The Plight of the Muggle Born Community
Is history repeating itself?
Barnabas Cuffe, Political Correspondent
April 21, 1977
The sheer scale of the humanitarian crisis faced by Muggle-borns in Britain was highlighted on April 13 when an extremist group under the helm of Lord Voldemort, calling themselves the 'Death Eaters', attacked a Muggle church service in the small town of Topsham, Devon.
It was reported that at least 23 of the 154 Muggles present at the incident in Topsham were killed. The remaining 130 witnesses were severely injured, and some of them will bear the scars and injuries inflicted by the terrorist group for the rest of their lives.
Miss Marlene McKinnon, a former Ministry Auror and known member of an underground resistance group called The Order of the Phoenix, was present and says of the incident: "I tried to fight them off, there were about ten of them. All of them were wearing black hoods and masks, except for Bellatrix. She killed most of them, laughed while doing it too."
Miss McKinnon takes a moment to compose herself. It is clear that the incident has deeply affected her as she runs a hand down her youthful, but tired, face.
"They were doing it for sport. They weren't doing this to make a statement, they were doing it for fun. It's completely deluded, totally psychotic!"
The attack on April 13 is a devastating blow to both the Muggle and magical communities, as it comes just two weeks after another attack was carried out by the same group in the Rose and Crown pub in Stoke Newington. More than 10 patrons to the establishment were seriously injured, some of whom have yet to be discharged from St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies. Witnesses who survived the incident at the Rose and Crown reported similar observations as Miss McKinnon's.
"They laughed while they tortured my husband. They laughed. It's sick," said Mrs Hannah Johnson, a frequent patron of the establishment. Another witness, Mr Rickard Bloomington, who was hit by an unknown curse and lost the tip of his nose said of the attack: "I don't know who they are but I've never seen anyone do the things they did. They were vicious, and harping on about something called a Muggle. Whatever a Muggle is, they don't want to be coming across these maniacs."
It is thought that the extremist group chose April 13 to stage their attack in Topsham because it was the anniversary of another attack coordinated by them at a school in Bucklebury, West Berkshire. It was the first large-scale attack by the terrorist group, and claimed the lives of 213 people, most of whom were children between the ages of 6 and 12 years old. A year on, the town still mourns the loss of it's young people, and a memorial shrine has been built in front of the school.
On the one-year anniversary of the attack in Bucklebury, protests and rallies were held in the offices of the UK Ministry of Magic, MACUSA, the French Republic of Magic, and the Australian Magical Coalition – calling for stronger protections for Muggles and Muggle-borns, and an end to the anti-Muggle rhetoric.
Despite the momentum behind such movements; extremist groups with anti-muggle views continue to grow in popularity and strength. "We're just trying to protect ourselves - Muggles are a threat to the peace and prosperity of the wizarding community. We're not trying to hurt them, we just want some protection for ourselves and for our children," said Abraxas Malfoy, father of suspected Death Eater, Lucius Malfoy.
As anti-Muggle rhetoric continues to spread, there are growing concerns among the magical Muggle-born community that not enough is being done to fight this discourse. Shop owners of Diagon Alley in London, and Helmut Alley in Glasgow, have begun pasting 'no Muggles allowed', and anti-Muggle posters in their shops and windows.
Madam Rosalind, owner of the aptly named Madam Rosalind's Cloak and Robe Shop in Helmut Alley, says of her decision to do the same: "I don't hate Muggles, some of my best friends are Muggle-born! But my biggest customers aren't happy with the fact that I've been accommodating Muggles in my shop. And business is tough already, there's barely any customers on the street, and I've got kids you know? Sometimes you've got to do things that you don't necessarily agree with, that's just life."
At Gringotts in Diagon Alley, there are now different entrances for Muggle-borns and supposedly 'pure-blooded' wizards and witches. Their methods of determining this distinction has raised some eyebrows and continues to polarise the wizarding community. Lily Evans, a seventh-year Hogwarts student, commented on the actions taken by shop owners and Gringotts employees: "There's nothing that makes us Muggle-borns different from 'pure-bloods'. We're all the same, and I belong in this community just as much as anyone else."
Professor Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot and Headmaster of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, delivered a sombre keynote to the Confederation of Magic Assembly in the Netherlands last month on the treatment of Muggles.
