Warning!
At least some content in this article is derived from information featured in: Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery & Hogwarts Legacy. |
The Wizards' Council was a deliberative assembly that governed the wizarding community of Britain for centuries prior to the establishment of the British Ministry of Magic. It was the longest-serving (but not only) governing body to serve this purpose.[1]
History[]
Upon the signature of the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy in 1692, the wizarding community needed a more highly structured, organised and complex government structure, to support and regulate the community in hiding. Thus, in 1707, the Wizards' Council disbanded to be replaced by the Ministry of Magic. The first Minister was Ulick Gamp, who, in the days of the Council, had served as Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot.[1]
The Magical Congress of the United States of America (MACUSA) was modelled on the Wizard's Council.[2]
The dissolving of the council was covered in sixth-year History of Magic classes in the 1989–1990 school year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.[3]
Known members[]
Known Wizard's Council actions[]
- 1340s: Did not censure Nicholas Malfoy, who was widely believed to have been killing Muggle tenants and disguising their deaths as Black Death victims.[7]
- Mid-14th century: Made the Golden Snidget a protected species, outlawing either its killing or use in Quidditch.[4]
- 1362: Made it illegal to play Quidditch within 50 miles of towns or villages.[8]
- 1368: Amended the ban on Quidditch by outlawing all playing within 100 miles of a town.[8]
- 1419: Decreed that Quidditch should not be played anywhere where there is the slightest chance a Muggle could see and that violators of that decree would be chained to the wall of a dungeon.[8]
- 1631: Passed the Code of Wand Use (in which Clause Three was the infamous Wand Ban, forbidding non-human magical beings such as house-elves or goblins to carry a wand).[6]
- 1637: Developed the Werewolf Code of Conduct, in hopes that werewolves would sign it. Unsurprisingly, none were willing to show up before the Council and admit to being a werewolf.[9]
- 1692: Signed the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy.[1]
- 1707: Disbanded, to be replaced by the British Ministry of Magic.[1]
Behind the scenes[]
- It is known that the Department of Mysteries was already in operation in at least 1672,[10] sometime before 1707. It is unknown if it was a part of the Wizards' Council however.
- In Elfrida Clagg's entry on Pottermore's "Timeline of the Wizarding World", the Wizards' Council was originally incorrectly referred to as the "Warlock's Councils". The mistake has since been corrected.[11]
- It is unknown if it governed Ireland as well as Great Britain, as the later British Ministry of Magic did.
Appearances[]
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game) (Mentioned on a Famous Wizard Card)
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game) (Mentioned on a Famous Wizard Card)
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game) (Mentioned on a Famous Wizard Card)
- Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (First mentioned)
- Quidditch Through the Ages (Mentioned only)
- Pottermore (Mentioned only)
- Wizarding World (Mentioned only)
- Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery (Mentioned only)
- Hogwarts Legacy (Mentioned only)
Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Writing by J. K. Rowling: "Ministers for Magic" at Wizarding World
- ↑ Writing by J. K. Rowling: "The Magical Congress of the United States of America (MACUSA)" at Wizarding World
- ↑ Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 6, Chapter 22 (The Exchange Student) - History of Magic Lesson "Dissolving of the Wizards' Council"
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Quidditch Through the Ages, Chapter 4 (The Arrival of the Golden Snitch)
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game)
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 J. K. Rowling's official site
- ↑ Writing by J. K. Rowling: "The Malfoy Family" at Wizarding World
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Quidditch Through the Ages, Chapter 5 (Anti-Muggle Precautions)
- ↑ Writing by J. K. Rowling: "Werewolves" at Wizarding World
- ↑ The Tales of Beedle the Bard - Albus Dumbledore on "Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump"
- ↑ Pottermore - Timeline of the Wizarding World