The Wizards Council is an ancient governing body of the wizarding community in Britain, eventually replaced by the Ministry of Magic.[1]
Function[]
The Wizards' Council was the government of Great Britain by the twelfth until the eighteenth century. They created and upheld wizarding laws for the magical community.[1]
History[]
Burdock Muldoon's tenure[]
In the twelfth century, Burdock Muldoon was the Chief of the Wizards' Council. Grogan thought that it was necessary to integrate non-wizards by separating creatures into a beast or being categorisation. However, his definition that a being is a creature that walks on two legs proved to be inadequate. At a gathering of such creatures, the less intelligent ones created havoc. The trolls used their clubs to destroy the chamber, the pixies and fairies whirled around while giggling, hags glided around looking for children to eat and Burdock slipped on Porlock dung when he tried to open proceedings. Burdock ran out while cursing and later forsworn any future efforts. [1]
Elfrida Clagg's tenure[]
When the sport of Snidget-hunting was still a very popular pursuit, there were more sightings of witches and wizards on broomsticks by Muggles than any other time. However, the Council did very little to curb this and appeared to enjoy the hunt themselves. Snidgets were also introduced to Quidditch where they were caught and crushed in the thirteenth century. In the fourteenth century, the enlightened Chief Elfrida Clagg recognised the Snidget had been driven to near extinction. She made the bird a protected species, with the Council outlawing both Snidget-hunting and its use in Quidditch.[2]
Chief Elfrida Clagg also decided to try and redefine beasts and beings. She considered beings to be creatures that could speak and understand the human tongue. Her gathering had similar issues. Goblins taught trolls to speak a few simple sentences, after which they returned to destroying the chamber with their clubs. Jarveys ran around under the table, ripping at ankles. Ghosts left in protest because the wishes of the dead were considered less important than the needs of the living. Centaurs also protested by not attending because merpeople, who can only speak mermish above water, did not reach the criteria to be considered a being.[1]
Later history[]
In 1362, the Wizards' Council outlawed all Quidditch-playing within fifty miles of Muggle habitants. In 1368, they increased this to a hundred miles. In 1419, the Wizards' Council issued a decree that Quidditch should not be played anywhere near a place that has "the slightest chance that a Muggle might be watching". The final sentence of the decree is famous, with the threat that breaking this rule will result in the lawbreakers finding out how well they can play while they are "chained to a dungeon wall".[3]
In the eighteenth century, the Wizards' Council was replaced by the Ministry of Magic who did find adequate definitions for beast and being under Grogan Stump.[1]
Notes and sources[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: Introduction (What is a Beast?)
- ↑ Quidditch Through the Ages, Chapter Four: The Arrival of the Golden Snitch
- ↑ Quidditch Through the Ages, Chapter Five: Anti-Muggle Precautions