======Witch-Hunter======
=====Introduction=====
A **Witch-Hunter** was a term used to describe individuals, almost exclusively [[Muggle|Muggles]], who actively sought to persecute, capture, and execute [[Witch|witches]] and [[Wizard|wizards]]. Operating primarily during the [[Middle Ages]], their actions were driven by fear, superstition, and religious fanaticism. The widespread danger posed by witch-hunters was a primary catalyst for the global wizarding community's decision to go into hiding, leading to the implementation of the [[International Statute of Secrecy]]. The term was later used metaphorically to describe the state-sanctioned persecution of [[Muggle-borns]] during the [[Second Wizarding War]].
=====Biography=====
The history, or "biography," of the witch-hunter phenomenon is deeply intertwined with the history of [[Muggle]]-wizard relations. The height of their activity was during the [[Middle Ages]], a period characterized by widespread paranoia and violence against those suspected of practising [[magic]].
Many witch-hunting efforts were ultimately futile against proficient magic-users. As [[Harry Potter]] learned for his [[History of Magic]] essay, a simple [[Flame-Freezing Charm]] could render the common execution method of burning at the stake harmless, even pleasant. The witch [[Wendelin the Weird]] famously enjoyed the sensation so much that she allowed herself to be caught forty-seven times in various disguises.
However, the threat was far from imaginary. Not all [[Witch|witches]] and [[Wizard|wizards]] were able to defend themselves successfully. Less skilled magic-users, the young, or those taken by surprise could be overwhelmed and killed. A prominent example is [[Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington]], who was stripped of his [[wand]] and subjected to a botched execution with a blunt axe on 31 October 1492.
The constant persecution by [[Muggle|Muggles]] and the very real danger posed by witch-hunters eventually forced the [[Ministry of Magic]] and its international counterparts to take drastic action. In 1692, the [[International Statute of Secrecy]] was signed, officially concealing the wizarding world from [[Muggle]] society to ensure its protection and survival.
Centuries later, the term resurfaced during [[Lord Voldemort]]'s control of the [[Ministry of Magic]]. The [[Muggle-Born Registration Commission]], led by [[Dolores Umbridge]], was established to interrogate and imprison wizards and witches of [[Muggle]] parentage under the false pretence that they had "stolen" magic. This systematic persecution was described as a modern-day "witch-hunt," though it was distinct in that it was carried out by wizards against other members of their own society.
=====Physical Appearance and Personality=====
As witch-hunters were a category of people rather than a specific group, they had no uniform physical appearance beyond what was typical for [[Muggle|Muggles]] of their respective historical eras.
Their collective "personality" was defined by a severe and often violent prejudice against magic. Their primary motivations were:
  * **Fear and Superstition:** A deep-seated terror of the unknown and of powers they could not comprehend.
  * **Religious Fanaticism:** A belief that magic was inherently evil or demonic, and that it was their duty to eradicate it.
  * **Cruelty:** As demonstrated by the [[Death Eater|Death Eaters']] re-enactment of witch-hunter tactics at the 1994 [[Quidditch World Cup]], there was an element of sadistic pleasure in terrorising their victims.
=====Magical Abilities and Skills=====
Witch-hunters possessed **no magical abilities whatsoever**. They were [[Muggle|Muggles]], and their ignorance of how [[magic]] truly worked was a cornerstone of their fear and hatred. Their effectiveness came not from any special skill but from mob force, surprise attacks, and the use of mundane weapons against unsuspecting or less-defended magic-users.
=====Possessions=====
Witch-hunters relied on non-magical tools and weapons to carry out their work. Common possessions included:
  * Torches and pitchforks, for mob intimidation and attacks.
  * Ropes and chains for binding captives.
  * Execution implements, such as the blunt axe used on [[Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington]].
=====Relationships=====
  * **[[Witch|Witches]] and [[Wizard|Wizards]]:** The relationship was purely adversarial. To the wizarding community, witch-hunters were dangerous and murderous persecutors who represented the worst of [[Muggle]] intolerance. Their actions created a deep and lasting rift between the two worlds.
  * **[[Muggle|Muggles]]:** Witch-hunters were a fanatical subset of the non-magical population. Their activities poisoned relations with the wizarding world for centuries and were the direct cause of the enforced separation mandated by the [[Statute of Secrecy]].
  * **[[Ministry of Magic]]:** After 1692, a key function of the [[Ministry]] was to uphold the [[Statute of Secrecy]] and protect wizards from any potential resurgence of witch-hunting. Ironically, under [[Lord Voldemort]]'s influence, the [[Ministry]] itself became a tool for a new kind of witch-hunt, targeting a specific segment of its own population.
=====Etymology=====
The term "witch-hunter" is a simple English compound noun, derived from //witch// (a term for a female practitioner of magic, often used by [[Muggle|Muggles]] to refer to any magic-user) and //hunter// (one who pursues and kills or captures).
=====Behind the Scenes=====
  * Witch-hunters are mentioned as a background threat in //The Tales of Beedle the Bard//, specifically in the story of "The Warlock's Hairy Heart."
  * J.K. Rowling has written extensively on the history of the [[International Statute of Secrecy]] on the Pottermore (now Wizarding World) website, confirming that widespread witch-hunts in Europe were the ultimate impetus for its creation. (Pottermore)
  * In the film adaptation of //Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire//, the [[Death Eater|Death Eaters']] costumes during their attack on the [[Quidditch World Cup]] campground bear a visual resemblance to the robes and pointed hoods of the Ku Klux Klan, a real-world group of persecutors. This design choice visually reinforces the "witch-hunt" parallel described in the novel. (film)