Wizarding World

The Wizarding World is the secret magical community in the Harry Potter continuum. The term is used to differentiate from the Muggle World. The Muggle World is, for all intents and purposes, identical to the Real World, except that the Potterverse Prime Minister (and perhaps other world leaders) is aware of the Wizarding World. Muggles are prevented from encountering the Wizarding World through use of Muggle-repelling charms, hidden passageways and the occasional memory modification. In badfic, causing wizards and witches to flaunt their magic spells or items in areas where Muggles could observe them, but suffer no consequences, it is almost certainly a charge.

In addition to wizards and witches, the Wizarding World is occupied by goblins, house-elves, centaurs, giants, dementors and various wild and pet magical creatures. The Harry Potter books primarily focus on aspects of the Wizarding World on the British Isles, but other regions with known magical communities include France, Bulgaria, and the United States, among several others. The Wizarding World has its own mail service utilizing owls.

The currency of the Wizarding World is in bronze, silver and gold coins called Knutes, Sickles and Galleons, respectively. Twenty-nine knuts make a sickle, and seventeen sickles make one galleon. Conversions between Muggle and Wizarding money do exist, but fanfic authors tend to ignore them and grossly under- or over-exaggerate the coins' value.