Rappaport's Law

• Type: Magical Law
• Maker: President Emily Rappaport

Rappaport's Law was a significant piece of magical legislation enacted in the United States in 1790. The law's primary purpose was to enforce a strict and total segregation between the wizarding and non-magical (No-Maj) communities. The law's core provision was an absolute ban on any form of fraternization between wizards and No-Majs. This included, but was not limited to, intermarriage and even personal friendships. Any communication beyond the bare minimum necessary to maintain a discreet daily existence was strongly discouraged and often illegal. The intent was to protect the American wizarding community and prevent any breaches of the International Statute of Secrecy. All information related to this law originates from supplementary materials. (Pottermore)

As a law rather than a physical object, Rappaport's Law did not have magical properties itself, but its effects on the American wizarding society were profound and far-reaching. It was enforced by the Magical Congress of the United States of America (MACUSA), with severe penalties for those who broke it. The law created a deep and lasting cultural divide between the American and European wizarding communities. While European wizards had varying degrees of interaction with their non-magical counterparts, American wizards were forced into a much more isolated and secretive existence. This fostered a climate of greater suspicion towards No-Majs within the American magical population compared to those in Great Britain and elsewhere. The law's strictures meant that the American magical community lived under constant fear of exposure and reprisal, both from their own government and from No-Majs. (Pottermore)

Rappaport's Law was instituted in 1790 by Emily Rappaport, the fifteenth President of MACUSA. Its creation was a direct response to one of the most serious breaches of the International Statute of Secrecy in American history. (Pottermore) The incident involved Dorcus Twelvetrees, the daughter of President Rappaport's Keeper of Treasure and Dragots. Dorcus, described as foolish, fell in love with a charming but unscrupulous No-Maj named Bartholomew Barebone. Barebone was secretly a descendant of a family of Scourers—magical mercenaries who had hunted their fellow wizards. Dorcus naively confided in him, revealing critical secrets, including the locations of MACUSA and Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and information on how to identify wizards. (Pottermore) Barebone stole the wand Dorcus had shown him and shared it with the No-Maj press. He then gathered armed friends and began a campaign to persecute and expose local wizards, even printing leaflets with their addresses. The crisis was contained by MACUSA, but the betrayal left a permanent scar. As a result, President Rappaport passed the law that would bear her name, completely separating the two communities to prevent a similar catastrophe from ever happening again. (Pottermore) Rappaport's Law remained in effect for over a century and a half, until it was finally repealed in 1965. (Pottermore)

Rappaport's Law does not appear in the original seven Harry Potter novels. Its primary role is to provide crucial historical and cultural context for the Fantastic Beasts film series, which is set in North America during the 1920s when the law was still strictly enforced. (Fantastic Beasts) The law explains the tense and fearful atmosphere within the American wizarding world. It is the reason why the relationship between Queenie Goldstein, a witch, and Jacob Kowalski, a No-Maj, is illegal and considered a major transgression. It also explains the extreme and immediate suspicion with which MACUSA officials treat Newt Scamander and his escaped magical creatures, as any breach of secrecy carried dire consequences under this legislation. (Fantastic Beasts)

Rappaport's Law is not mentioned in the seven original Harry Potter books. The concept was created by J.K. Rowling for the Pottermore website (now Wizarding World) in a series of writings titled “History of Magic in North America.” These writings were published in 2016 to build the world and provide background lore for the film Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. (Pottermore)