25 June 1988

Finally, Harry would have some time to read his books. Taking out "The history of Magical Britain, from 600BC to 1945 BC" by Lucifer Waterfall, he flipped to the page on the founding of Hogwarts.

At some point in the tenth century, four of the greatest witches and wizards that ever lived founded Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Their names were Godric Gryffindor, Rowena Ravenclaw, Helga Hufflepuff and Salazar Slytherin. Their reason for doing so was because they had the 'selfsame yearning, to make the world's best magic school', and once they did, each created their own house to represent a personality and skill that they wanted to nurture. Gryffindor students embodied bravery and chivalry; Ravenclaw, intelligence and wit; Hufflepuff, loyalty and fair play; and Slytherin, the values of being sly and cunning. Hogwarts was built somewhere in the Scottish Highlands, and concealed with numerous charms and spells to make it impossible for Muggles to trespass. For instead of an enormous school, any passing Muggle would only see ruins and signs warning them of danger. However, the four founders eventually fell out. They had very different ideas of what they wanted Hogwarts to be. Salazar Slytherin, who distrusted Muggle-born wizards, believed that only 'pure-blood' students should be allowed to attend Hogwarts. The other founders disagreed – especially Godric Gryffindor, who was, up until then, Slytherin's greatest friend. Their argument resulted in Slytherin leaving the school behind. It has been widely speculated that Salazar Slytherin, before he left Hogwarts, built the Chamber of Secrets. The story goes that the hidden chamber was kept secret from the other founders, and was sealed until Slytherin's 'true heir' arrived at the school: a student who would be able to unseal the Chamber of Secrets and unleash the Monster inside that would purge the school of Muggle-born wizards.

Upon reading it, Harry wondered which house he would be sorted into. He definitely ruled out Hufflepuff. He was one who did not believe in fair play and could betray a person once he was in immense danger. As for Ravenclaw, he was unsure whether his thirst for answers could be considered as seeking wisdom. He only wanted to do something that could benefit him in the end after all. As for Gryffindor, he was sure that bravery in the face of danger was the silliest thing that ever happened. He wondered how many wizards and witches were so silly to sacrifice himself or herself to fit into that house. He thought that Slytherin could nurture his manipulation skills, enabling him to get what he wanted for free, yet due to the discrimination against muggle-born-which he was not sure still existed and the fact that from 1800-1945 only 2 muggle-born entered Slytherin, made him think that Slytherin was out as a potential destination. One of the muggle-born- Tom Riddle was head boy. Harry believed that being too ambitious and overly cunning as seen by his rise to Head Boy, only could let the fact that his blood was not "pure" enough be overlooked. He was not sure if he had that cunning and ambitious streak in him by such a distance that it was better than his peers.

However, he disagreed with Salazar Slytherin that Muggle-born were unworthy. To him, blood and family ancestry was important, yet muggle-born should not be discriminated against for being born to Muggle parents. After all, it was not entirely their fault that they were born to muggles. However, he agreed that Muggles should be kept away from the Magical people at all cost. In other words, the Magical society should be kept separate from the Magical community. As a muggle-born, he fist-hand witnessed the innovations of the muggles. They created bombs that could wipe out the whole Earth, created spaceships to carry people to the moon, and the evolution of technology is set to be by 2010. In his view, it was entirely dangerous for Muggles to even get a step close to the Magical community. Even if they fought a full-blown war, magic may not help much as the whole wizarding population could soon be wiped out in 10 seconds as soon as they declared war on the Muggles. The Muggles had billions of people, yet the Magical community only had about 1 million people in the world. Even if the muggles did not use nuclear weapons, the Magical community could be wiped out even if the Magicals faced the muggles 1-10! However, as of now, he did not know much on how far magic transcended. He did not know how many innovations were invented from 1945 to now. He eventually decided that it was best to keep an open-view and always anticipate the worst.

