#squibs

[captain-price-returns]

NEMESIS (Pyun, 1992)

[maxdibert]

Your post on muggleborn discrimination honestly opened my eyes and predictably I don’t see the general fandom (or maybe just the marauder fandom) being receptive to this idea because it sort of challenges a lot of what Rowling was trying to set up with her shallow ideas of politics and systems of oppression.

I think it’s really interesting how muggleborns are sort of considered “the most oppressed group” within Harry Potter (especially by certain fandoms) when clearly they are not, giants seemed to have been through a sort of genocide in Europe, elves are literally enslaved, werewolves aren’t allowed within “normal society” and every other non human being is treated along these lines. But once they started targeting muggleborns, well they’ve gone too far! Those are humans! Sure they don’t have the same magical parents that we do, but it’s not like they’re goblins or anything! And this attitude is so present within the series it really makes you question the order and whether or not you can really call them “progressives” “who fight for what’s right” (note the apathy towards all non human beings shown by the members except maybe Hermione, whose extra goals of furthering the rights of these beings is looked down upon. Also note Bill Weasleys odd comments about goblins in deathly hallows)

anyways I like to think there was another group of progressives in hp that weren’t the order, filled with working class people, squibs, werewolves, goblins, elves, etc. that would operated in a different way. they weren’t just trying to end Voldemort or fight in combat but build community, give aid to those who needed it, and protect each other. Idk at this point I’m just very disillusioned with the whole “the order is a radical group of progressives” especially as it’s usually coming from marauders fans who most likely have never had any experience with any radical groups of progressives, they just like the idea and aesthetic. The order really was a group of elites, (with a few tokens that were treated as such) that’s one purpose was to win a war, nothing more, nothing less.

Sorry for coming here quite late, but this ask was so interesting and allow me for make a huge meta about this topic and i didn't have so much time this week so i was waiting for have a time to answer properly.

Well, this is gonna be long because THIS IS THE MAIN FUCKING TOPIC.

In the wizarding world, there are clearly two main categories: humans and non-humans. Humans are considered political subjects with rights because when we talk about beings who are not discriminated against, we’re not really talking about “people” in the general sense, but about political subjects. If you're not a political subject, you're not seen as a person because in order to be recognized as a person within a society, you must have political rights and be treated as a subject, not an object.

This is why the political recognition of women and racialized people as subjects with individual rights has been so historically significant. Before they were granted those rights, they weren’t considered people: they were property. Women belonged to their husbands, fathers, or brothers, and racialized people were literally the property of their enslavers. It’s crucial to clarify this, because when we say “people,” we often assume it includes the general population, without understanding that from a sociopolitical perspective, only those recognized as political subjects are truly considered people. Everyone else exists in subordination to them.

With that said, in the wizarding world, the only beings considered political subjects with rights are humans. Non-humans are not. They’re seen as inferior beings. They have no right to study in the same magical schools as humans, no right to hold high positions within the institutions that shape society (like the Ministry), and in some cases, they don’t even have the right to autonomy over their own lives. And we’re talking about beings who are canonically shown to be cognitively capable whose only “flaw” is not being human.

This also applies to semi-human beings like werewolves, who aren’t considered full political subjects either. The only way they can access any of the rights humans enjoy is by hiding what they are. If they don’t, they can’t even legally hold a job.

Now, even among humans—excluding the semi-human category for the reasons stated above—there is a clear system of internal discrimination. You have humans with magic and humans without magic. And only those with magic are considered political subjects in the magical world. If you’re a human without magic, you may be regarded as marginally above goblins, house-elves, or centaurs but you're still beneath magical humans. You have no right to the same freedoms, and you have absolutely no voice in the political, social, or legal decisions made in the wizarding world.

Take squibs, for example. They’re born into magical families, but are pushed to the margins of magical society simply for lacking powers. They’re denied the right to attend the same schools as magical children, denied the ability to influence magical governance, and denied recognition as full participants in the society they were born and raised in. Their exclusion starts with being denied access to magical education, a critical first step in institutional exclusion.

