Muggle Studies

Muggle Schools
By Anastasia Bellows

My father-a Muggle- is a teacher at a Muggle school. This was quite interesting, because before I went to Hogwarts, my father brought me into his classroom for a day called "Take-your-child-to-work-day." This was an exciting experience for me because I could learn more about Muggles, while still being thought of as a Muggle. So that morning, my father dressed me into Muggle clothing (How fun!) and off we went to school.

As we walked from his car, (A form of Muggle transportation) I looked up, or rather at the squat and flat buliding. There were big fans and noisy things on the roof, and suddenly, my father and I were swamped by hundreds of running children exiting from long yellow cars called "school buses." It was pure melee! Thankfully, I got into the building safely. As he started class, I took notes, and he introduced me.

Muggle schools, however are quite like ours, except much much smaller. They don't use magic of course, and the teachers teach different subjects. All in all, I thouhgt the Muggle schools were very interesting, and I'd like to visit again...

Mug up on Muggles
By Angelina Johnson

I have interviewed Harry Potter on Muggle objects as he has spent most his life with them. Here are a few:

Photos: Muggles photos do not move.

Postmen: Muggles have postmen to deliver their letters and parcels. This is a very slow process and owl post is a bit more reliable than having a postman deliver.

Electric: This is what muggles use to light their home. Electric is made by power/windmills and then it travels along wires to powerstations. Muggles use it for electric lights, electric fires, computers, etc.

Computers: Computers are what muggles play games on and surf the net.

These are just a few and I will find out more for you soon!

Muggle Bicycles
By Anastasia Bellows

If you walk around the streets of London or any other city, you may find Muggles riding strange metal contraptions with wheels. These are called bicycles, and they are a use of the first types of Muggle transportation. Compared to broomsticks, they are extremely slow, but when riding down a steep hill on a bicycle and the wind in your hair, it is quite an exhilirating ride. However, like broomsticks, they are quite easy to fall off of. Except when you are going down a big hill riding a bike, and you hit an object and fly through the air and finally land, it REALLY hurts. I have scars to prove it. But here's something REALLY clever the Muggles created to prevent injury when falling off a bike. It's called a helmet. It covers your head, like a hat, but the outside is hard like a turtle's shell, and the inside is soft padded foam. This is supposed to protect your head if you fall off. But wait- there's more! If your arms or legs, or any other part besides your head is scraped, there is always a cure for that! Band-aids, they are called, and if applied with some medicine over a cut or scrape, they heal the wound in a considerable amount of time! What will these Muggles think of next?

How Muggles Get Into the Wizarding World
Part Three
By Devyn Potter

During my off time I have had time to interview the head of the floo-powder business.
Devyn: Hello, may I have a few word's with you about the trouble floo-powder is causing?
Albert: Yes.. Mr. Bob Franklin has been saying that floo-powder has indeed been eating through the muggle world into ours.
Devyn: Is there any way that you can fix this from happening?
Albert: Yes, we are working on a safer floo-powder to be installed in homes. But that would mean it would cost more just to get next door, then we would lose business and more wizard's would probably want broom's instead.
Devyn: Well, thank you for you time, sir. The Daily Prophet and I want to thank you for your time.
Albert: Any time, Mr. Potter *smile*
Devyn: *smile* Good-bye
Albert: Come back, you hear! Good-bye, Mr. Potter.

Hogwarts Homework Hotline
Reported by Kate Granger

Are you a Hogwarts student having trouble with school? Didn't pay attention to the lesson today and you have to write a ten page essay about it? Do you just want help? If you answered YES to at least one of these questions, call 1-800-GET-HELP, log on to www.hoghelper.edu, or write to this address: P.O.Box 234
Hogwarts school helpline
1245

You can also watch The Hogwart's help show at 3:30 every day after school.

Muggle Things
By Cassy Potter

Muggles are different than us wizards. They have CD players, weird hospitals, Tv's, weird houses, etc. But the thing that separates us from them is Magic. The other day a muggle found a wand and was playing with it. Well, that muggle was brought into our world with that and now we can't let him out. Please be careful of where your wand is, because some muggle books are magic, but muggles don't know magic is real.

