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

[mmailliw.livejournal.com]

I think the International Statute of Secrecy is simply a Band-Aid (to borrow a Muggle term) on the real issue that Muggle technology is developing so much faster than the Wizarding version that, coupled with the much larger Muggle population, the Muggle world could easily exterminate the Wizarding world if they so choose.

One of the fics I read recently, one in which Harry keeps on reliving his life regardless of how he does, featured the Muggles finally discovering the Wizarding world sometime around 2007. The point was that with the Internet, YouTube, and similar phenomena, Muggles could broadcast the knowledge of Wizards in a convincing way faster than Wizards could Obliviate them... with YouTube posts, for example, having millions of viewers each scattered through the world! The way that particular fic dealt with the issue was that Harry knew of this discovery... and the Muggles subjugating Wizards in a war with very few magical people surviving by 2020 or 2030... and that therefore Muggles, not Voldemort, were the real problem to worry about.

Basically, it worked well enough at its purpose for a couple of centuries - but I simply don't see it holding up under 21st century technology!

William//Slytherin [197]

[slumber.livejournal.com]

This is difficult to argue one way or another, in part because I think a lot of the topic covers what if situations and may delve into fear-mongering. On one hand, I can see where the concerns of magical folk lie-- they don't want Muggles to take advantage of the magic that they possess, and they most certainly don't wish to encourage a repeat of the witch hunts that happened in ages past. Magic is honestly just a volatile resource whose discovery could very easily be detrimental to all of wizarding society.

On the other hand, how ~fair~ is it to have certain magical dangers present and potentially bleeding into the Muggle world exist whilst Muggles are completely unaware of it? I suppose the way the Ministry of Magic has it set up now, with liaisons established for Muggle government, serves to address that issue, and I guess, for what it's worth, they seem to be doing a decent job of helping cover up magic while also ensuring Muggles remain safe.

So at the end of the day I think there is inherently no harm in upholding the International Statute of Secrecy, but I would seriously consider looking into alternatives should the secret ever come out. Doesn't hurt to be ready in case disaster strikes!

Evyclaw

[bergeronprocess.livejournal.com]

The International Statute of Secrecy is kind of a double-edged sword: it does help keep the magical community safe from the way Muggles can sometimes enter the crowd mentality and lose their sense of individual morals, rights and wrongs, etc. because of what the group is thinking. If the group is thinking that the person with the ~special powers~ really has an unfair advantage and, hm, maybe needs to be silenced somehow...that's very dangerous. But at the same time, what if Muggle and magical people could live in good harmony with magical people out in the open? Imagine how they could help each other! Could potions help cure the sicknesses that ail Muggles? Cancer and such? Never once was the word cancer mentioned in the entire Harry Potter canon, leading me to wonder if it even exists or if some sort of potion kills the bad cells before they start to affect people. Muggles would benefit from that knowledge and could help magical people navigate the confusing aspects of the Muggle world. But again, you have to be cognizant of what could happen if people give in to their darkest thoughts and worst intentions instead of working for a better world for everyone.

Emmapuff, 203 words

[passerine.livejournal.com]

(not reading any other comments before I post my first one)

I think the Statute is really important and definitely fair. People are not extremely willing to accept the idea of magic, it's always considered an evil force. Think of the Salem Witch Trails, for instance. While I think the Muggle world is more tolerant than it used to be, it's not hard to imagine a huge backlash if people knew that there were actual wizards and witches and other supposedly mythological and imaginary creatures roaming the world. Muggles have something to lose without the ability to protect themselves against magic, so I could imagine more and more witch hunts and a whole lot of chaos and insanity and death and uggghhh. I would love to think that this wouldn't happen, but there are so many countries that have such a complex about perceived threats that I can't really ignore the plausibility of full scale war against the wizarding world because who knows what they're capable of.

i think it's okay to break it in cases of marriage and other things like that. If a witch or wizard can't perform magic in front of their Muggle spouse... well, something just seems wrong about that to me. "Don't be who you naturally are when the person you devoted your life to is in your presence". Yeah, okay.

As for cases of muggles discovering and taking advantage of their knowledge of someone being magical, I think there should be a department in the ministry that deals with this. The wizard who's been found out would contact the Ministry and then they would send off a very specialized Ministry employee to use memory charms on that person (instead of the wizard doing it themselves, because not everyone is great at memory charms and you would only want to erase that one bit of information... anything more is just cruel imo).

Julia // Gryffindor

[brightflower]

I personally feel that the Statute in and of itself is fair, because of the ways in which Muggles would inevitably react if they were to find out about the magical world. It seems to me that most people have a tendency to be selfish and want to use things for their own personal gain. Tapping into the magical world would have dire consequences; Muggles would insist on having the ability to use magical people for their own purposes. It would be chaos. I can easily see trials against wizards on trumped-up charges, and if the wizards used magic to escape (like Apparating out of prison cells and the like), it would only enrage Muggles further. It would dissolve into warfare as Muggle and magic weapons are pitted against one another for one imagined slight or another. Really, the magical population feels safer under the statute, and I can't disagree with them on that.

However, the means of enforcing the statute make me uncomfortable. Obliviating seems like such a cruel punishment to a person. I hate to use the word "rape," but invading somebody's brain and wiping their memories away against their will, just because they happened to see something magical, seems really violating to me. Perhaps a better idea would be a binding spell of some sort, so that the Muggle cannot speak or communicate about what they have seen? That seems a little less harsh. Then again, it leaves them to realize what has happened and recognize their punishment for what it is, which is also not a very pleasant consequence. It just seems unfair to me because it's not like that person did anything wrong. The magical person did the wrong thing, by allowing their abilities to be seen. So why punish the innocent bystander?

