Not quoting all of you just to say you are right ;)
 

"The Statute of Secrecy is indeed the answer I am looking for." Ethan nodded around at those who had mentioned it.

"Excellent, do feel free to pop by my office and we can discuss it if you like." Ethan winked at the young Hufflepuff.

"It's all about power." Ethan answered, "Getting it and keeping it. Many disputes stem from the desire of one side or another to have power."

Ah.

"Thank you for bringing up folk tales. Indeed myths and fairy tales are indeed a way that the statute of secrecy is supported. Muggles see magic as make-believe and that is a very powerful resource that Wizardkind can use to keep ourselves hidden. Propaganda so to speak." Ethan nodded in appreciation.

"Another good answer. Though in a way you contradict yourself Jake. You say it means we are selfish, for not helping muggles with our magic, perhaps for not taking away disease and pain and hardship from mugglekind? It isn't merely because of the statute that this is so, like you said it is because of expectations muggles had that they would get everything they wanted, often disregarding the fundamental laws of magic and what is actually possible. Indeed wizardkind would face great prejudice from muggles. Fear tends to breed such things. We will discuss this aspect of the statute." Truebridge nodded.

"Quite right in a sense, Whitney. It is charms and magic that are put in place in order to keep the statute intact. The reasons are often just as important as the methods."

"Indeed. The ministry, or rather all of the ministries for each country. It all ties in with the statute."

"While I appreciate your presence, I do not appreciate that you are late. Please endeavour to be on time in the future." Ethan looked up at the new arrival and provided a little warning.

ooc: remember, if the class has already started, just post like you are already there unless you want to risk losing points for arriving late. No points lost this time though!

"The Statute does not apply to muggles." Ethan answered. "However, you will find that the ministry actively ensures that Cryptozoologists in the muggle world come up against stumbling blocks. Any witches and wizards that 'help' the muggle cryptozoologists, would be helping to actually keep things hidden and keep an eye on what is revealed or risk Azkaban. The Statute of Wizarding Secrecy is often kept intact simply because of the disbelief that is already built up amongst muggles. Testing that, and ensuring that there are doubters is a fundamental part of enforcing the statute." Truebridge explained, more for the benefit of the class as a whole.

"Indeed. But a 'two way mirror' is what the muggles call it, even though it is a contradiction of itself." Truebridge answered the little Hufflepuff.

"Precisely. The belief on the part of the muggles, or the disbelief really, is a fundamental part of what makes the statute actually work."

Ethan did like it when Slytherins gave good answers.

"Thank you Herminny." Truebridge could always trust that Herminny Telerino, troublemaker though she might be ;), could be counted on to have read the text book.

"Magic is one of the ways we keep the statute intact." Ethan answered, "though the statute itself is intended to keep magic intact. It's circular in that way."

Ethan looked around the class.

"So why is the statute necessary?"

"So there are rules for things."

Arrick blurted a reply without really thinking about it. He may even have meant it as an aside comment to himself, but that wasn't clear.

To him, magic didn't seem to follow any particular code of rules, except for it not supposing to exist. He wasn't even entirely sure if it existed in proper.

Sloane flipped through her text quickly, raising her hand, "Sir, the lack of muggles belief in magic and the Statue of Secrecy enforced by the Ministry help keep our worlds separate."

"So you are saying, sir, is that Wizards are helping Muggles within the Cryptozoology science to stay unaware of magical beings?" Matheu was puzzled. "And thus that will connect to the necesscity of the Statue; to keep Muggles from stumpling into our world. But wouldn't they be part of it if their child is witch or wizard?" He wasn't getting angry, just confused. Is Isabel, his step-mother, preventing his father from proving the existance of magical beings? He would have to talk to Professor Truebridge after class; then go to the CoCM professor later.

Contradict himself?

"Yeah... I tend to do that..." Jake mumbled, grinning sheepishly.

At the next question, Jake balked for a moment. He'd listed some textbook reasons, but because he didn't really agree with it, he couldn't give a straight answer. Raising his hand cautiously, Jake tried, "Because... for our safety, and the safety of muggles too? Some high and mighty wizards might think muggles aren't worthy of knowing and try to take over them more than ever before. Or, the other way round, muggles could try and stop 'abnormality' and go for equality."

In other words...

"Iunno."

Emalyn looked up at the professor. Hmmm, why was it necessary?

"Well, if we didn't have it...uhhh, we'd be exposed. Muggles everywhere would want access to magic and some would probably try to go against us. They would also want to be a part of the whole wizarding world. Actually, there wouldn't be a wizarding world because they would probably want to be included in it, therefore not making it wizarding at all, but a mere freak show. Okay, not a freak show - no offense intended...just, I don't know...different muggles would take it differently and we would put all our futures at stake." Ema shrugged. "In a nutshell. I guess that's just the way I see it..." she trailed off.

