It's20yearssinceJ.K.Rowling'sHarryPotterandthePhilosopher'sStonefirstcastitsspellonreadersacrosstheglobe,thankstothecharm,warmthandimaginationofitswizardingworld.ButRowling'sfantasticalcreationwasn'tentirelymake-believe…Tomarkthe20thanniversaryofherbook,theBBCpresentsanenchantingnewdocumentary,uncoveringthereallifetraditionsofmagicattheheartofHarryPotter.Athrillingjourneythroughlegends,beliefandfolklore,thisfilmgoesbehindthesceneswiththeBritishLibraryastheysearchtotellthatstorythroughobjectsintheircollection,inanambitiousnewexhibition:HarryPotter:AHistoryOfMagic.J.K.Rowling,whoislendingunseenmanuscripts,drawingsanddraftsfromherprivatearchives(whichwillsitalongsidetreasuresfromtheBritishLibrary,aswellasoriginaldraftsanddrawingsfromJimKay)talksaboutsomeofthepersonalitemsshehaslenttotheexhibitionandgivesnewinsightintoherwriting,lookingatsomeoftheobjectsfromtheexhibitionthathavefiredherimagination.Readingsfromfamousfansplayfullyrecreatessomeofthebestlovedspells,potionsandmagicalmomentsfromthebooks,and,aswefollowtheprocessoftheexhibition,wediscovermodernmagic'scounterparts(fromreallifewandmakerstoQuidditchenthusiasts).Indoingsowediscoveranunexpectedrelationshipbetweenmagic,beliefandscience:fromtheAnglo-SaxonspellsthatcureMRSA;totheso-calledwitcheswhopioneeredcontemporarymedicine;totheancientstargazerswhofirstmappedthewondersofthenightsky.