100 Magical Facts About Harry Potter

1. The idea for the Harry Potter series first came to J.K. Rowling on a train journey from Manchester to London in 1990.
2. The last book, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” sold over 11 million copies in the first 24 hours of release.
3. The character of Hermione is based on J.K. Rowling herself when she was 11.
4. “Hogwarts” is the Old English term for the hogwort plant, which Rowling saw in Kew Gardens.
5. Dementors, the soul-sucking creatures introduced in “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban,” were created as a representation of Rowling’s struggle with depression.
6. Harry Potter’s birthday is on July 31st, the same as J.K. Rowling’s.
7. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry’s motto is “Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus,” which is Latin for “Never Tickle a Sleeping Dragon.”
8. Despite the magical theme of the series, many elements were inspired by real historical practices and folklore.
9. The character Ron Weasley was originally going to die in the series, but Rowling changed her mind.
10. Quidditch was invented in a small hotel in Manchester after a fight with Rowling’s then-boyfriend.
11. The character of Albus Dumbledore is openly gay, as confirmed by J.K. Rowling after the series ended.
12. Daniel Radcliffe, who played Harry Potter in the films, reportedly broke around 80 wands throughout the filming because he used them as drumsticks.
13. The name ‘Harry Potter’ was alliterated for impact and so it would be memorable.
14. Sirius Black’s Animagus form as a dog is a direct nod to his name, as Sirius is the “dog star.”
15. The Deathly Hallows symbol is made up of the Elder Wand, the Resurrection Stone, and the Cloak of Invisibility.
16. The character of Severus Snape was heavily influenced by a teacher Rowling had, named John Nettleship.
17. Many of the names of spells are derived from Latin words or phrases.
18. J.K. Rowling was the first person to become a billionaire by writing books.
19. “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” was originally written in two separate books, one from Harry’s perspective and one from Lord Voldemort’s.
20. The Hogwarts Express train was inspired by the “Olton Hall” steam locomotive.
21. Moaning Myrtle’s full name is Myrtle Elizabeth Warren, a fact that was revealed by J.K. Rowling years after the series ended.
22. There are 199 chapters across the seven Harry Potter books.
23. The Harry Potter film franchise is the third highest-grossing film series in the world.
24. J.K. Rowling handpicked Alan Rickman to play the role of Severus Snape in the film series.
25. A first edition copy of “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” sold at auction for $90,000.
26. J.K. Rowling created the character of Luna Lovegood as a foil to Hermione Granger’s character, with Luna being intuitive and open-minded where Hermione is logical and skeptical.
27. Rowling has said that if Voldemort saw a boggart, it would take the form of his own corpse, since death was always his greatest fear.
28. Nearly headless Nick, the ghost of Gryffindor House, was nearly beheaded but the axe was blunt and it took 45 strikes to kill him.
29. The character of Dolores Umbridge was inspired by a real person whom Rowling ‘disliked intensely on sight’.
30. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were all featured on Chocolate Frog Cards.
31. The Weasley family originally had a family rat, but it was cut from the final version of “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.”
32. Professor McGonagall is an Animagus, meaning she can transform into a cat at will.
33. J.K. Rowling has stated that Hermione’s Patronus, an otter, is her favorite animal.
34. The character of Lord Voldemort was born as Tom Marvolo Riddle, which is an anagram for “I am Lord Voldemort.”
35. The series has been translated into over 80 languages.
36. Rupert Grint, who plays Ron Weasley, can play the didgeridoo.
37. The Harry Potter series has sold over 500 million copies worldwide.
38. Platform 9 3/4 at King’s Cross station is now a tourist attraction, with a luggage trolley half embedded in the wall.
39. The character of Rubeus Hagrid is said to be twice the height of a normal man and three times as wide.
40. A Harry Potter prequel stage play, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” debuted in London in 2016.
41. All the food in the series, like Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans and Chocolate Frogs, are now available for fans to buy.
42. In the series, the soul-eating creatures known as Dementors can’t be killed, only repelled.
43. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is hidden from Muggles through numerous magical enchantments.
44. J.K. Rowling has stated that she might write a Harry Potter encyclopedia one day.
45. The idea for the room of requirement came from J.K. Rowling’s desire for a room that would always provide what she needed.
46. There are 10 different species of dragons mentioned in the Harry Potter series.
47. Hermione Granger’s wand is made of vine wood, which in Celtic tree language represents people who are over-achievers and who have unexpected possibilities in their future.
48. The series took 17 years to write from inception to the final book’s release.
49. In the wizarding world, each wand is unique to its wizard and its loyalty can be won.
50. The character Neville Longbottom could also have been the “Chosen One” as the prophecy about Harry could have applied to both of them.
51. The four houses of Hogwarts are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each represents a different aspect of a person: Gryffindor values bravery, Hufflepuff values loyalty, Ravenclaw values intelligence, and Slytherin values ambition.