Despite this, he also was full of praise for the inventions and creativity of the magical people. These were alchemists like Nicholas Flamel, who created a Philosopher Stone, which produces the Elixir of Life, allowing the drinker to live to eternity and not die. As of now, it has been speculated that Nicolas Flamel and his wife were nearly 590 years old in 1910! There were also powerful wizards like Albus Dumbledore, who invented the 12 uses of dragon blood and defeated Grindelwald, even though he was just a transfiguration teacher at Hogwarts! He must have been extremely strong to defeat Grindelwald. Defeating a dark lord who conquered Scandinavia, took over the government of Germany, Belgium and Austria, and lastly was rumoured to have an invincible wand was clearly no mean feat. He was sure to research more on both tactics during the fight. According to several eye-witnesses, it was the greatest battle they had ever seen!

Little did he also know that during 1937 to 1945, the magical world was in a huge battle, mainly between "light wizards" in the government, and "dark wizards" like Grindelwand! In school, he learnt that the Second World War happened between 1938 and 1945. Could it be a mere coincidence that they overlapped each other or was there a deeper meaning to it? He sought to find out more on the origins of the Second World War. Additionally, during that time in wizard history, there was a huge debate on "light wizards" and "dark wizards." According to the book's unbiased description, dark wizards were those who have a dark core. They are those that specialise better in combat and more chaotic pieces of magic, such as rituals, blood magic. A "light wizard" thus has a "light" core and would find things like healing and things that need positive emotions easier. Additionally, for those that are not "light" or "dark" and are more neutral, they are considered to have a "grey" core. A Grey person might find themselves somewhere in between, and their magic could also be attuned to more neutral magic like enchantment and warding.

In practical uses and real-world context, dark wizards were seen as those who seeked to protect their history, magical traditions, rituals and beliefs. They did not accommodate the muggle-born and saw them as outsiders, seeking to disrupt magical traditions and infest them with those of muggles. These dark wizards saw muggle-born as unworthy of a place in the magical world. They believed that pure-blood wizards marrying muggle-born wizards and witches would cause their blood to dilute and give in to the inferior power of the muggle-born. Their grand, magical, pure blood that runs in their ancestry's veins for more than 1000 years would lose its power and grandeur, diminishing the power of the magical community, and ruining their legacy, as the magical community slowly becomes intertwined with the muggle community.

As for the light wizards, they were more "accepting" of the muggle-born wizards and witches. They welcomed them into the magical world with open arms. They seemed not to care about the definitions the "muggle-born" were given, and tried their best to look after them with all they could. They viewed blood and purity as a secondary issue, and had no qualms about marrying to them, provided that they loved them. They were willing to let the "muggle-born" suggest ways of improvements to the magical world, allowing them to suggest adapting to some magical traditions. As for whether some muggle's way of life, words and traditions incorporated itself into the magical world, Harry didn't know. But with the fall of Grindelwald, people may be more inclined to change and were willing to listen to the views of muggle-born. Harry shivered as he thought of not being accepted at Hogwarts despite having magical ability. He wondered how muggle-borns like him would live their lives, as an outcast, or recruited into the magical world as slaves? He hoped that at least he would not face too much of a discrimination that he was entirely shunned of. However, from what Florean Fortescue said five days ago, it seemed that he was still allowed to enter the magical world. He was also able to enter Hogwarts! So, the discrimination should not have gone a lot worse from 1945? Right? Harry thought, wondering how the world was like now. Would muggle-born like him be discriminated against to a 1945 level, restricted in certain jobs, looked down by society? Or, would the muggle-born today be treated with more respect?

