We have been introduced to a very small number of businesses in canon, mostly the consecrated ones in Diagon Alley and then Gladrags and the pubs in Hogsmeade.

That is causing me some problem with my fic, due to the lack of diversity. I mean it's not like you can have Lucius Malfoy shop at Madame Malkin's where even the Weasleys do it.

Any ideas?

 

I would suggest having the same places, but different price ranges, or have the Weasleys (and other less wealthy people) shop elsewhere.

Second hand robe shop for the Weasleys, and Hagrid took Harry to the top of the line shops, because he saw the vault?

 

Good recommendation, thank you. I admit that Selene's Magical Wrappings did not appear quite right to me.

 

Doesn't take much, just go one step at a time.

1. What do they do (what goods do they sell or what service do they provide)?
2. What are they called? Every business needs a catchy name.
3. Who runs the place?
4. Who do they sell to? Are they upscale with high prices catering to the rich or down to earth with a wide range of products in all price ranges?
5. Add small details if necessary (is the owner for, against or neutral towards Voldemort, do they sell illegal items in the back room, do they have children at Hogwarts, are the clerks friendly or snobby, and so on).

For example:

1. Provides special camping gear like magically expanded luggage, wizard tents, tent stakes enchanted with muggle aversion charms, maps that can tell you where you are and how to get where you're going, prepackaged foods, et cetera.
2. Osgood's Outfitters.
3. Nathaniel and Mira Osgood.
4. The service is humble and friendly and they stock items as affordable as socks that keep your feet from getting sore while mountain climbing to expensive tents the size of a manor house.
5. Nathaniel and Mira's only son was killed by death eaters in the aftermath of Harry's first defeat of Voldemort, thus they are rabidly anti-Voldemort and quite anti-pureblood as well. Not only that, but Fudge (who was an auror at the time) let the culprits go free in favor of pursuing the high profile case, Sirius Black. This makes Nathaniel and Mira fairly anti-Fudge as well. They would gladly help out anyone who was trying to stick it to the Dark Lord and his minions, either through discounts, information or by bending the law. Beyond that, they are simple, honest folk who are friendly to their customers but can be a bit short with purebloods who insist on acting stuffy or condescending.

That's all there is to it.

 

Business in HP has always interested me. Basically, there are only 2 types of businesses: those selling raw ingredients, and those selling objects made through magic (whether this is an enchanted object, or a normal object produced using magical means).

It is a fact of the magical world that there is very little diversity in the market This is simply because, with a population of magical people, practically everyone is able to provide for themselves. Therefore magical business is limited to what is considered by the majority of the population as a rare skill. And the thing about rare skills is that there aren't many of them - thus the name "rare". So the number of businesses is rather limited to the number of skills you can think up.

On the topic of quality discrimination, I have one idea for you. Due to the fact that everyone in the population is magical, and therefore able to attempt to produce goods to sell, almost everyone is a potential business person. An interesting addition to the Harry Potter world would be to have pretty much everyone running small businesses from home, selling clothes, enchanted objects, etc etc.

In this situation, and taking into account the wide variety of skill in the Harry Potter world, it is inevitable that some names would become known for quality, and some would be known for being crap. Like branding in the fashion industry. People like Lucius Malfoy would be able to get the rare quality goods associated with certain names (another reason for purebloods to keep to themselves - they want to keep their names which have certain associations in society), and people like the Weasley's would have to go for the cheaper stuff.

 

I always saw some limitations into what you could do yourself in the magical world. I mean in today's world we could sew our own clothes and make our own bread, but we rarely choose to do so out of convenience. Convenience is not a factor in the magical world since you just flick and swish your wand, but creativity might.

I cannot create clothes that I like, because I lack the artistic savvy to make them fashionable. Branding will play a role in my fic, as I intend to focus on the Pureblood society.

I have to say the Economics and Politics of the Wizarding World fascinate me and I intend to capitalise on those.

As for the raw materials, the businesses that do sell them are far more complex than just a store in Diagon Alley. Someone selling Hungarian Horntail Hide to Madame Malkin's needs to obtain the hide. Since the hide comes from a Lazlo's Dragon Farm near Budapest, he does not obtain it himself, but goes through Import-Export companies, one of which is owned by a wealthy pureblood etc.

 

A very good point. Imagination/creativity would play a role. You can be a technically sound artist but if you lack creativity... Being able to create quality clothing and being able to create quality clothing that is fashionable are two very different things. It's the difference between making a tunic that keeps you from having to go naked, that perhaps you could do chores in, and making a set of dress robes suitable for impressing the snobs at an important Ministry social function.

I also think families like the Malfoys would gain more satisfaction (and perhaps think they gain more prestige) by being able to easily afford to pay someone else for something, even if they could do it themselves.


[Edit: Hmm, 200th post. Hooray for me.]