And then there are muggles. Muggles not only lack rights within the magical world: they don’t even have the right to know it exists. And yet, wizards feel completely entitled to intervene in their lives and make profound decisions on their behalf like erasing their memories. Wizards hold muggles in such low regard, they see them as third-class beings whose minds they can freely tamper with.

Even Hermione, one of the supposed paragons of morality, erases her parents’ memories without asking them, and the story presents it as an act of kindness, responsibility, even love. But it’s not. It’s a violation of the most fundamental human right: the right to own your life and make your own decisions. Wizards couldn’t care less: they trample over that right with no remorse.

So, at this point, we have several castes:

Lowest caste: All non-human beings, treated like animals, sometimes as slaves, sometimes as mere creatures to be kept at a distance.

Slightly above them: Semi-human beings. Still treated like beasts, just with more evolved minds.

Second-class citizens: Non-magical humans, where squibs rank slightly above muggles (at least squibs know about magic and can prepare for it).

Highest caste: Humans with magical powers. This is the elite: the privileged class. They have access to education, employment, political voice, ownership of property, and even the right to hold others—sentient beings—as slaves. And this includes all magical humans, regardless of blood status.

There is no point in the timeline—before Voldemort takes over—where magical humans of different blood statuses don't have the same rights. Muggle-borns have the same access to education, healthcare, government jobs, private property, and business opportunities as pure-bloods. Nothing in canon suggests that a muggle-born couldn’t own a house-elf, for example. Muggle-borns are granted the full legal and social privileges of the magical elite.

So what’s the real problem muggle-borns face? Where’s the actual discrimination? The only issue is that there's a conservative, extremist minority that wants to push this already privileged group out of the elite. That’s it. And yes, that’s awful, but let’s be real: Harry, who’s half-blood, inherits Kreacher, a sentient being. Harry owns a slave. Just like Hermione could have. And nobody bats an eye. So are we seriously going to equate the plight of muggle-borns with that of racialized people in the U.S.? Or compare Death Eaters to the KKK? Are we really going to draw parallels to the historical persecution of Jewish communities or apartheid? Because that is politically and academically inaccurate. There’s no basis for that.

Muggle-borns, like half-bloods and pure-bloods, are full political subjects, the top tier in a deeply unjust hierarchy that excludes the vast majority of other sentient, cognitively evolved beings in the magical world. So, honestly, everything that happens in the series is just internal warfare between privileged people fighting within their own elite bubble. Yes, horrible things happen, but being a goblin, a house-elf, or a centaur in that world is far worse. Being a Muggle is worse, having your memory wiped without consent, being used, manipulated, and treated like you're expendable is worse.

So no, I don't buy into the idea that muggle-borns are the most oppressed group in the wizarding world. That’s simply not true. From a social and political standpoint, they’re not. They’re part of the most privileged class, the only group that has full political and legal rights. The only ones who are truly free. Everyone else exists under their control.

[cringefictionallizard]

Learned about illithids. I like illithids. I am not beating the allegations.

Also there's a power outage... Fuck typhoons

🩷💜🩵 Random headcanons for them 🦑

P.S. I'm extremely new to DnD. Can't afford the game. All my knowledge is based on what's available online and social media. Am yet to find/watch a full playthrough of the game- but reconsidering the fact because I wanna experience it myself in the future.

I didn't intend on making Emp x Tav fan children— I just drew random illithids out of boredom, then thought... Hey, why not?

