Non-magic people

> Non-magic people (more commonly known as Muggles) were particularly afraid of magic in medieval times, but not very good at recognising it.
>
> *A History of Magic* by Bathilda Bagshot

**Non-magic people**, commonly known as **Muggles** in Great Britain, **No-Maj(e)s** in the United States, among other names (see below), are humans who are born to two non-magical parents and are incapable of performing magic. Muggles are not to be confused with Squibs, who also lack magic but are born to at least one magical parent.

Most Muggles have been unaware that magic and the wizarding world exist since the establishment of the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy in 1692, as wizards have organised their own society largely separate from the Muggle world. Exceptions include close relatives of wizards and witches and heads of government (such as the British Prime Minister).

## Naming

Non-magic people are known by different denominations and nicknames across nations.

* In the British wizarding world, the term "**Muggle**" is widely used to refer to a non-magic person. Some may consider it derogatory, but it is in fact often used affectionately. Arthur Weasley, for example, who had great fondness for Muggles and learning about them and their way of life, often used that term.[2][7][8]
* "**Mudblood**" is an extremely offensive and derogatory term referring to Muggle-borns and Muggles.[2]
* In the United States, they are known by the clipping **No-maj**, whose plural may be either **No-majs** or **No-majes**.[9]
* Other English-language terms for non-magic people include **Can't-Spells** and **Non-Wizards**.
* In France, they are known as ***Non-Magiques***, which is a simple translation of the term "non-magic".[5]

## The Muggle and wizarding worlds

### Wizarding law

Since the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy was enacted in 1692, wizards and witches have hidden the existence of magic from Muggles.[10]Thus, in the modern age, most Muggles believe magic to be nothing but a childish fantasy. Wizards and witches hide their world with Muggle-Repelling Charms, and if a Muggle witnesses a magical event or sees a magical creature such as a dragon, their memories are erased. Confundus Charms are also occasionally employed to encourage Muggles to ignore any magic they witness. Violations of the Statute of Secrecy are prosecuted by the Improper Use of Magic Office, and the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office tries to keep bewitched items away from Muggles.[2]

The Muggle Liaison Office is a division of the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes presumably responsible for wizard-Muggle relations.[6] Given the lack of Muggle awareness of the wizarding world, in accordance with the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy of 1692, it can be presumed that the Muggle Liaison Office fulfils its duties in a very one-sided manner. Those who work in Muggle Relations presumably work with this office.

Wizards and witches thus organised their own society, known as the wizarding world, distinct from that of Muggles. There are some exclusively magical settlements, such as Hogsmeade, but also magical communities hidden within largely Muggle ones, such as in Ottery St Catchpole and even in London. Magical people also have a separate currency system and government. The Ministry of Magic maintains relations with the Muggle Prime Minister, but they do not appear to be subordinate to the Muggle government.

### Overlapping of worlds

However, the Muggle and magical worlds are tied together in some ways. For instance, Muggles sometimes marry wizards or witches and thus become aware of the wizarding world, as occurred with Mr Finnigan when he married a witch.

Muggles also occasionally produce a magical child. It's generally believed that this occurs due to a squibhaving married into the family at some point in the past, thus introducing the potential for magic into the bloodline. This potential often surfaces many generations later.[11]

In Britain, these Muggle-born wizards and witches will often join the wizarding world when they are invited to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.[1][2]

The Muggle parents will thus be informed of the existence of the wizarding world, and may even enter it on occasion, as Hermione Granger's parents did when they accompanied their daughter and the Weasley family to Diagon Alley to shop for school supplies in 1992.[2] It is unknown if Muggle parents are allowed to visit Hogwarts hospital wing or St Mungo's when serious illness befalls their child. However, Muggle parents are allowed to see wizarding pictures of the school, as Muggle-born Colin Creeveywas known to take numerous pictures and sent them home to his father.[2]

Some Muggles are aware of the magical world but choose to ignore it, such as Vernon Dursley, who was aware his sister-in-law was a witch but otherwise remained intentionally ignorant of the wizarding world until he was forced to recognise it with the arrival of his nephew, Harry Potter.[1]

In addition, there are secret connections maintained between the two societies at the governmental level; for example, the Minister for Magic occasionally consults with the Prime Minister of Great Britain on issues affecting both societies, and it is clear that the Prime Minister is aware of the wizarding world. Each Prime Minister, on the day they are appointed to office, gets a visit from the current Minister for Magic. The visit encompasses telling the Prime Minister of the existence of magic and that they will only ever need to meet when there is something going on in the wizarding world that might affect the Muggle world.[6]

## Attitude towards magic

Historically, Muggles tended to consider those who practised magic to be evil, leading to the burning of witches during the Middle Ages. In response, some wizards and witches managed to use Flame-Freezing Charms to render the fire harmless. Thus, most considered the Muggle efforts completely useless.[12] Some innocent Muggles were being burned as witches, magical children born to Muggles were often persecuted when their magical abilities surfaced, and some Muggles tried to make magical people perform magic for their own ends.

