22nd April 2033
An Open Letter to the Wizengamot
I write as a concerned graduate of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to the Chief Warlock and the Seated Wizengamot.
I write this open letter not as an historian, but as someone who has witnessed the immeasurable harm caused by the wizard known as “Merlin”. I am only just beginning to recover from the trauma inflicted by his actions, and I now petition for the “Order of Merlin” to be renamed in honour of someone truly worthy.
The events surrounding ‘the mirrors’ are now widely known. We are told that many years ago, Merlin created them to protect an ancient power, capable of trapping individuals and replacing them with magically fabricated duplicates.
As the year 2030 approached, students – myself included – found ourselves drawn into these mirrors with something wearing our faces sent back into the world to pull more in. Imagine, for just a moment, how this would feel; the loss of identity and watching a shadow form of yourself walking in your shoes and changing your life. Imagine the pain of not knowing if you are the real version – isolated and stripped of autonomy.
Inside that false world of glass and imitation there was no way out. No magic. No escape. Only a constructed existence, forced to adapt, to survive, and ultimately to confront versions of ourselves in a choice no wixen should ever be forced to face.
Even now, the consequences remain. Some were never returned, and some still remain unaccounted for. And those of us who experienced this curse carry the weight of what was done to us. This is not a closed chapter of our history, but an ongoing and living wound; a wound that becomes torn open each time His name is used, and held as one of the highest honours this country may bestow. For those who suffered this injustice, this name is no longer synonymous with kindness, protection, or wisdom, but with fear, violation, and the loss of sense of self. To continue to elevate His name without question feels like a quiet dismissal of those of us who suffered through His actions.
I do not claim to have all the answers, and if this is a mistaken belief then let it be investigated. But if there is even a chance that the legacy of Merlin is not what was long believed, then we must ask ourselves why we continue to enshrine it without scrutiny. Tradition should not outweigh truth, not without accountability.
I therefore call upon the Chief Warlock and the Seated Wizengamot and, indeed, the wider public, to suspend the use of Merlin’s name pending a full investigation and public vote.
The Ministry’s Response
Minister for Magic, Matthew Soo, has declined to comment on the matter, however a source close to the Minister’s Offices spoke to The Daily Prophet on condition of anonymity.
“Of course the whole Ministry is in uproar with this! But with the elections looming in the next year or so, Soo is obviously sitting on the fence to see what the public actually wants before making a statement for or against! I’ve never seen him so pale before.”
The Daily Prophet has reached out to the Chief Warlock Alistair Colquhoun for response, whilst there is no official statement, the Chief Warlock has confirmed that the Wizengamot will be convened to debate the issue. Whether or not this will be an open debate or not is yet to be seen.