Harry Potter fans can learn the Hogwarts curriculum in a new book
Just because your Hogwarts letter "got lost in the mail" doesn't mean you can't still learn your favorite magical subjects. Better late than never, right?
It's hard to believe that 20 years have passed since we were first introduced to the wizarding world in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. The British Library is celebrating the 20th anniversary with an exhibit celebrating a history of magic that weaves together J.K. Rowling's magical world with the library's collection of artifacts from "real" mythology and folklore that served as Rowling's inspiration. Check out Mashable UK's coverage of the exhibit below.
For those of us who can't Apparate to London for this exhibit, the British Library is publishing a companion book, A Journey Through a History of Magic, that's being billed as "an enchanting journey through the Hogwarts curriculum." A quick glance at the table of contents reads like the most fun course catalog you've ever seen, with chapters for "Potions and Alchemy," "Divination," "Charms," and more.
In addition to historical context for each subject, the book includes magical activities you can try at home. No breaking into Snape's private storeroom required. The book's artwork, borrowed from Jim Kay's illustrated editions of the novels, integrates the Potterverse with the "real" magical artifacts reproduced in the book.
You'll also find sketches and manuscript pages from J.K. Rowling's original drafts of the little book that became an international phenomenon. On display at the exhibition is her pitch letter that 12 publishers famously rejected. If you want a good cry now you can read part of it below.
Like most Harry Potter products, A Journey Through a History of Magic is marketed for children, but obviously Potterheads of all ages will want to add it to their collection. This book is for anyone whose always wanted to know what the heck a Beazor really is, what makes a Mandrake scream, or how wands work.
You can buy A Journey Through A History of Magic on Amazon now. Pick one up for yourself or as a gift for your favorite Harry Potter fan and start picking out your wand. You've got magic to do.
Topics Books Harry Potter
According to twitter, Emily Heller is a fake geek girl and a SJW. If you ask her friends, she laughs too loud and cries at cute animal videos. Prior to Mashable, Emily wrote for CollegeHumor and Reductress and most recently worked at a very bro-y tech startup. She lives in Brooklyn with three dudes, a cat who acts like a dog and a dog who acts like a houseplant.
