The Wizarding world's creator – J.K. Rowling – appears to
have a fascination with all things legal. She wove into her
incredibly captivating story many vignettes that implicate the
law. If you think about it, you realize the law had to be an
essential component of the series because what J.K. Rowling
did was to create an entire new society in an alternate universe.
For a society to function orderly and for people to live together
without chaos, there must be laws and rules for people to
follow. Thus, law is a critical component for any civilized
society, including ours and Harry's. Law is what differentiates
anarchy from order and civility. Law imposes penalties – such
as jail or fines – for illegal acts. Law also provides a
mechanism to settle disputes among people and protect our
rights as individuals.
In the Wizarding world, there is a Ministry of Magic which
functions as the government. The Ministry, among other
things, establishes and enforces laws through its various
departments. This structure in which that government creates
and enforces the law is similar to how government functions in
the Muggle world. Likewise, many of the laws in Rowling's
universe are similar to those in the United States of America.
This makes easy the undertaking of this book – to equate laws
referenced in the Harry Potter story to the laws that all of us
must follow in this country. This book uses the twists and turns
in the experiences of our favorite, and some not-so-favorite,
characters as case examples to illustrate legal principles.
How to Use This Book
This book contains 11 modules, 10 of which cover a major
category of law and consist of numerous chapters that have a
common theme. The chapters within the module address a
specific area of law and include the following components:
- HP Facts. This section contains Harry
Potter story sketches relevant to the
particular law addressed in the chapter.
After each HP Fact, there will be a reference
to the applicable Harry Potter book and
chapter from which the facts were
extracted.
- Muggle Law. This feature provides easily
understood explanations of the law of our
(Muggle) society.
- Application to HP Facts. This part
discusses the Muggle law's application to
the book's characters and story line. This
information eases the learning process by
involving plots and characters that fascinate
us all.
- Other Areas of Law Implicated by
These Facts. This section will identify other legal topics
discussed in this book that apply to the same
HP Facts.
So come extend your encounters with your Wizarding pals and
add an additional dimension to your reading – lessons in law
from Harry's adventures.
Enjoy!!
