The Guild Canon Guide

[MJ Spooks]

xxxx X xxxxThe Guild Canon Guidexxxx X xxxx

It is, as of this writing, currently Winter 2056 in guild. Far past the current IRL time of Summer 2022, and even further past Harry Potter's defeat of Voldemort in Spring 1998. A lot has happened in wizarding history since then, and a lot has changed. Furthermore, there are several different sources of Harry Potter's canon, between books, movies, and games. So, how do you know what is and is not accurate to portray in this guild? Well, that's what this guide is for.

Different aspects of canon will be divided up into categories below for easy reference. If you have any specific questions not covered below, feel free to post them to this thread, both so we can answer them, and so we can include them in the guide itself for future members. Additions to the section regarding inventions and such may also be posted here, to be added by crew.  

[MJ Spooks]

xxxX Canon Hierarchyxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

When it comes to the original canon of the Harry Potter franchise, there are a lot of contradictory sources. The movies and games don't always 100% follow the original books, or each other. Plus, this guild itself contradicts certain bits of canon, due to having established some things before they were talked about on Pottermore or via other sources. In general, this guild recognizes a canonical hierarchy outlined as follows:

- All information provided explicitly and clearly* in the original seven books is canon and adhered to by the guild.
- All information provided in the movies that does not directly contradict something from the books is canon and adhered to by the guild.
- All information in the games that does not directly contradict something from the books and/or movies is canon and adhered to by the guild.
- The reference books Quidditch Throughout the Ages and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them are canon.
- The Tales of Beedle the Bard are accepted in-canon fiction.
- Information on Pottermore may be considered canon so long as it does not originate from one of the sources the guild chooses to disregard.

Original canon disregarded by the guild includes: the Deathly Hallows epilogue, the Fantastic Beasts films, the Cursed Child, and information on Pottermore regarding non-Hogwarts wizarding education. All these materials either were deliberately ignored, or had alternative canon established in guild prior to the release of the official materials, and are thus decanonized. Certain aspects may be introduced into guild canon so long as they do not directly contradict established guild canon, with specific permission from the moderators.

But, above all, what's canon is what we say is canon, because this is our guild and certain authors who shall go unnamed have nothing to do with it. Trans Lives Matter.

* wrt: "explicitly and clearly" - If something appears in canon but is not explained in a manner which can be easily applied to the guild, such as how a certain job works, the moderators may fill in the blanks.  

[MJ Spooks]

xxxX Canon Divergence - Worldbuildingxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

As stated, there are certain aspects of the official canon that do not apply here in guild, either because we chose to ignore it (the epilogue) or had previously established contradictory canon before the information was released. Either way, we're not re-writing our own history to adhere to the official canon. Here's a guide to our version of certain aspects of canon.

- Information on vampires and werewolves can be found in their respective subforums.

- All official information on schools outside of Hogwarts is disregarded, aside from specifics about Beauxbatons and Durmstrang established in The Goblet of Fire. A list and general information for the established guild-canon schools can be found here. Threads for the schools for information and roleplaying can be found here.

- Being conceived as the product of a love potion will not cause a child to be incapable of love.

- The canonical events occurring in this guild began roughly in the year 2008, though various characters would have lived between the 10 year gap between the end of canon and this. Thus, any event occurring in any media form past this point cannot be regarded as canon. Most specifically, it can be assumed that the various Hogwarts staff all found reason to retire sometime in those 10 years. Additionally, Hermione Granger never went on to become Minister of Magic. While it is possible that Harry, Ron, and Ginny all spent some time in their canonical careers, and that Hermione did at least work in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, they would have left these positions at some point. Admittedly, this is somewhat messy. It's best not to think about it. Let's all assume they retired to travel the world and live in leisure, like they deserve.  

[MJ Spooks]

xxxX Canon Divergence - It's Been A Long Timexxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

As some time has passed since the (recognized) official canon, certain aspects of wizarding culture have been updated. Social norms and laws have changed over the years. Information on notable differences are outlined below.

X Legal Matters

The current Minister of Magic is one Frederick Burton, who insists upon being called "Freddie." Minister Burton ran on a platform of progress and relinquishing of traditions that no longer served the wizarding populace. Since having been elected, he has made many changes, including:
- Updates to the Statue of Secrecy. Canonically, a muggle could only be informed of the existence of magic if they were the parent/guardian or sibling of a magical person. The changed law loosens this restriction so that any person who shares a household with a witch or wizard may be informed, as well as close family such as grandparents.
- The House-Elf Freedom Act. House-Elves may no longer be regarded as property of wizards, but rather must be officially hired as employees, and fairly compensated for their work. Wizards who mistreat, abuse, or take advantage of House-Elves will be treated the same as if they did so to a human employee. The House-Elf Relocation Department of the Ministry's purpose is altered to help House-Elves find employment and to pursue cases against abusive employers.
- The Establishment of the Ministry Office for Child Protective Services, to prevent the abuse of magical children (and any muggle children in their scope).

