ABSTRACT
Magic knows no national boundaries. We learn this from the novels and films of the world of Harry Potter. The magic that young Harry possesses, and learns to hone during his studies at Hogwarts Academy of Witchcraft and Wizardry, would seem at first glance to be particularly British, drawing on the lore of the Celts and other tribes who shaped the history of the British Isles. But in the fourth novel of the series, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Rowling 2000), we get our best taste of the international wizarding world, when the school is visited by students from Beauxbatons Academy of Magic in France and the Durmstrang Institute, located somewhere in northern Europe (possibly Norway) (see Image 7.1). These students have come to participate in the Triwizard Tournament, a competition among Europe’s three largest schools for magic: Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang. We also learn in the same novel of an unnamed school in Brazil and of the Salem Witches’ Institute. The online Pottermore, an interactive space in which users can further explore the world of Harry Potter, tells us of a school in Japan called Mahoutokoro. So the secret world of magic is an international one to be sure. This chapter uses the translation of Harry Potter as a small window into global perspectives on popular culture.
