My Problem with the Harry Potter Universe
Although this entire article is dedicated to my biggest problem with the Harry Potter Universe… The HPU?? Sure, the HPU. So, although I will be talking about my problem with the HPU, I do generally really enjoy it. I have read a majority of the books. 5 ½ to be exact-I got busy half way through the 6th and never got back to finish them. But what I did read I thoroughly enjoyed. I also enjoy all the movies, even the newest addition Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them.
So, if I like the books and all the movies, what possibly could annoy me enough that I feel I should tell other? Well, it all comes down to the world created for Harry Potter.
Secret World That Keeps Growing
When Harry Potter began, the wizarding world seemed very small and secluded. It consisted of a few shops, a train platform, and a magical school that consisted of about 300 students (source). It was very easy to conceive that the wizarding world was something that everyday humans could overlook.
However, as the books continued the world became increasingly bigger. The 4th book (Goblet of Fire) introduced the Quidditch World Cup. Suddenly there were hundred of thousands of wizards all gathered around a gigantic stadium with hundreds of acres of tents surrounding it (source). Suddenly the small, secret wizarding world was something that seemed a little less plausible.
If that many attended the Quidditch World Cup, it is easy to conclude that now there were millions of wizards in the world. With that many wizards, many muggle-born, and some even married to muggles, it’s surprising that wizards not only were able to live in secrecy but chose to do so.
Hundreds of Magical Creatures
Speaking of millions of wizards, what about the magical Creatures? Centaurs, unicorns, dementors, dragons, trolls, gnomes, giants, house-elves, and many many more magical creatures that supposedly inhabit our world without our knowledge. I’m not even including the dozens of magical creatures featured in Fantastic Beasts. Many of these creatures are very large, and very easily seen by humans.
In the books it’s suggested that when a human sees one of these creatures that either our minds can’t comprehend what we see or a wizard wipes our memory. While that is all possible… it just seems a little unbelievable.
Wizard’s Ignorance of Muggles
Wizards have many places where only they know about, but in order to go to those places they often travel through normal muggle territory. So why are wizards completely ignorant of the way muggles live? In Chamber of Secrets there is even a scene where Arthur Weasley asks Harry Potter about muggle items. Arthur works for the Ministry of Magic in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office. Shouldn’t he of all people know how muggles live and what they use in daily life?
I can understand wizards not wanting to accept muggle technology since their magic does as much if not more than our technology does. It’s simply hard to believe that they are completely ignorant of our ways.
The best way we can relate to this type of ignorance is in terms of cultural differences and technology. Although we don’t live among different cultures or use all technology, we generally understand them. I have never seen a Spanish telenovela, but I know exactly what they are. Chopsticks are something that I’ve never been good at, but I understand that East Asian cultures use them. The internet works confounds me in how it works, but I know how to use it. To think wizards are completely ignorant of muggle technology and lifestyle isn’t only unbelievable, it is completely insane.
Conclusion
The ignorant and segregated world that has been created has become a bit much to swallow. I really do enjoy the HPU even though I wouldn’t consider myself a Harry Potter fan. I enjoy the characters, the magic, and the stories. No matter how ridiculous they get, I’ll always be happy to watch them.