Modern wizard society is much more integrated, both with muggles and with other entities such as vampires and ghosts. As a result:
- Magical persons turned into vampires may retain their wands
- Werewolves are expected to register with the ministry of their own volition rather than being hunted down: these records are not publicly available to protect their anonymity. They may not be discriminated against for jobs.
- Vampires also have a Ministry registry equivalent to that of Werewolves.
- Resources exist to help Werewolves and Vampires manage their conditions, such as readily available wolfsbane potions and blood banks.
- Non-human entities of adequate intelligence may hold jobs and must be treated fairly and equally to human co-workers.

The internet exists, making it much more difficult for wizards to completely remove all evidence of magic's existence. The Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes has its work cut out for it these days, since simply obliviating people doesn't always do the trick. Additional methods of disguising magical activity can require some tech savvy and include:
- Careful observation of online activity and muggle news sources to catch instances of magical creatures or other phenomena caught on camera
- "Proving" that videos or images posted online are hoaxes
- Claiming things were being filmed for movies or online videos and are just practical special effects
- Bribing muggle officials to report on the events in a manner that obscures or discredits what occurred, or altering their memories specifically to ensure inaccurate reporting

Laws regarding the alteration or adaptation of muggle objects have been relaxed, provided the end result is not dangerous to muggles, allowed to be discovered by muggles, or created with the intention to cause harm to muggles.

X Social Matters

There are fewer fully pureblooded families these days, and thus fewer wizards make it through their day-to-day life without some familiarity with muggle society and culture. This has led to many social and societal changes, such as:
- Forms of communication to mimic muggle technology, such as portable two-way communication mirrors that function as cell phones*.
- Certain forms of muggle technology has been tampered with so that it might function even when in close proximity to heavily magical areas, such as radios*.
- Wizard clothing resembles muggle clothing much more than it has in the past.
- Wizarding commerce and social spaces are no longer limited to only Diagon/Knockturn Alley and Hogsmeade; many magical stores and other businesses have set up shop all over the UK. Some businesses even cater to both muggle and magical clientele, with special precautions taken to prevent muggles from interacting with the magical aspects of the business.
- Muggles who are aware of magic, such as spouses or siblings, may be employed in magical businesses, provided the role does not necessitate magic.
- Whereas previously wizards had been rather stuck in the past, most of their social norms are now updated to that of their muggle contemporaries.

Establishment of Adult Education programs to help wizards should they decide on a career change they don't have the OWL/NEWT scores for, or to give drop-outs a second chance at earning exam scores to qualify for jobs.

Establishment of the Magi-Scouts, a program to educate young magical children, inclusive of squibs and muggle siblings of wizards.

Establishment of School Exchange Program between magical institutions.

Disability and LGBTQ+ acceptance and accommodations have been introduced to the wizarding world at large, and specifically at Hogwarts.

The spell preventing male students from entering the girl's dormitories at Hogwarts has been removed, due to being both sexist and transphobic.

House-Elves are frequently employed at St. Mungo's to assist in transporting patients from floor to floor, and to help with various cleaning tasks.

* More on this under "Magical Innovations in Guild Canon"  

[MJ Spooks]

xxxX Magical Innovations in Guild Canonxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Given the length of time since the end of the second wizarding war, it's natural that new things would have been invented in the magical world. If your character has invented something, post it here to be added! New inventions, potions, spells, and otherwise, include:

X Potions

Fertility Potion, invented by Richard Drage
Elixir for Love Potion Immunity, invented by Jonathan Blythe
Estallos (Stars in their Eyes) Potion, invented by Delia Chance and Verine Winchester
Dittany Research conducted by Tiffany Stanford, Claire Wilson, and Verine Winchester

X Spells

Ink Spill Reverse Spell, invented by Lorelei Townsend-Whitethorne
Dyslexia Font Spell, invented by Lorelei Townsend-Whitethorne

X Inventions and Innovations

- Magical Smart-Watch, can be used for "video chat", invented by Elisabet Delacroix
- Portable Floo Wristband for "texting," invented by Colin and Shinobu Yamazaki
- Wizard-Wide Web, invented by Akira Yamazaki
- Muggle radio which functions within magical environments, originated by Chalmes Whitethorne, duplicatable
- Magic-Compatible Muggle Tech, invented by Akira Yamazaki
- Blood infused alcoholic beverages to be drunk by vampires, invented by Adalaide Whitethorne and Grace McHalen
- Blood infused food to be eaten by vampires, invented by Dominique Bellamy-Hallwyd
- Magical prosthetics that function as regular limbs, invented by Colin Yamazaki

X Programs

- Magi-Scouts- Pre-Hogwarts education program for magical children, established by Aspen Hill
- Wizarding School Exchange Program- Exchange program for students between wizarding schools, established by August Li
- Continuing Education Program for Adult Wizards- Post-Hogwarts education for adult wizards, established by Frederick Burton
- Townsend Home for Wayward Souls, illegal unofficial boarding house for runaway teens, established by Lorelei Townsend-Whitethorne  

[MJ Spooks]

xxxX Guild Historyxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Major historical events that occurred in the guild since the start of its canon.

