THE LOGISTICSLAST UPDATED APRIL 5 2009Here, I've tried to address some of the questions you're probably bound to have. This thread will be updated continually, as questions are asked by you members or as some of you come up with interesting additions to the details and workings of the other side. If you have a question after reading this thread, please head over to the Questions and Suggestions board.
If you think of something interesting that wasn't addressed in this thread, please post your idea in the Questions and Suggestions board or PM it to an administrator. We'd love to have our creative members help out with the logistics.
REGARDING TIME AND AGINGNo one ages on the other side. They remain the age they were when they died, and never grow a second older. You'll see this on the canon list: for example, on the other side Remus Lupin is seventeen years older than James Potter, even through they were born in the same year on the living world. After a person has spent exactly one hundred years on the other side, they die a second time - except this death is odd because the person simply vanishes, leaving no trace behind. Everyone knows exactly at what point they will die this second time, because it is exactly one hundred years after they died the first time. No one knows what happens after the second death, however.
This roleplay begins on May 3, 1998. Several characters have just entered the other side, including Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks, Fred Weasley, Colin Creevey, and, of course, Lord Voldemort. (Because Rowling mentions that about fifty other people died in the Battle of Hogwarts, you can create an original character that died in the battle and is also extremely new to the other side.) Anyone who died before 1898 has already died a second time and is no longer in the other side.
The same calendar year is in effect on the other side, with the same months and same ways of measuring time. The seasons are also the same. The only thing different is that the lunar month is now 35 days long, making a lunar year longer and creating larger intervals between full moons, which affects werewolves.
THE USE OF MAGICMagic works on the other side exactly as it does in the living world. Werewolves, Metamoprhmagi, and Animagi retain their shapeshifting abilities after death in pristine condition. Note, however, that wizards and witches only retain their wands if their wand was on their person at the exact moment of death. If not, they can head over to one of the many wandmakers on the other side, who are generally able to reproduce the exact wand based on exterior, measurement, and core, or create a new wand.
THE APPEARANCE OF THE OTHER SIDEThe other side looks almost exactly like the living world. The same continents and cities in the living world are intact on the other side. When a person dies, they arrive in the city of their death in the other side. Thus, everyone who died in the Harry Potter series ended up near London and eventually found each other. Buildings, however, are not the same unless people on the other side decided to create a replica of a building in the living world, which has happened. Some people like to create replicas of the houses they lived in on the living world, but others like to create entirely new houses.
Technology is a little bit dated on the other side, about two to three years before technology on the living world. No one really knows why, although it may be because the majority of the Muggle population n the other side is above sixty and aren't as reliant or as familiar with technology as the younger generations. Wizards and witches aren't really affected by this, as broomsticks, Apparition, Floo powder and portkeys all work fine. One notable difference, however, is that the environment on the other side is certainly better taken care of than the environment on the living world. Cities aren't as large and have more parks, and there are many more wildlife preserves. Additionally, the sky is almost always blue, except when it rains, which isn't as frequent as it is on the other side.
REGARDING MAGICAL EDUCATIONWizards who die before they come of age are common enough that people on the other side have created a Hogwarts for them. The new Hogwarts is a smaller building, but has the same four houses, a similar Sorting hat, Quidditch tournaments and professors of various ages and backgrounds. Children who died between the ages of eleven and seventeen are admitted. Because the children do not age, they wear small badges on their robes which mark what year of their education they are in - permanent eleven year olds reach their seventh year and would often confuse other students if it weren't for these badges. Children who die halfway through their magical education can enter Hogwarts here where they left off.
Once wizards who died underage complete their magical education at the other side, they may apply for a license at the Ministry of Magic, which also exists at the other side, and pass an exam which removes their Trace and grants them permission to perform magic as any adult wizard would and obtain magical professions.
HOUSING AND MONEYWhen the dead arrive on the other side, they initially have only what is on their person. But within twenty four hours of their arrival, a bank account is set up either in the Ministry Trust, for magical humans, or the Bank of London, for Muggles. These accounts have exactly as much money as the deceased owned in his bank account or as cash or savings in the living world, and cards can be obtained that act like debit cards.
Acquiring a house and other possessions is rather easy. While some houses on the other side are quite expensive, there are certain neighborhoods, for example the neighborhood in which James and Lily Potter live, which cater to new arrivals and have very inexpensive houses up for sale. The same is the case for clothing stores and the like - some are expensive, but many cater to new arrivals. Additionally, finding a job is not particularly hard, especially since lots of new arrivals are past retirement age and don't want to work anyways. The Ministry of Magic almost always has positions open, and there are lots of Muggle jobs around as well.
