5 things we learned from Harry Potter: A History of Magic

LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 12: J.K. Rowling attends the 70th EE British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) at Royal Albert Hall on February 12, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by John Phillips/Getty Images)

There is not enough Harry Potter content in the world to quench the world’s thirst for it. Ever since the last book came out in 2007, Potter fans have had to rely on a diet of spin-offs, fanfiction and whatever non-book-ruining tidbits Pottermore has to offer.

Luckily for us, J.K. Rowling and the British Library have launched a new exhibition exploring the real stories behind the magic in the Harry Potter series. It features Rowling’s early plot summaries and doodles of book characters, as well as early modern magical artifacts.

To celebrate the opening of the exhibition, the BBC filmed a documentary that took a closer look at the world of Potter and the legends within. It featured some of our favorite actors from the Harry Potter films, including Warwick Davies and Evanna Lynch, and gave us some excellent insights (not least the fact David Thewlis can make us cry just by reading The Mirror of Erised chapter).

If you’ve ever wondered what J.K. Rowling’s favorite creature is or what inspired the Deathly Hallows symbol, Harry Potter: A History of Magic has given us the answers. So handily, we’ve compiled a list of five things we’ve learnt from it to share our Potter joy and spread it further.