New Zealand

• Type: Country
• Location: Oceania, southwestern Pacific Ocean
• Owner/Residents: Unnamed witch, Moutohora Macaws (Pottermore)
• Key Features: Known to have a wizarding population and a professional Quidditch team.

New Zealand is a sovereign island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean with a known, albeit small, wizarding community. Its existence within the magical world is confirmed early in the series, establishing that the wizarding population is global and not confined to Europe. The first canonical mention of New Zealand occurs when Rubeus Hagrid is introducing Harry Potter to the concept of magic. To illustrate that magic is real and widespread, Hagrid mentions, “Some old witch in New Zealand had a pet cat that did tricks, and she didn't even have a wand.” This brief anecdote confirms the presence of at least one witch in the country and suggests that wandless magic, while perhaps rudimentary, is possible there. Further details about magical New Zealand come from supplementary materials, which reveal that the country is home to a famous Quidditch team, the Moutohora Macaws. This team is based in the magically concealed town of Moutohora. The town is protected from Muggle discovery by dense, magical mists, which cause any non-magical visitors who approach to develop a sudden and urgent need to leave the area (Pottermore).

New Zealand's role in the primary narrative of the *Harry Potter* series is minimal but significant in its context. Rubeus Hagrid's reference to the New Zealand witch in *Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone* serves as one of the first pieces of evidence for Harry Potter—and the reader—that the wizarding world is a global phenomenon. It helps to broaden the scope of the magical world beyond the immediate setting of Great Britain and illustrates that magic and magical beings exist all over the planet.

• Moutohora: A magically-concealed wizarding settlement and the hometown of the Moutohora Macaws Quidditch team. It is protected by enchantments that create persistent mists to deter Muggle visitors (Pottermore).

Almost all information regarding the magical community in New Zealand beyond the single mention in the first novel comes from the Pottermore (now Wizarding World) website, particularly in relation to the sport of Quidditch. The line spoken by Rubeus Hagrid in the book is retained in the film adaptation, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film).