This is the epilogue of a hopefully multi-chapter story (depending whether people actually like it!). The epilogue is a little bit full of jargon, but bear with me, there will be a story eventually. Please Read and Review, constructive criticism is most definitely welcome, as are suggestions on how people would like the story to take shape.
Recent studies into the molecular nature of magic have yielded interesting information regarding the origin of the magical energy that many of our population often seem to take for granted. Whilst both wizards and non magical members of the human species have a similar genetic code, subtle differences exist which may account for our ability to wield and utilise magic.
In the last century, magic was theorised to be an integral part of the wizard's being – making up the quartet of his body, soul, mind and magic. However, studies in the last forty years have revealed that magic is not stored in the body of a wizard as his magical core – as previously thought.
Magic is energy. Free energy in the surrounding environment that the recently evolved of the human species – wizards – are capable of absorbing and manipulating to their will. The average non magical person (known crudely as "muggles") has not evolved mechanisms of utilising magical energy.
Magic absorption draws in free energy from the environment and then energy is then released in the desired form (for example, light (Lumos)). Without the use of a focusing tool (wand), magical is released in a haphazard, uncontrolled form, similar to the bursts of accidental magic performed by young witches and wizards. The use of a wand allows focusing and control of the user's magic in order to achieve the desired action.
Pureblood – a casual term for those of magical ancestry - is a name given to individuals who usually have two or more generations of magical relatives and are capable of practicing magic. Half-blood refers to those with less than one generation of magical ancestry or otherwise one magical and one non-magical parent. Muggleborn individuals used to be an anomaly, until observations of subtle mutations in the individual's DNA proved that random mutations in the genetic code were capable of creating an individual able to absorb and manipulate magical energy.
This information gives a great deal more insight in the origin of magic. Witches and wizards are likely to have evolved from muggles many thousands of years ago, building in numbers until a community of magic users was formed.
She flicked the tip of the ballpoint, trying to coax a last drop of ink onto the page, before signing her name in a small, neat print at the bottom. Banishing the empty pen in the direction of the bin, she carefully eased the centimetre thick thesis into a plastic pocket, before storing it securely, wary of the biro stains smeared across her aching fingers.
She would have loved to have typed all one hundred and fifty A4 pages of speculation regarding molecular magical theory, but the hospital board were irate enough that she refused to use parchment, so antagonising them further wasn't too high on her to-do list.
She suspected the board had given her that particular topic of research to distract her from the side project she been recently investigating. The werewolf condition was a particularly intriguing one – a disease she'd been eager to study from the beginning, but they were unwilling to advocate her a research grant to supposedly "fritter away hospital funds on pointless and financially unviable projects".
Since the demise of Voldemort, muggleborn witches and wizards had become entitled to rights equal with those of half blood and fullblood status. They could attain positions in the ministry not previously available to those of different blood status and were able to apply for financial aid where they hadn't before.
It was something she whole heartedly approved of and had spent some time campaigning for, before taking up a place as a medical researcher at 's.
However, equal rights hadn't exactly found their way to supposedly "non-humans". Werewolves and vampires were still forced to undergo discrimination, faced abuse and substandard treatment in almost every field of life. Many were unable to hold positions in the ministry and were still given substandard medical care. Even now, a werewolf with a fairly serious illness or injury was still required to wait until last in a queue that consisted of witches and wizards. There were no laws opposing their discrimination, no laws stopping bigoted members of the magical population refusing to serve or rent property to known werewolves.
It was appalling and cripplingly derivative against a community that now claimed that every one of its members had equal rights.
She supposed they didn't count the werewolf population as part of their community. It was cruel and infuriating and she had intended to do something about it.
Every campaign, every petition was sidestepped and blind sighted. Every request she made to the board to begin a research project was turned down. Unfortunately for the board, they would soon learn just how stubborn she could be.
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