sarahallynphoto:car in treeThe legal strictures many magical nations have in place preventing magica

sarahallynphoto:car in treeThe legal strictures many magical nations have in place preventing magical tampering with normally Muggle artifacts are practical protections meant to both maintain the secrecy of the magical world while also preventing Muggles from accidentally coming into possession of dangerous magical objects they have no means of controlling. Many a Muggle horror story has roots in non-magical people getting their hands on cursed monkey-paws, teleporting wardrobes, and purses containing everything from vanishing gold to hurricane force winds. In the AWC, however, these restrictions are notably weaker. In a nation where the magical populace is allowed extensive freedom in their magical practices so long as they do no actual harm and don’t actively endanger the secrecy in which all wizardingkind survives, there is perhaps an unsurprising amount of what many American mages refer to as “tinkering.” And of all the Muggle mechanisms that capture the hearts and imaginations of American Mages, none has made quite the same impact as the automobile. Mage mechanics, sometimes quaintly referred to as ‘Artificers,’ have shops set up across every region of the AWC. Though their businesses sometimes exist right out in the open, and cater for Muggle as well as magical clientele, many of the most respected craftsmen and enchanters have set up shop well out of the way of easy discovery by mundane eyes. Luckily for their clients, however, most magical cars have no trouble reaching the shop, even when it is hidden in the heart of a swamp or on the bottom of a river, and most repairmen will perform house-calls for significant problems. As the Department of Secrecy and Obfuscations holds every Artificer personally responsible for the artifacts they craft or tamper with, most are only too happy to visit a Wizarding family with a hiccuping station-wagon or a sedan whose spatial warping spells cause it to shrink or grow unpredictably, rather than face stiff fines. A startling 70% of magical families in the AWC possess an automobile of some sort. Even the staunchest and wealthiest of pureblood families would not be seen without their bewitched limousines, decked out with disillusionment paint jobs, foe-glass windows, portable alchemy labs, and internal plumbing. While the American apparition network is well maintained and preferable for long distance travel, most Wizarding families prefer to blend in to Muggle life for local travel, though, of course, most Mages don’t actually have to worry about parking or gridlock. The most common enchantments on Wizarding vehicles tend to be specifically designed to navigate easily through traffic, find parking, and eschew gasoline. Of course, Wizards must still possess driver’s licenses in order to operate a motor vehicle on Muggle roads and highways, the test for which is significantly more complicated than the mundane equivalent and is performed by the Department of Trade Regulation and Transportation. -- source link

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