The Complete Idiot's Guide to the World of Harry Potter Read online

  Where the Name Comes From

  Many believe Durmstrang is a wordplay on the German phrase Strang und Durm, which translates to “storm and stress,” and that interpretation is quite likely. However, Durmstrang is probably not a German school, because the climate in Germany does not match the descriptions given by Durmstrang students. More likely, the school is located in a Slavic nation: Russia; Bulgaria; Ukraine; and the like. Strang translates to

  “strange” or “stranger” in Russian, and Durman and Durme are cities in Russia, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The name, then, might convey a sense of a strange city or strange place, rather than storm and stress, but either translation is possible.

  A Few Key Wizards at Durmstrang

  Head of Durmstrang was, for a number of years, Professor Igor Karkaroff, a former Death Eater (that is, a follower of Lord Voldemort; see Chapter 1). Igor is a common name in Slavic countries, and stories such as The Winter of Prince Igor and The Song of Igor’s Campaign flourish in Russian literature. Karkaroff is a common Bulgarian surname.

  Viktor Krum, an 18-year-old student at Durmstrang, is the school’s most well-known student. A world-renowned Quidditch Seeker, Krum’s athletic accomplishments make girls swoon. Viktor is a familiar Slavic name for boys and also means “victor”; appropriate for the best Seeker in the world. Krum’s last name is just as filled with promise: Krum was the name of a ninth century ruler (also called a khan or tsar) of Bulgaria who was among that country’s most influential leaders, expanding the borders of his country, nearly conquering Constantinople, and establishing a written rule of law. For a young Bulgarian hero to have the name Krum is like a young American hero being called Washington.

  Interschool Rivalry: The Triwizard Tournament

  From roughly 1300 to 1900, the three largest wizarding schools in Europe came together every five years to compete in the Triwizard Tournament, a test of wizarding skills among three contestants—one from each school—who competed not only for a cash prize but also for personal and school glory. Each school rotated its turn as host, with the other two schools sending a small group of potential contestants to live at the school for that year. The contest—discontinued for more than 100 years after a number of students died—was recently revived and held at Hogwarts.

  Choosing three schools for the competition is probably more about keeping the competition manageable than anything else. All three schools are roughly the same size, thus eliminating the complaints about large schools competing with smaller ones that plague many state-wide high-school sporting contests in the United States. And two contingents of guests from visiting schools is a manageable amount to house for nearly an entire school year. Had five, eight, or more schools been involved in a Pentawizard or Octowizard Tournament, the result may have been more chaotic. In addition, including three schools continues a long tradition in magical and fairy realms. The number three is (along with the number seven) one of two oft-used numbers in mythology and fairy tales: think of Goldilocks and her three bears, the three pigs, and three billy goats gruff, along with the many stories of three sons, the youngest of whom succeeds when his older siblings fail at a task.

  Interschool competition exists throughout the nonwizarding community in Europe, including sports competitions (in soccer, cricket, and rugby) and academically oriented competitions like problem-solving, mathematics, science competition, web design, linguistics, and so on. Although these contests rarely last for an entire year, schoolchildren do travel from country to country to compete, much like some national-caliber U.S. high school teams travel several hundred miles to compete in high-level competitions.

  Part 4

  Spells, Potions, and Other Ways of Performing Magic

  In this part, you get to read the detailed backstory on how J.K. Rowling chose the names and functions of dozens of wizard herbs, potions, and spells. You also get detailed information on some of the special, high-level spells and tools that only a select few wizards will ever use.

  Chapter 10

  Herbology 101

  In This Chapter • Discovering the history of many common herbs

  • Recognizing that most wizard plants exist in the natural world

  • Understanding the most common wizarding plants

  Herbology is the study of plants and is taught at all good wizarding schools. Herbs have, in fact, been a key component of a healer’s toolbox for millennia, dating back beyond ancient Greece and Rome. Many of today’s Muggle pharmaceuticals still use herbs and plants as their base.

  This chapter gives you an overview of the primary herbs and plants that exist in the wizarding world. First you’ll find out what we know about each plant or herb in the nonwizarding world, including its botanical name, characteristics, and medicinal uses (if any). That’s followed by a brief look at how each herb or plant is used in the wizarding world. For plants that exist only in the wizarding world, as is the case with those at the end of this chapter, you’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at why

  Rowling may have chosen each particular plant’s name and characteristics. (Be sure to also check out Chapter 11 for in-depth information on magical potions.)

  The Link Between Herbs and Magical Potions

  Witches have long been rumored to use herbs to make potions, and in Rowling’s wizarding world, herbs have that vital function. Many herbs, along with eyeballs, livers, and the like from a variety of creatures—plus the occasional magical stone—make up the essential elements of potions, which are used both to cast spells and to cure everything from acne to broken bones.

  On the other hand, some herbs and plants are not used in potions but are interesting in and of themselves. Like Muggles, some wizards have a green thumb and simply like to surround themselves with interesting plants. And if you thought the Venus Flytrap was “interesting,” wait until you see some of the wizard plants in this chapter!

