Magic is a supernatural force that can alter the fabric of reality at fundamental levels. The ability to use magic is a heredity trait passed down from a persons ancestors, that allows witches and wizards to practise witchcraft and wizardry.
The basic concepts of magic are fairly simple — even a two-year-old wizard can do some form of magic — but the inherent power and potential for misuse are great indeed. It is for this reason that promising young witches and wizards are sent to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry or other schools of magic to refine their craft and learn the art and responsibility of their power. At Hogwarts, students learn a variety of magical specialties as well as general theory and the history of magic in their world.
Magic is unable to be performed by Muggles and Squibs. Their inability to perform is what sets Muggles apart from the wizarding world. As such, as a substitute of magic, Muggles use technology. In the same sense, many wizards are ignorant of the workings of most Muggle devices, including electricity. Both the Muggle and the wizard view their choice of tool as completely and utterly logical and ordinary, although each would find the other's tools fascinating or even mysterious.
As per the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy, wizards and witches must constantly hide their magic abilities from the Muggle world, and thus most Muggles are unaware that magic exists. It is possible that magic, should it be revealed to the Muggle world, could be treated as a fourth branch of science, along with chemistry, biology and physics. However, as science is the study of the natural and phycisal world, and magic is a supernatual force, magic is not a science.
Dark Magic, or the Dark Arts, is an evil brand of the power, and because it is refered to as "arts", it can be assumed normal magic is also an art.
OVERVIEW
In humans, the ability to perform magic, or lack thereof, is an inborn attribute. The former is the norm in the children of magical couples and rare in those of Muggles. This is because the wizarding gene (found in witches and wizards) is dominant,[1] while the non-magical gene (found in Muggles and Squibs) is recessive. Those unable to do magic who are born to magical parents are known as Squibs; this is when the non-magical gene resurfaces, causing the offspring to therefore be non-magical.
A witch or wizard born to Muggle parents are known as Muggle-borns. This is when a Muggle family is descended from a Squib, and the wizarding gene resurfaces many generations later. Muggle-borns are far more common than Squibs, which may be a feature of the disparate sizes of the Muggle and wizarding populations. There are other magical beings in the Wizarding world which can also perform magic, such as house-elves and goblins. Fairies also possess a type of "weak magic." The house-elf Kreacher demonstrated the ability to disapparate from the kitchens of Hogwarts where humans cannot.
HISTORY
Not to be confused with History of Magic, a Hogwarts class.
The following chronology indicates broad eras in the history of the wizarding world and traces the development of the gap between the Muggle and wizarding worlds.
Early History Ancient Egypt, India and Greece
Egyptian wizards put curses on tombs. Nowadays Curse-Breakers for Gringotts Wizarding Bank try to regain the treasure locked in those tombs; one pyramid has mutant skeletons of Muggles who'd broken in and "grown extra heads and stuff." Indian wizards created the Snake Summons Spell, which is occasionally used by wizards known as "Snake Charmers". Magic is integrated into society and wizards are held in high esteem. However, Dark Magic is already being practised in ancient Greece. Herpo the Foul created the first basilisk as well as the first known example of the evil magic of Horcruxes during that time.
