Fictional universe of Harry Potter


The fictional universe of the Harry Potter series of novels contains two distinct societies: the "wizarding world" and the "Muggle world". The term "Muggle world" refers to a society inhabited by non-magical humans, while the term "wizarding world" refers to a society of wizards that live parallel to Muggles. The wizarding world is described as a veiled society wherein magic is commonly used and practised; the wizards live in self-enforced seclusion and hide their abilities from Muggles. The novels are set in 1990s Britain, which contains both Muggle and wizard communities. Any new works taking place in this universe are released under the Wizarding World brand.

Fundamentals

The plot of the Harry Potter series occurs between 1991 and 1998. The exceptions are the opening chapter of the first novel, which takes place in 1981, and the epilogue of the seventh novel, which takes place in 2017. Evidence of this time period comes in the second novel, when the ghost character Nearly Headless Nick is celebrating the 500th anniversary of his 1492 death. At various points throughout the Harry Potter timeline, flashbacks and flash-forwards depict time periods ranging from the 1920s to the 2020s. The depiction of the wizarding world is centred on magic, which not only imbues objects such as wands, but is also portrayed as an inborn ability of individuals. This organic ability can be honed and mastered through study and practice.
Wizards expend a great deal of effort keeping Muggles unaware of magic and the wizarding world. The novels explain that in the past, the two worlds co-existed. Over the centuries, persecution of wizards by Muggles resulted in the creation of laws designed to keep the wizarding world hidden, such as the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy of 1692. Enchantment of Muggle artifacts is forbidden, underage wizards are restricted from using magic outside of school, and any deliberate revelation of magical ability to the Muggle community is punishable. These laws are enforced by the British Ministry of Magic and the International Confederation of Wizards. There are some exceptions: Muggle relatives of British wizards are allowed to know about the wizarding world, as is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
The film Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them depicts wizarding laws in the United States during the 1920s. These laws differ in some ways from those in 1990s Britain. For example, the film reveals that American wizards are forbidden from having any social relationships with non-magical people.
In the Harry Potter series, some aspects of the wizarding world are depicted as being less-than-modern compared to the Muggle world. Candles are used for illumination instead of electrical or gas lamps, and owls are used to send messages instead of phone calls or emails. Instead of using pens or computers to take notes and write essays, Hogwarts students use ink-dipped quills and parchment. Wizards do not use paper currency, but instead rely on three types of coins: the gold Galleon, the silver Sickle, and the bronze Knut. The wizarding world does have at least one train, the Hogwarts Express, which is pulled by a steam locomotive. The novels depict wizards using a magic-powered equivalent to radio, but there is not an equivalent to television.

Geography

The wizarding world of the Harry Potter universe is embedded within the Muggle world. Wizards often live in magical enclaves within Muggle villages, such as Godric's Hollow in the West Country. Many wizarding homes in Harry Potter are depicted as being on the outskirts of a Muggle town. Only one settlement in Britain, the village of Hogsmeade, is home to an entirely magical population.
The wizarding high street of central London, Diagon Alley, lies just off Charing Cross Road. The Hogwarts Express train departs from King's Cross station using the fictional Platform 9¾. Magical locations are hidden by a combination of Muggle-repelling charms, illusions, and other protections. Some magical locations, such as the prison Azkaban and the stadium used for the Quidditch World Cup, are rendered "unplottable", meaning they are impossible to locate on a map. The castle of Hogwarts appears as abandoned ruins to any Muggle close enough to see.

