Hey everyone,
Welcome to another installment of Harry Potter Theory.
When Muggleborn students are sent off to Hogwarts school, how do you think their parents explain
their absence to the rest of the Muggle world? What do their parents tell the government?
What do they tell their friends? To those with NO knowledge of the Wizarding World:
What HAPPENS to their children?
Today we’re going to be exploring all of that AND MORE as we discuss the Muggle-Born
students being sent to Hogwarts.
First things first I have to give credit where credit is due. This video was actually the
MOST requested topic from my recent community tab post. There, a user by the name of davidkennedy8929,
asked the following:
“I still want to see a video on how the muggle parents who sent their kids off to
school spoke to their friends regarding the magical world, Hermione’s parents come to
mind!”
So, what is a MUGGLEBORN and why is this such an intriguing topic?
Muggle-Borns are witches and wizards that come from non-magical families. They are effectively
the first magical individuals in their lineage, and because of their sudden manifestation
of magical abilities, they often surprise and confuse their muggle relatives. Muggle-borns
face particular challenges within the wizarding society, as their lack of magical heritage
can lead to skepticism and even hostility from some pure-blood individuals who believe
that magical ability should only be reserved for those born into wizarding families.
But regardless of how pure-bloods feel about them, muggle-borns ARE legitimate witches
and wizards, and they have every right to all of the aspects of Wizarding society- Hogwarts
included.
And one day, when the time is right, they end up getting their Hogwarts acceptance letter
just like everyone else.
Traditionally the Hogwarts acceptance letter informs new students of their acceptance to
Hogwarts,and along with the letter includes a list of required textbooks and materials
required for the upcoming school year. When a witch or wizard from a magical family receives
this letter, things are fairly straightforward. They know the procedure and when the time
comes for them to go to school, they’re brought to platform 9 ¾ and sent off.
The procedure for Muggle-borns, however, is a little bit different, as it often causes
a lot of confusion.
Hermione said the following:
"Nobody in my family's magic at all, it was ever such a surprise when I got my letter,
but I was ever so pleased, of course, I mean, it's the very best school of witchcraft there
is”
Colin Creevey also weighed in on the process:
“It’s amazing here, isn’t it? I never knew all the odd stuff I could do was magic
till I got the letter from Hogwarts. My dad’s a milkman, he couldn’t believe it either.
So I’m taking loads of pictures to send home to him.”
In the case of Muggleborns, Hogwarts dispatches a member of staff to travel to the home of
said Muggle-born student so that the letter can be properly introduced and explained.
The books don’t actually acknowledge which staff member is directly responsible for this,
however, as Mcgonagall is in charge of the registrar- it makes most sense that it would
be her responsibility. I can’t even begin to imagine how difficult it would be to explain
‘magic’ to a muggle, a real monster of a task, however, if it’s going to be anyone
- I think that either Dumbledore or McGonagall would be most convincing. In the films, we
see Dumbledore travelling to Wool’s orphanage to inform Tom Riddle of his acceptance to
the school. Though he was magical, he had no parents that he knew of, so it was necessary
for a member of staff to come and explain the process as well as the magical world.
But I wonder: does part of this introduction to the world of magic include an EXPLANATION
on what to tell their muggle friends and family?
One of the BIGGEST and arguably most IMPORTANT wizarding laws is the International Statute
of Wizarding Secrecy- a statute implemented in 1692 with the goal of hiding the existence
of witches and wizards from muggles.
“Wizarding society wasn’t always so hidden: not systemically, anyway. During the Medieval
period, wizards were persecuted brutally by Muggles, who were afraid of magic but not
very good at recognising it. This caused many wizards to operate in self-imposed secrecy.
Extremist wizards wanted war against Muggles, but the wider community instead opted for
secrecy: an international law enforced by each country’s Ministry of Magic, which
was responsible for concealing societies, controlling magical beasts, beings and spirits,
and making sure wizards don’t blow everyone’s cover.”
This is one of the largest and most important wizarding laws as it’s directly responsible
for the line separating muggle from magical. Breaches of this wizarding law are taken particularly
seriously (perhaps more seriously than anything else) and punishments CAN be severe.
