The Muggle-Born Experience
Some wizards and witches know magic their whole lives. To them, a fantastical world is commonplace; magical abilities second-nature. But to muggle-borns, a "wizarding world" is something that previously existed only in their farthest-fetched dreams. Displaced from their previous life and grappling with newfound magical ability, muggle-borns are also expected to assimilate to wizarding society, learn wizarding history, form relationships, battle prejudice, and find their way. In this book, muggle-born author Olivia Benton attempts to shed light on the overwhelm experienced by new muggle-born wizards, ease their transition, and bring attention to these struggles often overlooked by wizardkind.
Last Updated
10/11/21
Chapters
1
Reads
523
Introduction
Chapter 1
When I was four, I changed the radio station with my mind. Britney Spears was playing, and I much preferred the musical stylings of muggle rock musicians such as Elvis Presley and the likes of him. At the time, my parents simply thought our car stereo was malfunctioning. It would be years before they realized their eldest child possessed magical abilities. This realization - while personally a dream come true - changed my life in ways I never could have imagined.
In the muggle world, magic is believed to be fiction. There are stories about magic; fantastical tales of dragons and unicorns and wily witches and wizards pushing the boundaries of human nature. To muggles, magic is something foreign; something fun. Stories about magic are a mind-bending escape from the mundane. And, as magic is out of reach to muggles, it is something most dream of possessing. But, as is often the case when dreams become reality, magic - at least to me - wasn't what I expected.
When I received my Hogwarts letter, I was in awe. A new ability had been uncovered to me; a new world previously hidden from me brought to the surface. I longed to venture into the unknown, longed to hone my ability, longed to meet others like me. Never did I anticipate the struggles I would face as I took the plunge into a new world.
From that fateful day at age four, magic shaped my life. My relationships. My belief system. My identity. Torn between two worlds, I was forced to decide which I belonged to. I was forced to abandon what I believed about the world; expected to abandon what was familiar. And, while I was willing to do so, this drastic shift posed many difficult challenges.
My own struggles as a muggle-born witch have informed this book. In these pages, I will share my struggles and the struggles of others in the hopes of shedding light on the muggle-born experience and the plight that often accompanies it. Most importantly, however, I hope to provide support, encouragement, and guidance to muggle-borns young and old as they attempt to find their place in our magical world.
