Magic is Might statue

"A gigantic statue of black stone dominated the scene. It was rather frightening, this vast sculpture of a witch and wizard sitting on ornately carved thrones...Engraved in foot-high letters at the base of the statue were the words MAGIC IS MIGHT...Harry looked more closely and realised that what he had thought were decoratively carved thrones were actually mounds of carved humans: hundreds and hundreds of naked bodies, men, women, and children, all with rather stupid, ugly faces, twisted and pressed together to support the weight of the handsomely robed wizards."

- Description

The Magic is Might monument was a black stone statue created after the Death Eaters took over the Ministry of Magic on 1 August, 1997. It replaced the Fountain of Magical Brethren and thus was located in the Atrium of the Ministry of Magic Headquarters. The "Magic is Might" monument depicts a witch and a wizard sitting on carved thrones made of the naked bodies of Muggles twisted and pressed together to support the thrones of the witch and wizard, and each Muggle with an ugly and stupid face.

Background


The phrase "Magic is Might" is inscribed at the bottom of the statue, thus, the statue became a symbol of the wizarding supremacy ideals of the new regime and the detestation of Muggles, which were considered inferior. Thus, the Muggles in the statue are depicting below the wizards in a degrading and humiliating fashion.

Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley saw the statue when they infiltrated the Ministry on 2 September, 1997, and found the message of the statue horrible.

It was presumably replaced by another statue after Lord Voldemort's defeat in May 1998 and the subsequent reform of the Ministry spearheaded by the new Minister, Kingsley Shacklebolt.

Behind the scenes

 * In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, the Magic is Might Monument differs a little from its book description. In the film, Muggles hold a marble column with the "Magic is Might" inscription and the Ministry of Magic logo, and atop the column stand a large wizard and a witch. The Fountain of Magical Brethren is not completely removed from the Atrium, as the golden statue of the wizard is still present on its plinth.
 * The depiction of the monument in the film adaption bears a close resemblance to the Soviet monumental art, particulary the sculpture of Worker and Kolkhoz Woman.
 * In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the Muggles are clothed, the wizard and witch standing rather than seated, and the statue white rather than black.

Appearances

 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
 * LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7