Magical creatures left the Muggle world too, as many of them were extinguished, probably because of over-hunting and ecosystem destruction.[10] In addition to Muggles being a threat to magical creatures it was also vise versa, with magical creatures being a threat to Muggles as well. Giants for example were responsible for some of the First Wizarding War's worst atrocities against the Muggle community. Also Muggles believe that dragons are a mere myth, but have been known on occasion to glimpse these beasts. To prevent dragons from being seen by Muggles the beasts are kept on dragon reserves around the world, most of which are far from human habitation.[10]

In the modern world, few Muggles believe in magic to actually know of its existence and are rather ambivalent with that knowledge. Some who are aware of the wizarding world are accepting of and even fascinated by it, such as Hermione Granger's parents[2] and Jacob Kowalski. Others, however, respond negatively. For instance, the Dursley family had a "very medieval" attitude towards magic. Petunia Dursley considered her sister Lily Potter a "freak" for her abilities, although this was originally prompted by envy of them. She would not have thought of her sister like this if she too had those powers.[13] Petunia, her husband, and son were suspicious of magic, thus they treated their wizard nephew Harry Potter badly and distrusted anyone associated with magic. They also tried to prevent him from learning of his magical heritage, without success.[1]

In the United States, the Barebone family (who were a No-Maj family that descended from one of the Scourers who escaped justice during the 17th century) were marked by a profound belief in the existence of magic and an equally deep hatred of it, which they passed down the generations. Bartholomew Barebone had an intensely deep hatred of witches and wizards that caused his desire to expose the existence of the wizarding world, which propelled one of the largest ever breaches of the International Statute of Secrecy. In the 1920s, his descendant Mary Lou Barebone was the leader of the "fanatical" anti-witchcraft group the New Salem Philanthropic Society, also known as the Second Salemers, which sought to expose and destroy wizardkind.[9]

Ariana Dumbledore was attacked and severely traumatised by Muggle boys after they saw her use magic and she was unable to show them how to do it.[13]Tom Marvolo Riddle also once suggested that his Muggle father abandoned Merope Gaunt, his pregnant wife because he discovered that she was a witch.[14]

It has been suggested by some wizards and witches that Muggles choose, on some level, not to believe in magic, since there are inevitably some occasions at which they are exposed to magic but seem to ignore it or attribute it to other causes.[2]

## Wizarding views

### Negative views

Many magical people, particularly pure-bloods, consider their own world superior to that of Muggles.[1][2][13] Some consider Muggles little better than animals and hate them.[15] For example, Araminta Meliflua once proposed that the Ministry of Magic make Muggle hunting legal.[16]

The Dark Wizard Gellert Grindelwald originally intended to conquer the world and make Muggles subservient to wizards.[17] He did not have any hostility towards Muggles as a whole but, due to his abilities as a Seer, foresaw a major Muggle warinvolving catastrophic weapons that could be used against wizards. He would reveal this to his followers at a rally, using it as an example of the kind of violence that could be checked if muggles were under wizard guidance.[4]

Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters had a far more extreme ideology. They tortured and killed Muggles for amusement during the First and Second Wizarding Wars. They often extend this hatred to Muggle-bornsas well, considering them to be unworthy of magic and not "real" wizards or witches. During the Second Wizarding War, Muggle-borns were rounded up by the Ministry of Magic (on Voldemort's orders) and accused of stealing magic from wizards; a way of thoroughly humiliating them instead of killing them outright. In 1997 during the height of the Second Wizarding Wara statue was created that illustrated Muggles in their "rightful place", crushed by the might that is magic. This statue resided in the Ministry atrium and acted as a symbol of Lord Voldemort's new regime.[13]

Pure-bloods who have such prejudices, such as many members of the the Malfoy and Black families, consider those sympathetic to muggles "blood traitors" for their belief in Muggle equality and attempts to protect them.[2][13]Brutus Malfoy once claimed that it was a sign of weak magic to enjoy the company of Muggles,[18] and his descendant Lucius Malfoy tried to sabotage Arthur Weasley's career after he proposed the Muggle Protection Act in 1992.[2]

#### Muggle-baiting

Muggle-baiting is activity which uses magic to confuse or humiliate Muggles without the Muggles realising that magic was involved. When Willy Widdershins rigged up regurgitating toilets, he and others were referred to as “Anti-Muggle pranksters”.[19]

