United States
The following information is not official Harry Potter canon. This article contains entirely original ideas created by the writers of Absit Omen, and provides a more specific look at magical culture in the United States within the universe of AO.
The discussion thread on American magical culture can be found here.
U.S. Magical Culture
Like the Muggle U.S., the U.S. magical traditions often come across as a mishmash of ideas and practices. Aspects of Native American shamanism, European wizardry, and other traditions from around the world are all recognizable in American magical culture.
U.S.'s Approach to Muggles and Blood Status
In contrast to magical culture in Europe, American witches and wizards are much more progressive in terms of blood status and rights for Muggleborns and Muggles. Many American wizards are Muggleborn or Halfblooded, and the Pureblood elite doesn't hold nearly as much sway in their government. This has a great deal to do with pragmatism. The country is large and the magical population is very spread out and integrated into muggle society.
Much of this progressive attitude is protective. The U.S. Magical Government enforces the Statute of Secrecy like the rest of the magical world, but American witches and wizards believe that to truly stay hidden, one must understand one another. This idea caught on in a big way in the 1960s, and so while American wizards are very much for the Secrecy, most are also very pro-muggle. This has especially caught on with the youth, and while there are still some extremely traditional wizards who disapprove of all this, since the fall of Voldemort, the pro-Muggle and anti-Pureblood sentiments have been evolving.
American Magical Government
- AO canon on the U.S. was established before Pottermore and the Fantastic Beasts movie series*
- Like the Muggle government, the U.S. federal magical government is divided into three branches: Executive, Legislative, and Judicial.
- Much of the actual governing is local, smaller municipal districts which run the magical affairs in the area. Borders for these districts sometimes conform to state borders, but not always as they have more to do with magical population than geographic area.
- The Governor of Magical America heads the executive branch, which enforces laws and develops policies. Governors serve terms of 5 years, and can be re-elected an unlimited number of times.
- The governor is assisted by two major groups: aides, and the Council. The Council (akin to the U.S. Muggle Cabinet) is made up of the heads of each department. (Department of Law Enforcement, Department of Tribal Affairs, Department of Environmental Affairs, Department of Magical Transportation, etc.)
- The CAWW (Congress of American Witches and Wizards) handles the legislative duties and develops laws.
- There is also a Judicial branch that mirrors the court system of the United States.
Traditions and Technology
- Because the United States is a big place, American wizards tend to use eagles instead of owls to transport their mail.
- American magical culture includes a lot more "magical technology." Though Magic & Science still do not mix well, American magical culture encourages experimentation and have found ways to magically imitate many Muggle inventions.
- Flying cars are legal and in common use, provided one obtains the proper licensing through the Department of Magical Transportation.
- Magical versions of portable music devices have also been a recent development.
Magical Schools
The U.S. is home to several formal magical institutions for secondary and post-secondary magical education, but much magical education in the U.S. is local and sometimes decentralized. Public magical education is usually done in addition to, not instead of, conventional muggle education.
Among the major American magical boarding schools are ...
- Laevenstrome's Fundunct of Sorcery (Lake Elsinore, California)
- Red Rocks Academy (Sedona, Arizona)
- Salem Witches Institute of Magic (Salem's Peak, Massachusetts)
Public magic school
Publicly funded magic schooling in rural areas is held outside of muggle school hours and serve a wide geographical area as magic populations tend to be small outside of bigger cities. Portkey programs to larger magic schools allow rural students a wider range of offerings.
- Natalie Morrow attended Mills County Magic School in Iowa. Magical Self Defense was offered to high school ages as a before-school elective.