Left Squib 🩷🦑:

He/Him

Youngest

Book smart

Does the wrong things does the right reasons

Middle Squib 💜🦑:

They/Them

Middle child

Wizard

Does "good" things for the wrong reasons? ((more than willing/eager to consume the brains of criminals))

Often has to be reminded not to kill anyone over minor offenses/insults

Right Squib 🩵🦑:

He/Him

Muscle of the group

Strongest moral compass

Eldest

Emp (it/its, he/him) & Tav (they/them) 👑🦑:

((couldn't draw anymore because of the power outage))

Tav and Emp run Baldur's Gate

Partners with benefits/ Not officially married ((Tav thinks weddings are unnecessary, Emp wants to put a ring on them))

Trust issues, Mutual pining, Miscommunication, Fear of betrayal/Abandonment issues

Glorious Evolution Tavflayer ((Tav evolved into advanced mind flayer)) |[Emperor is paranoid about them overpowering him]|

Squibs are purely related to Tav/ Genetically fatherless/ Asexual conception

[holybagelsstuff]

SQUIBS. You're always forgetting SQUIBS.

Muggle prejudice, house elves slavery, all of this is obvious, but everyone ignores the topic of Squibs every time the inequality issue in HP is brought up. Meanwhile, I can't get the thought of Molly Weasley boycotting her cousin because he's not a wizard out of my head. I can't let the mockery Argus Filch has been going through for years pass me. I was horrified when I read about Merope Gaunt being abused because she was thought to be a Squib. I felt sick when Hagrid used the term in a purposefully derogatory way (see the post here). It's a well-known fact that if a Squib is born in your family, it's automatically considered pitiful.

But nobody cares. Why? Because Filch is an unpleasant man, and the other arcs involving Squibs are very short and not that important. I even saw someone on the internet saying "Who cares if they die? They're a Squib". Like literally. It's all about trying to find a common ground with Muggles, but how about wizards find it with people that actually LIVE in their world instead of effectively dismissing those who are disabled? The only person who was tolerant enough to see past the biology was Dumbledore because he gave Filch a job (also Umbridge but she was lenient to Argus specifically, not to every Squib; Snape doesn't have blood biases either). Other wizards and witches though? They treat Squibs slightly better than Voldemort treats anyone who doesn't have pure blood– and that's disappointing.

[honigkuchlein]

If there's something I find really interesting about the Harry Potter world, it's the concept of Squibs

Especially in large wizarding families🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️

Ocs beneath the cut

Feel free to ask, drop headcanons or assumptions

Augustus (Gus) Weasley

The oldest of the Weasley family

He worked at Grunnings (Vernon's Factory) as a teen/summer job. That's how he got to know Vernon and somehow became the babysitter of Dudley and Harry (Dumbledores Plan)

Moved out rather quickly

Became a preschool teacher

His house was later used for Order meetings (no taking into consideration if he wanted that or not)

Serves as an older brother figure for Harry, someone who listens without judging.

Zacharias (Zach) Weasley

Twin brother of Percy Weasley

Puts himself under pressure to be as good in muggle school as Percy is at Hogwarts.

Like his brother he has strong political opinions.

Unlike his brother he takes part in radical protests, sometimes even planning them

Debate club and Chess champion at school

Is kind of closer with his parents than the rest of the Kids- simply because he spends more time at home

Kinda Arthurs favorite because he can explain muggles

Actually very lonely

[pangaeaseas]

jkr really excelled at creating a 'funny' society where uh a lot of horrifying things happen but it's for laughs we promise. So like if you think about Neville being dropped out a window and the cavalier reaction of everyone around him to this--like people think it's a funny story--you have to be like, well, that implies things like this are actually quite common and normalized: if you take it to its logical extreme you get a culture where families invested in their own purebloodedness regularly kill squib children to test their magic, and broader society just accepts this as a fact of life.

[2087]

[empatheticwizard]

"So the plan is: orchestrate a first contact worthy of the Federation of Planets, convince the Wizengamot to join the seventeenth century at minimum, persuade the rest of Earth not to panic about the underground society with amnesia grenades, and hope everyone settles for mutually assured delusion as a starting point."

"How long before this starts by accident?" -Widdershins & the Eyes of Caduceus on AO3 A post-war HP slice-of-life political thriller where the Statute of Secrecy is collapsing and nobody knows what they're doing. Book 1 COMPLETE (142k) | Series Ongoing