Interview with Saylor Hopkins, Proffessor of Muggle Studies in Ukiah, California.
By Koutako Mahoutome

On a recent holiday to the States, I thought I'd take my studies along with me. My destination was Ukiah, California, a small town with few muggles and a good many mitches and wizards. Although the nearest Wizardry school is quite a ways away in Marin, which is near San Francisco (about a 4 hour fly on a broomstick [3 if it's a good one!] or a 5 hour muggle-car ride), the community here has set up many interesting wizarding community programs, the most successful of which has been their muggle studies program. This is probably due to their close proximity to the Muggle world. I spoke briefly with Saylor Hopkins, who started MSD (Muggle Sympathy Development), a hands-on program for wizards to participate in Muggle activities.

ME: Saylor, would you please tell us briefly what exactly your program is?

Saylor Hopkins: Well, in the beginning of our program, we tought our local wizards and witches daily activities in the muggle world such as driving, sewing, etc. In more recent years, we've been doing much more interesting things with the community.

ME: What exactly would those things be?

SH: Right now we are working on Muggle theatre. Although we wizards have our own theatre, Muggles must make do with effects, lighting, and sound done by technology and illusion rather than magic. The main goal of this program is to teach wizards and witches about the technical hardships of the muggle theatre.

ME: What show are you putting on?

SH: While it is not as well known as Malecrits' 'Alas, I've Transfigured My Feet' in the wizarding world, In the muggle world Romeo and Juliet is known as the standard love story. The story is that there are two families at feud with one another. The son from one family and the daughter from the other meet and fall in love. However, many tragic circumstances occur. I would tell you the ending, but that'd give it away!

ME: Sounds delightful! What would you consider some of the better programs you've done in the past?

SH: Hmm...I think our most successful was the Muggle Transportation course, where we had wizards and witches try using bicycles and cars and the like. Our most memorable, however, was when we had the Muggle cooking class. Poor Hildra Sneet, she got impatient with her rice and put an expanding spell on it that got a bit out of control. [laughs]

ME: My last question for you is this: Why do you think Muggles Studies are important to the Wizarding world?

SH: Many Wizards think that the whole world is made up of wizards. They, however, are sadly mistaken. There are many millions of people in the world who are not blessed with magical powers. I believe that through MSD, wizards can realize how hard-off muggles have it and be less prejudiced to muggles and wizards of muggle birth.

ME: Thank you for your interview, Saylor Hopkins. I hope the rest of the wizarding world will take to your example of tolerance.

SH: So do I, and you're very welcome.

Muggle Entertainment
By Alex Dumbledore

Just like wizards, Muggles too need their entertainment, perhaps even more so than we do. They can't cast spells or transfigure things when they get bored. So what do they do?

Like us, they have a wireless network, although they call it the "radio" and there are many different "stations" providing different genres of music to the Muggle world. During my holidays I stopped in a Muggle town in northern Britain with an aunt of mine and was amazed at the variety of music and of these stations. I completely lost count of how many there were. And they are not all available to the whole country- some a specific to the Muggle county or region. How different this is from the WWN. Muggles have never heard of the Weird Sisters- their loss!

A more popular form of Muggle entertainment is the "television". Like Muggle radio, this has a variety of stations. In the area where I stopped, the general TV (short for television) "channels" were 5 basic channels, or so I was told. Then there are "cable" and "digital" operators who provide Muggles with even more choice of channels. TV also comes in a variety of genres, such as comedy, cartoons (animated shows), soaps, science fiction, etc. etc.: the list is endless. I found one show that was highly amusing- the show supposedly being about a "Teenage Witch"- the Muggle world's ideas about magic are so confused and so far from the truth that the show was hilarious!