52. Gilderoy Lockhart, the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher in “The Chamber of Secrets,” was based on someone J.K. Rowling knew.
53. The flying car in “The Chamber of Secrets” is a 1962 Ford Anglia.
54. The Harry Potter series is banned in some countries due to its portrayal of witchcraft.
55. The names of the Marauders (Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs) are a werewolf, a rat, a dog, and a stag, respectively.
56. Despite having a small part in the series, Professor Trelawney has two accurate prophecies: one predicting the rise of Voldemort and the other predicting the death of Dumbledore.
57. The Sorting Hat originally belonged to Godric Gryffindor, one of the four founders of Hogwarts.
58. Hedwig, Harry’s pet owl, is a female but is played by a male owl in the movies.
59. There are three Unforgivable Curses in the Harry Potter universe: Avada Kedavra, Imperius, and Cruciatus.
60. In “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,” a 1,000-year-old wizard named Barry Winkle celebrates his birthday. The party had 30 million wizards in attendance.
61. There is a Harry Potter theme park, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, at Universal Studios in both Orlando and Los Angeles.
62. The duel in the Harry Potter series is based on an ancient Celtic tradition.
63. The character of Draco Malfoy originally had a different sidekick, not Crabbe and Goyle.
64. Voldemort was 71 years old when he died in “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.”
65. J.K. Rowling originally planned to kill Arthur Weasley in “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” but ultimately decided against it.
66. Harry Potter’s eyes are described as green in the books, but in the movies, they are blue because Daniel Radcliffe was allergic to the green contact lenses.
67. During the Battle of Hogwarts, Fred Weasley, Remus Lupin, and Nymphadora Tonks all die, which leaves three children without parents: Teddy Lupin and Fred and George Weasley.
68. In 2007, a seven-day Harry Potter exhibition was held at the British Museum.
69. The books have been turned into video games, with each installment following the story of the respective book.
70. In the series, Hogwarts does not accept students from abroad, only from the United Kingdom.
71. In the original draft of the series, the Weasley family had a character named Malcolm, who was later cut.
72. After graduating from Hogwarts, Hermione Granger went back to finish her seventh year.
73. Dolores Umbridge was sentenced to life in Azkaban for her crimes against Muggle-borns.
74. The Marauder’s Map shows the location of everyone in the Hogwarts grounds, including ghosts and pets.
75. The character of Minerva McGonagall was named after the Roman goddess of wisdom and warriors.
76. The invisibility cloak is a Deathly Hallow and has been passed down through the generations of the Peverell family.
77. Nearly Headless Nick’s death day party in “Chamber of Secrets” is a nod to Halloween, as he died on October 31st.
78. In “Order of the Phoenix,” Harry and his friends form a secret group called Dumbledore’s Army.
79. The Patronus, a form of advanced magic that creates a guardian, is unique to the wizard and can change due to trauma or love.
80. The largest set created for the Harry Potter series was the Forbidden Forest.
81. After the war, Harry and Draco became somewhat civil towards each other, though they weren’t friends.
82. The Battle of Hogwarts took place on May 2, 1998.
83. Hogwarts castle does not appear until the students cross the lake with the boats, as it’s enchanted to look like ruins to Muggle eyes.
84. In the wizarding world, one can’t apparate or disapparate within Hogwarts grounds.
85. Tom Felton auditioned for the roles of Harry Potter and Ron Weasley before landing the role of Draco Malfoy.
86. Bellatrix Lestrange is the most loyal follower of Lord Voldemort and is also his last living relative.
87. Before writing Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling was a researcher and bilingual secretary for Amnesty International.
88. Severus Snape is the only Death Eater who can produce a Patronus.
89. The character Peeves, a mischievous poltergeist at Hogwarts, was left out of the movies.
90. Harry Potter was the first and only known wizard to survive the Killing Curse, twice.
91. The character Winky, a house-elf, was cut from the movies.
92. “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” is the official eighth story, and it starts where “Deathly Hallows” ended, 19 years later.
93. J.K. Rowling has said that Harry’s scar no longer hurts him once Voldemort is defeated.
94. Hufflepuff house has produced the fewest Dark wizards than any other house at Hogwarts.
95. The love room in the Department of Mysteries, which is always locked in the series, contains a powerful form of magic, love.
96. Harry’s wand and Voldemort’s wand are brothers, as the core of both of them comes from the same phoenix, Fawkes.
97. J.K. Rowling is the one who instructed the actress who played Moaning Myrtle to make her voice sound more like a boy’s.
98. All the portraits in the headmaster’s office at Hogwarts are former headmasters and headmistresses.
99. The “Harry Potter” film series spanned over a decade, with filming starting in 2000 and the last film being released in 2011.
100. After the series ended, J.K. Rowling revealed that Harry Potter became an Auror at the Ministry of Magic, and eventually got promoted to Head of the Auror Office at age 26.

Originally posted 2023-09-21 19:25:00.

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