[HPforGrownups] Wizard and Muggle Interactions

[Etha Williams]

No: HPFGUIDX 32540

--- Vicki <morrigan at byz.org> wrote:
> Hi all -
> 
> I'm new to the list and am very much enjoying it - it's great to be around
> others who are as into the whole HP world as I am. :)
> 
> Now, I have a question, and it may be something that's already been
> discussed, so I apologize if that is the case.  But - how is it that there
> ARE muggles aware of the wizarding world?  JKR makes the strong point of how
> muggles are not to know about magic, and we have muggles being protected by
> Arthur Weasley, et all, and yet we have a number of examples of muggles who
> are aware of magic and are left with that knowlege.
> 
> First, we have Lily and the Evans, which leads directly to Harry and the
> Dursleys.  Petunia mentions that her parents were so happy to have a witch
> in the family.  Petunia's jealousy undoubtedly helps to form Vernon's
> feelings about magic; they both hate the idea and as we know, try their
> hardest to keep Harry out of it.  But they are aware of it all the time.
> 
> The second example we have is Hermione and the Grangers.  We don't hear a
> lot about them, but it's certainly mentioned often that Hermione is
> "muggle-born" (or that she's a mudblood if it's Malfoy talking).  We know
> that her parents are dentists and that she buys a special kind of magical
> floss as a gift for them during a trip to Hogsmeade.  We know that they
> accompany her to Diagon Alley at least once and that they're supportive of
> her, although they don't want her using magic to solve everything.
> 
> We also have the examples of Hagrid's father and Tom Riddle's father and
> their different reactions to the women they fathered children with. Hagrid's
> giantess mother leaves her family, but supposedly his father loved her,
> accepted her and didn't want her to leave.  Riddle's father kicked his
> mother out when he found out she was a witch.
> 
> So, the ultimate question is, how is all this possible?  Why are some
> muggles allowed knowlege of magic while most are not?  Do I just need to
> stop thinking so much? ;)
> 
> Vicki

I would assume that some muggles are allowed to find out about magic because it would be rather
akward, for example, to see your husband randonmly disappearing in the middle of a casual
conversation, or for a bunch of strange people dressed in robes to just suddenly come and yank
your daughter away to a place about which you have no clue, and then leave you, still with no
clue. So probably for the sake of maintaining normalcy in situations where muggle-magical contact
is inevitable (i.e., marriages and parenting) the nuclear family is allowed to know -- but no
other muggles.

I suppose that wizards could continually be putting memory charms on the muggles
parenting/marrying a magical person, but not only would this be highly impractical, but it would
also probably be considered unethical -- after all, being so unaware of one's spouse or child
can't make for a good relationship.

-Etha 


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