Random Things You Didn't Know About The First Wizarding War (15 items)

(#7) Wizards Accused Of Being Death Eaters Were Sent To Azkaban Without Trials

By the time the First Wizarding War had entered its worst phase, the Ministry of Magic stopped taking any chances and simply convicted wizards based on either circumstantial evidence or per their own belief.

This was enacted by Barty Crouch Sr., who wanted to appear ruthless in his bid to be appointed as the next Minister for Magic. Crouch was notorious for sending prisoners like Sirius Black to Azkaban despite Sirius never even receiving an investigation over his supposed crime.

This caused widespread panic in the Wizarding World, as innocent people were scared they would be sent to Azkaban for crimes they didn't commit, leading to public places being empty as people stopped leaving their houses.
(#8) The War Lasted For 11 Years

Voldemort returned from his disappearance in 1967, following which he spent the next three years growing his supporters and working from the shadows. It was in 1970 that Voldemort fully rose in power, as he not only made his bid for supremacy public but also started appearing in person. This is considered the beginning of the First Wizarding War since Voldemort dropped all pretense and targeted the Ministry of Magic.

The war continued until October 31, 1981, by which point it had been 11 years of turmoil for the Wizarding World. Of course, this was the day that Voldemort made his ill-fated attempted to slay Harry, resulting in his own banishment.
(#10) The War Was Preceded By A Number Of Clashes In The Wizarding World

Voldemort was able to secure supporters in the lead-up to the war mainly due to the unrest in the Wizarding World. It began with Minister for Magic Ignatius Tuft's proposal for a Dementor breeding program to increase the number of these dark creatures for further use in Azkaban and expand them over to other places. Tuft's proposal was largely lambasted, forcing him to resign in 1962.

Following Tuft, Nobby Leach ascended to the role of the Minister for Magic. However, due to Leach being the first Muggle-Born Minister, pureblood fanatics within the government resigned in protest, further causing a divide between those who believed in blood supremacy and those who wanted Muggle-Borns to be integrated into wizarding society.

After Leach's sudden resignation in 1968, Voldemort capitalized on the unrest, as riots began to break out involving Squibs, Muggle-Borns, Half-Bloods, and purebloods.
(#11) Peter Pettigrew Retrieved Voldemort's Wand From The Wreckage Of The Potters' House

The First Wizarding War wasn't officially over when Voldemort failed to eliminate Harry, as no one knew what happened until later. While it's believed that Sirius Black and Rubeus Hagrid were the first to arrive at the scene of the wreckage, the truth is that it was Peter Pettigrew.

Having provided Voldemort with the location of James and Lily, Pettigrew followed soon after to find Voldemort gone and realized what had happened. Following this, Pettigrew retrieved Voldemort's wand and fled, keeping this wand hidden for the next decade until Voldemort's return.
(#15) The Order Of The Phoenix Was Formed Due To The Wizarding War

The Order of the Phoenix was never a faction that Albus Dumbledore had formed for his own needs. The reason for its formation came about due to the Ministry's inability to foresee Voldemort's threat, motivating Albus to found this group. He realized that the Death Eaters needed to be challenged directly and recruited members who were willing to risk their lives to bring an end to the war.

Had the First Wizarding War not existed, the Order of the Phoenix would also never have been founded.
(#6) The Ministry Of Magic Was Infiltrated Through Augustus Rookwood

The reason why Voldemort was able to always be one step ahead of the Ministry's plans was due to having spies within the Ministry itself. This became possible after the Death Eater Augustus Rookwood started working for the Department of Mysteries. As an Unspeakable, Rookwood's status was never investigated since his position was one where other wizards weren't allowed to question him.

It was Rookwood who placed further spies in the Ministry, including Quidditch player Lugo Bagman, who was unaware he was passing sensitive information to a Death Eater. Over the First Wizarding War, Rookwood and his spies discreetly delivered vital Ministry plans to Voldemort, enabling him to manipulate the Ministry from the inside.