On May 1st, 1882 the Ministry of Magic announced it would be instituting a draft expand its land holdings to account for the massive migration of people to Hogsmeade in 1877. New lands needed to be cleared and settled and the Ministry was low on people to do the work. As such, they created a randomized draft of all men 17 and over and of every social standing to take part in the expedition to find a suitable plot of land.

Just days after the draft is announced, though, it was announced that there was a glitch in the drafting charms: women were included in the draft as well, sparking outrage! There was little to be done about the enchantments and everybody who is pulled in by the magical draft began their journey on June 16th, 1882.

The expedition took several weeks and one specific group of trailblazers encountered a muggle settlement; there was a standoff involving guns and the group of wizards were taken captive. Another group of wizards came along afterward and managed to placate the muggles and get the captives returned to them. On August 26th, 1882, then Minister of Magic Darcy Potter, was able to come to terms with the leader of the muggle settlement, Mr. Ilkin, reaching an agreement that a town proper would be constructed, the first known "mixed" settlement in Europe.

The first wave of muggles to the town hailed from Dundee. After Mrs. Inghram's husband perished in a factory accident, she and her children were treated quite badly by the factory's owners, and safety conditions were not updated to prevent further fatalities. The men of the Gibble, Ilkin, Rohlwing, and Virgot families did not like the response from their employer, but the town sided with their only source of employment, blackmailing and ultimately casting out the dissenters. They left together and wandered until they were far enough away where they felt safe.

These characters can be found on our canon list.

The town’s muggle residents live in Dovecote district on the south side of town. The original huts were replaced by brick townhomes that are identical in appearance. Most of its inhabitants keep to this side of town and are still a little leery of the magical folk. For all but unschooled children, to use magic anywhere in Dovecote is a certain arrest.

The center of town is a hub of shops and commerce. It houses several stores, including a market, butcher, post office, a library, and school. The casino is a palace of gambling and booze. It houses the gambit of card games along with pool tables and even tennis courts. There is a room designed for magical patrons to use the floo network and other magical amenities. Salem Square also hosts an office for the Muggle Liaison officer and his employees. They are responsible for keeping the peace in town as well as dealing with the post and any other interpersonal issues that may arise in town. Businesses with a magical side to them are required to keep such texts and artifacts strictly "in the back" as it were, to avoid upsetting the village's muggle residents. No magic is permitted in the streets.

Meanwhile on the north side of town in the Swallowbury District, there was a little more leeway given in regards to building the houses and so a less unified, more individualized aesthetic of varying styles and skill level is presented. Magic is not allowed in streets, even here, and so residents are strictly required to keep all magic indoors.

The town is surrounded by Hawthorne Hollow a largely unexplored wilderness that houses non magical creatures and Lake Greer, which is almost as large as the town itself. The expanse allowed for hunting, fishing and plenty of room to roam around.

Those who successfully fulfilled their agreement with the Ministry and completed their expedition were rewarded with galleons and land in the new town, in accordance with the muggle families who already lived in the Hollow. Many chose to sell their land while others kept it to start anew.

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