In J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series, a Muggle is a person who lacks any sort of magical ability and was not born in a magical family. Muggles can also be described as people who do not have any magical blood inside them. It differs from the term Squib, which refers to a person with one or more magical parents yet without any magical power or ability, and from the term Muggle-born, which refers to a person with magical abilities but with non-magical parents. The equivalent term used by the in-universe magic community of America is No-Maj, which is short for No Magic. The neologism, No-Maj was popular in the 1920s but soon went out of fashion and the original term, muggle came back into use before World War II and has been muggle ever since.
Lord Voldemort is a sobriquet for Tom Marvolo Riddle, a fictional character and the main antagonist in J. K. Rowling's series of Harry Potter novels. Voldemort first appeared in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, which was published in 1997. Voldemort appears either in person or in flashbacks in each book and its film adaptation in the series except the third, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, in which he is only mentioned.
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is a fictional British boarding school of magic for students aged eleven to eighteen, and is the primary setting for the first six books in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series and as a major setting in the Wizarding World universe.
The Ministry of Magic is the government of the Magical community of Britain in J. K. Rowling's Wizarding World, headed by an official entitled the Minister for Magic. The magical government in Britain is first mentioned in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone; the Ministry makes its first proper appearance in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2003). Throughout the books, it is regularly depicted as corrupt, elitist and completely incompetent, with its high-ranking officials blind to ominous events and unwilling to take action against threats to wizard society. Dolores Umbridge was placed at Hogwarts to see what was going on at the school and prevent the news that Voldemort was back from spreading. It reaches a zenith of corruption before being effectively taken over by Lord Voldemort. At the end of the final book, following Voldemort's death, Kingsley Shacklebolt takes over the ministry, changing it for the better. By the time of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Hermione Granger is the Minister for Magic.
In J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series, magic is depicted as a supernatural force that can be used to override the usual laws of nature. Many fictional magical creatures exist in the series, while ordinary creatures also sometimes exhibit magical properties. Magical objects are also described. The small number of humans who are able to perform magic refer to the rest of the population, oblivious to the existence of magic, as "Muggles" in the United Kingdom and "No-Maj" in the United States.
J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter universe contains numerous settings for the events in her fantasy novels. These locations are categorised as a dwelling, school, shopping district, or government-affiliated locale.
An incantation, a spell, a charm, an enchantment or a bewitchery, is a magical formula intended to trigger a magical effect on a person or objects. The formula can be spoken, sung or chanted. An incantation can also be performed during ceremonial rituals or prayers. In the world of magic, incantations are said to be performed by wizards, witches, and fairies.
Magical creatures are an aspect of the fictional wizarding world contained in the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them series, both by British author J. K. Rowling. Throughout the seven books of the series, Harry and his friends come across many of these creatures on their adventures, as well as in their Care of Magical Creatures lessons at Hogwarts. The Care of Magical Creatures Class take care of creatures such as Hippogriffs, Unicorns and Owls. Rowling has also written Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, a guide to the magical beasts found in the series. Many of these are derived from folklore, primarily Greek mythology, but also British and Scandinavian folklore. Many of the legends surrounding mythical creatures are also incorporated in the books. "Children ... know that I didn't invent unicorns, but I've had to explain frequently that I didn't actually invent hippogriffs," Rowling told Stephen Fry in an interview for BBC Radio 4. "When I do use a creature that I know is a mythological entity, I like to find out as much as I can about it. I might not use it, but to make it as consistent as I feel is good for my plot."
The following fictional characters are staff members and denizens of Hogwarts in the Harry Potter books written by J. K. Rowling.
The fictional universe of British author J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series of fantasy novels comprises two distinct societies: the Wizarding World and the Muggle world. In the novels, the Muggle world is the world inhabited by the non-magical majority, with which the Wizarding world exists coextensively, albeit mostly remaining hidden from the non-magical humans. The plot of the series is set in 1990s Britain, but in a veiled and separate shadow society wherein magic is commonly used and practised, and those who can use it live in self-enforced seclusion, hiding their abilities from the rest of the world. The term "Wizarding World" refers to the global wizard community that lives hidden in parallel with the Muggle world; the different terms refer to different communities within the same area rather than separate planets or worlds. Any new works taking place in this universe are released under the "J. K. Rowling's Wizarding World" brand.
Harry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by British author J. K. Rowling. The novels chronicle the lives of a young wizard, Harry Potter, and his friends Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The main story arc concerns Harry's struggle against Lord Voldemort, a dark wizard who intends to become immortal, overthrow the wizard governing body known as the Ministry of Magic and subjugate all wizards and Muggles.
Writer J. K. Rowling cites several writers as influences in her creation of her bestselling Harry Potter series. Writers, journalists and critics have noted that the books also have a number of analogues; a wide range of literature, both classical and modern, which Rowling has not openly cited as influences.
A magician, also known as a mage, warlock, witch, wizard/wizardess, enchanter/enchantress, sorcerer/sorceress or spell caster, is someone who uses or practices magic derived from supernatural, occult, or arcane sources. Magicians are common figures in works of fantasy, such as fantasy literature and role-playing games, and enjoy a rich history in mythology, legends, fiction, and folklore.
Master of the Five Magics is a fantasy novel by Lyndon Hardy, first published in 1980. It is the first of a trilogy set in the same world; the second book is Secret of the Sixth Magic and the third Riddle of the Seven Realms. The books feature different characters, but each explores the same system of magic in successively more detail. It may be an early example of hard fantasy.
Harry Potter is a series of fantasy novels by J. K. Rowling.
A Pukwudgie, also spelled Puk-Wudjie, is a human-like creature found in Delaware and Wampanoag folklore, sometimes said to be 2-to-3-foot-tall.
Ged is the true name of a fictional character in Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea realm. He is introduced in A Wizard of Earthsea, and plays both main and supporting roles in the subsequent Earthsea novels. In most of the Earthsea books he goes by the Hardic name Sparrowhawk.
The Grey School of Wizardry is a school specializing in occult magic, operating primarily online and as a non-profit educational institution in the State of California. It was founded by present headmaster Oberon Zell-Ravenheart, a founder of the Church of All Worlds. It is a secular institution, not a religious one, and is not affiliated with any religion or religious organization. Over 450 classes are offered in 16 magical departments. Graduates are certified as “Journeyman Wizards”, using the traditional title journeyman signifying one who has completed an apprenticeship.
Dolores Jane Umbridge is a fictional character from the Harry Potter series created by J.K. Rowling. The character is the primary antagonist of the fifth novel Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and was stationed at Hogwarts by the Ministry of Magic to take power away from Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore, who were informing the Wizarding World of Lord Voldemort's return. While at Hogwarts, Umbridge grows in power and is appointed "High Inquisitor" by the Minister of Magic in an attempt to control the school. Despite being assigned as the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Umbridge refuses to teach anything practical in the subject, which leads to the formation of Dumbledore's Army as a way for the students to learn how to defend themselves. Umbridge is described as a fat, toad-like woman, with a wide, slack mouth, and a large bow.
