Global Citizenship - Homework 2

Nicholas Flamel theorized that the two main ways of gaining power are through the Dagger and the Coin. He chose a circular figure with those two elements incorporated to illustrate his idea, suggesting that the exchange of the Dagger and the Coin were a cyclic process.

After a thorough reading of his postulates, choose any one Pureblood Elite family, be it past or contemporary, and explain how this family rose to power through the use of one or both elements outlined by Professor Flamel. Should the family no longer acquaint itself with the Elite, make notes on how it fell from grace through incorrect usage of one or both of Flamel's theoretical components.

Your essay should be three feet long (300 words) and contain both your name and house lest it remain ungraded. For students who belong to past or current Elite families, you may not write of your own heritage but research someone else's.

Your homework is due by the end of this month (28th February) and will be graded for a total of ten points to your respective houses. All essays are to be left here as responses to this prompt. No late entries will be entertained. If you have questions, kindly read the homework prompt once more before trying to secure an appointment with the Headmistress.

Good luck!

Dominique Greene
Gryffindor

In 1665 Louis Clement, an English nobleman decided to branch out to give power to his family name. That is when he decided to go to France, where he meet the beautiful Claudia Noir. At this time women came with dowries. As Claudia came with a tidy dowry. But also this was a chance to grow in power. In September of 1663, the Clements were blessed with their first, and only child, Thomas.

Unknown to most people, but the Clements were the reason for the French Revolution. With the falling of the muggle monarchy hope looked dim. But the Clements then funded, steered and ultimately successful way to gain more power. By the time the French Revolution was finished the Clements were the most powerful family. The old system that was known was now crushed. But with the new system, it still held elitist very high. Even in the irony of what was happening many years of history was lost but wasn't forgotten.

Nine generations of Clements would follow what was in place after the post French Revolution. This was working for them and brought them up to world war 2. As the Clements didn't want to pick sides in the war. They were going to remain neutral. Even though they were neutral the Clements were actually funding the Nazi movement. As if Hiliter won they wanted to ensure their safety and the name of their family.

Since the end of World War 2 the Clements aided and was building France back up. To the former glories state. Today Louis the 4th and Lady Vanessa resides over France. As their goal is to bring both muggle and magical community together. And this is something that they wanted to see around the world. Their goal is to have this be their legacy.

Headmistress Goshawk wrote:

Among the most glaring issues with your essay (other than the lack of a mention of the theorem asked to be justified) are the historical and factual inaccuracies listed within. Pureblood women still come with a dowry, marriage through alliances have proven to be perhaps even more efficient than through wars and divisions of asset and the Clements were the face of the revolution, not "unknown".

That being said,you did manage to list their current status and public goals well enough, and for that I commend you. Continue to work on your grammar and prose and you will see vast improvements.

4/10

Janet Shinings
Slytherin

Dagger or Coin? That is the question, is it not? But in my experience, it is never one or the other. A good leadership requires both, a balance of brutality and elegance, a strong army and money to back it up. Without both, a Pureblood Elite Family, in my opinion, would be destined to fail from the start. But when combined, the Coin and Dagger bring a new meaning to the word “Elite”. The Murray family is one of the prime examples of a family that used both.

The Murray family was well versed in the ways of the dagger, especially when you look back to the fourteenth century. Their history shows evidence of murder, disgrace, and disownment of much of the early family, as the most elite members of the family decided to somewhat shrink the family so it would be easier to keep it strictly Pureblood. Since then they have traditionally intermarried among themselves, keeping their pureblood status. Over the last two-hundred years, there have been only three marriages recorded that were from outside of their family.

As for the coin, why else would the family only intermarry, only occasionally marrying women other pureblood families and only women at that? To make sure that they kept their wealth and land solely to themselves. The current head of the Murray household, Joshua Ethan Murray, has even found a way to increase the Murray assets overseas – a move not taken by any Murray since the murders in the fourteenth century.

The Murrays will likely be a prominent figure as a Pureblood Elite Family for quite some time now, using both coin and dagger to maintain their authority.

Headmistress Goshawk wrote:

Very well researched and portrayed. The tone of your essay is a little informal which can prove quite detrimental but that is not the case here. I would have liked to see a postulate on how the Murray line will continue given Joshua Ethan has yet to bear a son but otherwise, a passable piece of writing.

7/10

Clara Goldstein
Ravenclaw

The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black was one of the oldest, largest, and wealthiest wizarding families in Britain up until the late 1990's, when they were effectively wiped from existence. Originating in the Middle Ages, the family rose to prominence through a series of marriages, valuing blood purity above all else. Their motto, toujours pur, means "always pure," and suggests the family originated in France.

From the start, the Black family was obsessed with keeping their line untainted, with a well-documented disdain for all things muggle. This earned them their position as one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, the twenty-eight British families deemed to be "truly pure" by the 1930's. They kept their Elite status in a number of ways, involving both the coin and the dagger.

By the mid 19th century, the Black family was synonymous with wealth. It is not entirely certain how they originally acquired such wealth, only that it multiplied as they passed it down from generation to generation, arranging strategic marriages and making smart investments. By the mid 20th century, they were related to just about every other pureblood family in Britain, meaning their influence ran deep within the wizarding world.

As for violence, the Black family was brutal and unrelenting when it came to blood purity, even turning on themselves when necessary. Purity was more important even than family. To maintain their Elite status, several family members were cut-off, disowned, or even killed if their views were even remotely sympathetic towards muggles. The family so despised muggles that Araminta Meliflua Black tried to legalize muggle-hunting as a sport, and many of them were sympathetic to Lord Voldemort's cause when he rose to power in the late 20th century. This ultimately became their downfall.

The Black family became divided with the rise of Voldemort. Some joined the Death Eaters in their acts of violence against muggles, and others fought against the Death Eaters and joined the resistance group known as the Order of the Phoenix. Sirius Black III, the last surviving male of the Black line, was murdered by his own cousin, Bellatrix Black Lestrange, who in turn was killed in a later battle. Thus, the Black line came to an end--their purity, which had been the basis of their Elite status, became their downfall, as they turned their own dagger against themselves, and sacrificed their family for the sake of their ideals.

Headmistress Goshawk wrote:

Quite adequately done, Miss Goldstein. Your research is sound, your argument unbiased and your conclusion devoid of fantastical speculations. My only recommendation is to do further research on the Noirs of France if you are truly interested in how the Blacks amassed their wealth as the family started off a noble one from that part of Europe.

I look forwards to seeing more from you.

9/10