======User======
=====Term Information=====
  * **Type:** [[Muggle]] Terminology; Conceptual Term
  * **Origin:** Non-magical ([[Muggle]]) society, primarily associated with [[computers]] and modern technology.
  * **Direct Magical Equivalent:** None. The wizarding world employs more specific terms such as //witch//, //wizard//, //owner//, //master//, or //wielder//.
=====Definition and Usage in the Muggle World=====
In the non-magical world, a "user" is a term that refers to an individual who utilizes or operates a complex system, most commonly a [[computer]] or a software service. The term became widespread with the rise of personal [[computers]] and the internet in the latter half of the 20th century. It denotes an operator of a technological product, distinguishing them from the engineers or programmers who create the system.
=====Relevance to the Wizarding World=====
The term "user" is not part of the common wizarding lexicon and does not appear in the historical accounts of [[Harry Potter]]'s life or the broader wizarding society chronicled in the novels. Wizards and witches do not refer to themselves as "users" of [[magic]] or magical objects. Their language reflects a more innate, personal, or masterful relationship with their abilities and possessions.
This distinction highlights a fundamental difference between [[Muggle]] and wizarding perspectives. Where [[Muggles]] "use" external technology, a witch or wizard's magic is an inherent part of their being. The relationship with a magical object is also typically more profound than simple operation.
Notable distinctions include:
  * One who performs magic is a **[[Witch]]** or **[[Wizard]]**.
  * One who possesses a magical object is its **owner**, as [[Harry Potter]] was the owner of the [[Invisibility Cloak]] and the [[Marauder's Map]].
  * One who has won the allegiance of a [[wand]] through conquest or inheritance is its **master**. This was a key concept in the ownership of the [[Elder Wand]].
  * One who brandishes a wand or performs a spell is its **wielder**.
The concept is largely foreign to a society where magic is integral to identity. The closest wizarding parallel to the [[Muggle]] concept might be found in the regulations set by the [[Ministry of Magic]], which governs the "use" of certain artifacts, [[potions]], or branches of [[magic]] ([[Dark Arts]], for example). However, even in these formal contexts, the specific term "user" is not employed.
It is conceivable that a wizard like [[Arthur Weasley]], with his profound interest in the functions of [[Muggle Artefacts]], would be one of the few in the magical community to understand the term in its proper [[Muggle]] context, though there is no record of him employing it.
=====Behind the Scenes=====
The term "user" has no canonical basis within the seven original *Harry Potter* novels or any supplementary materials by J.K. Rowling. Its entry in a wizarding encyclopedia serves primarily as a point of clarification to distinguish between [[Muggle]] technological vocabulary and the distinct, often more archaic and nuanced, lexicon of the magical community. The absence of the term effectively underscores the cultural and technological divide between the two worlds.