CHAPDISC: HBP1, The Other Minister (from Meri) -- long!

[deborahhbbrd]

No: HPFGUIDX 141837


Lots of big snips of Meri's excellent comments. She must have put her
time in Purgatory to very good use!

<I almost wish that the chapter had delved deeper into the
relationship between the two worlds. I've always wondered: Do wizards
have any relationship to the royal family? Do they sing "God Save the
Queen"? Are they technically citizens of the RW? Do they pay taxes,
serve in the military when there's a draft, attend regular primary
schools, shop at the Gap?>

Such interesting questions! So, let's have a go ...

If the Muggle Prime Minister is horrified to see wizards appearing
down the chimney of Number 10, how would the royals respond?
(Heroically suppresses suggestions including homeopathic remedies and
small Welsh dogs.) And I suspect that if the royals don't know about
the wizarding world, then the WW might know that the royals exist but
wouldn't care much. It's not as if HM would ever visit St Mungo's, or
confer Orders of Merlin in person.

When does one sing "God save the Queen" these days, in Ma'am's
absence? Basically, at sports meetings. And I must say that if England
were ever to make it to the finals of the Football World Cup – no. Bad
Deborah. Toes in the oven. Ahem. When England made it to the finals of
the Rugby World Cup, GSTQ rang out all around the ground, especially
at the moment of victory; together with other songs. And at the
Quidditch World Cup ... lots of leprechauns and Veelas, but no
national anthems that I recall; books are elsewhere, though. And
Ireland are a bit iffy; one is never sure if it's the whole
geographical island playing or just the Republic. Or the Provinces.
For rugby union the whole island plays, and they've got a wonderful
song, but for football they're separate and I dunno what they sing. I
can imagine Kingsley Shacklebolt singing GSTQ most melodiously when
he's undercover in the MW, but not otherwise.

Being a citizen means being officially on the books of the civil
service. That's when the taxes (except VAT), schooling, soldiering etc
kick in. Being born is usually a big, fat clue to the civil service
that there's someone new to take an interest in. But, a wizard with a
National Health number? Clearly not! Or, if the birth was registered,
then the NHS services would be available but just never used – a real
money saver for the Muggle taxpayer. Or is it? How could wizards pay
taxes? In what currency? OK, nothing that Gringott's couldn't handle,
but why bother? Taxes pay for road and rail transport, communication,
social and medical services, education (not Hogwarts, though) and a
whopping great civil service. 

So, my take on it would be: wizards can if they choose become part of
the RW. Ron's uncle the accountant is a notorious example and must pay
taxes – unless he's <*that*> kind of accountant (nudge, nudge, wink,
wink). And they can if they choose interact with the RW, on their own
terms, as Dumbledore did at the orphanage. Just a sheet of blank
paper, under the right conditions, and everyone's happy! Wizarding
taxes would go to the MfM, and it is extremely likely that they do.
How else could it offer our Perce, and so many others, a steady job?
But, shopping at the Gap, or indeed at Boots or Harrod's, would be too
complicated to bother with. If there are no clothing shops in Diagon
Alley advertising Real Muggle Sportswear On Special – Astonish Your
Friends!, then I am surprised. 

Do RW and WW wars run in parallel? If so, there would be no cause for
wizards to enlist in Muggle armed forces; if not, they might if they
chose, using the Blank Paper Ploy, or they might be more usefully
deployed in a different capacity. Special Air Services, broomstick
division? Bletchley Park style codebreaking?

Where do wizards spend their Galleons? Clothing, OK. Medical services,
OK. Sport, OK. Entertainment and reading matter, OK. Pubs and fast
foods, OK. All nice and canonical. That leaves food, household
cleaning products and, er, apothecariceuticals. Which takes us back to
Molly in the kitchen. Bechamel flows from her wand into the chicken
and ham pie; origins of sauce, chicken, ham and pie crust unknown,
origins of potatoes ditto. My feeling is that the WW probably operates
a system analogous to Internet shopping – you make your order, and the
delivery takes place, perhaps by Floo if wands are an inconvenient
size and shape, or the man on the white broomstick delivers; payment
is of course by direct transfer. When Muggle taxis are needed, perhaps
one can have a small account in a Muggle bank to draw on in
emergencies; I know I run a small a/c in the foreign country I visit
most. And the VAT charged on the taxi fare would, rightly and
reasonably, go to the Muggle government to pay for the roads.

This is too neat and tidy! I must be overlooking something! Ah well,
help is sure to be at hand ...

Deborah, having such fun