The folks over at Pottermore have waved their wands once more and produced a few more beautiful scenes from J.K. Rowling’s version of the Potterverse. While we can hardly say that Pottermore is now complete — they’ll need to add a lot more scenes for that to happen — at least we can be glad that we now have moments that span the entire series of novels.
I spent a happy hour or two exploring the new scenes. I enjoy those moments when I hear Jim Dale’s lovely reading to accompany the artwork. The few new bits of canon are also fascinating, although in these new moments there is less truly new and more embellishment to what we already know. The essays on the Dursleys and on the Hatstall effect were already there in Pottermore, but they have now been expanded slightly. Most of what appears about the Sword of Gryffindor isn’t new, either. However, every little tidbit of new canon is a delight for fans.
As always, the soundscapes are also a delight. We don’t really learn anything new from them, but they scenes really come alive with the added whispers, creaks, tinkles, rumbles, shouts, and clanks. I really like the way the wedding scene starts with the thump of the music stopping in mid-note. The dragon scene is particularly exciting with roars from the dragon, shouts from the goblins, and clanking and tinkling of metal on metal.
But the best part of this update is the lush, detailed artwork. As always, these stunning scenes give us the best insight into Harry’s world through Rowling’s eyes. It is refreshing to see things without images from the film clouding our view. The students at Hogwarts don’t wear British school uniforms! They wear black robes and pointed hats! Who knew? Anyone who read the books knew, that’s who — and anyone who spends time on Pottermore.