Shrinking keys are an example of a mundane object enchanted by unscrupulous wizards for “Muggle-baiting.” The keys are sold to unsuspecting Muggles, who then can’t find them and, being unaware of magic, believe that they keep misplacing them. Similarly, a biting kettle is an enchanted object which looks like an ordinary teakettle until an unwary person attempts to use it, in which case it bites the user. Arthur Weasley turned up one of these on one of his nighttime raids, which indicates that they are Muggle items enchanted illegally as opposed to joke items one might purchase at Zonko's Joke Shop.[19]

In more serious cases, such objects may cause serious harm to their victims. In 1995 two muggles had to be admitted to St Mungo's after losing fingers to biting doorknobs that they had purchased from Widdershins. Their bones were regrown and their memories were modified, after which they were presumably released. Arthur Weasley believed the incident would result in legal consequences for Widdershins.[20]

#### United States of America

In the United States, Non-magic people are known as No-Maj(e)s. Unlike in Europe, where a degree of covert cooperation and communication between No-Maj governments and their magical counterparts is common, MACUSA acted totally independently of the No-Maj government working diligently to keep the wizarding world a secret. While culturally, wizarding America did not hold supremacist views against No-Majs over blood purity, their fear of exposure led to further divide.[21]

Rappaport's Law was instituted by Emily Rappaport, the 15th President of MACUSA, in 1790 after one of the most catastrophic breaches of the International Statute of Secrecy of all time occured that year. This event caused the No-Maj population in America to become as a whole unusually suspicious of magic. As a result, unlike the European culture of witches and wizards often underestimating the intelligence of Muggles, seeing them as incapable of comprehending the existence of magic, American witches and wizards came to regard No-Majes as a major threat. This led to Rappaport's Law completely segregating the No-Maj and magical communities in the United States. Mixed marriage between magical and non-magical folk was illegal under this law until 1965, when the law was repealed.[21]

Interaction with the No-Maj population was only allowed for everyday activities. Due to the law, students from Ilvermorny were not allowed wands before they entered the school, nor to take them home during vacations. By the 1920s, MACUSA had several special offices responsible for enforcing Rappaport's Law. Among these were a sub-division focusing on No-Maj Fraternisation and an office that issued and verified wand permits for every witch and wizard in the United States.[21]

### Positive views

Others, however have more favourable opinions. The Ministry also tries to protect Muggles from the Dark Arts and other potentially harmful magic things with its Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office.[2] Muggle Studies is also an optional subject at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry that strives to educate magical children about the Muggle world and to foster understanding of it.[12] One witch, Carlotta Pinkstone, famously advocated for the repeal of the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy. She believed in the idea that Muggles should know about magic, and performed magic publicly on several occasions.[22]

Arthur Weasley was very interested in how Muggles function without the aid of magic, and collected Muggle items, though he often got their names and other facts wrong.[2] He had a large collection of batteries and electric plugs.[7] He was ecstatic to meet Hermione Granger's Muggle parents, inviting them to have a drink with him at the Leaky Cauldron.[2] During Harry Potter's stays at the Burrow, Arthur often sat next to Harry to ask him questions about Muggles. He was also interested to learn how the Muggle post office and telephone work,[2] and his greatest ambition was to learn how aeroplanes stay up.[23] Whenever he got the chance to use Muggle artefacts, he enjoyed himself immensely.[2]

Some Muggle pastimes have also found favour with those in the wizarding world. Famously, Albus Dumbledore's Chocolate Frog Card proclaims his liking of the Muggle sport of ten-pin bowling, and he also developed a fondness for a Muggle sweet called sherbet lemons.[1] Some elements of Muggle pop culture have also bled over into wizarding culture, such as rock and roll music which is performed by groups such as the Weird Sisters.[24] The concept of "tabloid journalism" is also alive in the wizarding world.

## Studying Muggles

The Institute of Muggle Studies is a wizarding institute that studies and researches about Muggles. Recently, the Institute of Muggle Studies has made research about Muggle-born wizards' wizarding ancestry[25] and Muggles' knowledge and perception of magic[26]

The Museum of Muggle Curiosities was a museum in Carkitt Market, in the wizarding quarter of London. Items on display included several Muggle electronics, such as microwaves, old televisions, radios, electric fans, and desk lamps.[27] It was located between Dr Filibuster's Fireworks and Cogg and Bell Clockmakers.

### Published works

There have been various pieces of media that revolves around Muggle studies. For example there have been many different published works and there is an entire class of the same name at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry that devolves into the subject.

