The zombies are magic-fuelled (rather than virus, radiation, etc). They're sucking up magic to keep themselves ambulatory. Because there are so many zombies, indeed, an apocalypse of zombies, they're draining all of the magic for themselves. Ironically, the only places where wizards can use magic is in areas where there are no zombies.

Zombies leech magic. A large enough number of zombies means there's not enough magic for effective spellwork. By their very presence they inately break down wards, moving paintings, fidelius, etc. That'd bring the wizards back down to the muggle playing field.

Mwahahahahaha!

28 Days Later rocks. Best zombie movie ever. The post-credits cinema-only-ending was the best. I've never found that ending on DVD.

When Voldemort dies, all of the wizards who bear the Dark Mark are the first zombies, or at least carriers, by design. It is Voldemort's last laugh from the grave and Harry's pyrrhic victory.

 

I'm starting to wonder if there's some sort of unwritten rule that says any story, of any genre, that involves "end of the world" scenarios will always eventually lead to zombies.

I would tend to go more the mutant/insanity route a la Fallout. Of course, I'm biased as I have yet to watch a zombie movie that didn't suck to an infinite level of craptastic.

 

Hmmm, a Godwin's Law for zombies.

Best serious zombie movie is 28 Days Later (2002)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0289043/

Best camp zombie movie is Undead (2003)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUNwOq2Jat4&feature=related

Yak
brains

 

...and thus my point is made for me.

 

Heh, I like it. An army of Inferi leeching magic off of Wizards. Shotgun-wielding Harry, anyone?

 

The problem with inferi is that you can't use standard inferi. Inferi, at least from what I recall, can't spread zombiism to their victims (which is an important part of their terror), and don't leech magic in large quantities (Dumbledore's magic worked just fine in the horcrux-locket cave).

It's probably better to break completely away from inferi and use your own kind of zombie.

Meh.

 

Personally, the first thing I thought of when I saw this wasn't a zombie movie, but Steven King's The Stand. Same premise, with post-apocalyptic world setting and killer virus, but not a zombie in sight. Even had its own form of 'magic' for the figures of Light and Darkness.

Actually, something along those lines could work... Though The Stand was multi-character driven, not just a core of one or two. Still, the rise of a 'Dark Lord' setting up his own New World Order with all those of like mind would be pretty cool. I wouldn't pick Voldemort for it, cause he sucks as a smart villain, but maybe a foreign dark wizard could do it. Give you Yanks a chance to play the big bad evil guy for a change, instead of us Englishmen .

Aekiel

 

And then we'd have every non-American up in arms because of the American Super!Wizard. No thanks, you Limeys can have the baddies.

 

The first thing I thought of when I read this was the idea of an 'On the Beach' take on the idea. The survivors of the disaster fleeing an approaching annihlation of life on earth with no hope of reprise. Perhaps not as exciting as the other suggestions, but it could involve some seriously interesting characterisation/moral dillemas.

 

I was thinking more along the lines of Cell, where the "zombies" were reduced to violent monsters, then started evolving.