If Only All My Textbooks Were This Much Fun!

Have you ever wondered just what is contained in the pages of those oft-mentioned text books in the Harry Potter series? Well, now J. K. Rowling has given you the opportunity to find out. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is one of two wizard textbooks which Rowling wrote and are now selling for a mere four dollars, with all of the profits going to the British charity Comic Relief.

This clever volume is presented as a special muggle edition of a classic guide to magical creatures. It even includes a forward by Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore. Additionally, this 52nd edition is unique because it is a replica of Harry Potter's own book, and the comments
which he, Ron and Hermione made in the margins are included.

Within the confines of this atypically tiny book, a paperback containing approximately 60 pages, we receive a very convincing history of the classification of creatures and the steps taken by wizards to hide those with a propensity for magic. Newt Scamander's introduction includes an especially humorous anecdote concerning a monk who was assailed by a strange beast which he mistook for a ferret.

The bulk of the book is a glossary of 75 magical creatures. Each is given a description and a Ministry of Magic classification ranging from 1 to 5 Xs - XXXXX indicating an extremely dangerous beast known to kill wizards, X reserved for the ludicrously boring. For instance...

XXXXX:
Acromantula - think talking tarantula, only a lot bigger (Shelob from The Lord of the Rings)
Manticore - from Greek mythology, man's head + lion's body + scorpion?s tail
Nundu - gigantic leopard whose breath wipes out villages

XXXX:
Centaur - from Greek mythology, horse with human torso and head
Kelpie - shape-shifting water demon, of which Loch Ness Monster is one
Sphinx - Egyptian, human head on lion?s body, speaks in riddles

XXX:
Hippogriff - head of an eagle and body of a horse, major part of Book 3
Jarvey - large ferret-like beast, talks like parrot, snacks on gnomes
Leprechaun - Irish "wee folk" who speaks and enjoys mischief-making

XX:
Augurey - mournful bird, aka Irish Phoenix, whose wail predicts rain
Mooncalf - gentle bovine creature that dances in the moonlight
Puffskein - docile furball with a pleasant hum and long, thin tongue

X:
Flobberworm - an earthworm with a big appetite
Horklump - pinkish mushroom, breeds rapidly, favorite food of gnomes

Do a favor for yourself and make a difference at the same time. Buy this book, and Quidditch Through the Ages, and enjoy the fruits of an imagination so complex that it even took the time to create a curriculum for Harry Potter and his wizarding friends.