Magic Forums

I personally think that J. K. Rowling was inspired by a past life of her's when she wrote Harry Potter. I've been wondering, if a world like Harry Potter did exist, where and when could it have? The British monarchy did employ court magicians, so they may have established a school for magic users and a "ministry" to oversee and regulate magic. On the other hand, I think it is possible that some magic users (who likely considered themselves superior to others) rejected "muggle" society and culture and established hidden sanctuaries for magic users. This would explain, in the book that is, the prejudice and (though the term doesn't entirely fit) racism among them. Do any of you think something like this could have happened at some point, or have anything to contribute? (this is not a discussion about Harry Potter, just an idea I'm tossing out there)