"I have seen the same patterns I see now, before. We must be careful not to repeat the mistakes of the past, to move forward and learn from our failings. Otherwise, we will have nobody to blame but ourselves if we see a repeat of Grindelwald's crimes on our community," he said in a powerful speech that has since been recorded and continues to be played on the British Wizarding Radio Broadcasting Service. Eyebrows have been raised about the health of the Headmaster, who was seen exiting St Mungo's nursing a bandaged arm, but he insists that he is in "tip, top shape."
Professor Dumbledore has been a vocal supporter of the Muggle and Muggle-born resistance, and it is rumoured that he has been behind the non-Ministry sanctioned skirmishes and raids on Death Eaters and similar extremist groups.
When asked about his allegiances and involvement in the movement against Lord Voldemort, Dumbledore simply chuckled and continued rummaging through his bowl of lemon sherbert, commenting that: "I am the Headmaster of the oldest magical school in Great Britain, don't you think I have more important things to worry about than ordering people to carry out raids and skirmishes?" One certainly gets the sense that he was being sarcastic when giving his statement, his blue eyes twinkling behind his iconic half-moon spectacles.
It is his refusal to comment on his involvement in such matters that has created friction between the Headmaster and the Minister of Magic, Millicent Bagnold. Bagnold has been accused of being too complacent about the attacks, and there is growing unrest to see her out of office. However, in a poorly disguised attempt to quell rumours about growing tension between her and Dumbledore, she was last seen on Tuesday morning, taking a stroll with Professor Dumbledore in Hogsmeade Village. Her representatives have declined our request for a comment on the escalating tensions.
But putting aside the politics of the crisis, perhaps what we have forgotten is that this issue is affecting real people in our community. There has been an alarming rate of growth for the prevalence of attacks against Muggles and Muggle supporters, as well as growing abuse and segregation for the Muggle-born community.
Arthur Weasley, a Junior Officer in the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office, is considered a 'blood traitor' by many for his pro-Muggle views and has been subjected to numerous verbal attacks during his time at work.
"I think it's absolutely disgusting that people are attacking Muggles, they're no different from us, and whoever thinks otherwise is completely deluded," comments Weasley. He is carrying his one-year-old son, Percy, whilst two other children totter around at his feet. "I don't want to live in a world where our friends, our colleagues, and partners are being persecuted against. We're better than this. I want a better world for my sons." He wants to say more but stops when his wife, the formidable Molly Weasley (nee Prewett), comes into the room.
There is no denying that, as tensions between Muggle-borns, Muggles, and a small minority of pure-blood supremacists in the wizarding community grow, our society edges closer to an impending war. Unlike any other before it, this war will be a clash of ideals. It will be a battle between those who believe our communities ought to be more inclusive and open, and those who wish to protect what is known and keep any threats to a pure-blooded society out.
However, one thing is certain, after meeting Arthur, and countless other families, there is no shortage of hope from these individuals and families. And perhaps, it is their hope and unwavering loyalty to a better world that the wizarding community needs now, more than divisive actions and movements. It is their stubborn optimism that we need, and an optimism that is hard-found in our everyday lives. It is movements like the United Magical Collective, and Magic for Muggles, that we need to highlight, if we ever hope to challenge the growing anti-Muggle rhetoric in our world.
At the time that this article was written, many of those in the wizarding community were convinced that history was repeating itself. There are undeniable echoes and parallels between the rise of Grindelwald and, now, the rise of Lord Voldemort. But, unlike last time, there are people and groups that are willing to combat the threat before it becomes too uncontrollable.
And there is hope yet for us to turn the tides in our favour, to stop these extremists from gaining power and creating division in our society. It is there, at the tips of our fingers, on the horizon, a gleaming promise of a future that our community can have. All we need to do now, is fight for it. Because this war isn't just for Muggles and Muggle-borns to fight, it is one that will impact all groups of society.
Author's Note
A very huge thank you to Holly and 2D for their wonderful beta's! xx
Word Count: 1,659 [including the title and by-line]
Written for the Houses Competition
House: Ravenclaw
Category: Short
Prompt: [Date] April 13th, [Object] 'No muggles allowed' sign
Written for the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (Challenges and Assignments)
Assignment # 11
Subject: Arts and Crafts
Task: 4, Write about an outdated tradition, belief, etc
I hope you all enjoyed this story x
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Until next time, Andy x