A Journey Through Care of Magical Creatures

This non-fiction short-form eBook features content which is adapted from the
audiobook Harry Potter: A History of Magic – inspired by the British Library
exhibition of the same name. Well-known folkloric creatures like giants,
dragons and merpeople, and lesser-known beings such as Acromantula and
Hippogriffs, all play a key role in Harry Potter’s journey. In the past,
naturalists and explorers travelled the globe to encounter weird and wonderful
creatures that enhanced our knowledge of the world and pushed forward the
development of science. Nevertheless, it seems part of human nature to want to
believe in the unbelievable: from the bestiaries and cabinets of curiosities
of the medieval period onwards. We think that truth and myth are easily
distinguished today, but magical creatures and the stories around them
continue to fascinate us – and they are as central to the Harry Potter stories
as Harry, Hermione and Ron. This eBook short examines the colourful characters
and curious incidents of the real history of magic, and how they relate to the
Hogwarts lesson subjects of Care of Magical Creatures. 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.