Magic or Medicine: a Closer Look at J. K. Rowling's Inspiration

In this essay, specific examples will be made to passages in the Harry Potter books, and to scenes from the Harry Potter films, in order to reveal and explore the connection of classical era medicine, and the Latin language, to give a sense of reality to the fictional Wizarding World. The paper will be broken down into the characters and practices of Hogwarts staff: Madam Poppy Pomfrey, the matron; Professor Pomona Sprout, the Herbology teacher; Professor Remus Lupin, a werewolf who teaches Defence Against the Dark Arts; and Professor Severus Snape, the Potions Master. The end of this section will be dedicated to the medicinal ingredients in potions and how they were used in ancient times. Incantations, both curses to inflict injuries and counter-curses to protect against the former, as well as many other spells, have Latin roots. Many directly translate to how they hurt, or heal, a witch or wizard, indicating the importance of the ancient language when Rowling created the terms for her spells. Finally, this paper will examine the wizarding hospital, St Mungo’s, and the etymology behind the name of a Healer in Charge, as well as similarities between magical beasts in the Harry Potter series and Greek and Roman mythology, with an emphasis on their connection to medicine and mortality. J. K. Rowling’s post-secondary education in Classics[1] enabled her to build a strong correlation between her literary world and the world of the ancient Greeks and Romans.   [1] “J. K. Rowling,” Willamette University College of Arts & Sciences, Willamette University, 2021, https://willamette.edu/arts-sciences/classics/careers/rowling/index.html