 

You can of course, make your own 'village'

We know that wizards tend to settle in communities, even if the source of this information is the rather canon-dubious 'Deathly Hallows'. It makes sense that not every merchant in the entire British wizarding world would have a shop either in London or Hogsmeade.

We also know that quidditch teams have a definitive home town, so it seems sensible to assume such regions have an actual wizarding community in the area.

Perhaps there are some more 'up-scale' wizarding shopping districts rather than the hoi-ploi that shop in Diagon Alley. Birmingham, Bristol, Manchester, Cardiff, Glasgow, York...or you could go for a more obvious locale such as Cambridge or Oxford.

 

I plan to introduce more Wizarding Locations then are present in canon, since my fic will be based exclusively upon the Wizarding world, with only brief insights of the Muggle one.

The idea has great merit, thank you. I had thought of expanding Diagon Alley to make it into a small town, by adding other streets to it, and while that is still in my mind, I think I will create exclusive wizard communities.

EDIT: Of course the problem with naming them will come, unfortunately...

 

If you were to go with the old style idea of having people of similar professions set up in the same area of town, you could simply expand it and have your wizarding communities be based on the same product or production line.

For instance you could have an island off the coast of Britain, which is hidden from muggles, and has some sort of geological fault which allowed a wizard a few hundred years ago to harness geothermal energy or some such nonsense. Doing this allowed him to set up shop as the pre-eminent smelter/jeweller/something along those lines on the day. Since then others have set up businesses along those lines, jewellers, metal crafters, smiths, smelters, something to do with gemstones etc etc etc. All set up on the one island, which now has the reputation of being the place to go for metal items or jewellery of any sort.

Just a thought of course...

 

A valid point. Other businesses would thrive on the synergy created by the first superior jewelry maker. In fact that is how Diagon Alley probably started-you had Ollivander's, which is the British hot-spot for wands and Gringotts way before Zonko's and Fortescue's ice-cream came around there attracted by the flow of people.

That works perfect for businesses, and I could attach residential areas to them, while still leaving the purebloods to their mansions scattered throughout the country.

 

With the original village idea, you could get around the Hogmeades-being-the-only-magical-village-in-Britain statement by situating the village off the mainland, and say something like the Ministry accepted bribes from Hogsmeade to increase business, allowing them to monopolize recognition from the muggleborns that don't know any better.

 

I am considering the ideas put forth above, but I ask for your impressions on the following.

Considering that in my fic the wizarding world would change dramatically, would it be viable to form a new wizarding town.

If you consider it, Alexander the Great created dozens of his trademark towns around the world after he created an empire. While Wizarding Britain is probably not large enough to create a string of towns throughout the land, I was thinking of founding a new capital after the creation of the Empire.

Suggestions?

 

Problem with that is London is the capital of the UK, of which the British magical world is presumably a part of, to some degree or another. It is also the center of trade, population, and communications and travel. Moving the magical capital out would be difficult to do.

 

Meh, not really. London as a capital holds very little import to wizards. From what we know, the only infrastructure in the city is the ministry complex and two streets of shops, something that simply HAS to exist in other major cities across Britain if the wizards have any sort of sustainable, cohesive culture.

With apparition and floo, geography has little import. A wizard living in the west country can get to Diagon Alley just as quickly (or near enough to make no difference) as a wizard living in greater London. So really, it's all about convenience as opposed to necessity of being in a populated area.

That being said, it actually makes more sense to build the main infrastructure of wizarding society away from the muggles, as opposed to in the center of the largest city. Yes, you can make the muggles ignore you, but I think such constant hiding would gall most of the purebloods. Far better to build a town in the Yorkshire Moors or Northern Scotland, and at least pretend that you are out in the open, not giving a damn about the mudbloods.

 

I also believe that at least every city in Britain must have its own version of Diagon Alley. Probably not as fancy, nor with each of them having a Gringotts branch, but still basic shopping and socializing venues.

I think a large, open plain, far away from Muggles is the best location for my future capital. However, that will come further away so I shall worry about it later.

About transportation though, how far do you think a Wizard can Apparate. It seems unrealistic to have wizards Apparate to China to get cheaper, mass produced broomsticks.

I don't think there is a canon limit to how far apparition can take you, but I tend to set my limit at one country, roughly the size of the UK. Meaning you could get from London to Paris with no problem, but London Madrid you're better of using a portkey.

Ideas?

EDIT: Plus I plan to do away with the ministry to some extent, probably turn their building into a History/War Museum to glorify the empire...

 

There's technically no limit to apparition in canon, but it is stated that you'd have to be highly skilled at it to go inter-continental.

 

Ah but see...it's not as simple as going from A to B.

A British Wizard cannot simply apparate into another country. Well yeh, he can - but national borders being the whole point of being a country...

I would assume that legally, at the very least one would have to apparate to a specific area, a customs if you will. In my mind however, it's much more likely that you are only legally allowed to apparate domestically, barring diplomatic status perhaps. I think there is probably a strictly monitered international floo office somewhere where one goes and then picks the country of destination.

