What do you think the wizarding world would be like now?

[Arcus]

Whenever I imagine "modern" wizard robes, the first image that occurs to me is Neo from the second matrix movie. That's how I imagine the aurors' robes look. lol.

[mollypotter]

Originally Posted by merrymarge

they still wear robes. I wonder if they still wear wizard hats?

Where did you hear that?

Sorry, I don't mean to sound attack-ish, I just had never heard that!

I can't really imagine wizard hats. But I've always thought they were a little odd

[Potion]

I think the wizards would react indifferently to our success.

"You visited the moon, have internet, use electricity, have cellphones, guns and nuke bombs. But you're still muggles."

[Sinistra_Furze]

The big European wars of the 20th Century shook up society in those countries involved, causing people to re-examine old beliefs, customs, political and social structures.

The influence of the Church, a small powerful wealthy elite and charity handed down as largesse was eroded by secularisation, the increase of collective responsibility, social welfare and movement towards democratisation. These are generalisations, and, in Britain at least, there is still far to go.

The effect of the Wizarding wars might have a similar effect on their society. We are told the influence of the "pureblood elite" is fading and the consequences of racist notions of Muggle inferiority exposed in the struggle against Voldemort. They would, I hope, attempt to address the fundamental weakness inherent in the political and social structures of Wizarding society which made the takeover by Voldemort's supporters possible.

This need not be by adopting or adapting Muggle ways. I think Magical solutions and Muggle solutions to questions of communication, transport and access to information are equally intelligent given the resources at their disposal.

I wonder about how Magical society manages to maintain their secrecy. If Magical energy affects electrical appliances the increased use of technology is likely to reveal the presence of "strange" phenomena as those appliances are affected by the presence of Magical energy.While Wizarding society would have to find more effective means of concealment and be vigilant about it, I think they would also have to study Muggle culture more seriously and in greater depth in order to understand better how to coexist without conflict or discovery.

This might affect the fashions, spells used, solutions applied to some extent, but generally I think people would tend to continue doing the things that they feel comfortable with and that help them fit in with those around them.

[Silver_Arrow77]

I agree with previous posters that the Wizarding World would have changed in a positive way. I think the old pureblood prejudices would be fading fast, with there being more and more half-blood witches and wizards. I also think that Wizarding laws in other areas, such as towards House-elves or Werewolves, would hopefully be improved, thanks to people like Hermione. Hopefully the Wizarding World's attitudes to suppressed groups like those would also be getting better (although I think progress would be slower than with blood prejudices).

What with there being more and more people closely related to Muggles, I think wizards might be more open to Muggle ways as well. Perhaps they might work on finding ways to incorporate Muggle technology with magic and the Wizarding lifestyle?

[Taquiq]

Originally Posted by Silver_Arrow77

What with there being more and more people closely related to Muggles, I think wizards might be more open to Muggle ways as well. Perhaps they might work on finding ways to incorporate Muggle technology with magic and the Wizarding lifestyle?

The oppurtunities woould be endless if wizards adapted muggle sciences and technologies. Take astronomy for example: Muggles could get to space without magic, imagine what wizards could do with magic and that technology! It fascinates me!

[NightStrike91]

Originally Posted by Taquiq

The oppurtunities woould be endless if wizards adapted muggle sciences and technologies. Take astronomy for example: Muggles could get to space without magic, imagine what wizards could do with magic and that technology! It fascinates me!

What needs to be considered is that with magic existing, muggle science would be unneccessary. Many spells and enchantments are seemingly ignoring the laws of nature as muggles know them.

I haven't seen any indication in the books that wizards have any wishes to explore and understand the universe in the same sense as muggles are. And, assuming the muggles understandings of the nature is correct, why would they? They are obviously able to "break" the rules and control nature as they please. To me as a muggle it seems wierd not to explore science but then again magic would leave almost all science done so far useless.

Because of this I have a hard time seeing the wizards approaching muggles because of their technology, wizards simply don't need it.

