Future projections of Wizarding Society post war.

[John]

No: HPFGUIDX 192403

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "pippin_999" <foxmoth at ...> wrote:
>
> Pippin:
> ::waves to all the new posters:: welcome!

>"I think wizards have a bias against technical innovations except perhaps in their games and sports -- and the wizard who gets an improved result because he's magically powerful gets more respect than the one who develops a better method."

Hi Pippin, thanks for the interesting and insightful post. This is however I think another topic from the strictly technical one of the Invisibility Cloak thread, being more 'sociological' in feel, so I have instituted a new topic if I may

To reply to the point in it quoted above, this situation certainly seems to be the case amongst most of Wizarding society, but this might well be one of the many things which undergo a degree of change following the war as the Wizarding World heals and inevitably is forced to take a look at itself and reform many old attitudes and unjust laws etc. 

Why do I think this likely to include a change in attitude to muggle technology and innovations in general? One simple reason, the rise in acceptance and influence of Muggleborn witches and wizards such as Hermione Granger, people who are fully capable of bridging both worlds, can understand and use muggle technology and see where in certain ways it can be superior to magical methods.

In my personal fan fiction future projection of post war Wizarding World I have written several stories featuring these changes and pointing out where Muggle technology might well be adopted, and why.

To start with I make an assumption, that the rate of magical children born to non magical families may tend to rise, as the possession of magic is a very strong 'survival trait' and therefore simple natural selection may play a part, assuming there is a genetic base for the ability to possess and utilise magic. If true these Muggleborns might well prove a spearhead for new attitudes to emerge.

I assume that due to their success in the war, their great ability and public adulation the 'Golden Trio' (I hate that phrase and so probably do they ;o)) will rise high in later life in the Wizarding World and I certainly see Hermione becoming Minister eventually.

The Muggleborns would know of and been raised using such technology as TV and Computers, both of which outperform the old Wizarding methods of Wizarding Wireless and the admin methods in the Ministry using flying 'paper dart' type memos and enchanted filing cabinets, neither of which are exactly examples of 'cutting edge'. :o)

The use of magic is known to have a detrimental effect on electronics but from what is described I strongly suspect any muggle scientist could easily find a way to shield these EMP type harmful effects out, in the same way as military hardware is 'hardened', maybe with the addition of 'shield charms' added to the device casings. Under Kingsley's 'reign' as Minister for Magic in a newly reformed and less hidebound and corrupt Ministry such research might well flourish and even a few muggle scientists might be secretly inducted for R&D projects.

If a way to make computers work for wizards were found then the Ministry would have a powerful and effective new administration tool. The use of mobile communications and portable computing devices too could propergate out from the muggleborns and become widely used, since owls are slow and Patronus messaging limited in functionality. You can't set up a Wizarding Facebook easily using magic for instance. :o)

In my future projection the use of electricity becomes more commonplace and even the rebuilt Hogwarts adopts it, as the previous candles, gas lights and oil lanterns were both health hazards and fire hazards. Even Dumbledore admitted once setting fire to his bed curtains, claiming it was an accident.

Indeed the idea of combining Wizarding and Muggle methods and abilities into a new 'hybrid' technology fascinates me. I see the possibilities for 'green energy' opening up, with muggle style essentially 'conventional' electricity alternators being driven by Wizard created 'perpetual motion' magically powered engines for instance.

There would be so much scope for change post war, much desperately needed not just in technical matters but also in wider Wizarding society. The Statue of Secrecy might also eventually have to go if the numbers of Muggleborns becomes very large, since so many muggles will come to know about magic anyway, through their children.

In a couple of my stories I write about this idea and suggest perhaps a Ministry authorised experiment in co-habitation might be tried, Maybe in places where there are already large 'colonies'of magical folk, like Godric's Hollow and/or Ottery St. Catchpole. I doubt that in these locations the 'revelation' that magical folk are living there amongst them would prove much of a shock to the local muggle populace and that over the centuries many minor acts of magic must have accidentally been observed and thus gone un-obliviated. Let's face it, muggles living there must know there are a lot of 'odd' folk about, but it doesn't seem to worry them much. Maybe 'Dursley Syndrome' is dying out amongst the muggle population, the 'witch burning times' are over and it's time to be more open?:o)

Another idea I had is that whilst rebuilding Hogwarts an additional new Senior Faculty building might be constructed, an autonomous Wizarding University teaching advanced courses in innovative magic beyond even NEWT level, open both to native and foreign students. Plus in addition the new hybrid muggle/magical techniques emerging would be taught to Charity Burbage Memorial Scholars, young, bright witches and wizards desperate to get one of the limited places available and ride the wave of changes happening in their world.

Also I see the need for training courses for teachers of magical learning which could be taught there. This idea came to me from getting the impression during GoF that the students of both Durmstrang Institute and Beauxbatons Academy were considerably better read, better behaved and more advance in their learning than those of an equivalent age at Hogwarts. In a sense this is not surprising as Hogwarts has no 'professional teachers', people seem to have been simply appointed to positions for their individual skill in a given field, with little thought given to their teaching skills and ability to inspire or relate to their pupils! I give you Professors Snape and Binns as prime examples of this silliness. As a teacher Snape would make a bloody good plasterer and as to Binns, well if you need a good sleep attend one of his lessons. :o)

Well this is getting a bit long and I'd like to hear other's thoughts and speculations on the post war Wizarding World and the shape it took.
Many Blessings All.
John,