But that leaves the question of what, then, to do when this sort of thing occurs. Incorporate Muggles into the magical society, and deal with the consequences of that as they arise? Who knows what could happen?

As for when it is okay to break the statute, I would like to say that people should be able to use magic if they need to save somebody's life, like in an emergency situation. Then, look, superheroes could be a real thing! People might then start begging that wizard/witch to use magic to do things for them, too, though. I don't know, it's such a complicated issue. I guess I'd just resign myself to keeping the status quo, because I'm not wise enough to come up with a more suitable answer.

Crystalpuff

[feuerfunke.livejournal.com]

I think the International Statute of Secrecy is a very important law, to protect Muggles and Wizards alike. First, Wizards are prevented to use magic on Muggles, who are very defenseless in this case. I mean, without the law, wizards could take advantage of Muggles, rob them, make them work for them, you get the idea. Of course, that might still happen with the International Statute of Secrecy in place, but it makes it harder and the prospect of punishment might even work, too.

On the other hand, Muggles could take advantage of Wizards and therefore Magic, as well. I'm thinking of Muggle dictators using a wizard or two to suppress their people without other Muggle countries even able to figure it out.

The exceptions mentioned in the books sound reasonable to me. If there's a life threatening situation and one uses magic to safe one's own life while Muggles are present or to save the Muggles' life, it is reasonable to use magic and breach the statute.

Kat//Hufflepuff//168 words

[smash-leigh.livejournal.com]

I feel the issue bends both ways. On the one hand keeping magic a secret from Muggles is a crucial thing that should be respected by all witches and wizards, because as sad as it is true, many Muggles would want to take advantage of powers witches and wizards possess. There are already wizards and witches using their gifts for evil, adding a world of Muggles into the picture would only worsen that. However, I can see how it would be argued that there are many positive things that could benefit from the world-wide knowledge of magic and the wizarding community, such as certain medical issues for example.

That being said, those who are exposed to magic who do not possess it themselves from what we know is the parents of witches and wizards who would hopefully not take advantage of their son or daughter's powers and instead try to be supportive, but if other family members were to find out and let it slip to their friends they might not be the case, so my point is that the law is rather susceptible to circumstance and figuring out where the line is drawn is a tricky matter that does not always end up falling on the side of justice.

Ashleigh//Hufflepuff//210 words.

[flyingharmony.livejournal.com]

The law is definitely one of the most necessary ones in the Wizarding World; we know how Muggles have reacted to wizards and witches and to the general thought of magic in the past, and while I think that in modern times people are much more educated and fascinated by the entire topic, I don't think that the entire Wizarding World would have that much of a good life anymore; just imagine how they'd be haunted by curious Muggles! With the Statue of Secrecy, Wizards/Witches might be stared at way of clothing, but if they were known to be Magical people, they wouldn't be safe from cameras or people asking them to perform random magic tricks anymore.This, however, would be the most positive case; what, if they'd encounter less tolerant people (e.g. Dursleys and worse)? Would they even be able to live a normal and calm life? Most likely they wouldn't - I'm quite sure that some of them would even be in danger. Of course this doesn't mean that not a single Muggle should know about the Wizarding World -we know very well that some Wizards marry Muggles and that these relationships work well, but if everybody knew, it'd likely end in a catastrophe.

Avipuff
(206 words)

[kaitydid33087.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure. On one hand, I would think it would be nessiscary, because of course Muggles seeing magic, could lead to strange questions and Muggles wanting to be wizards too. But at the same time, I think if in an extreme case, you could reveal your magic, and that would be okay too. Like, if you were in a life or death situation, and the only thing that would save you, would be your magic, then I think that'd be okay to reveal your magic. I think, if a Muggle found out I was a Wizard, and tried to take advantage of it, I'd stick up for myself. Sure, he could spread it to his friends, but would his friends believe me? How would he have firm proof that I was a Wizard? I mean, you can only prove so much. So, I don't think that we really need the International Statue of Secrecy. I think that Muggles and Wizards, could live openly, and peacefully.

[flipflop-diva.livejournal.com]

I have a lot of thoughts on this, and they are a bit conflicting. I guess I will say that it’s good to a certain extent. Because the history of the world has proven that people do not always react well to change and to things they can’t understand, and if suddenly there were witches and wizards out and about in the Muggle world, they probably would be in serious danger and might be burned at the stake. So in terms of keeping themselves safe, yes, it is definitely necessary.

What I have a hard time with is that I feel the law contributes to a huge gap between wizards and muggles, where some wizards have no desire whatsoever to want to learn about muggles. But the way I see it, wizards are still humans, and even if they have powers other people don’t, they really still should be concerned with the world in general and the people in it. I think wizards knowing and understanding muggles more would be a good thing (plus, then if a muggle accidentally discovers magic being done by someone they know and trust, they are much more likely to accept it. As I assume most of the Muggle parents of half-blood children have done once they realized their child had magical powers. I imagine most parents are more like Hermione’s and less like the Dursleys).

Okay, and now that I read this over, I guess the second paragraph doesn’t really have much to do with the law itself, it’s just a consequence of it. But STILL.


Kristine | Puff | 262 non-sensical words sorry