She was doing pretty good today. She wasn't completely right, but in a sense she was. Why give the same answer as someone else, right?

"It's necessary because it's what keeps the wizarding world a secret. Things would be a bit chaotic if muggles knew about us, that's what had happened at the beginning, anyways." she replied, raising her hand.

"I guess for the protection of magic itself and for witches and wizards. Protection from exploitation." Tori said after putting her hand up.

"yea were OK. I'm happy to have another friend," Virgi said. "James is just a friend! I swear."

"Professor, It's to make sure we're all safe and protection for we're way of life." Kay said looking down at the desk. "I think that things would be very different if there was nothing in place."

"Fat lot of good that did," Arrick muttered. At least now he knew the cold reception he got from his foster parents wasn't unheard of. "If everyone knew about this magic stuff it ern't be an odd thing, it ern't be" he continued, not caring of anyone heard him.

Putting up her hand Abigail said “Well we’ve see from the witch burnings in the past that muggles don’t react well to magic, so it’s important for our safety in away.” Abigail knew there was more to it than this, but she believed the magical world’s safety was one of the most important reasons.

"'D react better if magic made any sense," Arrick muttered inaudibly to himself.

Satine listened to the conversation about our protection and finally decided to chime in, "Well, I think it's for the protection of muggles, wizards, and magical creatures....it helps protect all of us not just one out of the three. All three are very judgmental and afraid of what doesn't make sense to them, so it protects everyone on all sides." she said with confidence...she had grown up as a half blood so she felt sympathy for both sides.

Sloane raised her hand to answer but lowered it, that ws her answer.

Tori looked at the second year, very impressed with her answer. She scribbled down that point which she thought was very insightful as she too was a half blood.

"Indeed. Two different kinds of rules for magic as it were. There are ones pertaining to what is physically and mentally possible, and then laws governing what should or should not be done." Truebridge eyed the Hufflepuff boy curiously.

"Indeed. Prejudice happens in all societies." Truebridge nodded once in agreement.

"Muggles that know about us are, in some ways, more alienated than any other group; not one of us and yet not in a position to be believed by their own. You are welcome to come by my office and we can discuss the nuances further. I am afraid it goes beyond the scope of what is planned for this lesson." Truebridge invited.

"Please refrain from chatting during my lesson." Ethan admonished. "The next person who does so will lose points."

"For our safety, yes. Witch burnings were indeed one of the catalysts to the statute being passed."

"Our protection is one of the reasons, yes."

"Excellent." Ethan listened to the two girls and nodded. "It is indeed to protect muggles just as much as ourselves. The witch burnings are a good example of this. Most of the people put to death by the flame after being charged with witchcraft, were actually muggles. Innocent muggles. True witches and wizards were quite able to escape the flames, or in the case of Wendelin the Weird, use magic to stop the flames from burning them."

Truebridge started walking around the room, more notes appearing on the blackboard as he spoke.

"Also, muggles were persecuting wizarding children, bullying them for being different. Children were stoned, drowned and other unpleasant things. Keeping wizarding children safe was another reason that the statute was introduced. In England an attempt was made to seek protection for Witches and Wizards under Muggle law but the King and Queen, William and Mary, denied the request."

He stopped walking.

"The tales of Beedle the bard contain lessons pertaining to the statute. In particular, the Wizard and the Hopping Pot and Babbity Rabbity and Her Cackling Stump. What do those stories tell us about the way things were before the statute was introduced and about the reasons that it was established?"

Magenta had thought it wise not to give her answer as to why she thought it necessary for muggles to be kept in the dark about their existance. Looking around the classroom, there were certainly some here who still had ties to that world.

"It shows that muggles tried to exploit us and use our magic for their own gain" she said, unable to keep the sneer from her face.

Babbity whoozity? The Beetle? Beedle? Whoozit? Tibi once again turned to his book, flipping through furiously. He'd apparently skimmed that part. Ah.. they were fairy tales, just... different from the ones he'd learned growing up. Tiberius looked up at the professor expectantly, hoping for more explanation, his quill at the ready.

"Muggles persecuted wizard children?" Evelyn asked, surprised. Muggles weren't a popular topic in her house, and the only time her parents mentioned them was when they told her to stay away from them. Other than that, the topic was off limits, including all history about them. "That's...wow...horrible." she lowered her voice. She was just about to answer his question when someone else spoke up first. Evelyn raised her eyebrows in surprise smiling slightly. "Well, that pretty much summed it up."

Arrick was surprised. He wasn't expecting Professor Truebridge to take his answer seriously.

"Normal people will jus' find other things to burn each other up for, they will," Arrick muttered, crossing his arms. "They already do, got tons. They ernt need magic as 'n excuse. All they need is oddness."

He should know that, out of all people.

Here, Arrick was lost again. He had cracked open his History of Magic textbook, but hadn't committed any of it to memory. He frowned as he listened to everyone else answer like it were a matter of fact.