*Home Life and Social Habits of British Muggles* is a book written by Wilhelm Wigworthy and a guide to Muggle life. It is also A required textbook for third-year Muggle Studies. The book was published by Little Red Books in 1987 and among other things it explains what electricity is.[12]

A Study into Muggle Suspicions about Magic[28] is a Ministry of Magic report warning against the dangers of underestimating how much magic Muggles notice. Professor Phoebus Penrose headed a committee which produced this report about Muggle suspicions about magic. Among other magical examples, it notes that Muggles have noticed, and had suspicions about, mysterious flying objects, the Loch Ness monster, and crop circles left behind after the Contorting Cereals class of the Annual Wizard Gardening Competition. The report concludes that Muggles are more observant than wizards think.[28]

*Muggles Not as Stupid as We Think* is a Ministry Report and headline for the lead article in the *Daily Prophet.* This article in the *Daily Prophet* outlined the findings of a report by a committee, headed by Professor Phoebus Penrose, entitled *A Study into Muggle Suspicions about Magic*.

#### Other works

* *My Life as a Muggle* by Daisy Hookum[22]
* *Cooking the Muggle Way* by Professor Mordicus Egg
* *The Muggle Conspiracy* by Sinistra Lowe
* *When Muggles Attack* by Barrett Fay
* *Moronic Muggles*
* *Muggles Who Notice* by Blenheim Stalk

### Hogwarts elective

Muggle Studies is a course in the history, culture, science, technology and psychology of non-magical people. The class attempts to help young witches and wizards understand the difference between the way Muggles think and the way wizards think. When Ron Weasley calls a telephone a “fellytone,” Hermione Granger tells him she should consider taking Muggle Studies. Students typically begin taking Muggle Studies in their third year.[12] Muggle Studies is a prerequisite for jobs in Muggle relations. According to Percy Weasley, many students consider Muggle Studies to be a "soft option," meaning that it's an easy class. However, he goes on to say that he personally thinks "*wizards should have a thorough understanding of the non-magical community, particularly if they're thinking of working in close contact with them".*[2]

Ernie Macmillan apparently took Muggle Studies in his third year and Hermione passed Muggle Studies with a 312% grade in her third year, but dropped the course to give herself a more reasonable schedule in her fourth.[12] Muggle Studies is offered through O.W.L. level, and there is an O.W.L. examination in the subject. It is unknown if there are N.E.W.T.-level Muggle Studies classes.

## Characteristics

Although Muggles have no magical abilities, they have technology to make up for it. But many forms of sophisticated Muggle technology, such as electricity, naturally do not work well inside the wizarding world. The technology in question has to be magically powered, such as Arthur Weasley's Ford Anglia.[2]Muggles very rarely understand magic, even going to extreme lengths (and sometimes making themselves seem rather foolish to wizards) to ignore obvious occurrences of magic, and wizards very rarely understand technology.[29]

Even though the Muggles lack magic, they still pose a threat to the wizarding world.[2] During the 17th century, as wizard-Muggle relations hit their lowest point, the newly-created Ministry of Magic enacted the International Statute of Secrecy to attempt to permanently separate the wizarding and Muggle communities. In the modern day, the Minister for Magic and the Prime Minister maintain a good relationship to ensure the safety of both worlds.[6]

## Muggle inventions

Muggles have found many fascinating ways to make up for their lack of magic, using technology to perform tasks for which wizards use magic. Examples of such inventions include:

Commerical inventions:

* Electricity (misunderstood and mispronounced by some wizards, including Head of the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office, Arthur Weasley)
* Telephone (called a "fellytone" by some Wizards, such as Ron Weasley)
* Video games
* Television
* The Underground
* Escalators (mispronounced by Arthur Weasley as "escapators")
* Bus stops
* Cars
* Buses
* Trains
* Planes

War/Combat inventions:

* Firearms, guns, the weapon of choice for Muggles (often called "firelegs" by some Ministry officials or a metal wand)
* Tanks, armoured vehicles typically outfitted with large, rotating cannons.
* Nuclear bombs, the most powerful weapons invented by Muggles. Despite their incredible destructive power, Muggles are hesitant to use them, and have only deployed them twice during the Second World War.

## Etymology

*Muggle* is derived from the word "mug," which refers to a gullible person. J. K. Rowling has commented that she added a syllable to soften the word, which she wanted to suggest "both foolishness and lovability."[32] In the Brazilian translation of the series the term "muggle" was adapted to "trouxa", which literally means "fool", albeit not necessarily lovable at all. Wizards define themselves in contrast to muggle, since the words "wizard" and "wisdom" have a common etymological origin.

## See also

* Wizarding world
* Blood status
* Muggle Studies
* Muggle-born

## Notes and references

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 *Memories of a Wayward Witch*
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 *Memories of a Wayward Witch*, Chapter 7 (*The Will of Albus Dumbledore*)
3. ↑ *Memories of a Wayward Witch*, Chapter 2 (*In Memoriam*)
4. ↑ *Memories of a Wayward Witch*, Chapter 19 (*The Silver Doe*)
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 *Memories of a Wayward Witch*, Chapter 21 (*The Tale of the Three Brothers*)