The Rise and Fall of Wizarding Standards an Outsider’s View
By Luxen Silverback II
Writer’s Note: I come from a wizard and witch biologically but have spent the majority of my life living among Muggles. I had no knowledge of wizarding standards until coming to Hogwarts New Zealand and therefore have researched along with adding my personal experiences into writing this article.
Godric Gryffindor, Rowena Ravenclaw, Helga Hufflepuff, and Salazar Slytherin four of the greatest witches and wizards of their age founded a school with the desire to pass magical knowledge from one generation to the next. This is a tradition that has occurred for centuries and as part of the newest generation I must ask, would they be proud of what their hard work and dedication has become?
Instead of striving to learn new magic, we have lost magical knowledge. Instead of strengthen magical blood we have mutated it with half breeds such as Werewolves, Part Giants, and Part Goblins whose relatives would never be trusted with a wand let alone the secretes of magic. Instead of diligently pursuing new ways to make the world better we have decided to pursue clubs and foster false relationships designed to create the illusion of unity while weakening the state of magic as a whole.
Those brave enough to speak out and try to fix these things are pushed aside and silenced. Is this the world Hogwart’s Founders envisioned when they first opened their doors? I believe not, all magical blood from humans is a treasure that is meant to be protected and nourished and yet magic is not truly at the forefront of educational standards which in turn has led to a fall that has only snowballed throughout the years. Professors prize and teach mediocrity over excellence because one is ‘nicer’ than the other. Soon they may even try to allow Squibs to attend the magical schools just so that they don’t feel ‘left out’.
One might expect the Ministry to take a more active role in ensuring educational standards improve but instead they seem to be preoccupied with other concerns. As a student, I say the education of young witches and wizards should always take the highest priority. The students come to school to learn Magic not to attend dances, pride events, or wheelbarrow races. The great witches and wizards of old would probably be sick to their stomachs if they saw what has befallen the legacy they left behind. We the students must take an active role in rejecting the falling standards if we are to stop the trend from getting worse. Those unable to cope should be removed, those that are not human should be removed, and those that wish to weaken the powers of magic must be removed at all costs.
The Japanese Mahoutokoro School of Magic is the smallest of the magical schools and yet has a tradition of producing some of the finest witches and wizards in the world. They use special Robes that clearly show one another their levels of magic. This is because they are not afraid of hurting feelings, they do not punish the exceptionally unique but encourage it forcing the other students to try and emulate. The students begin learning magic at the age of seven rather than eleven and are magically bound to the Japanese Wizarding Code through their uniforms. The Western Wizards could learn a lot from their Eastern counterparts even if not all should be adapted.
Immediate action is required to address the fall in magical standards. Those that agree must make their voices heard and not be afraid of being ostracized. We owe it to the high standards in which our school was based upon to fight back and stop the diseases that threaten to destroy true magic. Only then can we be sure that the four founders of Hogwarts can rest and be proud of what they have brought into this world.