America

America, with its centuries-old history of tension between different communities (colonists/rulers, whites / non-whites, Democrats / Republicans, and so on), is the broad-strokes setting for this story, itself a narrative anchored in tensions between different communities and perspectives. In this particular case, those communities are on either side of the wizarding / non-wizarding continuum. Those who have the ability to use magic and those who do not fear each other, attack each other, and are desperate to avoid being controlled by the other, arguably a chain of circumstances that has defined America's many other-oriented tensions since its beginnings in the mid-1700's, and seems to continue defining tensions in contemporary society.

New York City

The bustling, crowded New York City, one of the cultural and economic centers of the world, is the primary setting for almost all of the story's action. Its large population, its energy, and its somewhat legendary...