As far as capability...that depends on whether you count London --> Madrid as unique from a no time between turnover London-->Dover-->Calais-->Bordeaux-->Madrid


Basically, we have no canon source regarding rules for multi apparation, apparation over large bodies of water (though the horcrux cave seems to point against this), magical exhaustion due to apparation, etc. It's a blank slate - write whatever rocks your boat as long as it is internally consistent with the rest of your story.

 

It was late at night and no sounds could be heard on Private Drive. The respectable citizens had all gone to sleep, to prepare themselves for another day of normal, middle-class work.

For one Harry Potter however, there was no normal work to be looking forward to. He had spent the entire summer after Sirius' death preparing himself for the eventual showdown with the Dark Lord and his minions. He had great faith in his abilities, he had after all read the equivalent of the Hogwarts Library in terms of magical books smuggled in from Knockturn Alley by a helpful Order guard who went by the name of Tonks.

As he stood by the window, cradling his head in his hands, his mind went to the latest book he had read Magical Transportation for the Cunning Wizard. Due to his fantastic abilities he had learned how to Apparate. The warning that inter-continental apparition required great skill and power did not worry him. He was after all the great Potter.

Deciding that Number 4 Privet Drive was too restrictive for his plans, he gathered all his belongings, placed them in his magical trunk that shrunk to a majestic golden ring, another courtesy of said Order Guard, he had a new destination in mind. The large vastness that was America would allow him to hide until he was ready.

Bringing his vast powers forward, aura flaring, he concentrated on apparating to the statue of liberty. His focus was clear, his magic was harnessed.

Sadly the small script that he previously ignored proved essential to his fate. In the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, a loud crack marked the Apparition of an exhausted Harry Potter 10 metres above the ocean. Due to his lack of seaside vacations, courtesy of the Dursleys, Harry had never learned to swim properly, and in his exhausted state quickly went down to Davy Jones' Old Locker.

The next month Voldemort and his legions from hell ran over the magical world...

 

I agree, just don't see going that far with apparition.
There should be no way for Dumbledore, Harry, Voldemort let alone weaker wizards to apparate such vast distance.

Also they could not just simply create a portkey for that either. Portkeys for such distances would require a massive amount of magical power to be stored in them. Maybe a group of 20 or more wizards are required to create international portkeys, thus they are fairly rare (besides the ministry, Voldemort could have enough death eaters to manage it, yet Dumbledore and his order would not unless there is more members than shown in cannon).

To create a Long distance portkey for powerful wizards like Harry and Dumbledore and Voldemort, the process could be that they alone could however it would take several weeks to make/charge a simple one way portkey. That would be one that does not take into account there being wards or other spells in place around regions to prevent non-ministry made or approved portkey's.

What that means is that power alone would not allow for Harry to make a portkey to America (or any other country), he would have to add several features each of which requiring massive amounts of magic to charge.

I do not see most wizards traveling all that much, sure if you look at cannon, there are other ways to travel beyond portkey's and apparition. Flying carpets and brooms, being two methods, though brooms would not really be intended for such long distance travel (which could be partially why flying carpets are restricted/banned by many ministries).

Also the Weasley's enchanted car, notice it went rogue, well could be for two reasons, first it was not intended to travel so far a distance in one go without Mr. Weasley to control/maintain it (there is no way Harry and Ron could properly handle it without anything going wrong). Plus it probably took Mr. Weasley a long time to charge it with enough power to fly, be invisible and whatever other features he added. Having the invisibility feature on while flying a long distance probably was costing a large amount of magical energy as well.

I do see a scenario where Harry (or another wizard of his power) over the course of his school year could construct a transport able to handle international distances. While it might not be high quality and long lasting (last more than a few years at most), the transport could work for a few trips. However the educational requirements for constructing such a transport would include potions, runes, charms at a level that in cannon Harry does not show (in cannon he does not take ancient runes or is very good at potions). While he could afford the raw materials, there is little to no opportunity for him to buy them (at the least without others being aware that he did).

I see many reasons for magical companies to exist and that most wizards and witches would not make most things themselves. Most lack skill, power, other resources to produce anything beyond poor quality, short lasting items. Sure they can make, use and wear transfigured/conjured clothes and items, however warding and counter spells such as the general one everyone knows would cause major problems (and likely embarrassments).

Why buy caldron's, knives and other items for potion making when you can simply transfigure or conjure them, well mixing magic and potion brewing could cause major problems, hence no silly wand waving (as Professor Snape always says).

Also why buy potions when you can just brew them at home? Well how many people do you think are good enough at potions to make their own (keep in mind with Snape teaching the subject over a long period of time there are likely much less than there otherwise should be), sure some basic potions the average person could make, however for most they would need to buy them or go without.

Though I admit could easily be mistaken about these things, only jkr would be able to say for certain (and these days she seems to have gone batty).