The Emergence of Wizarding Villages

Since the beginning of time, witches and wizards have lived within Muggle communities and, often, while using their magical abilities to their fullest extent. While cohesion in European communities was never as complete as it was in most ancient communities, there was some acceptance and tolerance in European communities, though some communities were markedly better at accommodating both magic and non-magic peoples than others. To understand wizarding villages, one must first understand how witches and wizards came to desire to be separate, and that all begins with Muggle witch-hunts. 

Hogsmeade

  Perhaps the most famous wizarding village in Britain is Hogsmeade Village, which lies just outside of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry’s boundaries. This village is the only all-magical community in Britain, as opposed to the abundant ‘communities within communities’ that are most wizarding villages. This is also one of the oldest wizarding communities, having been founded between 1010 and 1030. The date remains uncertain because of poorly kept records of the time, but Hengist of Woodcroft is credited with the founding of the village after he was run out of his own town by Muggle witch-hunters. Some lore indicates that Hengist of Woodcroft lived in the Three Broomsticks building, but there has never been any document to verify this.

  Hogsmeade Village has a long, rich history, partly because of its close connection to Hogwarts School. It has housed numerous notable witches and wizards over the centuries and has seen the growth of Hogwarts School from a very personal perspective as third years and up have been allowed to visit Hogsmeade since the year 1500 (though this right was briefly suspended during 1612 and again during 1997 and 1998). Its most notable contribution to history, however, is that Hogsmeade Village was the location of the goblin rebellion of 1612. The Three Broomsticks Inn was used as the wizards’ headquarters during the bloody and deadly rebellion, and this rebellion was the first of many in wizarding history. After the International Statute of Secrecy was signed in 1689, Hogsmeade saw an influx of residents, as did every other wizarding village in Britain at this time.

Godric’s Hollow

  Godric’s Hollow was an unofficial wizarding ‘community within a community’ in the West Country of England for centuries before the International Statute of Secrecy. It was the home to many influential families including, unsurprisingly, Godric Gryffindor. Other notable names include the Dumbledores, the Peverells, Bowman Wright, the inventor of the Golden Snitch, and the Potters. Prior to the International Statute of Secrecy, Godric’s Hollow was an unnamed wizarding community. It had grown into a small collective group of witches and wizards who leaned on each other for social support, but they had never named the community. When the International Statute of Secrecy made such communities official, they chose to name it in honour of Godric Gryffindor, the most well known one-time resident of the area.

  Among the many well-known happenings in Godric’s Hollow, the most well known is, of course, the first downfall of Lord Voldemort, when he murdered Lily and James Potter and tried to kill Harry Potter in 1981. However, this was by far not the first important historical event to have happened in Godric’s Hollow. A second important event was the first duel between Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald, which also involved Albus’s brother, Aberforth. This three-way duel is less publicised than Albus Dumbledore’s later defeat of Grindelwald, but it was noteworthy nonetheless as it marked the end of a close friendship between Dumbledore and Grindelwald. It took place in 1899. While these events are fairly recent, it must not be forgotten that the true legacy of Godric’s Hollow is that of one of the Hogwarts founders, Godric Gryffindor, lived in Godric’s Hollow long before it attained that name.

Mould-on-the-Wold

A lesser-known wizarding community than Godric’s Hollow, Mould-on-the-Wold was another important magical community in England. Best known as the early childhood home of Albus Dumbledore, it was first founded in the early 1700s. What makes Mould-on-the-Wold notable is its relatively late formation as a wizarding village. It is believed by many that the Dumbledore family was instrumental in its founding, though this is difficult to prove as much of Percival Dumbledore’s reputation was ruined when he was jailed in Azkaban for crimes against Muggle children. Mould-on-the-Wold provided the same solace that Godric’s Hollow and Hogsmeade Village provided witches and wizards, giving them both company and support during times rife with conflict between non-magic and magic peoples.

Ottery St. Catchpole

    Several wizarding families who were seeking solace and comfort in each other’s company first established Ottery St. Catchpole in 1693 in Devon, England. This happened shortly after the enforcement of the International Statute of Secrecy, and the families involved chose to settle in the countryside within Devon because it was out of the way and the Muggles of Devon had historically burned fewer witches than those in other parts of Britain. Notable residents include the Weasleys and the Fawcetts, as well as the Lovegoods (of whom the best known member is Xenophilius Lovegood, renowned for the publication of the news source The Quibbler). There have been no major scandals or security breaches in Ottery St. Catchpole, and it remains one of the most highly populated wizarding communities in Great Britain, with several eccentric houses. Muggles have long since accepted that the architecture is a bit ‘odd’ in Ottery St. Catchpole, but it has become a running joke and is rarely questioned.

Tinworth

  A coastal community in Cornwall, England, Tinworth was founded around the same time as Ottery St. Catchpole and for the same reason. The International Statute of Secrecy was a leading factor in the creation of this community within Cornwall, where prior to the Statue’s introduction, many witches and wizards were quite happy living with the tolerant and sometimes Confunded Muggles who also resided in Cornwall. Tinworth witches and wizards enjoy the coastal atmosphere, and it is a popular vacation destination for young, particularly English witches and wizards and those witches and wizards with young children.

  Being a popular vacation spot for many magical families who have children not yet trained to control their magic, many odd things have been reported in Muggle news sources in the Cornwall area. However, most of the time, such occurrences are played down by Muggles as tricks of the light in the bright ocean air or credited to overindulgence of alcohol by the Muggles. Rarely do memories need modifying because non-magic peoples are so very desperate to pretend that magic does not exist, even if it is in plain view. There are few court cases against the parents of young witches and wizards because of their children’s inability to control their magic because of Muggles’ propensity to explain away perfectly logical magical events, but such cases do happen occasionally.

Upper Flagley

  A small wizarding community in Yorkshire, England, Upper Flagley was formed in the late 1600s after the passage of the International Statute of Secrecy, though it had existed unofficially, much like Godric’s Hollow, for centuries before. A large number of wizarding families have settled there for the sense of community and fellowship that they gain from close quarters. While little of historical note has happened in Upper Flagley, it is worth mentioning as being one of the longest lasting and prominent wizarding communities for the past millennium, only eclipsed by Godric’s Hollow and Hogsmeade Village. 

Conclusion

  Wizarding communities have long been part of greater Muggle communities throughout Europe and Great Britain. In 1692, they were officially recognised by the wizarding governing bodies in each country that had sent a delegate to the International Confederation of Wizards, and the unofficial wizarding communities began naming themselves to distinguish themselves from other villages and also so that other witches and wizards would know where to go if they were hoping to settle down in a wizarding community. Throughout the 1700s and 1800s, wizarding communities gained great popularity, and there are many more than are mentioned in this section, but these are the most well-known and spoken of in England. Even today, in the twenty-first century, wizarding villages are the first choice for many families, particularly families with children, who hope that their children will have good friends nearby growing up before going to Hogwarts and on their breaks from school. The International Statute of Secrecy may have made the villages official, but wizarding communities, around since the beginning of European settlements, will likely continue indefinitely.