  MAGIC TALE

  You can find herbs in everything from Greek literature to twentieth-century fantasy novels:• Odysseus (in Homer’s Odyssey) uses moly to protect him from Circe’s spells.

  • Aragorn (in Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring) uses the herb athelas to help Frodo survive the wound inflicted by the Black Riders.

  • In Le Guin’s The Wizard of Earthsea, Ged learns the names and uses of all the herbs in the land.

  • Even in C.S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Lucy receives a gift from Father Christmas of a cordial of healing potion—we can assume it contains an herb of some sort.

  Plants and Herbs You Know and Love

  The plants and herbs in this section exist in the Muggle world—in fact, you could buy any of these plants and grow them in your garden. You may not have the wizarding skills to boil them up into potent potions, but you’d have the raw ingredients.

  Aconite

  Aconite is from the Aconitum genus of the buttercup family, and is considered highly poisonous. Tiny amounts can slow down the heart and lungs for medical purposes, but larger amounts are toxic. It is also known by two other words: monkshood and wolfsbane.• Monkshood: The terms monkshood (monks + hood) comes from the shape of the flower, which looks (as you may have guessed) like the hood of a monk’s cloak.

  • Wolfsbane: The term wolfsbane comes from its use by Greeks as a way to poison wolves; “bane” means to kill. (See Chapter 11 for more on Wolfsbane Potion.)

  MAGIC TALE

  Near the end of C.S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, when Peter kills Fenris Ulf, Aslan knights Peter, calling him "Sir Peter Wolfs-Bane” ("Sir Peter Fenris-Bane” in some editions; "fenris” means "wolf”), because he killed such a terrible and mighty wolf. In the wizarding world, aconite is used in a variety of potions.

  Asphodel

  Asphodel is a member of the Ashodeline genus of the lily family. It looks like a lily, with white or yellow flowers and narrow green leaves.

  Asphodel has long been known as the flower of death; in fact, it is thought t
o be the flower that the dead like the most! For this reason, asphodel used to be planted in and around tombs.

  In the wizarding world, asphodel is used in the Draught of Living Death.

  Belladonna

  Belladonna (Atropa belladonna) goes by several names, most of which have “deadly” or “devil” in the title. It is a highly poisonous plant of the nightshade family (which also includes tobacco, red peppers, tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, and petunias), with purple or red flowers and black berries.

  The Atropa portion of its botanical name is derived from Atropos, one of the Greek Fates. The belladonna portion is translated as “beautiful woman.” Confused? Venetian women once used belladonna to dilate their pupils, which was supposed to make them more beautiful. We can be grateful that some of history’s great beauty secrets lasted only a generation or two.

  Long used as a way to poison unsuspecting rivals, in tiny amounts it has also been used to combat migraines, lower heart rate, and relax bronchial and urinary muscles.

  Belladonna is used so often in wizarding potions that it is part of the potion-making kit purchased by all Hogwarts Potions students.

  Daisy

  The daisy (Chrysanthemum leucanthemum) is so common, with its white flowers and yellow center, that it is sometimes considered a weed among Muggles. Daisy roots, however, are used in the wizarding world to make a Shrinking Solution, which makes some sense, because an old wives’ tale says that daisy roots, boiled in milk and fed to a farm animal, can stop the animal from growing too large.

  Fluxweed

  Fluxweed (Isanthus brachiatus) is also called false pennyroyal and is a member of the mint family.

  A key ingredient in wizard Polyjuice Potion (which makes one wizard look like another for a brief period of time), fluxweed is commonly used in the wizarding world. To be useful in that particular potion, however, the fluxweed must be harvested during a full moon.

  Note that “flux,” from the Latin fluxus, means flow. In electronics design and manufacturing, flux is a product that makes solder flow better across circuit boards. In physics, flux is the rate of flow of energy across a surface. In the movie Back to the Future, Doc Brown tells Marty that his flux capacitor makes time travel possible.

  Ginger

  Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is an herb that’s used both as a spice and as a medicinal plant. It is known to calm the digestive system, which is why ginger tea and ginger ale are given to people with upset stomachs.

  In the wizarding world, ginger must have an effect on the brain as well; wizards use ginger roots to make a Wit-Sharpening Potion.

  TOURIST TIP

  Ginger is an effective deterrent against motion sickness. If you have a tendency to get car- or airsick, take a thermos of ginger tea with you and sip it as you travel. (If the airline won’t let you take a thermos, bring along a few ginger tea bags.) Look for ginger tea in supermarkets and health-food stores.

  Hellebore

  Hellebore—also called Christherb because it flowers near Christmas— is unusual in that it is from both the Helleborus genus of the buttercup family (as is aconite) and the Veratrum genus of the lily family (as is asphodel). It’s highly poisonous, either killing or causing severe burning to the skin if handled and to the intestines if ingested. Tiny amounts, however, can stimulate the heart, and people have historically blessed their farm animals with hellebore.

  The name is said to originate from the Greek for “plant eaten by fawns.” Apparently, it’s not poisonous to deer. It may also come from the Greek elein, meaning “to injure,” and bora, meaning food—injurious food, which makes sense given how poisonous the substance is.

