• Article
Posted by in What's New
This coming weekend I’ll be in Southern California where there will be a couple of opportunities for me to meet some of the west coast Potter fans. It is always such a thrill and an honor to meet people who enjoy the Lexicon and share my love for Harry Potter. Read More
• Article
Posted by in What's New
Today, June 3rd, is the birthday of our Essays Editor… Paula Hall! Please join us in wishing her a day filled with magic and all her dreams come true. Happy Birthday Paula!… Read More
• Article
Posted by in What's New
The Wizard of the Month calendar on Jo’s official site has gone blank. Apparantly a glitch that I’m sure will be fixed soon. And now it’s fixed 🙂 Salazar Slytherin Medieval (precise dates unknown) One of the four celebrated Founders of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Salazar… Read More
• Article
Posted by in What's New
I just posted the second report from my set visit last September. This is also just a teaser, since I am still forbidden to do a full and detailed report until the film is released. I hope this gives you a little more idea of the creativity and fun that… Read More
• Article
Posted by in What's New
Jo has updated her site with an announcement of her plans for July 21st! Tickets for a massive booksigning event will be distributed through her English-language publishers: Bloomsbury Scholastic Raincoast Allen & Unwin She has really focused this book launch on the fans. In… Read More
• Article
Posted by in What's New
This past weekend, as I mentioned, I spent some time in a studio in Burbank shooting a television special. This will air on A&E in July as part of the lead-in to the film premier. I was only a small part of the whole production, so I have no way… Read More
• Article
Posted by in What's New
As a former art history student and someone who has labored over the Lexicon’s pages on the Black Family Tree I was ecstatic to see the first images showing Warner Brothers’ interpretation (right; click on image to see larger version). The tapestry appears to be huge, with a dark green… Read More
• Article
Posted by in What's New
Hundreds of you have visited the Portkey now. I’m sure that a good many of you are wondering what the big deal is. So it searches synopses of the books. So what? Why the big kefuflle about such a simple tool? Over the next weeks I’m hoping to help answer… Read More
• Article
Posted by in What's New
I received a message the other day from John Granger, who is a good friend, telling me that someone from A&E television wanted to talk to me. I called the fellow up and as it turns out, he wants me to be part of a television special A&E is putting… Read More
• Article
Posted by in What's New
The Wizard of the Month calendar on Jo’s official site has changed to display Happy Birthday wishes for May 15th to Pomona Sprout. Today marks the 3rd anniversary of the new interactive site. Read More
• Article
Posted by in What's New
Two days ago I did something I’ve never done before. I sicced my lawyer on someone. Believe me, this is not the way I like to operate. People steal material from the Lexicon all the time. Contributors for Wikipedia are famous for it. Yeah, it bothers me. Stealing is wrong. Read More
• Article
Posted by in What's New
I can’t believe that I’m finally writing this. About eight months ago, I had a crazy idea. I started sharing it with the staff and tried to explain just how amazing this new “thing” would be. They didn’t get it. I drew sketches of what it would look like. We… Read More
• Article
Posted by in What's New
Did you notice the new look to our What’s New page? Several months ago we told you about the new design we were working on, and that we’d try to have a large section converted in time for Book 7. Unfortunately that was my task and I have had an… Read More
• Article
Posted by in What's New
As Keith Johnson continues work on his project to illustrate Philospher’s Stone, he has recently completed this (ahem) “delightful” image of the troll in the girl’s toilet. 😀 I’ve posted it on the Reader’s Guide for chapter 10. Thank you Keith for sharing your paintings with us!… Read More
• Article
Posted by in What's New
I’ve been working on a few lingering projects lately, and managed to finish the Archive of images from the Wizard of the Month calendar on jkrowling.com. It’s hard to believe we’ve had three full years worth of Wizards of the Month already, since Jo launched her new… Read More
• Article
Posted by in Website news / What's New
