Ministry of Magic, and mage-Muggle relations

[Eric Oppen]

No: HPFGUIDX 24359

If the Ministry of Magic is like other cabinet-level positions in the
British government, it would change hands whenever a change of party control
in Parliament occured.  There would be a "shadow" Minister of Magic,
affiliated with the opposite party (i.e. a Tory "shadow" MoM under the
current Labour regime, forex) and if Parliament changed hands, he would take
over.  So far, Herself hasn't mentioned this, but it would be an interesting
plot complication at some point.  Would Lucius Malfoy be the "shadow" MoM?

As for mage-Muggle relations, my own experience is that British bureaucracy
(or "bureaucrazy" as I spelled it when I was little) is so byzantine that it
wouldn't surprise anybody to have some special sub-section of the law that
is invoked to explain why the (wizard) family at the end of the lane doesn't
send their children to the local comprehensive school.  I do think, though,
that wizards are British subjects like any others, just with special
institutions to deal with their special powers.  Putting Voldemort, or even
an ordinary wizard, into Dartmoor wouldn't do much good---he could probably
crash on out pretty easily.

I bet the wizards of Britain rallied around to their side during World Wars
One and Two---just keeping out of sight and doing their bit for Blighty
without the public knowing they were there.  Was Grindelwald the motive
force behind Hitler?