Harry Potter and the World of Modern Technology

Harry Potter has blended so seamlessly throughout the ages, it’s sometimes easy to forget the story was set in the 90s. What would the series look like if it was upgraded for the modern age?

Think about this for a second. Do wizards have to upgrade their spells as technology advances? It’s possible. Some spells may go extinct as our tech gets smaller and sleeker. The video tape rewinder spell probably hasn’t been used in years. Either way, the Harry Potter series was set in a different era; One of puffy pants, grunge, and ridiculous amounts of neon. It was the 90s, where only the coolest among us could afford a brick-like cell phone (we’re looking at you, Zack Morris).

So what if Harry Potter was set in the 21st century ’10s? Our friends over at Mugglenet.com had their own ideas, but we have a few of our own to share.

GIF Courtesy: Warner Bros.

Digi-Spells

First off, like we said, some of the spells used would go extinct. There’s some things that we leave behind as generations advance, and things start to become dead technologies. Either a great wizard would be able to upgrade a spell for modern use, or it will become one to learn about in history books. There’s also bound to be iWands, where you could connect your bluetooth devices and listen to some tunes while casting those spells.

As Mugglenet.com said, owls may also be used for other things. Delivering messages for the modern witch or wizard is as simple as sending an email or iMessage. Unless you’re delivering a note to those off-the-grid relatives, there’d be far fewer owl deliveries in this day and age. Unless Amazon wrangles the owl market and starts using them as makeshift delivery drones. As long as the packages aren’t too heavy.

Finally, apps. There would be a whole new slew of wizard apps to keep people in the know. Google Maps would have to integrate spots that are for magic folks only, so a young witch or wizard knows the best hangouts. We might even see wizard-only dating apps as well. Do charms work on computers? Only time may tell.

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If you could rewrite Harry Potter for a different era, which time period would you choose? How much different would witchcraft be in another world? We’d love to hear your comments!