I’ve just posted an essay by Quentin Lowagie, webmaster of the Harry Potter Lexicon counterpart in French, L’Encyclopdie Harry Potter. Quentin visited London last year, took some fabulous pictures of London sights related to the world of Harry Potter . . . et voila , je vous prasente Harry… Read More
• Article
Posted by in What's New
When my good friend Heidi Tandy (of FictionAlley) asked me if I’d like to write a magazine article about Order of the Phoenix I paused (only for a moment) and then said, “Sure! What do you need?” (Because I’m crazy that way, I’ll do anything Potterish.) “An… Read More
• Article
Posted by in What's New
We’d like to introduce you to our newest artist- Keith Johnson! Keith is undertaking an ambitious project to create cover art and chapter illustrations for all of the Harry Potter novels. He is currently working on the final chapters of Philosopher’s Stone and has offered to share his work with… Read More
• Article
Posted by in What's New
Thrilling, confounding, gorgeous cover art! Be sure you’re sitting down when you look. High-resolution artwork has been released today by Scholastic and Bloomsbury [Link outside: Leaky Galleries]. :Gulp: Treasure! Patronus! Locket! Silver Hogwarts? Strange triangle/circle emblem! Veils? Hallows? Let the… Read More
• Essay
Posted by in Canon discussion / Essays
Within the Harry Potter stories are many scenes that can be analyzed astronomically. As both an astronomer and a teacher, these interest me, and so I will present such analysis here. My goal is not to criticize Rowling when she is inaccurate in her astronomy (or, for that matter, to praise her when she… Read More
• Article
Posted by in What's New
I know it’s been awhile, but I have finally posted another new essay. This one is from astronomer and past Lexicon contributor Mike Weinstein: Astronomy in the Harry Potter Series. Enjoy!… Read More
• Article
Posted by in What's New
When I was in London in September, I got a first hand look at Electronic Arts’ new game for Order of the Phoenix. I have to admit that I’ve never been much into arcade-style games, preferring to play Excite Truck and Elebits on my Wii, Time Splitters on my GameCube, or Animal Crossing… Read More
• Article
Posted by in What's New
The WotM calendar on Jo’s official site is showing Happy Birthday wishes to Remus Lupin for March 10th, again this year. So far, all birthdays have repeated since appearing for the first time, with no new ones nor any being skipped. Read More
• Article
Posted by in Characters
Quotes by and about Lord Voldemort (Tom Marvolo Riddle) From Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone Hagrid to Harry: “Some say he died. Codswallop, in my opinion. Dunno if he had enough human left in him to die.” (PS4) Hagrid to Harry: “Better Hufflepuff than Slytherin,” said Hagrid… Read More
• Article
Posted by in What's New
We have some new images from Makani: Slughorn, Prof. Binns, Nick, and Ginny. Enjoy! I also recently added some short quotations by movie cast members about the roles they play: Daniel Radcliffe, Jason Isaacs, and Emma Watson. P.S. Makani just redesigned her personal website. Nice Job! I am… Read More
• Article
Posted by in What's New
We have been hinting on and off of projects we are working on behind the scenes here at the Lexicon, and we’re ready to tell you of the smaller project: the redesign of the look and organization of the Lexicon! It is a difficult task that has fostered a lively… Read More
• Article
Posted by in What's New
One of the Lexicon’s most often-cited Rowling interviews is the 2001 BBC Christmas Special “Harry Potter and Me.” Not only was it beautifully produced, it remains to this day an important source of Potter canon — especially the scene in Jo’s office where she shows her class lists of Harry’s… Read More
• Essay
Posted by in Canon discussion / Essays
Where is the Burrow—Harry’s second home (his first is Hogwarts, of course, not Privet Drive!)? Ottery St. Catchpole The books give the Burrow’s location as just outside the village of Ottery St. Catchpole, but give no direct clues as to where this is. The similarity of the name to Ottery St. Mary, in Devon… Read More
• Essay
Posted by in Canon discussion / Essays
Introduction This interview that took place on March 12, 2001 became the historical point from which all theories and speculations about how much money would one need to go to Gringotts and to buy a Galleon started. Most researchers worked with the first JKR statement of “About five pounds,” while not addressing the… Read More