A History of Magic - Task 2

[Janne Halla 15]

The book mentions many time periods and covers nearly everything except the contemporary history of witches and wizards.

 

Imagine you’re using a special Time Turner that lets you travel in the past for a day. Would you like to see the ancient Egyptian wizards that helped protect the tombs? Maybe see the time around the founding of Hogwarts?

 

In 80 words or more, tell us of the period in wizarding history you’d like to travel to and why. 

 

Post your response below by 23:59 HOL-time on 31st October to earn 10 rubies.

[Scarlet Robloutain 0]

If I could travel back in time for a day, I'd land in the era when Hogwarts was merely a concept in the minds of Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Envision immersing yourself in their personal struggles, feeling the pulse of magical teaching methods taking form, and absorbing the atmosphere of their collaborative efforts. It would be like being part of the intimate details—understanding the nuanced dynamics, witnessing the birth of magical innovations, and sensing the sincerity behind the aspirations that breathed life into Hogwarts' unique ethos. This journey would encapsulate the very essence of wizarding education, an intricate tapestry woven by the dreams and sacrifices of its founders, shaping the destiny of magical generations.

[Evie Figg 1]

As a lover of anything medieval, I would love to see how the world was back in the middle ages! Especially when regarding the lives of witches and wizards! There so many stories and legends that emerged from this time period, so going back for one day, would be so much fun to explore! Imagine going back in time to meet Merlin himself! It would truly be a life changing experience for any wizard! To witness and experience ancient wizard rituals and traditions would truly make my life complete.

[Patrick James 21]

It would be very interesting to go back to around 1050 - 1150 to see how people began conceptualizing and trying out different ways of playing the sport that we now know as Quidditch. I would love to be involved in the trial and error process of figuring out the configuration of the sport - bouncing ideas (and different sized and shaped balls) off of each other, spending hours out in the fields and finally returning home to dinner absolutely famished and exhausted, yet excited to try out new tricks and formulate ideas for the next day's play!

 

A bonus would be to immortalize myself through some form of quaffle trick or broomstick maneuver.

[Adeline Morior 4]

I am obsessed with ancient times such as the Egyptians, Mesopotamians, Babylonians. I would most definitely want to see how the Egyptian wizards and people built these magnificent structures, protected them, used the energy, how they did rituals and the remedies they used. I would love to really take time to learn the languages. They say you learn a language faster from a native speaker of said language.  I would take the time to really see and learn the absolutely amazing artisan skills they have honed for so long in their various crafts. For the most part, there are many tales of the magic and rituals they performed. Minus the sacrifices, but the way they lifted nature up and embodied the magic and energy around them. I would love to be able to learn this. 

[Lex Green 2]

I think I'd like to travel back and see one or two famous magical people back when they were young and discovering the world for the first time, and see how they were as teenagers or students. I'm not sure exactly who I'd be most interested to see, but one example could be Albus Dumbledore - I'd love to travel back to the late 1800s, to a time when he was at Hogwarts, and see what he was like in classes growing up, knowing how incredible his mind was as an adult.

[Kenz Eternal 1]

I’m a lover of wars, unfortunately, but in a sense that I am fascinated in how they start, and how no one prevents them from happening. That being said, I’d travel back to the times of the First Wizarding War. Maybe I’ll examine the Mauraders as they finish their schooling, or sit in on some of the Order of The Phoenix Meetings. Maybe I’d follow Voldemort and the Death Eaters, just to truly see how they got away with everything they did. I know I shouldn’t change anything— and I wouldn’t. But I think it’d be important to understand in a deeper sense why everything happened how it did. 

[Dibyarup James Potter 0]

If I could use a Time Turner to travel to any period in wizarding history, I would choose to visit ancient India.

 

Indian wizards and witches studied subjects like Mantra and Yantra, Vaidyashastra and Ayurveda, Yoga and Chakra, Jyotihsastra and Dvandvayuddha to enhance their magical capabilities for application ranging from healing to societal well-being to wartime offence and defence.

 

For example, they used different Ayurvedic herbs and spices with medicinal properties to create potions and medicines. They used Yoga to train their bodies and minds to be more receptive to magic. Studying about Chakras and activating them via extensive meditation helped them unlock the different energy centres of their body and possibly affected how strong the spells cast by the witches/wizards were. Hence, they could use their deeper connection to their Chakras to focus their energy and direct it towards their spells and other magical aspects of their daily lives.

 

Jyotihsastra practitioners would use the position of the planets, stars and several other celestial bodies in our solar system to make predictions about the future. They would also diagnose diseases and prescribe treatments in accordance with Jyotihsastra.

 

Dvandvayuddha dealt with duels. It was a type of martial art where the practitioners would use a variety of weapons like swords, spears, axes, and maces along with magic. They also used a variety of magical techniques, such as invisibility, shapeshifting and teleportation. Most of the Indian witches/wizards were battle-mages and would be well-trained in magic along with at least one category of melee weapons including swords or knives, war axes, maces or bow and arrow.

 

So I believe that such a visit would be greatly beneficial to me in terms of learning ancient magic that I can use as an Auror in my future career.