Owl Post Secret Activity 1: The Secret of Magic

[brightflower]

Activity: The Secret of Magic
Points: Long debate: Participation 10pts, Additional comment: 2pts.
Deadline: April 22, 11:59 PM UTC
Details:

Let's jump right into the magical world's secrets with a debate on the biggest secret of all: the secret of magic itself.

What are your opinions on the International Statute of Secrecy? Is it a fair law? When is it okay to break the law and reveal the secret of magic to Muggles? And what would you do if a Muggle discovered your secret and tried to take advantage of it?

Initial comment of at least 150 words for 10 points, additional comments 2 points each. Let's get a conversation going!


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Comments

[caitieness.livejournal.com]

I certainly think its necessary because as the say goes, a person may be smart but people are stupid. If the whole of Muggles found out about magic, panic would ensue. Also, people hate things different then themselves and magic is definitely different. Muggles would fear wizards and, as it always goes, try to harm them or regulate them and I'm just envisioning magic internment camps or something. However, there should definitely be extenuating circumstances. Besides being able to perform magic in the face of legitimate danger (like Harry did when the Dementors attacked him and Dudley), there should be an exception for marriages! We know that sometimes wizards marry Muggles (Dean's parents and Cho Chang off the top of my head) and shouldn't these wizards be allowed to practice magic in view of their spouses? The law doesn't seem to extend to telling Muggles you are a wizard (see: all the muggleborn's parents) but only against doing magic. And that just doesn't seem fair to me. You may say, if you are going to marry a Muggle, this is a sacrifice you must make and I guess some people can make that sacrifice but I just don't think they should have to. Marriage law should cancel out the Statue of Secrecy. Because it's not illegal to practice magic in front of a Squib and isn't that kind of the same thing?

caitie / puff / 232 words

[bergeronprocess.livejournal.com]

Yes, absolutely--I'd like to believe in the goodness of people, but we both know for sure that people aren't always calm, cool and collected when faced with something different and something powerful. That's a great point about if you are betrothed to a Muggle. Marriage means no secrets, right? That means telling your spouse about something that is as much a part of you as your eyes or feet...and occasionally being able to do magic in front of them?

Emmapuff

[caitieness.livejournal.com]

I imagine there are all kinds of exceptions to the Statute -- doesn't Dumbledore do magic in front of The Durselys? Doesn't Hagrid (even though he is supposedly not allowed to do magic in the first place)? It's supposed~ to help them understand their dependent is a wizard so I bet most muggles who have a magical child see magic at one time or another without repercussions. That leads me to believe if you're married to a wizard, the same rules apply. Perhaps, no excessive magic is allowed?

caitie / puff

[bergeronprocess.livejournal.com]

Either there are exceptions or we're reading a series with a lot of lawbreaking rebel types ;) Kids, don't break the law! But good point--you'd hope there would be a little leeway in reasonable scenarios. Surely cooler heads would prevail when crafting these laws.

Emmapuff

[slumber.livejournal.com]

This is a very good point. I'm thinking there are tons of different exceptions because, hi, how can Muggleborn witches and wizards be told? Their parents definitely know, and if you were a wizard who married a Muggle, then you'd let them know too. Seamus' mum told his dad eventually, though he never did say how-- Dean's dad never told his family though (and if I'm not mistaken JKR has mentioned she had a whole backstory for him; basically, Dean isn't Muggleborn like he thought, his dad was a wizard who went into hiding or something like that) so maybe it's on a case-by-case basis? McG also never told the Muggle she was in love with, so I'm guessing the Statute played a part maybe a long time ago? And I think maybe the Ministry has this blanket rule of "if you think it's going to be a problem, you can Obliviate Muggles who find out" or something.

Evyclaw

[pinksonia.livejournal.com]

I was under the impression that McG didn't tell the Muggle because she thought it would put a strain on their relationship and she didn't want to repeat the problems in her parents' relationship, not any law based reason. Of course, things between her parents probably would have been less strained if her mother had just spoken up to begin with so maybe it is a case of taking the law too seriously and causing personal troubles.

Allison//Ravenclaw

[kaitydid33087.livejournal.com]

Hmm...I'm sure there were exceptions. I really wish that JKR would write a tell-all book! I would love to see research and stuff she did for the series! Like you, I'm curious as to what the exceptions would be. I'm sure that if you had a Muggleborn, it'd be okay to see the magic in front of you. I don't think a Ministry member would be at your doorstep, every time a child performed magic, on accident, when they were growing up.

8

[slumber.livejournal.com]

HEY REMEMBER THE VANCOUVER RIOTS? I'm pretty sure when those fans went to watch a game, tipping cars over and breaking into stores was pretty much the last thing on their mind. They were just mad after the loss, too, and I can see that, but somehow, something sparked them to do more-- you just can't account for "but this is what rational people would do" because people CAN and HAVE behaved irrationally.

Evyclaw

[bergeronprocess.livejournal.com]

OH GOD, ABSOLUTELY. I have a friend who lives there and she found herself downtown--doing karaoke or something, not really watching the game--that night, which was very frightening. She is okay, but I think she got a little traumatized by the experience. This is part of the reason why I think people can do well alone or in small groups, but crowd mentality takes over in larger groups...and it's not good.

Emmapuff

[slumber.livejournal.com]

This is true. Individually everyone may be able to think rationally but there is just no accounting for mob mentality. Law-abiding citizens can run amok just with getting swept away by crowds, and I shudder to think what their reactions could be if magic is revealed to be real.

Evyclaw

[feuerfunke.livejournal.com]

I haven't thought about Muggle-Wizard relationships before. Seems kind of odd to me that the wizard or which isn't allowed to do magic as you mentioned.

On the other hand, parents of Muggleborn students know about magic and seem to see magic as well. Think about the Grangers visiting Diagon Alley or the spontaneous magic of the kid in question.

Kat//Hufflepuff

[kaitydid33087.livejournal.com]

You bring up a lot of good points.

Practicing magic in front of your spouse, should be an okay thing to do. I mean, what harm is going to come in performing a spell to chop carrots, or whatever. I mean would your spouse really be like "OH NO! I SAW YOU CHOP A CARROT!"? I don't think so. I mean, Petunia was afraid of Lily, for what seemed like a long while and resented her for her magic. But, I don't think she ever outright hated her. I think, in front of family, it should be okay to do.

7

[flyingharmony.livejournal.com]

I totally agree with you- if the whole world found out about the Wizarding World, they'd flip out. Some in the negative sense, some in the positive sense, but they'd flip out; in the end, wizards would be blamed for everything that happens - the good and they're hyped, and the bad and they'll end up to be feared feared and hated. Muggle would try to control them, to use them and to just.. Well yeah, as you already said, to just regulate them, which really would be horrible.

Avipuff/8