Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century

• Type: Book
• Owners: Hogwarts Library; temporarily borrowed by Hermione Granger.
• Author: Unknown.

Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century is a historical text detailing major occurrences within the wizarding world between the years 1901 and 2000. No physical description of the book's cover or size is provided in the novels. As a standard Hogwarts library book, it is presumably a bound volume intended for academic study and general reading. Its content serves as an important chronicle of modern wizarding history, covering conflicts and societal shifts that shaped the world in which Harry Potter and his contemporaries live.

The book itself is not described as having any inherent magical properties. Its purpose is purely educational, providing readers with a comprehensive account of significant magical historical events. It is used for study, research, and, in the case of Hermione Granger, for “light reading.” Accessing its information is its primary function, helping witches and wizards understand the recent past, including the political and social climate leading up to the First Wizarding War and Second Wizarding War.

While the book's publication history is unknown, its title implies that it covers the entire century. The text would therefore document the two most significant conflicts to engulf the European wizarding world during that period.

• The Global Wizarding War (c. 1920s - 1945): The book would almost certainly dedicate a significant portion to the rise of the dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald. This section would cover Grindelwald's reign of terror across Europe, his quest for the Deathly Hallows, and his philosophical belief in wizarding superiority over Muggles. The conflict culminated in the legendary 1945 duel between Grindelwald and his former friend, Albus Dumbledore, which resulted in Grindelwald's defeat and imprisonment in Nurmengard. This event was so monumental that it was noted on Dumbledore's Chocolate Frog Card.
• The First Wizarding War (c. 1970 - 1981): The latter part of the book would detail the rise of Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters in Britain. This period was characterized by immense fear, disappearances, and open conflict. The war saw the formation of the original Order of the Phoenix, a secret society founded by Albus Dumbledore to combat Voldemort. The conflict ended abruptly on 31 October 1981, when Voldemort attacked the Potter family in Godric's Hollow, leading to his own mysterious downfall after his Killing Curse rebounded upon him.

It is likely the book also covers other political and social developments, such as changes in leadership at the Ministry of Magic or significant legal reforms throughout the century.

The book Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century is mentioned by name only once. In Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Hermione Granger tells Harry Potter and Ron Weasley that she checked it out from the Hogwarts Library for “a bit of light reading.” This brief mention serves two important narrative functions. Firstly, it immediately establishes Hermione's character as exceptionally studious, intellectually curious, and someone who finds academic texts enjoyable. Secondly, it provides early world-building, informing the reader that the wizarding world has a recent and significant history beyond the immediate story of Voldemort's return. It subtly foreshadows the importance of Albus Dumbledore's past and the duel with Grindelwald, a key piece of his backstory that is fully explored in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

• The events surrounding Gellert Grindelwald, which would be a main feature of the book, are the central focus of the Fantastic Beasts film series, which acts as a prequel to the Harry Potter story (Fantastic Beasts film series).
• The specific author of Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century has never been officially confirmed by J.K. Rowling or in any supplementary material. While Bathilda Bagshot is the author of A History of Magic, it is not known if she also wrote this more modern history text.