COMMUNICATION WITH THE LIVING WORLDIt is very easy for wizards, witches and Muggles on the other side to see anyone in the living world in real time. By simply touching a window or a mirror and stating the full name of any individual or place they would like to see, the window or mirror transforms into a clear window of whatever that person is doing at that moment or whatever is happening at that place. However, to prevent people from obsessing too much over their past, individuals are only allowed to watch through a window or mirror for three hours, consecutive or not, out of any twenty-four-hour period. These people need to continue on with their lives, after all.
People on the other side cannot communicate with living people through the Glass Touch, as it is often referred to, and living people don't know when someone is watching them fro the other side. There are ways, however, for people on the other side to communicate with others. The most common way is to interfere with electric appliances such as smoke detectors, televisions and computers, in the living world. Anything that is either plugged in through an outlet or uses batteries can, in fact, be manipulated through the Glass Touch - turned off or on, or even unplugged. This was very helpful when Morse code was popular, as people would often send messages in Morse code through smoke detectors or the like. But now, people have to be creative.
It is also rumored that sending a message in a bottle will eventually end up in the living world. However, people on the other side aren't really sure of this, and there is no way to determine where the bottle will end up or who will grab it. Still, people often try - there's no harm in attempting this form of communication.
THE NEW ORDER OF THE PHOENIXWhen Albus Dumbledore died, he immediately familiarized himself with the other side and located friends and former members of the First Order of the Phoenix. It wasn't very hard, as they were all living near each other anyways. As soon as he had found enough of them, including the Potters, the Prewetts, and Sirius Black, he told them of his worries for the future - that while James's and Lily's son might succeed in defeating Lord Voldemort in the living world, he and his Death Eaters would soon be over in this world, starting a new war. The New Order of the Phoenix, commonly referred to as the New Order or just the Order, was formed in September of 1997, and Lily and James Potter volunteered their home to be the official headquarters. It was big enough, by all means.
And Dumbledore was right. Over the next few months, wizards and witches, including Death Eaters, were pouring into the other side. People like Emmeline Vance and Marlene McKinnon joined the Order, noticing the influx and remembering what they had died for. When Mad-Eye Moody joined their ranks, the Order braced for serious trouble, all the while keeping an eye out on Harry, Ron and Hermione's mission to destroy the Horcruxes with a mixture of excitement and alarm. And then, finally, Lord Voldemort was defeated, along with a handful of Death Eaters and a couple of Order members. Or so it would seem.
Now, the role of the Order is heightened: to protect themselves, the Muggles, and most importantly, the wizarding world of the other side from a Lord Voldemort who isn't quite done yet. No one really knows who he's going to target next, but more Death Eaters keep popping up every day. Everyone is on the lookout, especially the Order. Emotions are high-strung within the organization, members who have been on the other side longer trying to acclimate their newest arrivals soon enough.
THE MINISTRY OF MAGICThe Ministry of Magic also exists on the other side, occupying a building very similar to its building on the living side. Their tasks and goals are the same; to provide an orderly government for the magical world while keeping the whole thing hidden. The jobs and Departments of this Ministry are pretty much the same as the living Ministry; however, the Ministry of the other side only recently reintroduced Aurors into its ranks. The Ministry strives to remain neutral, but truth is a weapon, and as everyone knows no one can take weapons into government buildings.
REGARDING MUGGLESYou can certainly choose to play a Muggle on this forum. Muggles, while they are for the most part unaware of the wizarding world, aren't stupid. Many of them have noticed the influx in recent arrivals and their median age: lots of young people have been coming to the other side because of murder. And that looks suspicious, of course. Many of them are trying to piece it together, attempting to understand what's going around them, aware that something else must exist.
Generally, the Muggles here on the other side are quite carefree and happy compared to their living counterparts. For one, the economy isn't such a big concern here. This also might be affected by the fact that most of the Muggles here are above retirement age, and the ones who work do so because they enjoy their jobs. Money gets pased around freely, the prices aren't high in most of the cities. A lot of Muggles do work here in London - it's one of the few prime business centers here on the other side and always trying to keep up with New York and Los Angeles, among other cities. And there is a fair amount of middle aged businessmen around - several of them are always trying to keep up with the technology in the living word, using the Glass Touch to spy on Microsoft and Apple headquarters like never before. But there's no death. They're not as worried for their mortality, and speed limits are very high. People don't get sick much on the other side, and when they do, they recover quite quickly. There aren't many doctors over here for that reason.
+ THE LOGISTICS, --- read them or sound confused