[mollypotter]

Originally Posted by Taquiq

The oppurtunities woould be endless if wizards adapted muggle sciences and technologies. Take astronomy for example: Muggles could get to space without magic, imagine what wizards could do with magic and that technology! It fascinates me!

That is very interesting to think about. And possibly quite plausible that they would eventually have to integrate with Muggles a bit, as more and more of the Purebloods die out. But I honestly don't think wizards are all that interested in scientific and technological advances, unfortunately. Let's face it- they really don't need it, being wizards and all!

Originally Posted by Potion

I think the wizards would react indifferently to our success.

"You visited the moon, have internet, use electricity, have cellphones, guns and nuke bombs. But you're still muggles."

exactly.

[MrSleepyHead]

Originally Posted by mollypotter

Where did you hear that?

We know they still wore robes at Hogwarts 19 years later because of the Epilogue:

DH, The Epilogue Rose, who was already wearing her brand-new Hogwarts robes, beamed at him.

Interestingly, though, Draco is described as wearing "a dark coat buttoned up to his throat." But I think it is difficult to extrapolate from that that all adult wizards discarded the robe fashion.

Originally Posted by mollypotter

I can't really imagine wizard hats. But I've always thought they were a little odd

I think the visualization/imagination of robes and wizard hats in the Wizarding world was diluted in part by the films, which neglected wizard fashion when compared to the books.

[mollypotter]

Originally Posted by MrSleepyHead

We know they still wore robes at Hogwarts 19 years later because of the Epilogue:

Interestingly, though, Draco is described as wearing "a dark coat buttoned up to his throat." But I think it is difficult to extrapolate from that that all adult wizards discarded the robe fashion.

I think the visualization/imagination of robes and wizard hats in the Wizarding world was diluted in part by the films, which neglected wizard fashion when compared to the books.

Oh, okay, thanks!

And yeah, unfortunately I think that's what happened to me. A lot of things in my head are kind of "ruined" by the images in the movies. I think if I actually pictured them in my head with hats it wouldn't be so foreign to me. From what I remember, they really weren't mentioned too much in the books, either, besides the first.

[WelkinCooper]

Originally Posted by Sinistra_Furze

I wonder about how Magical society manages to maintain their secrecy. If Magical energy affects electrical appliances the increased use of technology is likely to reveal the presence of "strange" phenomena as those appliances are affected by the presence of Magical energy.While Wizarding society would have to find more effective means of concealment and be vigilant about it, I think they would also have to study Muggle culture more seriously and in greater depth in order to understand better how to coexist without conflict or discovery.

This might affect the fashions, spells used, solutions applied to some extent, but generally I think people would tend to continue doing the things that they feel comfortable with and that help them fit in with those around them.

Maintaining secrecy might be helped tremendously by the fact that Muggle culture still largely disapproves of magic and those who express an interest in it (to a large extent because of archaic religious prohibitions) and scoffs at any theories connected to it with a high degree of skepticism. In my personal experience even suggesting that one should keep an open mind about things that can't be explained by science or religion is enough to get you at least penciled in on the crackpot list. Therefore, someone suggesting that they'd discovered a whole secret community of magical people would probably result in that person being shunned at the very least, or committed to an asylum at the worst.

I do see the need for the people in the Wizarding World to become more cognizant of the Muggle diversity of cultures, if only for the reason that we do seem to outnumber them and Muggles are breeding at an alarming rate and exhausting the resources of the planet. At some point in the future they might be forced to abandon the secrecy and try to co-exist with Muggles again. Maybe in an Amish sort of a way in separate communities.

[SilverQueen]

I agree that the wars will force wizards to re-evaluate the ways in which they view their fellow creatures and the long-standing strictures of their society, much as Muggles have had to do in the last century. I think this shift in wizarding paradigms has been slowly happening for a long time; Voldemort's wars (and Grindelwald's, for that matter) were probably more militant reactions against inevitable change than expressions of mainstream views. But I think this was the case with the 20th century's great wars, too, so I'm drawing parallels.

