Accio exhibit!
Magic fans, your time has come: "Harry Potter: A History of Magic" at the British Library in London has opened to celebrate the 20th anniversary of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" (known as the "Philosopher's Stone" in the UK), and it is spellbinding!
The exhibit, which the London Telegraph says has already sold 30,000 tickets, includes rarities from author J.K. Rowling, including a handwritten draft of an early chapter, a sketch of the Hogwarts grounds, and the series' synopsis that was rejected by 12 publishers.
But there's more than that; the Library also has exhibits that explore the origins of the stories, creatures and legends that make up the Potter-verse, like a real bezoar stone (used in "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince"), a golden snitch and special instructions from medieval times on how to pick mandrakes.
There's even the Ripley Scroll, a document from the 1500s that explains how to make a Philosopher's Stone; according to Mashable, it indicates that you require a black, red and white stone. That'll mean something to readers who know their Latin: Albus (Dumbledore) means "white," Rubeus (Hagrid) means "red" and Sirius' last name is Black.
Rowling herself tweeted out one artifact to be found at the exhibit: the tombstone of Nicolas Flamel:
Flamel is mentioned in the series as a wizard who actually made a Philosopher's Stone, but he was a real person as well. Flamel, a Parisian landlord, died in 1418 and was said to have "discovered" such a stone.
The exhibition opens Oct. 20 in London and will remain there until Feb. 28, 2018. But good news: it's coming to the New York Historical Society next October. Now, what was that spell for speeding up time, anyway?
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