J. K. Rowling fills her books with references to history, myths, legends and literature. Inspired by her suggestion to a young fan to "go and look it up," author David Colbert did just that. The result is the entertaining, and enlightening MAGICAL WORLDS OF HARRY POTTER. Here are the stories behind the stories - the origins of magical creatures, clues to hidden meanings in names, stories of real-life wizards mentioned in the Harry Potter books. From alchemists to hippogriffs to veela, Colbert explores the fascinating meanings 'between the lines' and buried within the names of characters and places.