Two new Harry Potter books to be released in October

[July 20, 2017]   By Jenna Zucker

(Reuters) - The Hogwarts universe is set to expand by an additional two new Harry Potter books, published in conjunction with a British Library event, in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the magical series.

The library exhibition titled, "A History of Magic," featuring the two books will be open from October 2017 to February 2018, British publishing house Bloomsbury announced on Tuesday.

Readers of "Harry Potter: A History of Magic – The Book of the Exhibition" will be able to explore the curriculum at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Potter's wizardry school, which includes Herbology, Astronomy and Care of Magical Creatures.

Mystical subjects including unicorns, alchemy and ancient witchcraft will be explored in "Harry Potter – A Journey Through A History of Magic."

The books, both by the British Library, include unseen sketches and manuscript pages from author J.K. Rowling, magical illustrations from Jim Kay and artifacts from the archives at the library.

June 26 marked 20 years since the release of "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone," the first of seven Potter books in a series that sold 450 million copies in 29 languages and sparked a $7 billion movie franchise.

(Reporting by Jenna Zucker in New York; Editing by David Gregorio)

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