Witch-hunt

An artistic depiction of the burning of a witch

"Non-magic people (more commonly known as Muggles) were particularly afraid of magic in medieval times, but not very good at recognising it. On the rare occasion that they did catch a real witch or wizard, burning had no effect whatsoever. The witch or wizard would perform a basic Flame-Freezing Charm and then pretend to shriek with pain while enjoying a gentle, tickling sensation. Indeed, Wendelin the Weird enjoyed being burned so much that she allowed herself to be caught no less than forty-seven times in various disguises."

— A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot

A witch-hunt was the Muggle search for and punishment of persons suspected of being witches or of practising witchcraft.

History

The period of witch-hunts in Europe and colonial North America spanned roughly the 14th century to the 18th century. Those targeted by these hunts may or may not have actually been magical. Those found guilty of witchcraft were typically sentenced to death, often by being burnt alive at the stake. However, the effectiveness of burnings involving actual witches and wizards was questionable, as many, such as Wendelin the Weird, were able to escape death by using the Flame-Freezing Charm.

As the witch-hunts grew ever fiercer, British wizarding families began to live double lives, using charms of concealment to protect themselves and their families. By the seventeenth century, any witch or wizard who chose to fraternise with Muggles became suspect, even an outcast in his or her own community. Wizarding families were prone to losing younger members, whose difficulty in controlling their magic made them noticeable to wary Muggles.

Though witch-hunts rarely ever caught actual witches or wizards, their vicious nature and widespread dispersal meant that major wizarding institutions such as schools (most notably including Hogwarts and Ilvermorny) and governments (such as the British Ministry and MACUSA) were established in highly remote places and/or concealed by powerful magical means.

The Salem Witch Trials, which occurred in colonial Massachusetts in 1692 and 1693, were a major traumatic event in the history of the wizarding world. Indeed it was the trauma of the Trials and pressure from similar witch-hunts that led to the foundation of the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy in 1692, whereupon wizards disappeared into hiding and erased all traces of their existence to avoid persecution. It became common for wizarding families to band together for safety in numbers and establish their own "communities within a community" in Muggle villages, including the villages of Godric's Hollow, Tinworth and Ottery St Catchpole.

The Scourer descendant Bartholomew Barebone prompted a brief resurgence of witch-hunting in the 1700s when he tricked the American witch Dorcus Twelvetrees into divulging many secrets of the wizarding world in America, including the locations of both Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and the headquarters of MACUSA, and used this information as well as the wand he stole from her to try and expose the existence of wizards. Barebone was taken seriously enough by some to prompt investigations into the matter, with Barebone himself taking a number of associates and ambushing a group of people they assumed to be wizards emerging from the MACUSA headquarters but who turned out to be innocent Muggles. Though nobody was killed and Barebone was quickly incarcerated and discredited, the fact that the wizarding community had come within a hair's breadth of being exposed prompted the enactment of Rappaport's Law, which segregated the magical and non-magical peoples of North America completely.

Witch-hunts apparently continued into at least the 20th century in some regions. In 1926, Newt Scamander encountered a young girl in Sudan whose magical powers were discovered by Muggles, leading to her imprisonment.

During the 1988–1989 school year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Professor Cuthbert Binns taught fifth-year History of Magic students about witch hunts of the 14th century. He had Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington, a fellow ghost, help teach students about the topic, with Nick using his knowledge of his own execution to do so.

Professor Binns set second-year students an essay titled Witch Burning in the Fourteenth Century Was Completely Pointless — discuss to complete over the summer holidays for their third year. Harry Potter had difficulty writing his essay at 4 Privet Drive, and his friend Hermione Granger told him in a letter that she had written two more rolls of parchment than required, using her knowledge of local history of witchcraft in France she had learnt whilst on holiday there. After consulting Bathilda Bagshot's textbook A History of Magic and having written for one hour, he stopped writing his essay as he was too tired. He later finished his essay in Diagon Alley with the help of Florean Fortescue.

It was mentioned by Lottie Turner in the 21st century that Etheldreda Bloodworth's ex-mother-in-law was killed during the witch-hunts.

Behind the scenes

• Witch-hunts are a real phenomenon throughout the world. They were most prominent in Europe and North America during the Early Modern Period, corresponding roughly to the dates given on Pottermore, but are still practised in places where witches are still believed in.

Appearances

• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (First mentioned)
• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay (Mentioned only)
• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (film) (Mentioned only)
• The Tales of Beedle the Bard (Mentioned only)
• Pottermore (Mentioned only)
• HarryPotter.com (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter: Magic Awakened (Mentioned only)