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

Yes, the Killing Curse has a connection to Abracadabra

Okay, this one we kind of guessed. But J.K. Rowling has confirmed the connection between her most infamous Unforgivable Curse and the spell chosen by cheesy magicians everywhere.

Abracadabra wasn’t always cheesy though. It derives, supposedly, from Aramaic and translates as “May the thing be destroyed”. It was first used in the Roman era as a protection against malaria.

Rowling says that she gave “richer provenance” to spells that have more significance in the wizarding world.

Spells like Avada Kedavra, which carries a terrible weight, also has a weight to its meaning, whereas spells like Wingardium Leviosa, literally light in that it makes things float, are much more fun and “flippant”.

Rowling’s wands, however, have less roots than the spells they cast.  Rowling said in the documentary that she created the entirety of Potter’s wandlore whilst sitting under a tree one day.

But wands themselves aren’t made up and are said to be a way of channeling the world’s natural energy. There’s even a wandmaking dynasty deep in the heart of the British countryside, led by two generations of men with the very Potter-esque name Dusty Miller. Seriously.