Another common sight in the Muggle world is the "cinema". These show films- large versions of the TV. I was informed that film stars are very well respected in the Muggle world and they are paid very large sums of money to make these films. This idea seems strange- surely the educators, the healers and the leaders should be the most respected members of a community.

And last but not least in this article, the theatre- something we are not strangers to the Wizarding world. Theatre is a less popular art form, although it too has its avid fans. The theatre genres are also too many to list, although drama and musical seem to be the most popular ones around.

And that, for now, is it. But there are plenty more forms of entertainment to cover my next article, so look out for it!

Hospitals
John Dumbledore

Muggles have had their own way of healing people since the dawn of education without even using magic. This to us would seem to be a very difficult task. Like us, the muggles have hospitals and doctors, but they have no wands or potions or charms to help them heal themselves. They do all their work by hand!

The muggles have special equipment and tools used when they heal people, they also use medicines, some which resemble potions but are really just flavored syrup. They use the tools to cut, pry, poke and much more. Some muggles get scars and damage during operations and simple surgery while we can wave a wand and be done.

Wizards have had some bad experiences with muggle hospitals too; after the attack from Sirius Black, an escaped murderer of Azkaban, a wizard was hauled off to a muggle hospital where he nearly died in the doctor’s surgery. “I was scared for my life!” exclaimed the man. “But then the Ministry got in and rushed me to St. Mungo’s Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. I was saved.” This man was obviously disappointed with the muggle hospital, but other people say things otherwise.

Hermonie Granger, a student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry who received three hundred and twenty percent on her Muggle studies examine, says differently. The muggle born student states, “I’ve been to the doctor loads of times, they're not dangerous…though the man in the room next to me died suddenly while I was there. It clearly states in A Muggle’s Life that ‘Muggle’s doctors are almost as efficient as a magical doctor, it just takes them longer.’” This girl has a point but will the muggles ever learn the easy way, or the less dangerous way for that matter? It’s up to you to decide if you’d chance a muggle, they seem okay, but are they really?

Non-Magical Music

By Athena Robinson

All around the world, Muggles use radios, cd's, and tapes. Not like we do--Muggles have never even heard of Celestina Warbek and the like. They listen to all sorts of people like Britney Spears and N*Sync. There are all types of music for those non-magical people of the world. Some humans prefer pop like Mandy and Backstreet Boys, while others absoutley love opera singers such as Charlotte Church. Each country has its own "musical royalties". In Japan, j-pop princesses like Utada Hikaru and Rina Chinen are rocking their world. Americans can get their music thrills with Linkin Park, Alien Ant Pharm, St. Lunatics, or rappers like Ja Rule and Eminem. There are all kinds of ways to get this music. One way is via the internet, downloading songs from sources such as WinMx, BearShare, and AudioGalaxy. Radios are the most popular way, probably-- nearly all cars have a radio in them and several types of radios can be found in houses. Cd players are nice to have   around, they play these little round discs with music recorded on them. Tapes are also convient, they are square-ish and are avaible anywhere.

Muggle Money
By Athena Robinson

The Muggles of the world use money (also called moola and 'the greens'), just as we do!! Their currency changes all around the world. In England, they use pounds. In America and Canada, dollars. Even the Muggles in Japan use yen! The easiest for me to understand is the American money system. I have learned that in 1 dollar there are 100 pennies, 20 nickels, 10 dimes, and 4 quarters.

They make 1, 5, 20, 50, and 100 dollar bills--each of them a minty green color. Each dollar has a diffrent president's picture on them and they each have hidden things on them so they can tell real from phony.

Everywhere in the world, Muggles are using their own version of money. Spending it on everything from apples (muggle fruit) to a zamboni (works at on ice at an ice skating rink). Somehow, though--nothing beats the Galleon System

Halloween
By Sadari Hyrax

Well everyone, it's that time of year again. Halloween is just around the corner, and we here at the Daily Prophet would like to share with you some ideas on how to incorporate a Muggle tradition into this year's celebrations.

