History of Magic

These early years tell the tale of two communities of people who took divergent paths. Wizardkind lived side by side with Muggles over many centuries. In ancient Egypt, Wizards were respected members of society, for example. However, the two communities began to separate and Muggles began to mistrust and eventually mistreat their magical brothers and sisters. As this enmity grew, four of the most powerful Wizards in the world decided to set up a school where they could train young people of their kind far from interference and persecution from Muggles. Thus, Hogwarts was founded toward the end of the first millenium.


The struggle between the two communities continued to grow worse as the years went by, and by the 1600s and 1700s, Wizards took steps to completely remove themselves from Muggle society. These years, then, show that progression from mutual friendship to complete separation of the Muggle and Wizarding worlds.


Ancient Egypt -
Egyptian wizards put curses on tombs; nowadays curse-breakers for Gringotts try to regain the treasure locked in those tombs, one pyramid has mutant skeletons of Muggles who'd broken in and "grown extra heads and stuff." Magic is integrated into society and Wizards are held in high esteem.


about 1000 AD -
Growing distrust on the part of Muggles for Wizards and Witches compels the four greatest witches and wizards of the age to found Hogwarts. Salazar Slytherin builds the Chamber of Secrets after his point of view that only Pureblood wizards should be allowed into Hogwarts was dismissed. The Wizarding World begins to withdraw and hide itself from the Muggle World.


The first half of the twentieth century is the era of Tom Riddle, Rubeus Hagrid, and Minerva McGonagall. The story of Harry Potter really starts during these years with the birth of two unusual, non-pureblood boys who would have an enormous impact on his life fifty years later. Half-Giant Rubeus Hagrid is described during these early years as "big, blundering,...in trouble every other week," while Half-blood Tom Riddle is the complete opposite: "poor but brilliant, parentless but so brave, school prefect, model student." The two boys, as well as Minerva McGonagall, were born in the mid-1920s. They attended Hogwarts one year apart from each other, until Tom Riddle's malevolent actions framed Hagrid and got him expelled. Tom Riddle had discovered the Chamber of Secrets, and this event was the catalyst for his eventual metamorphosis into Lord Voldemort some ten years later.


Minerva McGonagall was a witness to these events as a student, as was Albus Dumbledore, who was close to a hundred years old and a teacher at the time. Dumbledore's influence on events was subtle--he suspected and distrusted Riddle and kept him under close watch. Dumbledore restored Hagrid to something akin to a normal life. He also defeated the dark wizard Grindewald at this time. These events would resonate through the story of Harry Potter fifty years later.


After Tom Riddle disappeared, twenty years passed and life went on in relative peace and quiet. It is in this time that Molly and Arthur attend Hogwarts. We don't know the years for sure, but since Bill was born in 1971, we can make some general deductions. They probably were students during the 1960s. During these years a number of people were born who would play an important part in the story of Harry Potter, including Lucius Malfoy, Rita Skeeter, and Bertha Jorkins...and of course, his parents and their contemporaries.


All this time, Tom Riddle was becoming the evil Dark Lord Voldemort, consorting with the worst of Wizardkind and learning secrets and dark magic that would change him forever from the handsome, talented boy of the 1940s into a twisted, horrible person who would be known as the most evil wizard of his age. One can only imagine that Dumbledore kept watch for all those years, waiting and wondering what happened to the boy he knew as Tom Riddle...


During the 1970s, Voldemort began to gather followers who were eager for a share of his power. The closest followers of Voldemort were known as the Death Eaters. These years got progressively more dangerous and violent.

~As Voldemort's influence grew, some witches and wizards were controlled by the Imperius Curse and forced to commit atrocities, including the torture and murder of Muggles.

~Voldemort capitalized on the prejudice and distrust between the Giants and the Wizarding World; the Giants became Voldemort's followers and killed and tortured many people.

~The Dark Mark is used by Death Eaters to indicate a house where they have committed murder.

~No one dared to become friendly with strange witches and wizards, not knowing if they were Voldemort supporters.

~Hogwarts became one of the few safe places in the Wizarding World.

~Bartemius Crouch is head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement; he gives his Aurors the authority to use drastic methods not differing greatly from the tactics used by the Death Eaters they were fighting.

Wizard Profile:

About me!

Recent Spells:

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
The Founders of Hogwarts
The Hogwarts Headmasters and Headmistress
Four Houses of Hogwarts
Heads of Houses
Lord Voldemort
Harry's Parents and their Best Friends
Places in Harry Potter
Quidditch
About Harry Potter

Wizard Web:

Harry James Potter