J.K. Rowling Debuting ‘The History Of Magic In North America’ Stories On Pottermore

J.K. Rowling is releasing four-story series The History of Magic in North American on her website Pottermore this week.

The History Of Magic In North America

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, based on Rowling’s Harry Potter companion book of the same name, hits theaters next fall. Set primarily in 1930s New York City, the film follows the wizarding world’s foremost magizoologist Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne), and his search for the world’s most fascinating magical creatures to complete what will ultimately become Hogwarts students’ greatest resource on the subject – Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

Filling in the necessary historical blanks of magic in North America, Rowling is putting out The History of Magic series, which will cover Native Americans, The U.S. Hogwarts: Ilvermorny, The Salem witch trials and the Magical Congress of the United States of America.

Rowling’s plan for the series stretches at least as far back as last June, when she told fans on Twitter that there was indeed a school for witchcraft and wizardry in the United States, and also that indigenous magic stemming from Native American tribes would have played a part in its founding.

In the first story, released Tuesday, Rowling delved into the Native American magical community.

“The Native American wizarding community was particularly gifted in animal and plant magic, its potions in particular being of a sophistication beyond much that was known in Europe,” writes Rowling. “The most glaring difference between magic practiced by Native Americans and the wizards of Europe was the absence of a wand.”

Rowling also points out in the story that every nationality has its own term for non magic people; what is “Muggle” in the UK is “No-Maj” – short for “no magic” – in America.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them hits theaters Nov. 18, 2016.