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

Nicolas Flamel was real

Whilst the Potter books are a work of fiction, the magical world in which Harry lives is not so far removed from our own. In the documentary, Rowling says that the conceit of the wizarding world she wrote is that Muggles have an idea of what goes on in it, but everything they believe is slightly off. The concept of the garden gnome, for example, is shared between the Muggle and Wizard worlds but for some reason, Muggles have given them pointy red hats.

The Philosopher’s Stone is another such example. An early 17th century scroll which describes how to make a Philosopher’s Stone features in the exhibition, as well as the tombstone of the real Nicolas Flamel.

He was a French scribe and manuscript-seller who lived in the 14th century, but instead of living to the grand old age of 665, Flamel did not discover the Elixir of Life and unlock immortality. He was, in fact, mortal, as you might have guessed from the mention of his tombstone.

Representations of witchcraft are also based in history. Witches’ cauldrons, for instance, are very much a thing, and the exhibition shows the first printed representation of witches using them, dating back to 1489.

But there are still some things that Rowling made up. Whilst many of the creatures are familiar to us in one way or another, phoenixes being Rowling’s favorite, the Augurey, which she calls “the Irish phoenix” and features in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, is entirely made up.