2022: Circus Maisc - A Summertime festival complete with a performing circus and a masquerade ball. The event ended in disaster when a group of Dark Wizards attacked the attendees at the height of the ball, resulting in many injuries and deaths.

2022: Sleeping Curse - Hogwarts was besieged by a curse which caused muggleborn students and members of staff to fall into a fairytale-like slumber, with the first victim succumbing at the Opening Feast. The source of the curse was not discovered until very nearly the end of the year.

2023: Fall Festival - Your typical festival to celebrate the harvest season. When the sun went down, it was beset by a small group of ravenous vampires who managed to injure and kill a surprisingly high number of people. Two of the vampires were killed by Aurors; the third, reportedly a child, was never seen again.

2030: Hogsmeade Attack - Shortly after the appearance of a Dark Mark in the sky over the village, a group of apparent Death Eaters began attacking students attempting to board the Hogwarts Express to return home for the Summer. Professors, Hogsmeade staff, and Aurors descended on the chaos, attempting to protect the children and defeat the attackers. Many students were left stranded when the train left to protect those already aboard, and many of those chose to stand and fight, contributing to the losses and injuries incurred.

2032: Azkaban Breakout - The then-head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement helped orchestrate an event to break several convicted Dark Wizards out of the prison. The escapees would go on to commit various crimes, both as a loosely-organized team under the leadership of one Rui Owens, and individually as determined by their own personal goals and grudges.  

[MJ Spooks]

xxxX Blank Spaces We've Filled Inxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Over the years, many questions have been posed regarding how, exactly, some things work in canon. Occasionally the answer can be found, but sometimes we're left to come up with it ourselves. Such as:

Q: How did Covid-19 affect wizarding culture?
A: It didn't, because it didn't happen. Firstly because the guild had already gone far past early 2020's in-universe when real life go there, and secondly because this is an escapist fantasy and we say it didn't. We have officially ret-conned the pandemic.

Q: Can muggles enter Platform 9 & 3/4?
A: Yes, the magical barrier is disguised but does not require a magical action to enter (such as Diagon Alley's wand tapping), so muggles can enter it.

Q: Can muggles travel via Floo?
A: Yes, the magic is all in the powder itself, the same as a potion, with the vocalization simply establishing a destination, therefore muggles can use it.

Q: Can muggles use (insert magical object)?
A: Generally speaking, if the object requires a spell to activate, then no. If it does not, they can use it. This is not always the case, however. For example, muggles cannot ride brooms. If you're not sure, check with a mod.

Q. How do muggleborn students shop and pay for their school supplies?
A: One of the responsibilities of the Hogwarts School Governors is to contact a muggleborn's family personally about Hogwarts. They will then schedule a time to take the student, and preferably at least one parent, to Diagon Alley for the first time. If the parents can afford it, muggle money will be exchanged for wizarding currency at Gringotts. If not, the Governor has a department budget which can be used to purchase these supplies.

Q: How do poor students pay for their school supplies?
A: There is a scholarship program which can be applied for by contacting the Hogwarts School Governors. The same budget used for muggleborns can be used in this case.

Q: What happens to orphaned children who are magical?
A: Rather than entering the muggle foster care system, they will be taken to Wool's Orphanage, which is now owned by Luke and Steffi Nalson-Lillantine. It is a much better place to live than it was during Tom Riddle's time. They may be adopted by magical families, or remain at Wool's until such time as they graduate. Siblings will always be adopted together.

Q: How do they pay for school supplies?
A: The orphanage has a budget set aside for student's schooling.

Q: What if a muggleborn orphan has a muggle sibling?
A: The muggle sibling will also be taken to Wool's, and enrolled in an appropriate muggle school, most likely The City of London School for Boys/Girls.

Q: Does a Floo Connection have to be a fireplace, or can it be something like a Fire Pit?
A: A Floo Connection can be established in any relatively large fire source that is stationary. Portable fire pits or similar cannot as movement would break the connection.

Q: What causes a person to be magical in a muggle family?
A: Muggleborns are the result of a squib having married into a muggle family and passing down a recessive gene for magic. Eventually this gene may be passed by two parents with magical ancestors, resulting in a muggleborn.

Q: What causes a person to be a squib?
A: Inbreeding among purebloods a few generations back resulted in some wonky genetics, occasionally producing a squib.

Q: What qualifies someones as pureblood/halfblood/muggleborn?
A: If a person has all muggle grandparents, they are considered a muggleborn. If they have no traceable muggle ancestors within several generations, they are pureblooded. Anything in-between is a halfblood.