[HPforGrownups] Re: Now that I think about it, I'm not sure the Basilisk was such a good idea...

[Kelly Grosskreutz]

No: HPFGUIDX 57961

I don't really have much to contribute to this fascinating conversation, but
I did want to place this a little bit more correctly into history.

Darrin wrote:
>
> Who would have been the most likely attackers in Slytherins time? The
> Muggles, specifically, the Inquisition and other witch-hunters. To
> defend the school, it should have been charmed to attack Muggles, not
> Muggle-borns, and certainly not left to just roam free, attacking
> whomever.

Slytherin's time was a thousand years ago.  That would place it in the late
900's/early 1000's.  1066 was the year Britain was invaded by, IIRC, the
Normans.  When this invasion occured, Britain underwent a huge change in
language and most likely culture.  My memory on this is too spotty to really
give details about this time period, but one thing I am aware of is the
Inquisition was a few centuries later.  Not saying there was no persecution
whatsoever of anybody during these times, but the era of the witch hunts
that we are familiar with was quite a bit later.  And depending exactly when
the four founders got together and created Hogwarts, it could have occured
before 1066, placing it in the latter part of the Dark Ages, a period where
many were poorly educated and would be more likely to believe in and accept
magic.  True history buffs feel free to hop in and help me out here.

Kelly Grosskreutz
http://www.idcnet.com/~ivanova