If magic were real, couldn't a witch (or wizard) just zap anyone who comes to them at the stake?
One thing I liked about Rowling's series was the subtle way she dealt with fear-based prejudice. It is an old axiom that we fear what we do not understand.
One who is different, or who stands out, or who is a loner, has often been the target of such prejudice. Who knows how many thousands of innocent men, women and children were burned alive, or tortured during the Middle Ages?
Ironically, there is a strong Christian theme running throughout the Harry Potter series. It is said, and shown many times, that the most powerful form of magic is love. More specifically the love that is self-sacrificing, unselfish and puts others before self.
That such small minded people do not, or will not, see it says more about them than about Rowling.
And also there is the simple matter that Harry Potter is a fictional, fantasty series. There is no such thing as magic. More's the pity frankly.
Monty Python and the Holy Grail:
CROWD:A witch! A witch! A witch! A witch! We've found a witch! A witch! A witch! A witch! A witch! We've got a witch! A witch! A witch! Burn her! Burn her! Burn her! We've found a witch! We've found a witch! A witch! A witch! A witch! VILLAGER #1:We have found a witch. May we burn her? CROWD:Burn her! Burn! Burn her! Burn her! BEDEVERE:How do you know she is a witch? VILLAGER #2:She looks like one. CROWD:Right! Yeah! Yeah! BEDEVERE:Bring her forward. WITCH:I'm not a witch. I'm not a witch. BEDEVERE:Uh, but you are dressed as one. WITCH:They dressed me up like this. CROWD:Augh, we didn't! We didn't... WITCH:And this isn't my nose. It's a false one. BEDEVERE:Well? VILLAGER #1:Well, we did do the nose. BEDEVERE:The nose? VILLAGER #1:And the hat, but she is a witch! VILLAGER #2:Yeah! CROWD:We burn her! Right! Yeaaah! Yeaah! BEDEVERE:Did you dress her up like this? VILLAGER #1:No! VILLAGER #2 and 3:No. No. VILLAGER #2:No. VILLAGER #1:No. VILLAGERS #2 and #3:No. VILLAGER #1:Yes. VILLAGER #2:Yes. VILLAGER #1:Yes. Yeah, a bit. VILLAGER #3:A bit. VILLAGERS #1 and #2:A bit. VILLAGER #3:A bit. VILLAGER #1:She has got a wart. RANDOM:[cough] BEDEVERE:What makes you think she is a witch? VILLAGER #3:Well, she turned me into a newt. BEDEVERE:A newt? VILLAGER #3:I got better. VILLAGER #2:Burn her anyway! VILLAGER #1:Burn! CROWD:Burn her! Burn! Burn her!... BEDEVERE:Quiet! Quiet! Quiet! Quiet! There are ways of telling whether she is a witch. VILLAGER #1:Are there? VILLAGER #2:Ah? VILLAGER #1:What are they? CROWD:Tell us! Tell us!... BEDEVERE:Tell me. What do you do with witches? VILLAGER #2:Burn! VILLAGER #1:Burn! CROWD:Burn! Burn them up! Burn!... BEDEVERE:And what do you burn apart from witches? VILLAGER #1:More witches! VILLAGER #3:Shh! VILLAGER #2:Wood! BEDEVERE:So, why do witches burn? [pause] VILLAGER #3:B--... 'cause they're made of... wood? BEDEVERE:Good! Heh heh. CROWD:Oh, yeah. Oh. BEDEVERE:So, how do we tell whether she is made of wood? VILLAGER #1:Build a bridge out of her. BEDEVERE:Ah, but can you not also make bridges out of stone? VILLAGER #1:Oh, yeah. RANDOM:Oh, yeah. True. Uhh... BEDEVERE:Does wood sink in water? VILLAGER #1:No. No. VILLAGER #2:No, it floats! It floats! VILLAGER #1:Throw her into the pond! CROWD:The pond! Throw her into the pond! BEDEVERE:What also floats in water? VILLAGER #1:Bread! VILLAGER #2:Apples! VILLAGER #3:Uh, very small rocks! VILLAGER #1:Cider! VILLAGER #2:Uh, gra-- gravy! VILLAGER #1:Cherries! VILLAGER #2:Mud! VILLAGER #3:Uh, churches! Churches! VILLAGER #2:Lead! Lead! ARTHUR:A duck! CROWD:Oooh. BEDEVERE:Exactly. So, logically... VILLAGER #1:If... she... weighs... the same as a duck,... she's made of wood. BEDEVERE:And therefore? VILLAGER #2:A witch! VILLAGER #1:A witch! CROWD:A witch! A witch!... VILLAGER #4:Here is a duck. Use this duck. [quack quack quack] BEDEVERE:Very good. We shall use my largest scales. CROWD:Ohh! Ohh! Burn the witch! Burn the witch! Burn her! Burn her! Burn her! Burn her! Burn her! Burn her! Burn her! Ahh! Ahh... BEDEVERE:Right. Remove the supports! [whop] [clunk] [creak] CROWD:A witch! A witch! A witch! WITCH:It's a fair cop. VILLAGER #3:Burn her! CROWD:Burn her! Burn her! Burn her! Burn! Burn!...