But surely this must put the parents of these magical children in a tough position. If they
can’t acknowledge the magical worlds existence to outsiders, how are they supposed to rationalize
their children’s absence?
To friends and family I suppose you can make up some lie..Like ‘he’s off at boarding
school’…But what about government bodies?
In MOST places, parents are generally expected to report to the government that their children
are attending school. The legal requirements vary depending on the jurisdiction, but many
countries have compulsory education laws that require parents or guardians to ensure their
children receive an education. These laws typically specify the age range for compulsory
education and require parents to enroll their children in an accredited school or comply
with alternative education options, such as homeschooling or private schooling.
In the US, for example, all states have laws mandating school attendance, with specific
age requirements that vary by state. Parents are generally responsible for ensuring their
children attend school and may be required to provide proof of enrollment or attendance
to the government or local educational authorities.
If they can’t disclose information about the Wizarding World to their respective government,
how can they possibly rationalize their child’s absence?
I’ve got a number of theories.
Muggle Connections
Despite the Muggle and WIzarding World’s prominent division, it is worth noting that
there are SOME key muggle figures that DO know about all that is magical. One such individual
is the Muggle Prime Minister.
Traditionally, the British Prime Minister is informed about the existence of the wizarding
world on the night of their appointment. Occasionally, they would have meetings with their wizarding
world counterpart, the Minister for Magic, to discuss matters that could affect both
the wizarding and Muggle worlds, such as notable events like the escape of Sirius Black, the
mass breakout from Azkaban, and the return of Lord Voldemort.
And IF there were any incidents where magic and the Muggle world collided in a way that
couldn't be easily explained, the Prime Minister would work with the British Ministry of Magic's
Office of Misinformation to create a believable cover-up story.
Given that the Muggle Prime Minister is an ‘inside man’ with an incredible amount
of power, it stands to reason that the Prime Minister is responsible for creating / upholding
legislation that effectively covers up children attending a magic school.
In his role, I imagine that the Prime Minister would reserve the right to sever any investigations
in to what exactly ‘Hogwarts’ is- and on paper it would just be some private school
off in the Scottish Highlands. Alternatively, Muggleborn Hogwarts students may just be listed
as Home-Schooled kids that receive their curriculum from a school without a physical location.
Hogwarts would file the necessary paperwork to appear legitimate, but would really exist
as a ‘sham’ corporation by registering as a school entity and following protocols
similar to muggle private schools. This would then allow them to maintain a low profile
while still complying with certain requirements, without the need to completely remove muggle-born
students from public databases or disrupt their access to healthcare.
The next possibility is that the Ministry of Magic APPOINTS a specific witch or wizard
(or perhaps sub-department- Muggle Liaison Office?) to be responsible for helping parents
create a convincing facade surrounding their child’s whereabouts.
It would be the job of these insider wizards to work undercover in key muggle positions
and create a paper trail for Hogwarts so it looks like a regular boarding school.
My last theory is that it’s the responsibility of the Muggle Liaison Officer mentioned earlier
to help facilitate the student’s smooth transition in to magical education.
Given that it’s their job to explain the muggle world to the parents in the first place,
it would make sense that they would take responsibility for smoothing everything over and ensuring
that a seamless integration into Magical Society takes place.
As for friends and family, things get a bit easier. This is because there’s no government
mandate stipulating that you must legally tell your friends and family what you’ve
done with your child. In the case of Vernon Dursley, he simply told his sister Marge that
Harry was attending a "first-rate institution for hopeless cases”.
Harry Potter: "Well, it'll be hard work, pretending to Aunt Marge I got to that St Whatsits-"
Vernon Dursley: "St Brutus's Secure Centre for Incurably Criminal Boys!"
Harry Potter: "Exactly. It's a lot to remember. I'll have to make it sound convincing, won't
I? What if I accidentally let something slip?" Vernon Dursley: "You'll get the stuffing knocked
out of you, won't you?"
And that’s it for this video! What do you think? Had you ever pondered what Muggle parents
would have to go through to keep their respective government happy?
Let me know down in the comment section below
Also be sure to check out MORE content on my second channel HARRY POTTER THEORY EXTRA
where I post an additional 2-3 videos a week!
Until next time
Remember
It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live