You might think you know everything there is to know about J.K. Rowling’s beloved Harry Potter series, but we bet there are a few facts and details that even the most devoted Potterhead might have missed!
For the latest post on The Blog That Must Not Be Named, we’re delving deep into the Harry Potter series (movies and books) and assembling a list of ‘fun-facts’ that even the most serious Wizarding World fans might not know.
Check out the list below:
20. While filming Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban, the pockets of Tom Felton’s Hogwarts robes had to be sewn shut to stop him from sneaking food onto set.
19. J.K. Rowling and The-Boy-Who-Lived aka. Harry Potter share a birthday!
18. When Fred and George Weasley bewitched snowballs to hit Professor Quirrel’s turban, they were unknowingly hitting Lord Voldemort in the face.
17. In The Prisoner Of Azkaban, Trelawney refuses to sit at a table with 12 other characters because she would be the 13th and the first one to get up after that would die. In Order of the Phoenix, 13 members of the order are sitting and Sirius is the first to stand
16. Halfway through writing Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire, Rowling realised she had left a giant plot-hole, which she had to go back and fix.
15. While filming the kissing scenes with Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson, Rupert Grint had to be removed from set for laughing.
14. Rowling has said that the Harry Potter series might not exist (or would be very different) if it wasn’t for the death of her mother.
13. James and Lily Potter were true soul mates. We know this because a witch or wizards Patronus is a physical representation of their soul. James’ Patronus was a stag and Lily’s was a doe.
12. Dumbledore is an Old English term for ‘bumblebee’. Rowling said she chose it because she often pictured Dumbledore humming to himself.
11. The original Harry Potter manuscript was turned down by 12 publishers before Bloomsbury finally accepted it.
10. Comedian Rik Mayall shot scenes as Peeves the Poltergeist, but he was cut from Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone.
9. Alan Rickman was trusted with Snape’s true motivations very early on, as it allowed him to give a more authentic performance.
8. J.K. Rowling has confessed that upon reflection, she regrets pairing Hermione Granger with Ron Weasley. Trust us, we’re heartbroken too!
7. The phrase “I open at the close” has more than one meaning. Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone was published in 1998, the same year that the Battle of Hogwarts was fought.
6. J.K. Rowling always planned for Hagrid to carry a seemingly dead Harry out of the Forbidden Forest! This idea kept Hagrid from being killed throughout the series.
5. Rowling has said that if Voldemort looked upon a Boggart, it would appear as his own corpse, as death was always the the Dark Lord’s greatest fear.
4. J.K. Rowling has said multiple times that the Dementors of Azkaban were inspired by her experience with depression.
3. Rowling planned to kill Arthur Weasley in Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix, but eventually decided to keep him alive. The author revealed that she only decided to kill Lupin in Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows because Arthur had survived.
2. J.K. Rowling has confessed that she almost killed Ron when she “wasn’t in a very happy place” in her life. Thankfully, the author chose to keep our favourite Weasley brother alive until the very end!
1. If Muggles stumbled across Hogwarts, it would look like a dilapidated building with a“Keep Out: Dangerous” sign on it.
How many of these Harry Potter fun-facts were you already aware of? Be sure yo let us know in the comments section below! If you enjoyed the list why not take a look at some of our other features, lists and rankings or check us out on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can also subscribe to our all-new YouTube account, where we’ll be exploring our love of the Wizarding World in exciting new ways!
One thought on “Harry Potter: 20 Wizarding World Facts That Every Fan Should Know”