Imagine a world where magic is real.
A world where broomsticks fly, caldrons simmer,
and adventure awaits.
Imagine that with a flick of a wand
you can clean your room,
transform objects, and battle against evil.
Imagine going to school
with others with these same abilities.
Going to class, making lifelong friendships,
and yes, getting into a little mischief along the way.
[Both] Bottoms up.
These are the stories of Harry Potter.
This is the wizarding world.
First off, what is the wizarding world?
The Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling
are filled with witches, wizards,
and extraordinary creatures
who live among regular people undetected.
And just like in our world,
the forces of good, evil,
and everything in between are at play.
Witches and wizards are just like Muggles,
non-magic folk, with the added ability to do magic.
Lumos Solem.
If Muggles see the unexplainable,
maybe something unexpectedly disappearing,
or a cat acting out of the ordinary on a street corner,
they very well might have seen a wizard.
Good evening, Professor Dumbledore.
Imagine that,
a whole other world completely hidden from Muggles.
With their own schools, money, jobs,
a completely different government,
and even a super creepy prison.
But that's a topic for another time.
The wizarding world isn't just home to witches and wizards.
There are loads of unusual creatures and beings
unknown to Muggles.
Ow.
Oh, sorry.
No, don't pet them.
They, um, learn to defend themselves early.
They live among wizards,
and range from the cute and mischievous
to useful or even downright dangerous.
Owls are the same as the Muggle post,
goblins do their banking,
and Bowtruckles make the perfect pocket companion.
Just be careful with precious objects around Nifflers,
you never know when things might go missing.
The wizarding community works hard to stay hidden.
In fact, there is
an International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy
that forbids wizards from spilling secrets about their world
to non-magic folk.
Hogwarts students could even be expelled
if using magic outside of school.
You're not allowed to do magic outside school.
Yeah? Try me.
You were seen by no less than seven Muggles.
Do you have any idea how serious this is?
There are, of course, a few exceptions.
Did you know that not all wizards
come from wizarding families?
Some wizards might only have one or even no magical parents.
This means some Muggles learn of the wizarding world
through their children or siblings.
Aside from having a witch or wizard in your family,
Muggles can find out about the wizarding world
if they happen to fall in love with a witch or wizard.
I'm half and half.
My dad's a Muggle.
Mam's a witch.
Bit of a nasty shock for him when he found out.
Another Muggle allowed in on the secret
is the British prime minister.
Not that they always believe what they hear.
One Muggle prime minister
almost threw the Minister of Magic out the window
when he tried to tell him about magic.
He thought this was a trick planned by the opposition,
but this relationship is an important part
of maintaining secrecy.
Plus, Dark wizards have occasionally tried
to take over the world.
Despite all the rules and regulations,
wizards are allowed to interact with Muggles.
As long as they follow a few simple steps
so they don't draw too much attention to themselves.
For example, wizards must dress like Muggles
when interacting with them.
So no pointy hats or fancy robes.
Sorry, professor.
Oh my goodness.
And did you know that wizards
are banned from playing Muggle sports?
In fact, the only time you hear mention of football
during Harry's time at Hogwarts
is from his Muggle-born classmate, Dean Thomas.
He supports West Ham if you were wondering.
With so much going on, how does magic stay hidden?
Well, wizards can alter what Muggles see
using concealment charms.
[Harry] But the Muggles, can't they see us?
[Stan] Muggles? They don't see nothing, do they?
So, if a Muggle happened
to be roaming the Scottish countryside
and stumbled upon Hogwarts,
they would simply see a ruin
with a sign that says, "DO NOT ENTER."
But, not everything goes to plan.
There are some occasional hiccups.
Magical accidents.
Thanks.
Rule breakers.
Expecto Patronum!
And the occasional
uncontrolled magical creature.
Not all wizards are so inclined to stick to the rules.
And unfortunately,
some things are just too difficult to hide.
This means, on the odd occasion,
Muggles see a little too much.
Even wizards themselves can find it tricky to stay hidden.
Whether it's Harry accidentally inflating his Aunt Marge,
or a whole community of wizards celebrating
in the middle of Muggle cities,
magic isn't an easy phenomenon to keep under wraps.
Magic can be a powerful source
which can be used for good or for evil,
and not all wizards are good.
We've all got both light and dark inside of us.
What matters is the part we choose to act on.
During a moment in time
where the wizarding world
was in grave danger by Dark forces,
no one could have predicted that a baby
would change the course of the future.
This boy will be famous.
Raised in the Muggle world
with no knowledge whatsoever of magic,
this boy would soon be thrust into a destiny
that would change wizarding history forever.
Make sure you stick around for more deep dives
into the wizarding world with "Discover Harry Potter."