Burdock Muldoon

Burdock Muldoon (fl. 1448-1450) was a wizard and the Chief of the Wizards' Council during the fifteenth century. He is historically significant for his ill-fated attempt to legally define the difference between a being and a beast. His definition, based on the number of legs a creature possessed, led to a chaotic summit that set back inter-species relations for a considerable time.

Burdock Muldoon served as the Chief of the Wizards' Council, the governing body that preceded the Ministry of Magic, from 1448 to 1450. His tenure is defined by his struggle with the classification of magical creatures. In an effort to establish who would be represented at a major magical summit, Muldoon decreed that any member of the magical community that walked on two legs would be classified as a “being” and thus invited to attend. All other creatures were deemed “beasts” and excluded. This simplistic definition proved disastrous when the summit convened. The great meeting hall was filled with an assortment of bipedal creatures, many of whom had no interest in or capacity for legislative debate. According to Newt Scamander's research:

• Trolls proceeded to smash the chamber with their clubs.
• Fairies and Pixies flew about, causing disruption.
• Goblins were the only non-human attendees who seemed to comprehend the purpose of the meeting, but they used the opportunity to complain about being lumped in with other two-legged creatures they considered inferior.

Disgusted by the pandemonium, Muldoon abandoned his efforts to include non-wizards in the Wizards' Council. He instead focused on issues he deemed more manageable, such as the eradication of magical pests. His failed attempt highlighted the complexities of magical creature classification, a problem his successor, Elfrida Clagg, would later address with a more nuanced approach.

No description of Burdock Muldoon's physical appearance exists within the primary canon. Based on his actions, Muldoon can be inferred to be well-intentioned but overly simplistic and short-sighted in his approach to complex political problems. His frustration with the failure of his summit and his subsequent pivot to pest control suggest a degree of impatience.

As the Chief of the Wizards' Council, Burdock Muldoon would have been a highly skilled and powerful wizard. However, no specific details regarding his magical talents or specialities are known.

There is no known information about any significant possessions owned by Burdock Muldoon.

• Elfrida Clagg: Muldoon's successor as Chief of the Wizards' Council. She rejected his simplistic definition of “beings” and instead declared that beings were any creature who could speak the human tongue and understand the laws of the magical community.
• Goblins: Although the summit was a failure, Muldoon noted that the Goblins were the only non-wizards who understood the proceedings, a fact that frustrated him deeply.
• Other Magical Creatures: His definition created a chaotic and ultimately antagonistic relationship with many bipedal magical creatures, such as Trolls, Pixies, and Fairies.

• Burdock: A type of coarse weed (of the genus Arctium) known for its prickly flower heads, or burrs, which cling stubbornly to clothing and fur. This may allude to the “sticky” and persistent problem of creature classification that he failed to solve.
• Muldoon: An anglicised Irish surname, derived from Ó Maoldúin, meaning “descendant of the chieftain of the fort.” This name is fitting for his role as the Chief of the Wizards' Council.

All canonical information about Burdock Muldoon comes not from the original seven novels, but from the introduction to the supplementary textbook, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2001 edition). Burdock Muldoon was featured on a Famous Witches and Wizards Card in the *Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets* and *Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban* video games. The card's artwork depicts him as an elderly wizard with a long white beard and a pointed hat. (video game)