On Monday, J.K. Rowling announced that she is releasing a four-part series on her "Harry Potter" fan site, Pottermore, detailing the history of witches and wizards in North America.
The first story dropped on Tuesday and gives us insights into what magical life was like between the 14th and 17th centuries. From the origins of wizarding and No-Maj — American muggles — communities to a Native American legend with a magical twist, Rowling's story offers plenty of new information about what life was like hundreds of years before Harry Potter and his pals boarded the Hogwarts Express for the first time.
Here are seven things J.K. Rowling just revealed about the history of magic in America:
Wizards discovered America well before their muggle — or No-Maj, if you're an American — counterparts, thanks to magical transportation options like brooms and apparitions.
When European muggles began migrating to North America in the 17th century, the Native American wizarding tradition was already established.
The earliest Native American wizards practiced magic with their hands. Wands were a European invention introduced later.
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