Mudblood

> It's a disgusting thing to call someone... Dirty blood, see. Common blood.
>
> Explanation of the term "Mudblood", Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film)

**Mudblood** was a highly derogatory term for either a Muggle or a Muggle-born or half-blood wizard or witch, though more so the former than the latter; that is, individuals with close Muggle relatives. While there did not appear to be any difference in the magical power of Muggle-borns and half-bloods compared to those who were pure-blood, pure-blood supremacists still considered them to be of "lower breeding" and that they were supposed to be "third-class citizens". Mudblood itself was a term meaning that Muggle-borns had "dirty" blood and were a big disgrace to the wizarding world, and thus had no right to be a witch/wizard and were undeserving of magic.
The slur implied that the individual has "dirty blood" and was considered extremely offensive. There were apparently other, less commonly used terms with a similar meaning, such as "creature of dirt".

## History of use

### Use by Draco Malfoy

> No one asked your opinion, you filthy little Mudblood.
>
> Draco Malfoy throwing the slur at Hermione Granger, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film)

When Draco Malfoy called Hermione Granger a Mudblood in 1992, he was nearly attacked by several members of the Gryffindor Quidditch team and was nearly cursed by Ronald Weasley. When the Chamber of Secrets was opened he stated "*You'll be next, Mudbloods!*".

When Harry Potter and Ron Weasley disguised themselves as Draco's friends Crabbe and Goyle (with the use of Polyjuice Potion) Malfoy described Harry as "*Saint Potter, the Mudbloods' friend. He's another one with no proper wizard feeling, or he wouldn't go around with that jumped up Granger Mudblood*". Draco also used the term to refer to those who had been petrified and taken to the Hospital Wing, telling whom he thought was Crabbe, "*Well, go up to the hospital wing and give all those Mudbloods a kick from me*".

### Use by Muggle-borns

**Hermione Granger**: "*I'm hunted quite as much as any goblin or elf,* **Griphook***! I'm a Mudblood!*"
Ron Weasley: Don't call yourself —
**Hermione Granger**: "*Why shouldn't I? Mudblood, and proud of it!*"
— Hermione's refusal to let the word bother her, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (film)

There were some Muggle-borns who refused to allow the term to be degrading to them. For example, Lily Evans told her former friend Severus Snape that if he was going to refer to other Muggle-borns as "Mudbloods", then he had to use the term for her as well, not minding it much when he did so. Hermione Granger declared that she was proud to be a "Mudblood" in ***1998***.

## Usage of the term

> Mudblood's a really foul name for someone who is Muggle-born — you know, non-magic parents. There are some wizards — like Malfoy's family — who think they're better than everyone else because they're what people call pure-blood.
>
> Ron explaining the term to Harry Potter, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

 Draco Malfoy | Hermione Granger | Malfoy first called Hermione a "Mudblood" in 1992; this was also the first time Harry Potter ever heard the term. Malfoy also called her a "Mudblood" on many other occasions.

## See also

* Blood purity
* Pure-blood
* Blood traitor
* Magbob

## Behind the scenes

* In the film adaptation of *Harry Potter and the Chamber-Of Secrets*, after Draco Malfoy calls Hermione Granger a "filthy little Mudblood", it is shown that Hermione is already familiar with the term, which is odd, considering that it would be unlikely for her to hear it anywhere, and she and Rubeus Hagrid explain it to Harry Potter. Though it is possible that she could have learned about the word while doing research. In the novel, Hermione had never heard the word before, and Ron Weasley explains it to her and Harry.
* Much like other ethnic slurs in real-life, Hermione in self-reference used the term ironically. This is similar to how many members of certain ethnic minorities use slurs that were previously used to degrade and insult them as a form of self-identification in their respective cultural lexicons, while looking poorly upon those outside their ethnic backgrounds who still continue to use such terms derogatorily.

## Appearances

* *Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets* (film) (First Entire Appearance)

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 *Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets* (film), Chapter 7
2. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets* (film), Chapter 9
3. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets* (film), Chapter 12