Relationship between the Muggle & the Wizarding World

[Mindy, a.k.a. CLH]

No: HPFGUIDX 24162

I am still quite perplexed by the entire premise of JKR's books. Granted,
I know that they are fantasy and all, but still, realistically I still
have a lot of unsettling doubts.

There is a series of books, THE MENNYMS, by Sylvia Waugh, in which a
family of rag dolls must try their darndest to keep their existence a
secret from humans. It's actually a fantastic series, and the family
manages quite well. But, here it's only ONE family... I don't understand
how an entire POPULATION, an entire WORLD, can manage to always, always,
keep their existence a secret. Don't they EVER have to go out in the
'real' world for some thing or other? Do they  live in exclusive villages
like Hogsmeade, or if they're scattered around London, etc., don't the
Muggles notice them? Do you mean to tell me, that the big government of
England, for instance, has never noticed this huge unusual population?
Isnt' there a census or something? Doesn't every citizen have to pay
taxes or whatever? You can't just be a 'non-entity'. You exist, and you
live in this world, and people are bound to notice you. They are not
entirely invisible. The government of England would know if a 'village'
of such exists, and if they live mixed, then they are certainly due to
pay taxes or whatever. And then again their are fire inspections and
other government - related things you can't wiggle out of. It smacks
extremely unrealistic and improbable that the wizarding existence is
totally unnoticed. All it takes is one person to discover it, which leads
to one magazine article describing it, which leads to one television
special, and the secrt is out!

Now, the Wizards do not have electricity. but they do have plumbing.
(Btw, how do they wash their laundry without wash machines?) And let's
say their toilet breaks down. Do they have their 'own' plumbers, so that
they don't have to call the Muggle plumbers, etc.? And when something
like this DOES happen, since the Wizards are totally inept in anything
Muggle-related, won't their existence suddenly be crystal clear? Say for
instance, that a nosy neighbor, or a meter reader, or a survey taker,
knocks on their door. Doesn't a Muggle knocking on a Wizard's door,
notice that this house is somehow different? No electricity, no lights?
How does a Wizard deal with a Muggle, when it comes to it, if he is so
inept in Muggle things? Why, if there are Muggle studies in school, dont'
we ever read about them? Why is Arthur so excited about 'eklectricity' --
don't they learn about it in Muggle studies? Do these Wizards think
they're so smart, knowing curses and potions and charms, when they know
absolutely zero about the world around them -- biology, science,
technology, etc.?

Also, I dont' think it's legal to live with a telephone. How, can the
Wizards contact an ambulance, policeman, or fireman in case of an
emergency? Do they even HAVE an emergency squad? Or are wizards so
magical that they can worm their way out of any emergency -- fire,
burglary, and illness? What if Ginny Weasley went to buy a new dress
robe, and couldn't decide which color. She can't owl her mother and wait
two days in the store for an answer! Why dont they have cell phones or
public phones or something? Even the Amish have public phones!

Don't the Wizards ever have to come in contact with Muggles for survival?
And when they do, they are totally unprepared. Look what happened at the
world cup -- Arthur couldn't even count money. When they have to travel,
what to they do? How does Charlie come in from Egypt all the time? Flying
broomsticks all the way to Egypt? They DO take the train, though -- the
Hogwarts Express. If they walk around dressed up in robes on the street
all the time, aren't they immediately visible? Are they all in Muggle
clothing when they go to the train station? Don't the people working at
the railway station notice something weird?

How do Wizards manage to marry Muggles if the Muggle world is so foreign
and even contemptuous to Wizards? What if the Wizard cant convince the
Muggle what a lovely world Wizarding is, and the Muggle insists on using
microwave ovens and watching television even though she is married to a
wizard? Does a muggle married to a wizard sever all her ties with her old
world, so as not to betray the secrets of her spouse? Look at Lily Potter
for instance -- her sister knew full well she was a witch. Did Lily have
to sever all ties with her friends and mother etcetra, because she now
belonged to this 'other' world? What about people like Hermione's
parents? How much do they know of what wizarding is? What does it feel
like for Hermione to walk back into a Muggle home at the end of term,
with the computers and Nintendos when she is a Wizard in training and
possesses 'different' powers? What if a wizard marries a muggle and the
muggle life is so enticing, he decides to leave the wizarding world and
become a muggle? Doesnt he take all the secrets with him - -and can
expose them to the world in one instant?

Additionally, I don't know how the Muggle kids survive without the
electronic pastimes out kids can't be without. No TV. No movies. No
computers. No electronic games. No Nintendo. It is highly unrealistic to
expect all of the Wizarding kiddies to sit and read or play card games
all day. What a highly boring life. Why would a child want to have such a
life when there is such an exciting electronic life out there?

Another question that perturbs me is the apparent pride of being wizard,
and the knocking down of the Muggles. It smacks reminiscent of the Third
Reich-- WE are the master race, and THEY, are just lowly Muggles. Mind
you, there are several billion muggles living in this world, and only a
few thousand Wizards who are not known, and hardly know each other.

Another question I have, is how they manage to support themselves with
only magical jobs. There are only so many people who can work for the
Ministry, and only so many people who can have shops in Hogsmeade. What
if someone wants to be a doctor? A lawyer? A scientist? There are no
schools of that sort in the Wizarding World, are there? What happens when
a witch gives birth? Goes only to the St. Mungo hospital? Never to the
Muggle hospital?

About schooling -- I don't understand why such simple subjects such as
making objects fly and flying on brooms are only taught at age eleven.
what did the kids do until then? Went to regular Muggle school? Ginny was
a teeny kid when Charlie was already disapparating and her father was
traveling by Floo Powder. Do you mean to say that she didnt catch on to
any of the spells and charms her family was using? She had to stay in
chains and wait eleven years to start training to live the life her
family lives every day? Also, what can be taught in seven full years
already? don't these teachers run out of materials? How many potions,
magical creatures, curses, spells, charms and potions can they come up
with? I think this can all be taught in two or three years. SEVEN years
worth of learning material? And what are they learning? Just to be
THEMSELVES? Just to learn to be a wizard -- as opposed to WHAT? As
opposed to being a muggle? They know NOTHING about muggles! Isn't the
wizarding life, the life they are living every day? They have to LEARN
about it -- ad nauseum, ad infinitum?

The very base of the idea of the Wizarding World perturbs me. I don't
quite understand how the relationship between the  Wizarding and the
Muggle world works itself out. I have so many questions. These are just
half of them. I will write more later. I hope this sparks a lively
discussion.


MINDY