Why the Malfoys Are This Way and Sociology

[southernscotland]

No: HPFGUIDX 33532

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., Lilahp wrote one snowy afternon:
> 
> But I still don't understand why the wizards didn't just take over 
> > instead of retreating and creating their own little world..If 
they couldn't have back then, they certainly could have by now.   
> > 
then "david_p2002ca" wrote:

> >Look at the size of the wizard population in the UK...So, there 
are 1000 magic children in the age range of 11 to 18 in the UK... 
we're looking at a magical population of no more than 22 000 in the 
UK, with over 59 million muggles.
> 

I am sure that all of you are right, if we are thinking about normal 
population assimilation. 

I didn't mean that they should come out into the open - I don't think 
many of us muggles, if we knew of their existence, would treat them 
much better than we would have centuries ago!

Permit me to explain. What I did mean was that the wizarding world 
could have taken over Entirely By Secret. Since they seem to be able 
to keep things from being discovered so well. 

In this view, the wizards would be like spies, only they would be 
looking out for their own interests in our world. We would never know 
they were anything but like us (except for those who had them in the 
family). 

They wouldn't necessarily need a great deal of people, either, once 
they had the persons they wanted in the important positions that they 
needed to have filled. Like, say, in government, for example. A few 
spies could do a lot.  

It would be similar to the ways in which some wizards mix with 
muggles now, only more so. With magic, they could make a lot of 
events happen in our society to suit them. 

To me, it would seem to take less effort than keeping a whole other 
world under wraps. The magical world could still have its hidden 
areas, but the wizards would be able to exist more and more in our 
world, all in secret. 

Then they would gradually and irretrievably change and refine our 
society to be more like theirs, all without our knowledge or memories 
of what they were doing. (Even now, quite a few things go on in 
our "normal" towns and cities that we, the common people, aren't 
aware of.) 

It would have to be very slow, because right now, muggle/wizard 
families exist where the muggle members, especially, would notice any 
drastic or non-benevolent changes. When necessary, Memory Charms and 
other spells and potions would be most advantageous here. 

After all, they already have demonstrated "improving" memories for 
some of us, and they do other, mostly minor, things which have an 
impact on our world. The muggle/wizard families both know about these 
policies, and, I assume for protection's sake, mostly approve of 
them. 

That's how it could start - most innocently. Just a little bit more 
meddling to a few more folks. It won't hurt those muggles...it will 
do them some good... 

Over time, though, they might not have to use such things as much, as 
they obtained more control, and needed our permission and knowledge 
less and less. The following generations wouldn't necessarily know 
what they missed.

It wouldn't all be a bad thing - the environment, for example, could 
certainly use a bit of magic. Also, at the beginning at least, some 
of the wizards would be convinced that such new policies would be 
Entirely For Our Own Good. They would become Our Benevolent 
Protectors. A More Advanced Society.  

Not saying that I don't trust their politicians, but from what we've 
seen so far...(I know that Dumbledore would prevent it, but there 
seems to be only one of him at present. And maybe some of this would 
occur far from his all-knowing eyes.)

I know that they have, and have had, strict laws against 
interference, but they have shown that they can do what they must, 
for security's sake. It must be, and must have been, tempting for 
some of them to try to take it further. 

Even the social workers among the group might want to start trying to 
improve the lot of human beings, since we seem to mess so many things 
up. You know, in a "Gandalf-who-would-use-the-ring-only-for-good" 
sort of way. 

Once you start, it's a slippery slope...and in some ways, they have 
already started...

That's my point - and maybe that's part of Voldemort's plan, after he 
takes care of the good wizards and becomes immortal. You need a few 
servants when you become king of the world, and if they're muggles, 
so much the better, right?

(Again, sorry if what I am getting at has been discussed extensively 
by folks in this very forum. And I know I earlier brought up 
Middle-Earth's elves, but they seem to be different from the wizarding
realm.) 


lilahp 

(who lives in the American South and hardly knows what this thing 
called "snow", which was attributed to her, is, but liking the 
concept!)