• Quick note - the problem with Youtube videos not embedding on the forum appears to have been fixed, thanks to ZiprHead. If you do still see problems let me know.

Two questions about Harry Potter from someone who's not read the books

Bluegill

Graduate Poster
Bluegill
Joined
Oct 17, 2002
Messages
1,243
I started watching the most recent Harry Potter movie last night (watching half a movie per night is about all I can manage still, with two kids under the age of 2). And some questions re-occurred to me, so I thought I'd ask here, since I know there are quite a few Patter fans on the forum:

1) Does Hogwart's exist in the same physical realm as the muggle world? I mean, are the school and its grounds portrayed in the books as existing in a actual, isolated spot in the UK where muggles won't stumble across it, or is it "removed" somehow to a different dimension or parallel universe?

2) Just what is the Ministry of Magic? Is it a stand-alone governing body for wizards, or does it have actual ties to the British government and some form of guidance from Parliament, the Prime Minister, or the Queen?

Thanks, all!
 
1) It's somewhere in England, but protected by magic spells so that muggles just never go there.

2) The Ministry of Magic is the governing body for all Wizards. It has one tie to the real British government in that the Minister of Magic reports to the Prime Minister. New Prime Ministers are briefed on the magical world situation and then advised to ignore it and let the Ministry of Magic do all the work.
 
The "exists somewhere" extends beyond just Hogwarts. There are whole divisions of government described as hiding certain dangerous magical creatures (eg dragons) or magical areas from muggle eyes.
 
I've only up to early in the 4th book, so there's a lot of this I don't know either.

Since Wizards are in many other countries too, are a lot of other governments in on it at some level?
 
I appreciate the answers. I don't recall mention of it in the movies, and I didn't know how much was explained in the books.
 
hgc, your question surpasses my Potter knowledge. Logically each country should have its own Ministry of Magic reporting to the appropriate Prime Minister, but I think its pretty clear that there is only one Minister of Magic. I think there were some comments (in Half Blood Prince) about the Prime Minister contacting the President about Voldemort.
 
Hogwarts looks like an old ruin to Muggle eyes. The Ministry of Magic contacts the Prime Minister (and only the Prime Minister via an old painting in the Prime Minister's office which is mysteriously welded to the wall....
 
ChristineR said:
1) It's somewhere in England, but protected by magic spells so that muggles just never go there.
Click to expand...
I always got the impression that Hogwarts wasn't in England, but I don't think it's ever explicitly stated.
 
You get to Hogwart's from London via train, so I figured that put it in Britain at least if not England. But I suppose there could be a magical bridge across the channel. Rowlings mentions the other schools in France and Germany though, and everyone at Hogwart's speaks English.
 
ChristineR said:
You get to Hogwart's from London via train, so I figured that put it in Britain at least if not England. But I suppose there could be a magical bridge across the channel. Rowlings mentions the other schools in France and Germany though, and everyone at Hogwart's speaks English.
Click to expand...
I always had a feeling that Hogwarts was in Scotland. But I could have dreamed it.
 
<harry potter geek mode>

In the books, Hogwarts is made unplottable by many enchantments. To non-wizards it appears as a ruined castle. It is located in the British Isles and serves students from the UK and Ireland. AFAIK, Rowling has never stated a precise location, though from inferences in the books, its more likely to be Scotland.

The Ministry of Magic exists to look after magical interest in the UK. Other countries have a similar structures in place. It works just like any other UK Ministry and is therefore inefficient.

</harry potter geek mode>

Please don't laugh at me!:scared: :scared:
 
I guess if she gave a precise location it would be overrun by Muggle tourists. ;)

But I'm a little surprised about the multiple ministries of magic. They seem too big and too powerful relative to the fairly small number of UK wizards. For example, I get the impression that Hogwarts is the only large wizard boarding school in the UK. If so, the population of UK wizards must be a few thousand people.
 
Hmmm... I am reasonably sure there is more than one Ministry. In book 4, one of the people at the UK ministry was talking about having to find his counterpart from the Bulgarian Ministry. But you are right, to have one ministry for such a few wizards does seem a little strange.
 
From the attendence of the quidditch world cup I wouldn't guess the population of the wizarding world to be that small. Plus add in the non-wizard people that are aware of the wizard world and it seems to be a fairly large population world wide.

Add in that the world cup shows the wizarding world has just as much national pride as the muggle world and do you really think the Irish wizards would take orders from the English Ministry of Magic?

Hmmm, I wonder if there is a secret UN council for all the various agencies to communicate at.
 
sesmo_k said:
But you are right, to have one ministry for such a few wizards does seem a little strange.
Click to expand...
but remember, the MoM provides all the governmental and administrative services for the wizarding community. It acts as Home Office, Foreign office Department for Education, Department for Transport, a prison service &c., as well as providing a whole range of licensing and regulatory services. Frankly I'm surprised that there is only one Ministry in the UK.

I cant believe I'm seriously thinking about this. :boggled:
 
Darat said:
No one point the "Loose Changers" to this thread!
Click to expand...
so, you're saying the TEH GLOBALISTS are in fact members of the US Department for Magical Administration? :eye-poppi

It all makes sence now...
 
I have only read the first book and I haven't watched any movies, but even this extremely limited knowledge is enough to make me suspect that Rowling has not forethought all these details in advance. I'd be surprised if she even has an outline for the books when she begins them.
 
I think she knows the end, and as there is only one book left, I think she knew the rough events that would happen in each book to help her get to that end.

I don't think she has a detailed world history or political evaluation of a world with wizards in it (I believe Tolkien had something like that for middle-earth). That is more off the cuff for those details.
 
She may not have thought out a whole political system but I know for a fact that she did have the story planned out even knowing what events she would be setting in which location and so on.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top Bottom