Skip to content

MuggleNet

  • Site
    • Contact Us & FAQ
    • History
    • Meet the Team
    • MuggleNet Live!
    • Press
    • Publications
    • Special Projects
    • Volunteer with Us!
    • Year in Review
  • Podcasts
    • Alohomora!
    • Full Circle
    • LITHAPPENS
    • Potterversity
    • Promptly Potter
    • SpeakBeasty
  • Harry Potter
    • Book Quotes
    • Book Series
    • Coloring Books
    • Film Companions
    • Film Series
    • Hogwarts Library
    • Little Things
    • Music
    • Video Games
  • Fantastic Beasts
    • Book
    • Coloring Books
    • Film Companions
    • Fantastic Beasts Film Quotes
    • Film Series
    • Little Things
    • Music
    • Video Games
  • The Quibbler
    • Owl Post
    • Bathilda’s Notebook
    • The Department of MYTHteries
    • The Dirigible Plum
    • Into the Floo
    • Muggle Studies
    • The Pensieve Papers
    • The Three Broomsticks
    • April Fools’
    • The Quibbler Vault
  • The Daily Prophet
    • Book Trolley
    • Editorials
    • Event Reports
    • Exclusive Interviews
    • Features
    • Giveaways
    • Listicles
    • Merchandise Reviews
    • Movie Reviews
    • Television Reviews
    • Theater Reviews
    • Wizolympics
  • Muggle World
    • Charity
    • Exhibitions
    • J.K. Rowling
    • MinaLima
    • Quadball
    • Studio Tours
    • Theatrical Play
    • Theme Parks
    • Wizarding World Digital
  • Fans & Fun
    • Crazy Caption Contest
    • Fan Focus
    • Fandom
    • Fandom Sortings
    • Fandom Timeline
    • Fun Lists
    • Games and Trivia
    • GNOMEs
    • Potter DIY
    • Potter Weddings
    • #PotterItForward
    • Rosmerta’s Recipes
    • Song Parodies
    • Wizard Rock
    • Wizarding Wordle
  • Site
    • Contact Us & FAQ
    • History
    • Meet the Team
    • MuggleNet Live!
    • Press
    • Publications
    • Special Projects
    • Volunteer with Us!
    • Year in Review
  • Podcasts
    • Alohomora!
    • Full Circle
    • LITHAPPENS
    • Potterversity
    • Promptly Potter
    • SpeakBeasty
  • Harry Potter
    • Book Quotes
    • Book Series
    • Coloring Books
    • Film Companions
    • Film Series
    • Hogwarts Library
    • Little Things
    • Music
    • Video Games
  • Fantastic Beasts
    • Book
    • Coloring Books
    • Film Companions
    • Fantastic Beasts Film Quotes
    • Film Series
    • Little Things
    • Music
    • Video Games
  • The Quibbler
    • Owl Post
    • Bathilda’s Notebook
    • The Department of MYTHteries
    • The Dirigible Plum
    • Into the Floo
    • Muggle Studies
    • The Pensieve Papers
    • The Three Broomsticks
    • April Fools’
    • The Quibbler Vault
  • The Daily Prophet
    • Book Trolley
    • Editorials
    • Event Reports
    • Exclusive Interviews
    • Features
    • Giveaways
    • Listicles
    • Merchandise Reviews
    • Movie Reviews
    • Television Reviews
    • Theater Reviews
    • Wizolympics
  • Muggle World
    • Charity
    • Exhibitions
    • J.K. Rowling
    • MinaLima
    • Quadball
    • Studio Tours
    • Theatrical Play
    • Theme Parks
    • Wizarding World Digital
  • Fans & Fun
    • Crazy Caption Contest
    • Fan Focus
    • Fandom
    • Fandom Sortings
    • Fandom Timeline
    • Fun Lists
    • Games and Trivia
    • GNOMEs
    • Potter DIY
    • Potter Weddings
    • #PotterItForward
    • Rosmerta’s Recipes
    • Song Parodies
    • Wizard Rock
    • Wizarding Wordle
  • Department of MYTHteries / The Quibbler

MYTHTERY: You Didn’t Get Your Hogwarts Letter Because of Voldemort

by Sas L. Rhodes · June 22, 2020

Mythtery

Voldemort destroyed records of Muggle-born witches and wizards, meaning they never got their letters of admittance to Hogwarts.

 


Evidence

The theory goes that Voldemort, in his second rise to power, destroyed all the records of Muggle-born witches and wizards who hadn’t yet hit 11 years of age, thus eliminating their chance of receiving a Hogwarts acceptance letter.

Voldemort gained (again) peak power during the years 1997 and 1998. If our calculations are correct, then the last set of 11-year-olds to receive their letters would have been born in 1983 and 1984. It is conceivable then, knowing his hatred for mixed blood, that Voldemort had the remaining Muggle-born records deleted – records from 1985 through 1998 when he fell. He could have done it too; he controlled the media and the Ministry. This means that anyone born between the years of 1985 and 1998 could, theoretically, be of magical blood.

