The difference between Muggles and Wizards

As any Potterhead knows, there is only one real difference between Muggles and wizards: the magical gene.

Spell-casting can be taught, of course, but only people born into magic can make it work. And that simply isn’t Muggles, no matter how much they’d like to become wizards. It’s all a little bit sad, isn’t it? It also leads to some unfortunate consequences…

Muggles can’t attend Hogwarts

Every Harry Potter fan that has patiently sat at home, waiting for an owl to deliver a Hogwarts letter knows the disappointment that being a Muggle brings. For those born without the special magical gene, there will be no feasts in the Great Hall, dances, Triwizard Tournaments or Quidditch, and the wonders of the Hogwarts Castle will never be ripe for exploration, at least not as a resident. A studio tour could bring some of the magic to life, however, especially if you go online and get more information before you book.

Can you imagine how upsetting it would be never to know the fun of lounging in your house’s common room? Not to mention never seeing all the portraits move and talk to you while you flit from your potions to defence against the dark arts classes. Maybe that’s why Dudley Dursley is always so mean to Harry: jealousy!

There are other magical schools other than Hogwarts, but the principle is the same – only magical folk can attend or teach there.

The Muggle and wizarding worlds are kept separate

The segregation between Muggles and wizards is so extreme that each has a separate world. The wizarding world is hidden, invisible to Muggles. And in the Muggle world, magic is covered up, with Muggle memories wiped of magical activity. Unless Muggles have a magical relative, they are unlikely ever to know their mystical counterparts even exist.

Watching the films, it’s fascinating to see how wizard spaces are hidden in plain sight. From Diagon Alley behind a few taps on a wall to the Black house squished between others in a terrace, Muggles and wizards are always tantalisingly close, but rarely interact. But the Ministry of Magic takes things to a whole new level.

Accessed via telephone boxes in the Muggle world, the Ministry governs the entire wizarding world with departments including education, legal and even Muggle research. The Ministry is where most wizards work when they leave Hogwarts, depending on the career they have chosen, and it’s also where all trials take place, down in the basement.

Some wizards can be snobby about Muggles

The foundation of prejudice is usually a fear of the unknown or people who don’t have shared life experiences, and in the Harry Potter stories, Muggles and wizards are frequently at odds with each other. There are a few notable exceptions to this rule, such as Mr Weasley, who find Muggles fascinating, in a good way, but I’ll get to them shortly.

Some wizards believe being a Muggle is a disadvantage in life. They are actively snide and unpleasant about non-magical folk, using them as an excuse to create some kind of blood hierarchy in the magical world.

Muggles are seen as curiosities by some wizards

The more kindly wizards have a fondness for Muggles – possibly none more so than Ron Weasley’s father, Arthur, a pure-blood wizard who would love to see Muggles and magical folk as equals. Working in the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts office, he spends his time fascinated by everyday objects of the non-magical world, as well as the people that use them. When Ron and Hermione become friends, he is able to ask her plenty of questions to get a more rounded idea of what makes Muggles tick.

In the pure-blood wizarding community, though, Arthur is rare. Some just avoid and distrust Muggles, thinking them dirty, second-class humans; others, like Voldemort and his Death Eaters, would happily see Muggles wiped from existence. When Voldemort is finally defeated, this attitude lifts, and tolerance and harmony return.

So, while there is only one specific difference between Muggles and wizards, it creates a huge divide. There are probably times when some wizards would like to live a non-magical life, but it’s more likely that non-magical folk are a little jealous of their conjuring counterparts.

Just look at Harry’s mum and her sister, Petunia Dursley. Her envy leads to Harry being treated appallingly while in her care. If only she could have mustered a little magic!

*Collaborative post