Before DH came out, I was hoping that the convulsions of the war would lead to the revelation of the wizarding world to the Muggle world. In retrospect, I'm glad this didn't happen- it's just too soon to force that kind of explosion on everyone. I've long thought it would be a good idea for the worlds to merge, but this would also present many problems: unscrupulous wizards playing upon Muggle desires for magical help, widespread Muggle terror of stuff that they can't even see in many cases (Dementors, Thestrals, people in invisibility cloaks). On the other hand, some wizards are clearly fascinated by Muggle ideas and technology, and they could probably create some fantastic inventions together. More intermarriages might occur and more people with magical ability might be born, increasing humanity's abilities to invent, explore, survive.

Personally I think that dividing the magical from the non-magical (or mundane, to borrow the apt terminology of Cassandra Clare's Shadowhunter books) is unnatural, limiting, and potentially dangerous. Wizards can't police every magical creature in the world with success, nor can they always police their own kind, so how can they truly protect Muggles? I wonder if the need to police the magical activities of the entire world is one source of wizards' superiority complex towards Muggles and the species classified as "Beasts." And I'm willing to bet that Muggle fears concerning magic (typified in extreme form by the ultra-conventional Dursleys) might be lessened if they were less ignorant about it and better able to protect themselves.

[padfoot197]

I have always wondered about this too, and I do not think that both the worlds would merge together as they are opposites.
This post tallks about 7 books JKR could have had written, http://http://webloggged.wordpress.c...e-had-written/

[dmeagher101]

I'd say that Harry Potter world has its own "technology." Technology is simply the result of research, not electronics. For example, the wolfsbane potion is a recent development. That's a kind of technology. Each world seems to have ways of easily developing and refining their respective ways of doing things.

Adding to my last post, I also think a good idea for a Harry Potter sequel could be have some cyberpunk themes, where developments in magic produce major changes within the society. Perhaps the Ministry becomes a totalitarian state with magical surveillance in households. The Trace as described in Deathly Hallows, the Ministry's undemocratic nature and the Wizengamot judicial system hint that the Ministry could easily go down that path.

[StaceysChain]

I don't know whether this has been mentioned, so I apologise if it has. After the war was over, I like to think that it would be compulsory for students at Hogwarts to take Muggle Studies. Sure, there are a lot of muggleborn students who already know about the muggle world. But there are a lot of half-bloods and pure-bloods who know next to nothing about muggles and some of them might be still prejudiced. Even those who aren't prejudiced still think muggles are beneath them (for example Hagrid in the first book, and I seem to remember Ron complaining about muggle life as well - someone please correct me if I'm wrong). Having everyone learning muggle studies would hopefully help young wizards understand the ways of muggles better.

[MasterOfDeath]

Originally Posted by StaceysChain

I don't know whether this has been mentioned, so I apologise if it has. After the war was over, I like to think that it would be compulsory for students at Hogwarts to take Muggle Studies. Sure, there are a lot of muggleborn students who already know about the muggle world. But there are a lot of half-bloods and pure-bloods who know next to nothing about muggles and some of them might be still prejudiced. Even those who aren't prejudiced still think muggles are beneath them (for example Hagrid in the first book, and I seem to remember Ron complaining about muggle life as well - someone please correct me if I'm wrong). Having everyone learning muggle studies would hopefully help young wizards understand the ways of muggles better.

Yes, I'd agree it would become a much more respected subject and muggle related activities and jobs much more respected and held in much higher regard in the Ministry of Magic and in the larger British Wizarding world in general. Remember, Arthur was paid less because he worked in a department related in some way to helping muggles! The anti-muggle bias and discrimination was so deeply entrenched in wizarding life and culture and in the ministry. The dramatic and tragic events of the Second Wizarding War and the two rises of Lord Voldemort would have helped put things in perspective and show the wizarding world the dangers of such an ideology.

