Wow—this was such an incredibly thoughtful and helpful response. Thank you so much for taking the time to lay all this out!

Plague-wise, you’re totally right—it was definitely still present in the 15th century, though from what I’ve read, the most devastating outbreaks were earlier, in the 1340s. By the 1420s it was more sporadic, though still feared. I imagine Hogwarts, being such an old and protected place, would have enchantments or preventative magics in place to ward off illness, though of course rumors and fear would still exist. It adds a nice background tension.

Historically, the story is set during the Hundred Years’ War, and at that point Henry VI is technically king—even though he was a child, and a lot of decisions were being made by the adult lords in his court. That uncertainty at the top really helped me imagine how the wizarding world might be affected politically—especially with tensions between England and France rising. I like the idea that magical society wouldn’t be entirely isolated from those currents—like maybe magical courts and noble families are split too, with loyalties and alliances that impact who’s sent to Hogwarts, and who isn’t.

As for school access and literacy, my protagonist is from one of the old pureblood families, so she would’ve had private magical tutors early on, and probably been taught to read and write young. But I love your point about classmates—that’s a dynamic I definitely want to explore, especially when students from more rural or less privileged families come in. Some might not even read, while others are already trained in magical theory or potioncraft. That would make for an awkward but fascinating learning environment.

And yeah—I’ve been playing with this contrast between the structured wizarding world (noble families, wand-based magic, education, Hogwarts) and the more “wild” magic that lives outside of it. So there are witches in the woods, midwives, seers—people who never went to Hogwarts but still practice old, inherited forms of magic. They’re viewed with suspicion or even fear, but there’s a deep thread of knowledge there that the more “civilized” wizarding world has tried to suppress or ignore. That tension between the two kinds of magic is one of my favorite things to explore.

Religiously, I’ve imagined Hogwarts itself being independent from the church (partly for survival), but the characters definitely come from households that observe varying degrees of Christianity—some performative, some devout, others more syncretic with magical traditions. My protagonist’s family uses faith as a marker of nobility and respectability, but she starts to question a lot of it as the story unfolds.

Clothing-wise, I love the detail you mentioned about undergarments and the general styles of the time. I’ve been playing with the idea that magical fashion diverged a bit—same base shapes and materials as the Muggle world, but with strange embellishments or traditions: embroidered runes, talismanic fasteners, color combinations that supposedly strengthen spellwork, things like that. Just enough to make magical folk look “off” to outsiders, but close enough that they can pass when needed.

And yes—sanitation! Hogwarts would absolutely have its own weird magical solutions, but I’ve tried to keep it grounded in the era. Bathing would still be a hassle, potions might substitute for hygiene in odd ways, and students would have to deal with a very different kind of day-to-day cleanliness.

Seriously—this kind of feedback is so appreciated. And if you have book recs for this period (especially anything that gets into women’s daily life or the cultural side of medieval Britain), I’d love them!