Blood purity

Some extremist wizards oppose wizard-Muggle marriages, arguing that it dilutes the "purity" of wizard blood. These extremists use the term "pure-blood" to refer to a wizard who has very little or no Muggle blood in their ancestry. These supremacists believe that blood purity is a measure of a wizard's magical ability, although Ron Weasley rebuts this idea by pointing to the existence of so-called pure-blood wizards with low magical skills and claims that "most wizards these days are half-blood". Some families inbreed to maintain blood purity, which can result in offspring with mental instability and violent natures.
Half-blood is the term applied to wizards who have both magical and Muggle ancestry. Half-blood is the most common blood status, outnumbering pure-bloods and Muggle-borns. Rowling has stated that no bloodline is truly "pure"—fifty per cent of first-year Hogwarts students each year are half-bloods — but those who wish to claim purity deny the existence of Muggles and squibs in their ancestry.
Muggle-born is the term applied to wizard-folk whose parents are Muggles. Pure-blood supremacists often use the derogatory term "mudblood" to refer to Muggle-borns.
Squib is the term applied to a person who is born to magical parents, but has no magical abilities. The only squibs mentioned in the novels are Argus Filch, Arabella Figg, and a cousin of Molly Weasley.
Some wizards are the offspring of unions between humans and magical creatures. Examples include the sisters Fleur and Gabrielle Delacour, who are granddaughters of a veela; Rubeus Hagrid, who is half-giant; and Filius Flitwick, who has goblin ancestry. Bigoted wizard-folk sometimes use the derogatory term half-breed to refer to these mixed-species individuals.

Magical creatures

The Harry Potter universe is home to many magical creatures. Some are derived from real-world folklore and mythology, while others were created by Rowling. Some are modified versions of creatures from real-world lore. Below are a few of the more notable creatures described in the series.

Notable creatures

  • Acromantula — A gigantic spider that is capable of human speech. The acromantula is an invention of Rowling.
  • Augurey — A bird that looks like a skinny vulture, also called an Irish Phoenix. Its cry was once thought to foretell death, but is now understood to foretell rain. In Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, followers of Lord Voldemort were marked with an Augurey tattoo. The augurey is an original creation of Rowling.
  • Basilisk — A giant snake-like reptile, originating in European classical mythology. In the Harry Potter universe, a person or animal will die if they make direct eye contact with a basilisk, but will be merely petrified if they make indirect eye contact, such as through a mirror.
  • Boggart — A shapeshifting supernatural creature, originating in English folklore, that takes on the form of its victim's worst fear. In Prisoner of Azkaban, Remus Lupin teaches his students the Riddikulus charm to combat Boggarts. The spell makes a Boggart's appearance less fearsome or even comical. Rowling's Boggarts are derived from those in English folklore.
  • Centaur — A mythical creature, originating in Greek mythology, with a head and torso resembling those of a human, and with a lower body resembling that of a horse. Centaurs live in forests and are skilled in healing and astrology. Centaurs who associate with humans are often seen as traitors to their kind.
  • Dementor — A tall, skeletal, black-cloaked creature that drains happiness from people and forces them to relive their worst memories. They can suck a person's soul out through their mouth, which is known as the "Dementor's Kiss". The dementor is an original creation of Rowling.
  • Giant — A humanoid creature commonly found in all folklore around the globe. In the Harry Potter world, giants have considerable immunity to magical attacks. They can interbreed with humans, but wizards have actively driven them out of civilisation.
  • Goblin — A short and stocky humanoid with black eyes, a domed head and long fingers, originating in European mythology. Goblins run Gringotts Bank and speak a language known as Gobbledegook.
  • Hippogriff — A mythical creature that is part-eagle, part-horse. Wizards can own hippogriffs provided they cast a daily Disillusionment Charm on them.
  • House-elf — A type of short, skinny, intensely magical humanoid based on the brownie / broonie of Scottish folklore. Witches and wizards enslave house-elves and they wear discarded items such as pillowcases as part of their servitude, and are freed by being given an item of clothing.
  • Thestral — A carnivorous species of winged horse visible only to those who have experienced loss through death. They are described as having dragon-like faces, blank white eyes, large leathery wings and a black coat which clings to their almost-skeletal bodies. Hogwarts has a semi-tamed herd of thestrals, which pull the carriages that transport students to the castle. Thestrals can be ridden by wizards. The thestral is an original creation of Rowling.
  • Veela — A nymph / fairy, originating in Slavic folklore, that sometimes resembles an exceptionally beautiful woman, and sometimes reseembles a harpy. Veela are known for having the power to bewitch and enchant men.
  • Werewolf — A cursed human who transforms into a wolf-like creature during the full moon. The person has no control over the process and cannot choose whether or not it occurs. The werewolves in Harry Potter are derived from those found in real-world folklore.