Reborn As A Squib In Harry potter

Curiously enough, the term 'Muggle' was invented by none other than the Bard himself, William Shakespeare. The man was not a wizard, but many forget that, before the Statute of Secrecy was established, magical and mundane folk mingled, more or less. It wasn't uncommon to see a witch sell basic potions and poultices to the public, and no king worth his crown would be caught dead without a court wizard to protect and advise him. The common folk knew of the existence of magic, but it rarely impacted their own lives, as even as far back as ancient Rome, magicals preferred to live closer to their own kind, away from the unwashed non-magical masses.

Heck, the Muggle Repelling Charm was invented shortly after Hogwarts was founded, showing that magical folk had been segregating themselves for a while, and wards to keep non-magical people out of certain areas had existed as far back as the ancient Sumerians.

Anyways, the term 'muggle' was first used in one of Shakespeare's 'lost' plays. In that it was only lost to muggle audiences because it contained references to Hogwarts, and thus was censored when the Statute of Secrecy came into play in 1689. In the play, a group of four newly graduated Hogwarts students – one from each house – discussed with each other how odd the world seemed from their perspective, now that they were adults and going out to make their mark on it.

Shakespeare used the term in a sentence spoken by the Hufflepuff of the group to describe how non-magical people go about their day: "Look at how they muggle about, content to use but one rod in their lives."

Yes, the 'rod' reference was about dicks, Shakespeare's works were the low-brow everyman sort of entertainment instead of the high-brow deep art people like to believe they are today, get over it. But as for the word itself, 'muggle' had been meant to be used not as an insult, but a term of respect, and the speaker was trying to explain how he respected the regular people for doing their everyday jobs without complaining.

Unfortunately, like many things, the nuance behind the word was eventually lost. At first it was used in its original meaning, that is, a respectful term to denote a non-magical. It was easier to say 'muggle' than 'non-magical' after all, and had more pizazz than calling someone 'mundane.'

But, less than a decade after the word was first introduced, it began to be twisted. Calling someone a muggle became an insult to describe an ignorant mundane person. Whenever a magical person had a poor encounter with a mundane, the mage would call them a muggle. Angry mobs and witch hunters were scornfully called 'muggles' by their magical neighbors. And then, in the years immediately preceding the establishment of the Statute of Secrecy, it had evolved into a sort of slur. Only decades after the Statute was fully in place did the word's meaning carry less of a barb, though even today it was rarely said kindly or in a manner that relayed respect.

I, of course, happily shared these historical tidbits, and watched with amusement as Hermione, who'd been listening in to my explanation, eagerly asked her mother if they could go back to the bookstore to find a copy of the Bard's wizarding world exclusive works.

"We will see," Mrs. Granger said diplomatically, trying to resist the puppy dog eyes her daughter was giving her.

I felt that this whole thing had turned out to be a good time. Harry was happy and making new friends, and they were about to enter a magical new world.

A flicker of envy flared up within me, but I refused to let it sink its fangs into me and crushed it with my willpower.

I had come to terms with my own circumstances long ago. I would not begrudge these innocent souls the joy of new experiences. I would find my own way, just as they would theirs.

For now, though, lunch was over, and so was the tour and shopping trip. Harry and I bid everyone farewell, and then I took him back to Number 4 Privet Drive.

"Thank you, Ed," Harry said gratefully.

"Any time, Harry," I replied, patting his head and ruffling his hair, which earned me a pout. I just chuckled, then said goodbye and made my way back home.

It had been a good day. I'd made connections with some parents, helped Harry get some friends (hopefully), and generally had a good time. I was happy.

"Well, back to work," I muttered to myself as I stepped into my apartment. Potions weren't going to brew themselves! Not unless I bought a self-stirring cauldron or two!

"Things are going to change around here soon, Inky," I told my loyal House Elf, who nodded back from his spot in the kitchen.

Yes, things were definitely going my way!

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