Even if muggle studies wasn't compulsory immediately, I think once Harry, Ron and Hermione joined the Ministry and helped Minister Shacklebolt reform it, it would be. I'm sure Hermione also opted for a class on house-elves.

[ajna]

Originally Posted by BlueScarecrow

I often wonder what the wizarding world would be like now, in 2011. The books were set in the 1990s and that wasn't too long ago, but when you think about it, LOTS of things have happened over the past 10-20 years. Like, how would wizards and witches respond to mobile phones, mp3 players and the internet? Would they all of a sudden think the muggles were magical with their fancy ability to find out any piece of information at the click of a button? I'm pretty sure that your average wizard would not be able to understand in the slightest how the internet works. Think about all the times the students would have to sit in the library at Hogwarts looking through books when all muggle students have to do is copy and paste a Wikipedia article for their homework. So much information available all the time. The wizarding world doesn't have that, and I'm guessing they might be a little jealous. And I'm sure they wouldn't understand how an iPod worked. Sometimes I get baffled at how a little piece of metal can hold 20,000 songs.

And adding to that, what about all the new scientific discoveries we have made? The large hadron collider, artificial limbs and organs and all the medicines we have? Would our medical treatment exceed that of St. Mungos?

My point is, do you think they would start thinking that the muggles have their own type of magic? In the books most wizards tend to laugh at the idea that muggles are more intelligent as them, but surely in this day and age they'd have to acknowledge that muggles are pretty good at their muggle things. Maybe even the magical community would want some of the muggle technology to improve their lives? And think of a muggleborn 11 year old going to Hogwarts now. They'd be in enough shock, never mind having to go to a place where there is no electricity. Do you think the separate worlds would become less black and white and start to merge together, slowly but surely?

I think they would still think of Muggle technology as 'quaint'. The WW doesn't seem very impressed or interested in science in any way. We never hear of Harry or Hermione "missing" electricity, vcrs, telephones, or other technology of the 90's. I'm not sure what the difference would be. For Hermione, I think the internet would be quite the temptation though.

[Halcipher]

(In regards on how modern muggle technologies would interact with the wizarding )
I remember in Goblet of Fire Harry told Ron about 'bugging' equipment they use in the Muggle World for spying (recording and videotaping) and it said that Ron was very interested and thought it was impressive.
So I think if they ever got the chance to use the new muggle equipment we have today, I think they'd find it interesting (especially Mr Weasley!) like ipods, ipads, iphones, computers, and maybe videe games.
But I read it somewhere that electronics would be glitchy around magic, or something like that. I wouldn't think a student would be able to bring one to Hogwarts...

The wizarding world now, who knows maybe theres a new 'dark lord' rising. There's always a new dark witch or wizard, like how Voldemort came after Grindelwald.

[gelowo93]

I've never really thought about this, but I can't really see the Wizarding World having changed much since when the books were set, apart from the revolutionised Ministry, of course. They kept to themselves for centuries and didn't embrace Muggle technology unless it helped them in some way, like the Hogwarts train, and although we do only see the one train in the series I get the impression that that's more of a 'one-off' thing to get all of the underage witches & wizards to school rather than there being trains to take people to other places - they have Floo powder and portkeys for that. So unless some Muggle technology from the past 15 years caught the attention of a witch or wizard who thought they could adapt it to suit their needs, I don't think the Wizarding World will have changed that much in that aspect.

Maybe this is just me, but I wonder what the Wizarding World would make of climate change, considering it would affect them just as much as us Muggles. There could be a whole Ministry department on it, or maybe they don't pay any attention

[Luna_lana_HP]

I believe that the world after Voldemort's defeat will be as before. the wizard world if they show themselfs the muggles will take advantage of that. u know magick. but in same time they might become great ''friends'' i know that it sounds stupid but in same time i think that the 2 worlds should stay the same way it is.