Maybe the magical people would think that their ancestry and blood purity was not the main issue, but the fact that they all had magical powers and thus, they all had a say for how the magical world ran? Harry hoped that it would be the second option. However, he had little hopes, given the state of the non-magical world or muggle as he tried to say it was now. Despite the fall of the Nazis, Germany today still continued to be at war. There was Western Germany, which was based on democracy, like the United Kingdom and the United States. On the other side, there was eastern Germany, which was influenced by the Soviet Union and was based on communism. There was also the Berlin war, which separated the two. Despite not physically fighting like in World War 1 and 2, they were still divided by the views on policies, beliefs and ideals. He wondered if the magical world was like that. The "light wizards" on one hand, trying to integrate the muggle born into the magical society and the "dark wizards" who saw the muggle borns as "filth" and valued the magical traditions, lasting about thousands of years, thus refusing the muggle born entry into the magical world due to the contamination for blood and disrespect of the magical world. The world was surely not a fun place to be; there would always be discrimination, corruption and nepotism in the world, and Harry was sure that it would be the same in the magical world.

Well, other than the blood purity issue and the respect of long-standing traditions in the magical world that the "light wizards" and "dark wizards" often fought on, there was a second reason, the inclusion of creatures into the magical world. "Dark wizards" were accepting of magical creatures, no matter their ability or danger that they posed to the magical community. Creatures such as werewolves and unicorns ought to be treated with respect. They viewed their abilities as a gift from "Fate" and tried to push through laws giving them equal rights as people of the magical world.

However, the "light wizards" viewed all creatures as dark creatures as they could pose all sorts of horror to the magical people. For example, werewolves, which transformed every full-moon could bite a person, either causing him or her to die, or become a werewolf. There were also vampires, which sucked blood out of the magical people. The "light wizards" also argued that the 'dark wizards" only supported the bills granting the creatures equal rights as the creatures were dark creatures. The "dark creatures" would thereby disrupt the peace in magical Britain and wreak havoc if allowed to run free.

The factions' stances seem contradictory to their supposed ideals of inclusion within the magical world. On the surface, the "light" wizards' support for Muggle-born inclusion seems aligned with ideals of equality and openness, while the "dark" wizards' advocacy for magical creature rights might appear to echo themes of acceptance and diversity. The factions' stances seem contradictory to their supposed ideals of inclusion within the magical world. By advocating for the inclusion of Muggle-borns while simultaneously discriminating against magical creatures or vice versa is indeed another discrimination against magical beings based on their blood status or species. Both the "light wizards" and "dark wizards" were essentially undermining the very principles they claim to uphold.

Well, what could be the reason for this inconsistency? Harry wondered out loud.

One possible explanation Harry could give was ingrained prejudices and power dynamics, which shapes the attitudes of different groups. For instance, the "light" wizards might champion Muggle-born rights as a means to maintain their own dominance within the magical community, as the muggle born would look up to the "light wizards" as one who fought for their rights and would thus pledge their support for the "light wizards" while the "dark" wizards may see the empowerment of magical creatures as a way to disrupt the existing social order, or overthrow the "light wizards" with the backing of the "dark" creatures.

Additionally, personal biases and fears may play a significant role in shaping individuals' beliefs and actions within these factions. Fear of the unknown, cultural conditioning, and deep-seated prejudices can all contribute to the perpetuation of discriminatory practices, even among those who outwardly claim to champion inclusivity.

The third issue was the banning of certain spells and restrictions placed on certain practices. Since 1784, the "light wizards" have been growing in number and strength. From a mere 10% of Britain's population in 1784, their percentage has increased to about 38% in 1945, and is set to increase to about 45% by 1975. The "light wizards" fought against long-lasting spells, rituals, and everything, from the grooming of a child, to education, to marriage and even to death. They branded themselves as the "rebels", who view the traditions and practice of hundreds of years ago irrelevant in today's developing society. They viewed such practices as inhumane, and outdated, and that its use in present-day society as doing more harm than good, hindering social development. By advocating for the abandonment of these practices, they sought to promote a more compassionate and ethical magical community, with a broader societal shift towards progressive values and a reevaluation of traditional norms and practices.

