Chapter Thirteen: A Little About the Curriculum of History of Magic

My subject is History of Magic. I deal with facts,

Miss [Granger], not myths and legends.

Professor Cuthbert Binns,

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

WwW

History of Magic is formally defined as the study of magical history. This was one of the few subjects where the use of magic in practical application was not necessary. History of Magic is part of the standard curriculum from first year to the fifth, and was completed with an Ordinary Wizarding Level (OWL) examination with only a written section.

The lesson plan for the entirety of the course usually consisted of lectures on the "History of Wizards and the Magical World" (in which goblin rebellions appeared most memorably). This class was similar to the study of History in the Muggle World, as particular emphasis was placed upon remembering dates, names, and events, rather than the actual analysis, critique, and application of social theories arising from the nature of the conflict, its background and resolution, as well as the main cause and the notable elements of the crisis or event, and the extensive background of the actors and the belligerents as it was revealed by the writers or historians in narrative form.

In recent memory, the class has always been taught at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry by the ghost of Professor Cuthbert Binns. According to a popular Hogwarts folklore, Professor Binns had failed to notice that he was already dead; he simply went to sleep by the Staffroom fire one night, then got up from his chair the next morning and left his mortal body behind, as if death did not happen at all. The tale is, of course, numerously recounted in different terms, and the good professor never corrected any false claims, or, if, indeed, the story of his expiration actually happened in the way it was foretold and whether it did occur within the school premises in the first place.

As Professor Binns was very old at the time of his death (for he perished, indeed, if only to testify for the accuracy of the information that he actually became a ghost), he was very set with his ways and students found him difficult to relate to because of the gap between the upbringing of his generation (it was truly ancient, and full of old habits). Binn's lessons consisted of him reciting (or "droning," as many students would put it) lectures to his students, as if automated in a very mechanical way. He did not seem to mind (or even care to notice) that the class rarely paid attention or even that they slept through his class (with the exception of the great witch Hermione Granger, who alone "seemed able to resist the soporific power of Binn's voice"). The other wizards foretold in another piece of critical literature to this writing, her notorious companions, Ronald Weasley and Harry Potter, both found History of Magic terribly boring, and only managed to pass the class by borrowing Hermione's well-organized lecture notes.

When Hermione Granger ultimately ventured on a question in one of his classes, Professor Binns did not even remember her name, calling her "Miss Grant," even though she was the only student in his class who actually paid attention. Professor Binns was also dismissive of the legend of the Chamber of Secrets when he responded to Hermione's question about it, calling it a "Legend" and maintaining that he taught only facts. It seems very dubious that the good professor avoided to answer the inquiry.

A typical list of topics discussed during the fifth year syllabus of History of Magic includes:

• Medieval Assembly of European Wizards - a European wizarding organization operating across continental Europe. They may have had some relation to the International Warlock Convention of 1289, with which a subcommittee of Sardinian Sorcerers was involved in a secretive conflict in September of that year.
• Giant Wars - a series of bellicose conflicts between wizards and giants that had historical significance, having taken place in, or earlier to, the end of the nineteenth century.
• The Goblin Rebellion of 1612 - a series of rebellions in which the goblin population of the wizarding world revolted against the discrimination and prejudice demonstrated towards their kind by wizards and witches. The main cause identified for the participation of actors to this revolution is the lack of representation in the Wizengamot.
• Goblin Rebellion of 1752 - also known as the 18th century Goblin Rebellion, is considered the continuation of the protest against the problems raised during the rebellion of 1612 for failure to address the fundamental issues that precipitated the war. 
• International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy - also referred to as the International Code of Wizarding Secrecy or in shortened form, International Code of Secrecy, by the Historians of Magic, first signed into law in 1689, then officially takes effect in 1692. The law adopted by the International Confederation of Wizards to safeguard the wizarding community from the fury of "ill-informed" Muggles and hide its presence from the world at large.
• Witch Hunts of 14th Century - the Muggle search for and punishment of persons suspected of being witches or of practicing witchcraft.
• Werewolf Code of Conduct - developed in 1637 by the Wizards' Council, was a set of rules outlining the responsibilities of werewolves, such as preventing any possible attacks by locking themselves up securely every month.
• International Warlock Convention of 1289 - a secretive meeting held in the year of 1289. Nothing is known about what was decided at this convention. The question is still a mystery with the Historians of Magic.
• International Confederation of Wizards or the International Federation of Warlocks - a wizarding intergovernmental organization similar to the United Nations in the Muggle world.

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This Chapter is sponsored by Air Jordan.