A History of Magic

• Type: Textbook
• Owners: Various Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry students, including Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger.
• Maker: Written by the magical historian Bathilda Bagshot.

A History of Magic is a required textbook for the History of Magic course at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The copy Harry Potter purchased for his first year is described as a heavy book bound in black leather. The book is renowned among students for its extremely dense and dry writing style, making it notoriously difficult and tedious to read. Ron Weasley claimed it was “about as exciting as listening to Professor Binns,” the ghostly teacher of the subject. The contents of the book are known to include detailed accounts of significant events in wizarding history, such as:

• Goblin Rebellions
• Giant Wars
• The persecution of witches and wizards in the Middle Ages, including the use of the Flame-Freezing Charm to survive being burned at the stake.
• The establishment and importance of the International Statute of Secrecy.

As a standard book, A History of Magic possesses no inherent magical properties of its own. Its primary purpose is educational, serving as the core curriculum for the History of Magic subject at Hogwarts. Its usage among students varies greatly. Most, like Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, find the book so dull that they often fall asleep while attempting to read it for homework assignments. In contrast, highly academic students like Hermione Granger read the book thoroughly, even for pleasure. Hermione's comprehensive knowledge of the book's contents frequently provided the trio with crucial historical context for the challenges they faced.

A History of Magic was authored by the celebrated magical historian Bathilda Bagshot. By the late 20th century, it had long been established as the definitive historical text for young witches and wizards and was a fixture on the Hogwarts booklist for all first-year students. Bathilda lived in Godric's Hollow and was a contemporary and acquaintance of Albus Dumbledore. Her reputation as the wizarding world's preeminent historian lent the book immense authority, even if its prose was considered uninspiring by its student readership. A copy published by Little Red Books in 1947 is known to exist (Harry Potter: A History of Magic exhibition).

Initially, the book serves to characterize the History of Magic class as the most boring subject at Hogwarts, providing a mundane academic counterpoint to Harry's extraordinary experiences. It also effectively highlights the personality differences between the main trio: Harry and Ron's aversion to it underscores their focus on practical action, while Hermione's mastery of it showcases her intellectual diligence. The book's significance elevates dramatically in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Its author, Bathilda Bagshot, becomes a person of immense interest to Harry and Hermione due to her connection with Dumbledore's past. When the trio goes on the run, Hermione Granger packs a copy of A History of Magic in her beaded bag, believing its historical information could be vital. Their search for historical truths leads them to Godric's Hollow to seek out Bathilda herself, a quest that results in a deadly confrontation with Nagini, who was impersonating the long-deceased historian.

• On Pottermore, it was revealed that Bathilda Bagshot was the great-aunt of the Dark Wizard Gellert Grindelwald, a fact that was not included in her book (Pottermore).
• In the film adaptations, the prop for A History of Magic often features a more ornate cover design than the simple black leather binding described in the novel (film).
• A real-world non-fiction book, Harry Potter – A History of Magic, was published in 2017 to accompany an exhibition of the same name at the British Library in London.