Harry Potter: Do you know these 10 facts about the First Wizarding War?

If you are a fan of Harry Potter then you know the First Wizarding War ended when the series begins, as the powerful dark wizard, Lord Voldermort, is defeated by an infant Harry Potter. Peace in the magic world only lasts for a decade as the Dark Lord makes a comeback.

1/ The First War lasted 11 years

The Second Wizarding War may be deadly and horrible, though it only lasted three years. In comparison, this is nothing compared to the First Wizarding War which lasted 11 years. Voldermort launched an all-out war sometime in 1970 after gathering followers for multiple years. The war came to an end in 1981, when Voldermort attacked the Potters in Godric’s Hollow, and the Dark Lord’s curse rebounded off of our protagonist. When the second war begins it isn’t surprising that so many people are in denial he has returned.

2/ More dementors were sent to Azkaban

Dementors are creatures that suck the happiness from you. They are the ones who guard the wizard prison Azkaban. They are particularly disliked by Dumbledore as they are easily swayed by Lord Voldermort’s cause. However, did you know that there were fewer dementors guarding the prison during the First Wizarding War? It was revealed on Pottermore, which has now become Wizarding World, that the Minister for Magic who oversaw most of the war, Harold Minchum, orderedmore dementors be placed at Azkaban to try and control the threat.

3/ McGonagall lost two loved ones

The series itself doesn’t give much history and background on the beloved Professor Minerva McGonagall apart from her life at Hogwarts. However, in Rowling's Short Stories from Hogwarts of Heroism, Hardship and Dangerous Hobbies, she reveals that McGonagall has quite a tragic past. Indeed she lost her younger brother Robert as well as her first love Dougal McGregor, who was a muggle. McGregorwas killed in a random anti-muggle raid, which McGonagall blames herself for, as she believed she could've saved him had they still been together.

4/ Aurors could use unforgivable curses

You can probably tell by the name, unforgivable curses are forbidden. However, to even the playing ground, Aurors (wizard police) could use the unforgivable curses, which included the Cruciatius, Imperious and Killing Curse. During normal times, these three curses are punishable by a lifetime in Azkaban.

5/ The Longbottoms were tortured separately

As most fans know, Alice and Frank Longbottom faced a fate worse than death. The pair were tortured a year after the war was ended by Death Eaters, Bellatrix, Rodolphus and Rabastan Lestrange, and Barty Crouch Jr., what many don’t know is that the pair were captured separately. The Death Eaters caught Frank first and when they couldn’t get any information from him as they tortured him to the point he was incapable of talking, they captured Alice, who suffered the same fate.

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6/ Lily and James went into hiding for over a yaer

In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallow’s Harry finds a letter from his mother about his father’s growing frustration at being shut up at home while everyone else fights Lord Voldemort. When you think about it, it isn’t surprising as the young family had been in hiding for over a year. Indeed Trelawney made the prophecy that claimed a baby born at the end of July would bring the downfall of Lord Voldermort in early 1980. Lily and James Potter were killed in October of the following year.

7/ McGonagall was a spy for the Ministry

Another interesting fact about Minerva McGonagall was revealed in Short Stories from Hogwarts of Heroism, Hardship and Dangerous Hobbies was the fact she was a spy for the Ministry. During the First Wizarding War, the Ministry wasn’t as corrupted as it was in the 1990s. In order to gather intelligence on the enemy, McGonagall would tail Voldermort’s followers as her feline Animagus form.

8/ The Ministry had 3 Ministers

During the First Wizarding War, the Ministry saw three ministers. Pottermore revealed that the first minister was Euginia Jenkins, who was in office at the start of the art. She was ousted from her role after five years as she was deemed ‘inadequate’ for the situation. Then Harold Minchum was in office for five years after taking a firmer approach. Finally the most competent minister, Millicent Bagnold took over.

9/ Dean Thomas lost his father

As far as Dean or anyone knows, he is Muggle-Born, his mother is a muggle and we never meet his father. It is said that Dean’s father was a wizard and left his Muggle family in order to protect them from the horrors of the war. He was killed as he refused to join the Death Eaters, leaving Dean to be another young victim of the war.

10/ Wizards partied hard

After Voldermort’s defeat in Godric’s Hollow, the whole wizarding community partied hard. This isn’t surprising as they had little to celebrate for 11 long years. Indeed in the Philosopher’s Stone, you get hints, of people walking around the streets in wizarding clothes, shooting stars and owls flying in broad daylight. Indeed there was a massive breach of the International Statute of Secrecy. The Minister of Magic Millicent Bagnold faced harsh critics for this, to which she simply replied ‘I assert our inalienable right to party.’