  In the wizarding world, the syrup from the hellebore plant is used in the Draught of Peace.

  Knotgrass

  Knotgrass is from the Polygonum genus of the buckwheat family and is a common weed or grass with thin stems and leaves and small flowers. Like daisy roots boiled in milk, knotgrass is thought to limit the growth of animals. Shakespeare mentions knotgrass in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

  In the wizarding world, knotgrass is used in Polyjuice Potion and is likely how the potion gets its name (from the botanical name Polygonum).

  Lovage

  This plant (botanical name, Levisticum officianle) is a member of the umbel family (which is in the same family as celery and parsley). It has long been a home remedy, often in the form of a medicinal tea.

  In the wizarding world, lovage is used to make a Confusing and Befuddlement Draught.

  Mallowsweet

  The mallow is a family of plants with large flowers that bloom on a large stalk or tube; hollyhock is a good example. Mallowsweet is not a recognized variety in the Muggle world, but would likely come from that same family, perhaps as a sweet-tasting variety. In the wizarding world, centaurs burn mallowsweet and sage, and receive divine wisdom from the shapes of the flames and smoke.

  Mandrake

  The mandrake (Mandragora officinarum) is a member of the nightshade family; a small, round, purple plant that’s essential to potion-making, especially antidotes. This plant has historically been thought to have magical qualities, because its roots look somewhat human-like.

  In the wizarding world, one of its properties is that it can return a person to his or her human state—if a curse or transfiguration-gone-wrong has trapped the person in a nonhuman body or if the person has been petrified. Wear earplugs or earmuffs, however, when repotting mandrakes (which must be done three times in the first nine months), because the “root” of a mandrake looks like a tiny baby and, when the plant is fully grown, the root makes a wailing cry that is fatal to the listener.

  Nettle

  Nettle is from the Urtica genus of the nettle family, and is a stingy, spiny, thorny plant. The plant is so bothersome that the word “nettle” has come to mean “to irritate.” Nettle is, however, used in teas and soups to help with digestive disorders.

  One of the most interesting mentions of nettle in Biblical times was in the Old Testament during the calamity of Job (pronounced johb). During this dismal time in Job’s life, his opponents hid behind nettles, and the thorns served as protection for them, rather than harming them. Poor Job. Nothing ever seemed to go his way.

  In the wizarding world, nettle is used as a cure for boils. But this isn’t so unusual. In the Muggle world, especially in Britain, drinking nettle tea is used as a treatment for boils. The herb called blind nettle (which is actually a mint, not a nettle) has also traditionally been used to treat boils.

  Pomegranate

  Pomegranate (Punica granatum) is a bright-red fruit borne on a small tree. Inside, the fruit is full of seeds from which pomegranate juice is made. The juice is prized for its high potassium content, which makes pure pomegranate juice expensive when compared to other fruit juices. The fruit was historically used as a red dye and in tanning leather, has been used medicinally, and is a symbol of fertility. In the Bible, Solomon’s temple contained many pomegranate carvings.

  Pomegranate juice is used in the wizarding world, but be careful when making a Strengthening Solution, because your bottle of pomegranate juice may be carelessly mistaken for the correct ingredient, salamander blood.

  Sage

  Sage is from the Salvia genus of the mint family that is used for decoration and for seasoning foods, especially chicken, meats, cheeses, and so on. It is derived from the Latin salvus, which means “safe.”

  “Safe” sage has many healing powers. Most recently, sage has been shown to help asthmatics, who breathe it in during attacks.

  In the wizarding world, centaurs mix sage with mallowsweet in divination.

  KING’S ENGLISH

  Herbs and plants not only grow in greenhouses at Hogwarts; they also appear in the backyards of wizards and Muggles alike across England. Keep in mind, however, that what Americans typically call the "backyard” is called a garden in England. A garden doesn’t necessarily mean one that’s full of corn, zucchini, and tomatoes, as it would in the United Sta
tes. To the British, a garden may consist of a lawn, some patio furniture, and a badminton net.

  Scurvy-grass

  Scurvy-grass (Cochlearia officianlis; also called scurvy weed) is a northern plant from the crucifer family that was traditionally used to treat scurvy, a disease caused by a deficiency of Vitamin C and resulting in anemia, weak bones, and other nasty symptoms. Scurvy was common among those traveling long distances by ship, when no fresh fruits and vegetables were available. Today, with the advent of vitamins, scurvy has mostly disappeared. However, describing scurvy is still how fifth-grade teachers get you to eat oranges and grapefruit.

  In the wizarding world, scurvy-grass is used to make Confusing and Befuddlement Draughts.

  Sneezewort

  Sneezewort is a kind of yarrow (Achillea ptarmica), which causes sneezing in many people. (Can you say, highly allergenic?) Keep in mind that “wort” simply means “plant” or “herb,” so a sneezewort is a plant that relates to sneezing.

  Sneezewort, along with lovage and scurvy-grass, is used in the wizarding world to make Confusing and Befuddlement Draughts.