with most of the magical education especially for the OWL level and above done at home via self studying.
EWS refers mostly to the magical settlements that are settled only by magical's (with a few rare exceptions) and more importantly are hidden completely to the muggle population, not integrated into the muggle world, not open to muggle visitors nor found on muggle maps. These settlements are composed of villages, towns and cities such as Ottery St Catchpole, Ravenden, Fairmarket, Eastwood, Port Nott, New Camelot, Witches bay, Blackwood Vale, Dragonsmouth, Old Anchor, Hogsmeade and Godric's Hollow as well as the urban magical settlements geographically integrated into muggle cities such as Magical London (commonly called Diagon Alley), Magical Edinburgh (Commonly called Hufflepuff Town) and others. These settlements are not integrated into the Muggle economy and society despite in many cases being right next door to them; Many traditional wizards and witches argue that these exclusive wizarding settlements make up the true core of Wizarding Britain…..
Even compared to PWS the magical population can freely and openly practice magic and wizarding traditions in these areas…… Schools teach a much more magically orientated curriculum with much less if any focus on muggle qualifications…….
Politics
The Wizengamot and Office of the Minister of Magic is the heart of the political battlefield of Wizarding Britain and contesting these are the two main political factions of Wizarding Britain. These are the Liberals and the Traditionalists. Unlike in muggle politics there are no real parties per say, rather the Wizengamot is composed of factions where the individual Peer is much more independent than the average muggle MP. This independence is helped by the instant runoff voting systems and generally multiple candidates from each faction compete with each other, not just the other faction. This disunity compared with stronger local allegiances to particular Peer over decades means that no faction is ever solidly in power and decisions are made more on a case to case basis rather than on the basis of a party manifesto or program……Also present are a number of smaller more focused activists groups, political campaigns and minor political factions such as the Radical People's Army which advocates for the overthrow of the nobility and the establishment of a single party democratic socialist workers collective state, the Scottish Magical's Independence Campaign, the Irish Magical's Independence Campaign, Welsh Wizards Independence league, the English Wizards and Witches Freedom League, the Magical Folk Equality Campaign, the Muggleborn Anti-Discrimination Committee, the Magical Forest Protection Committee, the Magical Creatures Ethical Treatment Council, and many more groups. These groups while not holding much political power overall were still vocal and on certain issues were able to insert themselves into the political centre and spotlight, being able to forge new majorities on certain issues. For example stricter conservational and hunting laws being brought forth by the Magical Forest Protection Committee and its supporters in 1985 whose work has allowed for the largest network of protected magical forests in all of Europe, matching Russia, which has much more magical forest in absolute terms on its enormous lands but is also unfortunately unable or unwilling to set more of them aside for preservation and conservation purposes………..
Similarly the contest for the Minister of Magic is won more by ad hoc and temporary coalitions brought to life by skilled political operators rather than sustained coalitions………
Education
Since a slim majority of Wizarding Britain lives in PWS' and among muggles most wizarding children study magic part time, being integrated into the muggle education system. They rarely achieve NEWTs required for most magical roles, receiving most of their magical education from self learning or from friends and family. This is the traditional way most Wizards and witches have lived for generations………..As such ,many of these students like their parents rarely transition into the core wizarding world, continuing to be fruit and grain farmers, Vintners, Dairy farmers, Poultry farmers, sheep herders, brewers, craftsmen, or take up other muggle careers, however in recent years more students are integrating more heavily into the wizarding world with the Ministry providing training course for adults seeking Newts, OWLS and also giving businesses subsidies for on the job training.
EWS have schools dedicated to magical education and qualifications with few offering muggle recognized qualifications, what is offered is also limited by lack of interest. Because of this, as well as the fact that the EWS' contain the bulk of the Wizarding worlds magical industry, almost all wizarding shops, magical farms, forest harvesting and forestry centers, potioneers, medical centers, ministry offices, regular offices, workshops and factories are situated in EWS's. The Education system is thus geared towards training students for jobs in these workplaces. …….
Wizarding Britain has 4 premier schools of magic. The most prominent and prestigious is Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry which ranks as one of the finest schools of magic in Europe. This is followed by Munster College, Albion School and Cadbury College. Each of which is newer and was built to compete with Hogwarts. Together these four schools have produced a disproportionate amount of Wizarding Britain's Ministers, Elected Wizengamot Members, Senior Ministry Officials, Senior Lawyers and Judges, Heads of Businesses and are the 'Nursemaids of the British Nobility'. Hogwarts in particular has a stranglehold on the elite of Wizarding Britain with ,for example, about 45% of Ministers of Magic, 35% of Ministry Departmental heads, 40% of judges and 42% of the heads of the wizarding Britain's 100 largest businesses being educated there……
This heavy influence of the alumni of just a few elite institutions and in particular of Hogwarts, whose alumni wield double the influence as the rest of the three combined, on Wizarding Britain is an established matter of controversy with one Wizengamot member of the Radical-Liberal Alliance Caucus complaining that "the politics of Wizarding Britain is just an endless replay of childhood disputes at Hogwarts, as things are now,……… if I hear one more argument on who snogged Betha Johnson first during a committee meeting on new fishing standards in going to scream."…….
…………….Higher Education in Wizarding Britain is mostly done through apprenticeship and on-the-job training programs with college style learning generally being disfavored barring certain specialist fields, for compared to Muggle subjects higher education and magic is much more practical and hands on. Wizarding Britain has only three formal Universities of magic, this is Merlin college based in Oxford, York Wizarding University, and Cambridge Magic College …….But Unlike the muggle world tertiary classroom based education is not seen as necessary in most fields….All three universities are still home to competitive programs though in certain fields. Many also prefer the universities due to the bursaries and scholarship that are available.
Culture and religion
Unlike the muggle world with its predominantly Christian-imbued culture the traditions of the Wizarding world are more diverse and based on many traditions such as the old ways of druidic worship of Celtic gods, nature worship, honoring magic as a god with some worshiping 'Lady Magic' and a sizable sect which worships the goddess of magic Hecate. Despite this however both due to its long periods of integration with muggles before the statute of secrecy as well as current existing ties to the muggle world the Christian faith still has a level of cultural dominance. All celebrate festivals such as Easter, Christmas, Halloween and Bonfire night even if these celebration are held to in a secular manner rather than a belief in any form of Christian or Abrahamic god……