Hey everyone,
Welcome to another installment of Harry Potter Theory.
Tell me,
If you lived in the wizarding world, what type of job would you want?
Some of you might have thought about this question a time or two already.
Perhaps you want to be an auror at the Ministry of Magic?
Or a professor, at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
You might think those are great choices, but they’re actually a bit limited.
There are hundreds of jobs to choose from in the wizarding world, and today, we’re
going to take a look at a handful of some of the most interesting ones: from Troll Trainer
to Magical Creature Breeder, and more.
Activist
There were no shortages of issues in the world of Harry Potter.
Since the very first wizard appears in historical records, so have social and political obstacles.
During the medieval era, wizards and witches found themselves at odds with the Muggles
who lived among them.
These conflicts were among the most bloody and traumatic in all of wizarding history.
Throughout that time, some members of the magical community made it their job to meet
with muggle leaders, and convince them to enact change in their kingdoms.
At the very same time, goblins regularly rebelled against the wizards in the magical world.
Just like the muggles mistreated wizards and witches, the wizards and witches, in turn,
mistreated goblins.
By the 18th century, some of these goblins even became famous enough to earn recognition
as influential activists, like Urg the Unclean.
Alchemist
You can think of alchemy like an ancient version of chemistry.
By Harry Potter’s time, wizards didn’t really have much use for it.
In fact, it was so unpopular that it was rarely even taught at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft
and Wizardry.
Alchemy, itself, was pretty simple.
As a field of magic, it was mostly concerned with three specific goals: changing tin, steel,
or iron into Gold; making a cure-all medicine that would make its user immortal; and distilling
an acid that was strong enough to dissolve anything.
If you remember Harry Potter’s first year at Hogwarts, there was a French alchemist
who actually discovered a way to live forever: Nicolas Flamel.
Although there wasn’t much need for alchemy by the rise of the modern Ministry of Magic,
an individual wizard could try to strike gold by choosing this career.
Apparition examiner
Apparition wasn’t easy.
Of all the magical skills that young wizards and witches could be trained in, this ability
to teleport from one location to another, was among the most advanced.
And, it was extremely dangerous, too.
It wasn’t uncommon for wizards and witches to be tested on their ability by an Apparition
Examiner, especially in the United States.
As their job name implies, an Apparition Examiner judged an individual’s ability to safely
use the technique without causing harm to themselves or others.
Bartender
There were plenty of unique, magical jobs in the world of Harry Potter, but there were
plenty of ordinary ones as well.
If you grew up with a magical ability, you wouldn’t be limited to a career at the Ministry
of Magic or the Magical Congress of the United States of America.
You could take an ordinary job, as well.
One of the most interesting professions was a simple bartender.
Whether at the Three Broomsticks Inn, the Hog’s Head Inn, or any other pub, a bartender
had the task of filling drink orders and running the business behind a bar.
With innumerable magical cocktails and drinks, the job was actually one of the more interesting
ones in the wizarding world.
Magical creatures breeder
Breeding magical creatures was a particularly sought after skill.
While some muggles, like Dudley’s aunt Marjorie, enjoyed breeding bulldogs…
wizards and witches could breed far more exotic creatures.
Although the career drew the attention of the Ministry of Magic from time to time, who
was concerned with the mistreatment and abuse of magical creatures, breeders were by-and-large
free to spend their days with the animals they loved.
Lord Stoddar Withers was one of the most famous wizard breeders of his day.
He bred winged horses, and even used them to create a new sport, flying polo.
Others, bred more domestic creatures.
The Kneazle, a cat-like animal with a XXX classification from the Ministry, was often
bred in order to safeguard its owners’ home and possessions.
Arabella Figg was a reputable kneazle breeder in Britain during Harry Potter’s time at
Hogwarts, and earned enough money to live a comfortable life.
Curse-breaker
Curse breaking was a tough business, that’s for sure.
Just like a bomb squad defuses a bomb, a curse-breaker defused curses.
