Wizard World prejudices---are they justified?

[ericoppen]

No: HPFGUIDX 152629

On this list, we've often bewailed the prejudice that prevents Remus 
Lupin, a character most of us like, from being able to get a decent 
job---why, the poor man's reduced to _teaching!_  What's left below 
that---the Ministry of Magic?  *grin*  

However, it occurs to me to wonder:  Just how _justified_ are the 
WW's prejudices?  Granted, Lupin is a gentle, civilized individual 
who does not deserve mistreatment---how typical of werewolves-in-
general is he?  If the average werewolf was more like Fenrir 
Greyback, revelling in his wolfishness and maliciously hurting 
people, I'd say that the average wizard and witch would be well 
justified in steering clear of any known werewolf.  Hard luck on 
Lupin, but even Lupin himself acknowledges that when the moon's 
full, he's terribly dangerous.  Were he living near me, I'd like 
him, but I'd still keep a shotgun loaded with silver swanshot near.

Same goes for Hagrid.  Hagrid himself is a sweetheart, but does his 
half-giant background account for his, shall we say, common-sense 
shortfall?  I mean, honestly, what did the great oaf think would 
happen if people found out about him keeping a bloody _acromantula_ 
in the Castle?  He's kind of like what I posted earlier about Sirius-
--he's all but invulnerable, or at least much more resistant to 
damage, than others, so he tends to forget that those others _are_ 
more fragile than he is.  And, let us not forget what full-blooded 
giants seem to be like.  Had I suffered at giants' hands, I'd be 
leery of Hagrid, no matter how good-natured he is. 

And now we come to the prejudice that a lot of people have the most 
trouble with: the one against Muggle-born magical folk.  Hermione, 
our main on-screen example of a Muggle-born, is obviously setting 
out to be more wizardly than Merlin...but would this always have 
been the case?  I could easily imagine a Muggle-born from a time 
when witchcraft was thought to be "of the Devil" causing all sorts 
of damage in a fit of guilt when his or her childhood training 
asserted itself---as it often does.  A few spectacular incidents 
like that could confirm mage-raised magical folks' worst suspicions 
about Muggle-borns, and anything to do with Muggles.  

If Harry wasn't the poster child for incuriosity (and yes, I do know 
why---it's that childhood training again, that "Don't ask 
questions!" thing that Aunt Patooty shrieked into his soul) we could 
know so much more.