Post by Trevor Williams on Oct 20, 2009 17:52:51 GMT -8
SOCIETY
If we all said people's faces what we say behind one another's
backs, society would be impossible. --- Honore de Balzac
If we all said people's faces what we say behind one another's
backs, society would be impossible. --- Honore de Balzac
Society as a whole in the wizarding world seems to be a bunch of spineless whimps, too afraid to say outside the supposed security of the four walls of their homes. Resultantly, a lot of dissatisfaction can be found amongst most of the populous. Rather than doing something like those in S.A.V.I.O.R. or a few other citizen-formed resistance groups, many simply tend to simply sit and tolerate what's going on to the extent that they seem to have merely accepted it.
But let's focus on the make-up of society, shall we?
Blood Purity
Only certain degrees of blood purity are recognized for citizenship. Therefore, if one is below half-blood, he is indiscriminately imprisoned or enslaved depending on whether or not he has some affiliation with a certain resistance group or not. However, even purebloods are not entirely exempt from any discrimination. In this society, it's encouraged for one to be a tattle-tale and provide discriminating evidence against one's own neighbor, if he's suspected of being a blood traitor or merely a traitor to the government.
Because of this, Hogwarts admissions have become open only to a select few: those of half-blood to pureblood descent and whose families are loyal or at least not openly resistant to the new government.
Buying & Selling
• LimitationsStarting on 28 February, 2009, paperwork was required to prove one's blood status. Check points were set up to enforce this new requirement, and penalties were given to those who failed to have said paperwork, even if they claimed to have forgotten it. Since the takeover, it has become impossible to buy or sell in the wizarding world without said paperwork, paperwork which is impossible to duplicate to the extent that an official would be fooled and most with business licenses know how to tell the differences well enough. However, does that mean everyone really cares? Not necessarily, but usually most do not pass through the hoops to get a license and chance getting it revoked.• Diagon AlleyDiagon Alley was rendered to ruins during July 2009. Over the past year or so, it has shown signs of being revitalized. A few businesses have found their way to the main street but for now remain near the entrance to Knockturn Alley as quite obviously it's the best way to gain business. The residential area still remains untouched and abandoned for the most part, but patrols go by on occasion to check for hobos and hooligans. All in all, the thing to remember is Diagon Alley is no longer the bustling portal to the wizarding world that it once was.• Knockturn AlleyFollowing the destruction of Diagon Alley in July 2009, Knockturn Alley found itself taking on many functions that Diagon Alley once served. While for the most part, its purpose remains dark in nature, stores have begun selling more respectable and less questionable products as well.• HogsmeadeHogsmeade also found itself expanding when Diagon Alley was destroyed. Being so near the school, it took in many destroyed businesses that sold things the students might need more frequently than not and has found its adult clientelle increased in number as some needs overlapped. It tends to be the favorite of more family-oriented shoppers as the general populous tends to be more savory than that of Knockturn Alley.Media
In general, all media is under the direction of the press secretary, Morgana Calloway, and her staff. The extent of which it is under said direction varies depending on the subject matter involved.
• NewspapersNewspapers, such as The Daily Prophet, by law are required to submit their articles to the press secretary before publication can occur. If anything is deemed unsuitable or questionable, it will be pulled or a rewrite demanded. If its content is questionable enough or frequent enough by a certain reporter, his journalist badge is revoked until a trial before the Wizengamot can occur. If the paper itself chooses to print an offensive article or any articles without submitting them for review, it faces being shut down.• Educational MagazinesEducational magazines are ignored for the most part. They are forbidden to make political jokes that touch upon a certain list of topics or politicians and asked to stick to their topics. They are typically still read through during early stages of publication or at least scanned before too many can get hold of the magazine. They know the risks of publishing something that goes against the law and as fewer people actually subscribe to them than newspapers or other types of magazines, the need for review seems less necessary.• TabloidsTabloids are under strict review. Articles cannot hold risque "information" about a political figure on a certain list or any other political topics that make the list. Fines and other consequences are steep.• Other PublicationsWomen's magazines, cooking magazines, etc., are held to the same requirements as any other publication. They have the same list of topics to avoid and the same penalties to face.Communication
Owl Post. It's not unheard of for letters to get lost when sent by owl post, but it's not exactly entirely frequent as too often would make the government seem more paranoid than necessary. The amount of owls intercepted hasn't entirely been increased compared to how many were before. It mainly affects those seen taking off from the homes of people under surveillance or owls generically sent from an owlery.