"Dark wizards" see traditional magical customs as integral to preserving the cultural identity of the magical community. These practices are viewed as a link to the past, connecting present-day wizards and witches to their heritage and ancestral traditions. According to them, the customs and rituals of the magical world distinguish it from the non-magical world. These practices highlight the magical community's unique abilities and place in the world, reinforcing a sense of pride and belonging among its members. For them, upholding age-old wizarding customs is a way of paying homage to those who came before them. They believe that abandoning these practices would dishonour the legacy of previous generations and erode the magical world's rich cultural tapestry. They argue that traditional practices should be cherished and maintained as a testament to the magical community's heritage and values. "Dark wizards" also claimed that the main reason the "light wizards" wanted a re-consideration of the practices was to accommodate the muggle-born who just joined the magical society. The "light wizard" wanting to introduce some muggle traditions could erode the magical ones. They fear that the transformation of the magical society into one that fuses into or resembles the non-magical world would additionally cause the magical people to lose their sense of belonging.

Some of the practices that were hotly contested were as such: marriage.

In a pure-blood family, girls who were born were usually considered as a "property". The respective family would offer their daughter to another pure-blood family, to be married into it. The girls would be signed into an arranged marriage when they had finished puberty. It is mainly used for the family to gain a social standing and improve their reputation. However, there were certain darker aspects that were not frequently talked about. Firstly, seven vials of blood would be taken from the girl when she is first born. The blood would then be taken by the husband's family. The husband, when he is unhappy with the girl, will use the blood to put restrictions on the girl. Blood in the magical world was super important and precious, as anyone could do something with someone's blood, like putting a spell on a person, entering the person in a contract without the person knowing and killing the person in one shot. Although it was entirely within the husband's means to use the blood for contracts and compulsions, many "light" families viewed it as cruel. The fact that a person controls one's life was horrible to them. The "light" families thus petitioned for bills restricting the use of it, but it was blocked each and every time. In the "dark" families' defence, they claim that it was a long-lasting tradition of their ancestors and that restricting it would be a blemish on wizarding history. They also claimed that males, especially heirs of prominent pure-blood families were more powerful than the girls they were married to, and thus as a husband, they were entitled to the use of blood to subject their wives to what they viewed as "right" behaviour. Additionally, many "light" families viewed marriage no longer as a political or social issue, a way to gain prominence. They viewed marriage as a personal choice, and that each party needed to have autonomy in matters of marriage. Marriage should be build on trust and love instead of political alliances. This issue reflects the evolving attitudes of the "light" wizards towards personal relationships and the prioritisation of emotional fulfilment over external factors such as social status or family alliances.

Harry personally thought that the fact a person could be utterly controlled by another person was simply repulsive and he felt like vomiting. The wizarding view in 1945 shook him to the core, making him emphasise deeply with the girls in the wizarding world. How could the "dark wizards" accept the violation of human rights? It was simply worse, to say the least. Where is the fairness in society? Why is the fact that everyone is equal not accepted by the "dark wizards?" Well Harry could understand the part about following traditions, this was simply a step too far. Following traditions in his opinion, did not mean blindly "copying and pasting" the method, but instead understanding, and trying to shape it into a more practical method in the ever changing world, while still maintaining traditions. In this issue, he fully agreed with the "light wizards". This issue surely had to be fixed! He desperately hoped that Magical Britain today would be more developed and have an open mindset, putting themselves in the place of the girls and understanding how cruel the use of blood and the girls for political alliances was. At the least, he hoped that the issue on the use of blood was resolved, with a total abolition of it.

~OOOO~~OOOO~

Author's notes

Hi everyone, firstly, I would like to thank my 18 followers and the 10 people who favorited this story. Thank you so much for the support and encouragement!

For the next few chapters, Harry will be learning more about the wizarding world. As of now, Harry will remain just an ordinary muggle-born. This is to shape his understanding of the magical world, how corrupt it is, and subsequently cause him to demand a change when he has the power to do so.

As for the marriage part about blood, I am very very sorry about it. It is the best I could think of to make Harry resent the dark for the time being. I am planning for him to look up to Albus Dumbledore as a role model, at least until he completes his first year of magical education.