One of the most popular Muggle traditions is donning clothing, masks, and make-up to take on the appearance of another person or animal. Children run around Halloween night begging the neighbours for sweets in them, and adults will often stay home to give children who show up their snacks, most of them which pale in comparison to wizard cuisine, or attend parties in these costumes. Here are some of our better ideas for for costumes you can try.

-An old bed sheet is an old standby in costuming. It can be wrapped as a dress, a toga, a cape, or any number of other things. Also, a good crème face paint can add a lot to the right costume.

-Food will never go out of style, so you can't go wrong there! Try blowing up some purple of light green balloons (of Muggle variety; the WonderLift Balloons sold at most respectable shops can pose the risk of carrying one off) and *carefully* pinning or taping them to a pair of sweats. Cut out a few large leaves of felt, and, voila! Grapes.

-Dress as yourself and go into the Muggle mainstream for a while. No having to conceal yourself on Halloween, because the Muggles won't notice. Be wary though; some Muggles dress up as wizards and witches too, though their costumes are not terribly accurate. Just be sure that pretty little witch your talking to isn't really a Muggle in disguise. We don't want to have a repeat of that incident in 1988 with all the memory changing and other nasty things. Terrible business, that...

Um, where were we?

Oh, yes, the costumes!

-Although I don't understand why, a popular among the Muggles has always been the vampire. Cover your face with cornstarch (if it doesn't stick, us a *very* nominal amount of water on your face, dry most if the moisture off and apply again) to get that undead look, or do it the old fashioned way and use the Fangulus spell to grow yourself a pair of nice long canines and get the ghastly death effect by bewitching yourself so you attract dust.

And finally...

-Be a Muggle! Studies have shown that Muggles love color and vivid patterns, so go wild. Pink animal prints coupled with red tartan see to be one of the best combinations, but experiment with other things.

Muggles have huge collections of stores that carry almost nothing but clothes, as well as overpriced food and cheaply made time pieces, so that might be a good place to start looking for your costume. There are many other costume ideas out there, so be on the lookout. I'm sure you'll come up with something splendid. And now, to leave you with some immortal words by Muggle thespian Orson Welles:

"[R]emember... that grinning, glowing, globular invader of your living room is an inhabitant of the pumpkin patch, and if your doorbell rings and nobody's there, that was no Martian... it's Halloween."

Happy Halloween, everyone.

The Muggle News
By Cecilia Flamel

When a Muggle wants to catch up on the news, or read an article on something that interests them, they'll go over to the nearest store and buy a newspaper or a magazine.

"So what!" you say? "I do that too!" But wait. Obviously, Muggles don't read The Daily Prophet, Magic Magazine, or any other popular wizarding magazine. What do they read? You might be surprised:

Newspapers: Muggle newspapers usually have excruciatingly boring names (The New York Times, The Ottawa Citizen, The Globe and Mail, The National Post, and at least one "Courier", "News", or "Gazette" per town). They can be quite depressing what with all the wars, diseases,natural disasters etc. that Muggles do not have the power to prevent. The only really astonishing fact about newspapers is that The Peking News was printed continuously from 600 A.D. to 1935! That's 1300 years!

Magazines: There are many many magazines in the Muggle World. Many of them are very boring, but some are so funny that they're worth mentioning:

Kite Lines: A whole magazine all about kite flying techniques and kite making designs.

The Flat Earth News Quarterly: Made for the sole purpose of proving that the world is flat and that space travel has never actually taken place.

T.V. Guide: An entire magazine just for telling people what they can see on "T.V." (a Muggle entertainment device). It may sound boring, but Muggles seem to like it a lot: it sells 16 800 441 copies per week there!

So next time you happen to be pouring through the latest issue of Magic Magazine or even right now, as you skim through the Daily Prophet,feel glad that you have it instead of the Daily Gazette or the T.V. Magazine.

-Ceceilia Flamel

A Note: All the Muggle magazines and newspapers and the facts about them that are in this article are 100% true. If I mentioned a newspaper you've never heard of, it's probably because I live in Canada and you live...wherever you happen to live!