Hey Brother! Guys, we never got our Hogwarts letter
but we may have just received the next best thing.
We have been invited by Google Arts & Culture
and the British Library in London.
The library has curated an incredible exhibit called
Harry Potter: A History of Magic.
Now, not only did we get to visit the exhibition but we also had the chance
to meet one of the masterminds behind the project, Julian Harrison.
He'll be giving us some lessons in Muggle magic where we'll discover
some of the connections between Harry Potter and the history of magic.
Guys, I am really pleased to see both of you here today
and I am gonna love talking magic with you.
Well, we always love talking magic.
Lesson One: Dark Arts - How to Survive a Basilisk Bite.
In the Harry Potter books the largest snake is actually the Basilisk.
Do snakes in real life commonly, are they associated with darkness
in the same way that they are in the books?
Well in real life snakes represent the duality between good and evil.
Between darkness and light.
You know, of course, that snakes have one incredible quality,
they can actually shed their skins.
So they effectively are reborn every now and then.
Now Basilisks actually have a long historical tradition
and you know of course that a Basilisk can kill you with its stare.
It could also kill you with its venom.
There is a great antidote to poison and that is also featured
in the Harry Potter books, and that of course is a bezoar stone,
and I've actually got a real bezoar stone. This little beauty…
Wow, look at this... ...has passed through the guts
of a llama, no less.
So in Harry Potter it's typically through a goat,
but I didn't know they were real. Does this work?
The King of France's cook was sentenced to death and they said to him
instead of being executed, we would make you swallow some poison
and then we give you a bezoar stone to see whether that works.
Guess what happened to him? He totally survived.
He died.
It's based on an actual belief but not based on actual results.
Would you want to swallow a llama's stone?
I'm just remembering now that this was in fact inside of a llama,
so I might just give this back to you.
Lesson Two: Magical Creatures - How to Spot a Real Mermaid
The other thing you guys have on the exhibit is an actual mermaid.
I'm really excited by this. It was a really cool piece!
Yeah and it more closely resembles like how they are described in the books.
Yeah, they are not necessarily these beautiful creatures,
this would not be something you'd be excited to run into in the Great Lake.
When I think 'mermaids' this is not what I think.
I hate to tell you but this is actually an 18th century forgery.
It's made in Japan, and it's made out of the head and torso of a monkey
and the tail of a fish.
Lesson Three: Potions - The Secret of Immortality
Did you know that Nicholas Flamel is actually a real person
and he's believed to have invented the philosopher's stone?
Um, yes Ben, I did actually know that. Of course you did.
But what I'd like to show you now is a manuscript in the exhibition
which actually tells you how to make your own philosopher's stone.
So we actually have the recipe?
It's called the Ripley Scroll, it's made around the year 1600, about 400 years ago,
and it measures 6 meters long.
If we actually follow through right to the end
we gain the power to become immortal so it's worth having a go, isn't it?
Lesson Four: Herbology - Harvesting Mandrakes
Of course you've heard of a mandrake, haven't you, in the Harry Potter stories?
Yes, absolutely. But did you know that the mandrake
is actually a plant in real life? I did not know that.
This is from a 14th century manuscript, made in Baghdad, it's written in Arabic
and it shows you what were believed to be two different sexes of mandrakes.
So you have the Mandrake and the Wo-mandrake.
Yeah, maybe not.
We've actually brought one along to show you today.
This right here?
We have a mandrake that has been sitting next to me this whole time?
A little bit dangerous. It's not a real mandrake
because they are very hard to come by so we brought you a stunt mandrake today.
I feel much better about that.
Well now the important part about the mandrake is the scream.
Oh sure, it was always believed that when you pulled a mandrake out of the ground
its scream would either prove fatal to you or it would drive you mad.
Oh wow, so that's actually fairly in keeping with what we see in the books.
That's right, yes, so should we go ahead and pull it out?
We are a hundred percent sure that this isn't... I think we should just wear
some ear muffs just to be safe here. Can never be too cautious.
Right, yes, safety first. Yeah, let's just do it.
All right, you guys ready? 3, 2, 1!
O.W.L.: The Battle of the Brothers
You guys obviously know a lot about Harry Potter
We've put together a quiz to test your knowledge about the history of magic.
Bring it on. Let's totally do it.
Game on.
Which item in the British Library exhibition was allegedly found
being used as a chopping board?
Nicolas Flamel's gravestone.
Correct.
The best bezoar stones are found in the stomachs of which hoofed animal?
A goat.
I'll accept that, the correct answer is the bezoar goat
On the board!
Which is the brightest star in the night sky?
The north star?
Incorrect. The correct answer is Sirius.
A mole on what part of the human anatomy, denotes honour to a man
and riches to a woman?
Chin.
The buttock. My next guess.
What is the name of the three-headed dog...
Cerberus. According to the ancient Greeks ...
Historically which animal would you use when harvesting a Mandrake?
A dog. A weasel.
Nine days. That's the correct answer.
I can exclusively reveal that the winner of today's quiz is:
J! Yes, yes! Knew it!
Slytherin for the win. I will get you next time.
We'll see about that, we'll see about that.
Julian, thank you so much for joining us today and just like walking through all
of these great items provided in the background,
it has been a pleasure having you. It's been my pleasure too, thank you.
Yes, it has been amazing, and guys I highly recommend that you go and check out
the highlights of the exhibit online.
We have been the Super Carlin Brothers and I will see you in another life, brother.
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