Table of Contents
Part I Magical Philosophy
Why Do Wizards and Witches Study Astronomy at Hogwarts? 3
Can Nature, Like Magic, Conjure Something out of Nothing? 8
What Is the Real Story of the Quest for the Sorcerer's Stone? 12
The Dream of Alchemy: Where Do Metals Truly Turn into Gold? 17
Who Was the Real Merlin? 21
Who Really Was the Last Great Wizard? 26
How Would Hermione's Time-Turner Work? 31
What Kind of Prophecy Is Possible? 35
Part II Technical Trickery and Paraphernalia
Could Scientists Be the Modern Wizards and Witches? 41
Could Science Make Moody's Mad Eye? 46
When Will Muggles Make Moving Portraits? 50
How Could You Make Your Own Marauder's Map to Skip Class? 54
How Could You Make a Weasley Family Clock? 58
Part III Herbology, Zoology, and Potions
Is the Bezoar a Real Antidote? 65
Devil's Snare: What Are the Real-Life Flesh-Eating Plants? 69
Do Real-Life Love Potions Work? 74
Do Muggle Spies Have Their Own Veritaserum Potion? 77
Will Muggles Evolve Mental Powers Like Snape? 80
Could Nature Make Its Own Fluffy? 84
Where and When Might Muggles Find Dragons? 88
Why Would Pigeons, and Not Owls, Make a Wizard's Best Friend? 92
Why Are Death Eater "Pure-Bloods" Wrong about Race? 98
Part IV Magical Melting Pot
Platform 9 3/4: Are There Real Hidden Railway Stations in London? 103
How Could You Make a Room of Requirement? 109
Are Force Fields the Muggle Version of Shield Charms? 114
Will Muggles Ever Have Arithmancy? 117
Could Muggles Master the Memory Transfer of a Pensieve? 120
Can Muggles Develop Their Own Form of Teleportation? 124
What Is the Muggle Version of the Horcrux? 129
Is It Just Wizards and Witches Who Wave Wands? 133