Hi, I saw your comment on rogueslayer452’s LJ (the one where you said you dig Percival Graves/Tina Goldstein :D ) and decided to check out your journal, because I am obsessed with need more people to talk to about Fantastic Beasts. (Feel free to tell me to bugger off and take my obsession elsewhere. ;) )
I think you have a point with your comment. Knowing the Harry Potter books this does indeed seem odd without any context being added to it. The movie itself didn’t explain the situation in America very well, because it focussed on the story and left out a lot of background information that would have helped to understand the situation better (I really wish JKR would write a novel about this era). However, I think that while wizards and witches have found ways to be able to survive being burned alive (as said in the Harry Potter books) it’s not impossible to kill them – even for muggles.
First of all, while wandless magic is possible, many wizards and witches rely on wands to perform magic and their spells might not be as effective without a wand (at least I think I read something along those lines on Pottermore) and many other magical solutions require supplies (potions, etc.). Take away the wand/supplies and it might be easier to harm a wizard/witch and while it might still not be easy for muggles to kill a wizard/witch (even if they don’t have their wand), it’s probably not impossible. Therefore, it’s smart to avoid exposure and the constant risk to your life that might come with witch trials if there is indeed a risk that witch trials might be a thing (e.g. Second Salemers). After all, you don’t want to constantly have to look over your shoulder.
The movie is also set in a time where muggles have guns and have just proven that they are very imaginative when it comes to inventing new weapons to kill each other (e.g. Word War I). Some of these weapons might easily kill a wizard/witch if they are ambushed. So why take the risk?
And even in the Harry Potter books they mention laws that are in place to keep magic hidden from muggles. So while they might not be overly worried about muggles posing a threat in the UK in the 1990/2000 era, they still don’t want them to know that magic exists. I have no problem believing that wizards/witches had more reason to be worried about exposure in the 1920ies than they had in the 1990ies/early 2000s. It’s hard enough to be different in the modern world. I would imagine that it was a lot harder in the 1920ies. The first half of the 20th century is not necessarily a time I would associate with tolerance.
no subject
am obsessed withneed more people to talk to about Fantastic Beasts. (Feel free to tell me to bugger off and take my obsession elsewhere. ;) )I think you have a point with your comment. Knowing the Harry Potter books this does indeed seem odd without any context being added to it. The movie itself didn’t explain the situation in America very well, because it focussed on the story and left out a lot of background information that would have helped to understand the situation better (I really wish JKR would write a novel about this era). However, I think that while wizards and witches have found ways to be able to survive being burned alive (as said in the Harry Potter books) it’s not impossible to kill them – even for muggles.
First of all, while wandless magic is possible, many wizards and witches rely on wands to perform magic and their spells might not be as effective without a wand (at least I think I read something along those lines on Pottermore) and many other magical solutions require supplies (potions, etc.). Take away the wand/supplies and it might be easier to harm a wizard/witch and while it might still not be easy for muggles to kill a wizard/witch (even if they don’t have their wand), it’s probably not impossible. Therefore, it’s smart to avoid exposure and the constant risk to your life that might come with witch trials if there is indeed a risk that witch trials might be a thing (e.g. Second Salemers). After all, you don’t want to constantly have to look over your shoulder.
The movie is also set in a time where muggles have guns and have just proven that they are very imaginative when it comes to inventing new weapons to kill each other (e.g. Word War I). Some of these weapons might easily kill a wizard/witch if they are ambushed. So why take the risk?
And even in the Harry Potter books they mention laws that are in place to keep magic hidden from muggles. So while they might not be overly worried about muggles posing a threat in the UK in the 1990/2000 era, they still don’t want them to know that magic exists. I have no problem believing that wizards/witches had more reason to be worried about exposure in the 1920ies than they had in the 1990ies/early 2000s. It’s hard enough to be different in the modern world. I would imagine that it was a lot harder in the 1920ies. The first half of the 20th century is not necessarily a time I would associate with tolerance.