Wizard Politics (was Re: (OT) George "Dubya" Voldemort

[Rita Winston]

No: HPFGUIDX 5550

--- In HPforGrownups at egroups.com, "Scott " <harry_potter00 at y...> 
wrote:

> Also a thought about Wizard Politics...I know it probably isn't the 
> most likely but couldn't it be possible that the MoM is a ministry 
> (dept.) of an international Wizard Government (similar to the UN, 
> in a way...) and that the Warlocks are the governing body (like 
> Parliament or Congress).  Each country's Ministry is a segment of 
> that one gov.'t....Does that make sense at all???

I made some notes... in SS, Dumbledore's letterhead identifies him as 
a member of International Confed. of Wizards. In CoS, the letter 
threatening Harry for underage magic refers to Section 13 of the 
International Confederation of Warlocks' Statute of Secrecy. PoA, 
page 33 of UK paperback refers to International Federation of 
Wizards. I haven't made notes on GoF yet. 

Are these three different organizations, or one organization and the 
proofreader isn't good at remembering its correct name? (There is 
real life (tm) precedent: I work for MTA, Metropolitan Transportation 
Authority, but two-thirds of the time both employees and the media 
say Metropolitan Transit Authority by mistake.) Lori has this 
organization as a wizarding world government in PoU.

My notes also say: SS says dragon breeding was outlawed by Warlocks 
Convention of 1709 (and Dumbledore's letterhead says he is Chf. 
Warlock, Chf. of what is not clear). In CoS,, Ron says that his 
father is overburdened with work as, in the office there is only 
him and an old warlock named Perkins. There is a reference to the 
International Warlock Convention of 1289, and one of the boys says he 
comes from nine generations of witches and warlocks. PoA, page 42 of 
UK paperback says 'wild-looking warlocks' and page 149 says 'a bunch 
of rowdy warlocks'.

I used to like the idea that in HP universe, 'warlock' means an 
elected representative, therefore can be either witch or wizard. Chf. 
Warlock is prestigeous enough to be listed on the Headmaster's 
letterhead, and electec representatives are perfectly capable of 
getting rowdy in a bar. I can fantasize that Perkins being 'an old 
warlock' implies that he is useless at the job because he was given 
it as a retirement (defeat) gift by his old colleagues. But I can't 
fit 'nine generations of witches and warlocks' into that theory 
except by claiming that it was a typo.

Btw, PoA page 181 refers to "Professor Vector, the Arithmancy witch".