Changing Hogwarts

August 23, 2013

Professor Longbottom,

Does the fact you are almost all non-magical affect your career. Follow up question how has Hogwarts changed over the years, and why?

With love,

J.K.

Dear J.K.,

I’m afraid I must correct you. I am not “non-magical” in the slightest! I am just as much a wizard as the next bloke, and I do not want you to be confusing me for a squib. My spells are just as strong as anyone else’s, though they usually take more effort. Magical aptitude is very complex, and nobody really knows how or why some wizards are very good at practical magic, whilst others struggle with performing spells consistently. Practical spell-work was never my strong suit, but a lack of self-confidence was mostly to blame for my abysmal wand-work in school. You won’t find me fighting Dark creatures or mending broken bones, but I’m quite a decent spell caster. I am just much more comfortable caring for my plants with my own two hands. Of course, everyday magic like the Summoning Charm and Aguamenti or a simple Root-Strengthening Potion come in very handy, and I’m more than capable of doing those.

As for your second question, I wish I had more to tell you. The Wizarding world is notoriously slow to change, so Hogwarts is much as it was when I was a student. Attitudes toward Muggles have been changing among many Pureblood families since Voldemort’s defeat, and Muggleborn students don’t have such a problem fitting in as they used to. Muggle Studies is being offered as an advanced-level course now, and there is talk that it will be added as an O.W.L. subject in the near future. Otherwise, life goes on as usual at Hogwarts, and it’s likely to stay that way. (In case you were wondering, Fred and George’s swamp is still thriving in a corner of the third-floor corridor. Students throw knuts into it for good luck before exam time; I’m afraid the irony is lost on those who didn’t know the twins personally.)

Neville