Mapping out Harry Potter’s world
J.K. Rowling’s world of Harry Potter comes alive every morning when the Harvard Museum of Natural History (HMNH) opens it doors. Since July 9, Harry Potter aficionados and ambivalent readers alike have flocked to the museum to complete the “Harry Potter Scavenger Hunt.” To begin the scavenger hunt is simple: Pick up a “Marauder’s Map” when you enter the museum and follow its clues. The map lists items such as Harry’s “invisibility cloak,” “animagus,” and “Snape’s Patronus,” offering hints about a related item in a specified area of the museum. The map is available free with admission and museum-goers have until Sept. 5 to participate. Not just for kids, the search for Harry Potter treasures has attracted eager groups of all ages. The educational goal of the scavenger hunt is to bring attention to the real plants and animals that may have inspired characters, creatures, and objects in the Potter books. For...