As a Muggle-born within this timeframe, I delighted in imagining that my letter was misplaced and dove into this theory further.

The first question that comes to mind is if this covers all Muggle-born witches and wizards or just those in the UK and Ireland where Voldemort held the most power and influence. Let’s assume that all Ministries were subjected to a rigorous deletion of records during Voldemort’s reign and that the theory extends to all countries. Getting excited? Me too. However, I had further questions…

If Ministries keep records of this, how do they find Muggle-borns? Discussions online suggest they simply keep an eye out for underage magic in non-wizarding communities, dispatching a team of Ministry employees to investigate and report back. This, though effective, has several holes, such as a Muggle family living near wizards or the Muggle-born in question not displaying any kind of magic in the presence of the dispatch team, not to mention human error – also known as the plethora of mistakes occurring in everyday bureaucracy. Children would simply slip through the cracks, right?

If you follow this theory, then you will soon find further intriguing details. Legends go on to say that in extreme situations, Ministry employees would note if the family in question displayed anti-magical beliefs (read: were fundamentalist religious households), such as trying to rid their child of magic by harming or even killing them. In this instance, the delegation of Ministry wizards would intervene, “block” the child’s magical gift, and inform the parents that an exorcism had been performed.

Taking everything into account, could it be possible that Muggle-borns born between 1985 and 1998 are unknown to the Ministry and are secret witches and wizards even to themselves? Unfortunately, no. As much as it kills me to write this, the Ministry does not hold a monopoly on Muggle-born records. If they did, there would have been no need for Voldemort to set up the Muggle-born Registration Commission.

Muggle-born records are, in fact, noted down at Hogwarts by two artifacts called the Book of Admittance and the Quill of Acceptance. WizardingWorld.com describes these items:

In a small locked tower, never visited by any student at Hogwarts, sits an ancient book that has not been touched by human hands since the four founders placed it there on completion of the castle. Beside the book, which is bound in peeling black dragon-hide, stands a small silver inkpot and from this protrudes a long, faded quill. These are the Quill of Acceptance and the Book of Admittance and they constitute the only process by which students are selected for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

This very cool but unhappy discovery squashes any theories of Voldemort ridding your potential magical records. While he may have controlled almost everything in the UK, he did not control Hogwarts. Also, the book has apparently never been wrong.

It is believed that Professor McGonagall checks the Book of Admittance once a year and then sends off acceptance letters to the children about to turn 11.

Well, bugger. Myth debunked. This was a roller coaster ride of emotions to research and did not have the happy ending I had hoped for. However, what about when Voldemort did control Hogwarts? 1997-1998? Did he have access to the book then? Professor McGonagall was still deputy headmistress, but did she dare send out acceptance letters to Muggle-borns, knowing their likely fate under the ruling of Voldemort?

– Myth Managed

Social:

  • Next story Rosmerta’s Dietary Cautious-Friendly Recipes
  • Previous story Magical Pets We’d Take to Work with Us

MuggleNet Archive

Important Dates

May 2025

Mon, May 12

Domhnall Gleeson's birthday
Recurs yearly

Bill Weasley (DH1, DH2)

Tue, May 13

Robert Pattinson's birthday
Recurs yearly

Cedric Diggory

Samantha Morton's birthday
Recurs yearly

Mary Lou Barebone

Zoë Wanamaker's birthday
Recurs yearly

Madam Hooch

Thu, May 15

Pomona Sprout's birthday
Recurs yearly

Fri, May 16

Stanislav Yanevski's birthday
Recurs yearly

Viktor Krum

Sun, May 18

Miriam Margolyes's birthday
Recurs yearly

Pomona Sprout

MuggleNet podcasts are sponsored in part by Secretlab.

Thanks to its research-backed ergonomic design, including a proprietary 4-way adaptive lumbar support system, the Secretlab TITAN Evo Harry Potter Edition will comfortably support you even when you’re up to no good.

Did You Know

The Golden Snitch was invented to replace the Golden Snidget, a golden bird with fully rotational wings that became endangered after they were used as targets in numerous Quidditch matches.

Potter History

October 25, 2004 – John Williams officially out; Patrick Doyle and Jarvis Cocker to write the Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire film score.

Potter Quote

“I have never seen any reason to be frightened of saying Voldemort’s name.”

MuggleNet is an unofficial Harry Potter fansite.
Please email us if you have any questions or concerns.
© 1999–2025 MuggleNet.com. All rights reserved.
Privacy Policy | COPPA Policy | Terms of Use | Feedback


MuggleNet is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and Bookshop.org's affiliate program, affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com and bookshop.org.