You might remember that Ron Weasley’s older brother, Bill, worked as a curse breaker after
graduating from Hogwarts in 1989.
And, it might not seem like it, but curse-breaking was actually one of the most lucrative careers
you could have in the wizarding world.
Gringotts Wizarding Bank often hired curse breakers to go on international expeditions,
in search of ancient treasure that they could add to their vaults beneath Diagon Alley.
When a treasure was discovered, a curse breaker was tasked with investigating what type of
horrible illness or monster protected it.
Once, while looking for treasure in Egypt, Bill even had to fight against a mummy as
part of his job.
Dragonologist
Dragons are among the most fascinating magical creatures in the wizarding world.
For that reason, many young magizoologists are drawn to the field of Dragonology, where
they study the biology, society, and history of the winged creatures.
By Harry Potter’s time, most dragons had been moved to magical reserves, due to the
encroachment of muggles in their natural habitat.
While studying dragons in these smaller territories wasn’t as wondrous as studying them in the
raw wilderness, dragonologists didn’t seem to mind so much.
Compared to other, more lucrative, careers, a life spent as a dragonologist wouldn’t
make you particularly rich.
But those drawn to the job were never chasing money, anyway.
They become dragonologists because of their love for Chinese Fireballs, Hebridean Blacks,
and the rest of their scaled cousins.
Healer
Compared to Muggles, Wizards and Witches had far better healthcare.
The contrast was starker in the ancient world, as well.
Before the rise of modern medicines, entire Muggle towns and counties could be wiped out
by a particularly nasty strain of the flu, or a bacteria that infested the local drinking
water.
While these types of ailments presented the same problems to the wizarding world, magical
cures ensured that those illnesses were far less fatal for wizards and witches.
And as the centuries passed, and the modern Muggle world developed its own advanced medical
treatments, the magical healers remained superior.
The process for becoming a magical healer was just as rigorous as becoming a Medical
Doctor.
If you ever want to hold one of these rare positions at St. Mungo’s hospital for Magical
Maladies and Injuries, then you have to be at the top of your class, and receive top
marks on your NEWTs
When you compare a healer’s job to a muggle doctor, you’ll find a few interesting differences.
Since magical charms and curses were so creative, a healer’s magic had to be as well.
When a patient rolled into the hospital with a boneless limb or a cursed hand, healers
had to use all of their know-how to figure out what spells and potions to employ.
Duellist
In the Second Wizarding Wars, it's hard to imagine dueling as anything other than a way
to win battles.
With Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters standing against Dumbledore and the Ministry of Magic,
Harry Potter and his peers studied dueling in order to prepare themselves for the inevitable,
and tragic, battles to come.
But outside of warfare, dueling had another role in the wizarding world.
Just like Quidditch, dueling was a sport, and a natural outlet for a young wizard's
aggression and physical energy.
Although careers as a duelist were not very lucrative, with only the top combatants earning
a decent living, many young students often dreamed of becoming one.
Troll Trainer
When it comes to large, powerful creatures, there are few stronger than trolls.
And that makes them the perfect security guards.
Although they’re not very smart, some species of trolls could be trained, and assigned,
to protect wizards and witches in the wizarding world.
The process of training these trolls was given to a Troll Trainer, and it was a fairly decent
job for someone with a knack for it.
As you might expect, training trolls isn't without its fair share of hurdles.
The gigantic creatures were clumsy at best, and deliberately murderous at worst.
It wouldn’t be uncommon for a trainer to fly halfway across a room after receiving
a backhand from their troll.
But the risk of bodily harm wasn't enough to stop trainers from participating in the
profitable business.
Well, there you have it, 10 bizarre, but lucrative, careers in the wizarding world.
What do you think of them?
Has it steered you away from a potential life as an auror at the Ministry?
Or as a professor at Hogwarts?
Let me know which job you’d choose in the comments below.
And if you’d like to learn more about the hundreds of other jobs unique to the wizarding
world, be sure to leave that in your comment as well.
Until next time
Remember
It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live