First Wizarding War

The First Wizarding War refers to the period of widespread conflict that began around 1970 and concluded on 31 October 1981. The war was instigated by Lord Voldemort and his followers, the Death Eaters, who sought to overthrow the Ministry of Magic and establish a new world order based on pure-blood supremacy. The primary opposition was led by Albus Dumbledore and his secret organization, the Order of the Phoenix, alongside the Ministry of Magic itself. The era was characterized by a climate of terror, disappearances, and open warfare, ending abruptly with Lord Voldemort's first downfall when his Killing Curse rebounded upon him after he murdered James and Lily Potter and attempted to kill their infant son, Harry Potter.

The war did not have a formal beginning but escalated throughout the 1970s as Lord Voldemort gathered followers and began his campaign of terror.

• Rise of the Death Eaters: After leaving Hogwarts, Tom Riddle fully embraced his identity as Lord Voldemort and began recruiting followers, many of whom were his former Slytherin housemates or their descendants. These followers, known as Death Eaters, were drawn to his power and his pure-blood ideology. Initially operating in the shadows, their influence and acts of violence grew steadily, creating a pervasive atmosphere of fear and paranoia.
• Reign of Terror: By the mid-to-late 1970s, the wizarding world was in open warfare. Voldemort's power grew to the point that it rivaled, and often overwhelmed, that of the Ministry of Magic. His followers used the Unforgivable Curses freely, and the Imperius Curse was employed to infiltrate the Ministry and force innocent people to commit atrocities. Voldemort also recruited dark creatures to his side, notably the Giants, whom the wizarding community had ostracized, and the Dementors of Azkaban, who abandoned their posts to join him.
• The Opposition: In response to the Ministry's inability to contain Voldemort, Albus Dumbledore founded the Order of the Phoenix, a vigilante group dedicated to fighting the Death Eaters directly. Members of the original Order of the Phoenix fought bravely but were heavily outnumbered and suffered immense casualties. Key members included James and Lily Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody, and Frank and Alice Longbottom. The Ministry, under the leadership of officials like Barty Crouch Sr., Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, responded by authorizing its Aurors to use extreme measures, including the Unforgivable Curses, against suspected Death Eaters.
• The Prophecy and Voldemort's Downfall: In 1980, a prophecy was made by Sybill Trelawney to Albus Dumbledore, foretelling the birth of a child with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord. The prophecy was partially overheard by Severus Snape, then a Death Eater, who relayed the information to Voldemort. Believing the prophecy referred to the son of the Potters (though it could have also referred to Neville Longbottom), Voldemort marked them for death. The Potters went into hiding in Godric's Hollow under the protection of the Fidelius Charm. However, their Secret-Keeper, Peter Pettigrew, was a spy for Voldemort and betrayed their location. On 31 October 1981, Voldemort attacked the Potter family. After murdering James Potter, he offered Lily Potter a chance to live, but she refused to stand aside and was killed while shielding her son. This act of sacrificial love invoked an ancient and powerful magic that protected Harry. When Voldemort cast the Killing Curse on the infant, the curse rebounded, destroying his physical body and reducing him to a spectral, powerless form. This event marked the end of the First Wizarding War.

• Voldemort's Forces:
  • Leader: Lord Voldemort
  • Followers: The Death Eaters, including prominent members such as Lucius Malfoy, Bellatrix Lestrange, Barty Crouch Jr., Evan Rosier, and Antonin Dolohov. Peter Pettigrew and Severus Snape both served as spies within the opposition, though Snape later became a double agent for Dumbledore.
  • Allies: Giants, Dementors, and various other dark creatures.
• The Opposition:
  • Order of the Phoenix: A secret organization founded and led by Albus Dumbledore. Its purpose was to fight Voldemort outside the often-ineffective structures of the Ministry.
  • Ministry of Magic: The official government of the British wizarding community. It struggled to maintain order and fought a desperate war against Voldemort's forces through its Department of Magical Law Enforcement and its Aurors.

Voldemort's disappearance led to mass celebrations across the wizarding world. Harry Potter was hailed as a hero, becoming known as “The Boy Who Lived.” In the ensuing chaos, many Death Eaters were rounded up and imprisoned in Azkaban, such as Bellatrix Lestrange and Barty Crouch Jr., who were captured after torturing the Longbottoms into insanity. Others, like Lucius Malfoy, claimed they had been acting under the Imperius Curse and evaded justice. In one of the war's final tragedies, Sirius Black was framed by Peter Pettigrew for betraying the Potters and for murdering Pettigrew and twelve Muggles. Black was sent to Azkaban without a trial, while Pettigrew escaped and went into hiding. The end of the war ushered in a decade of peace, but also a sense of complacency that would later hinder the Ministry's response to Voldemort's eventual return.

The war claimed countless lives. Notable victims mentioned in the novels include:

• James Potter
• Lily Potter
• Marlene McKinnon and her family
• Edgar Bones and his family
• Gideon Prewett
• Fabian Prewett
• Dorcas Meadowes
• Benjy Fenwick
• Numerous unnamed wizards, witches, and Muggles.

• The name “First Wizarding War” is a retronym, a term created after the fact to distinguish this conflict from the Second Wizarding War. Within the books, characters typically refer to this period as “the dark times,” “when You-Know-Who was in power,” or “the first time he rose.”
• According to supplementary information from J.K. Rowling, the Ministers for Magic during this period were Eugenia Jenkins, followed by Harold Minchum. Millicent Bagnold was the Minister in office when Voldemort fell and famously said, “I assert our inalienable right to party” in response to International Statute of Secrecy breaches during the celebrations. (Pottermore)