The history of magic is as long as time and as wide as the world. In every culture, in every age, in every place and, probably, in every heart, there is magic.
Featuring content adapted from the audiobook Harry Potter: A History of Magic inspired by the British Library exhibition of the same name, this book examines the colourful characters and curious incidents of the real history of magic, and how they relate to the Hogwarts curriculum and Harry Potter stories.
Spells and charms have captured the imagination for hundreds of years. Warding off evil is something that has concerned people throughout history; potions have long been brewed by apothecaries to make medicines, drugs, poisons and even the elusive Philosopher's Stone; and plants have been important components of medicines and myth-making and magic - from stink lilies to screaming mandrakes. For millennia people have strived to see what fate and fortune hold and the study of the night sky has fascinated those trying to read their destinies. As well as this, folkloric creatures - giants, dragons and merpeople and lesser-known beings such as Acromantula and Hippogriffs, all play a key role in Harry Potter's journey.
So, as you'll see Charms, Defence Against the Dark Arts, Potions, Herbology, Divination, Astrology, as well as Care of Magical Creatures, are not just important subjects in the wizarding world, but are as central to the Harry Potter stories as Harry, Hermione and Ron.
This content was originally available as four eBook shorts A Journey Through Charms and Defence Against the Dark Arts, A Journey Through Potions and Herbology, A Journey Through Divination and Astronomy, A Journey Through Care of Magical Creatures released in 2019.
