| Introduction | 15 | ||
| Did Alchemists Really Search for a Magic Stone? | 19 | ||
| Who Was the Most Amazing Animagus? | 23 | ||
| Is "Avada Kedavra" a Real Curse? | 31 | ||
| Are Basilisks Just Big Snakes? | 33 | ||
| Which "Fantastic Beasts" Come from Legend? | 35 | ||
| Why Would Sirius Black Become a Black Dog? | 41 | ||
| Why Does the Black Family Appear on a Tapestry? | 45 | ||
| Which Creature Doesn't Know When to Say Good-bye? | 47 | ||
| Have Witches Always Flown on Broomsticks? | 49 | ||
| Why Would Mundungus Fletcher Steal Cauldrons? | 51 | ||
| Why Do Centaurs Avoid Humans? | 55 | ||
| What's the Favorite Trick of Cornish Pixies? | 57 | ||
| Why Would Voldemort Put the Dark Mark on Death Eaters? | 59 | ||
| What Story Began with a Dark and Stormy Knight? | 61 | ||
| Why Would Chocolate Help After Escaping a Dementor? | 65 | ||
| Does Dumbledore Trust Divination or Doesn't He? | 67 | ||
| Which Creature Is Fit for a King? | 71 | ||
| Who Were the First British Wizards? | 77 | ||
| Why Doesn't Dumbledore Fight Voldemort? | 79 | ||
| Why Would Durmstrang Students Travel by Ship? | 83 | ||
| Where Does Magic Come From? | 87 | ||
| Which Character Can't Die? | 91 | ||
| Was the Real Flamel a Successful Alchemist? | 95 | ||
| Why Would Fluffy Come from "a Greek Chappie"? | 99 | ||
| Why Would the Forest Near Hogwarts Be "Forbidden"? | 101 | ||
| What Does Ice Cream Have to Do with Witchcraft? | 103 | ||
| Are All Giants All Bad? | 105 | ||
| Which Real-Life Creature Still Eludes Scientists? | 109 | ||
| Why Are Harry and Cedric Like Knights of the Round Table? | 111 | ||
| Why Are Goblins Such Good Bankers? | 113 | ||
| Which of Draco's Sidekicks Is Also Named for a Dragon? | 117 | ||
| Which Creature Is Master of Both Earth and Sky? | 119 | ||
| Why Do Parents Worry About Grindylows? | 123 | ||
| Where Do the Nastiest Mandrakes Grow? | 125 | ||
| Which Is the Least Likely Magical Creature? | 131 | ||
| Why Would Anyone Go to School with a Slytherin? | 135 | ||
| Which Creature May Not Bow Its Head? | 139 | ||
| What Is the Most Important Language for Wizards? | 141 | ||
| Why Is Each Malfoy Aptly Named? | 147 | ||
| Why Won't Wizards Go Near a Manticore? | 149 | ||
| Why Is the Third Task Set in a Maze? | 153 | ||
| Why Might McGonagall Appear As a Cat? | 155 | ||
| Why Might a Human Fear Merpeople? | 157 | ||
| Why Are Mirrors Magical? | 159 | ||
| Which of Voldemort's Cohorts Comes from India? | 163 | ||
| Where Do Those Names Come From?! | 165 | ||
| What Were the Models for the Order of the Phoenix? | 185 | ||
| Besides Mail, What Does the Arrival of an Owl Mean? | 193 | ||
| Could Snape's Potions Actually Work? | 195 | ||
| What Makes Harry a Universal Hero? | 205 | ||
| Why Are Runes Carved on the Pensieve? | 219 | ||
| Why Does the Sphinx Ask Harry a Question? | 221 | ||
| How Do You Scare a Spider? | 225 | ||
| Why Do Trolls Stink? | 229 | ||
| Why Should Wizards Never Be Inquisitors? | 231 | ||
| How Do You Catch a Unicorn? | 239 | ||
| What Makes Veela Angry? | 245 | ||
| What Kind of Nightmares Created Voldemort? | 249 | ||
| Why Do Wizards Use Wands? | 253 | ||
| Are Any of the "Famous Witches and Wizards" Real? | 255 | ||
| Caution! | 265 | ||
| A Note on the Final Chapters | 267 | ||
| How Did Seven Become the Most Magical Number? | 269 | ||
| Why Would a Muggle Want a Horcrux? | 277 | ||
| What's J.K. Rowling's Idea of a Hero? | 281 | ||
| Is Harry's Story About Religion? | 289 | ||
| What Evil May Be Worse Than Voldemort's? | 297 | ||
| Is Rowling a "Master of Death"? | 307 | ||
| Afterword | 313 | ||
| Acknowledgments | 315 | ||
| Bibliography | 317 | ||
| Notes | 319 | ||
| Index | 327 | ||
| About the Author | 336 |