• Books and Literature Gadding with Ghouls was a book by Gilderoy Lockhart containing thrilling autobiographical accounts of adventures dealing with various exotic and dangerous beasts, none of which, as it turns out, actually involved the author. Read More
• Character Brian Gadwilde was the author of the book Jiggery Pokery and Hocus Pocus. Read More
• Publications This German illuminated manuscript from the 10th century, which depicts the discomfort of broom-riding, is referenced in Quidditch Through the Ages. It mentions the manuscript because records like that one show that witches and wizards in Europe were using flying broomsticks as early as A.D. 962. Read More
• Source Hermione tries to help Harry, persuading him to write to Sirius Black. The other Houses (Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw) are no longer friendly to Harry, but he finds an ally in Hagrid. As the situation in the school grows worse, Draco Malfoy taunts Harry… Read More
• Source Harry and Hermione unsuccessfully try to find a spell to use against dragons. Harry warns Cedric Diggory about the dragons, the (fake) Professor Moody gives Harry a hint, and Hermione helps Harry learn to cast a Summoning Charm. The first task is to get… Read More
• Source Ron becomes a celebrity after the second task, Rita Skeeter writes an article about Hermione, Professor Snape reads it in class, Harry overhears Snape and Igor Karkaroff, and he, Ron and Hermione meet Sirius Black outside Hogsmeade, learning about Barty Crouch’s… Read More
• Article
Posted by in Harry Potter Lexicon Minute
When J.K. Rowling started writing the Harry Potter books in the 1990s, social media had not been invented. No one owned a mobile phone yet, let alone a smart device. And even though most people owned a personal computer or a laptop, receiving a letter written by hand was not… Read More
• Article
Posted by in Harry Potter Lexicon Minute
In this Harry Potter Lexicon Minute, I will discuss the fourth chapter of Goblet of Fire: Back to the Burrow. In this chapter, the Weasley family picks up Harry at Privet Drive. The text paints a very clear and fast-paced picture of what is happening. I relish… Read More
• Article
Posted by in Harry Potter Lexicon Minute
When I first read this chapter, it felt like coming home for Harry to me. After the grisly murders at Little Hangleton and the hostility of the Dursleys, I loved reading about the Burrow, encountering all the familiar faces and seeing a happy Harry. Upon re-reading this chapter,… Read More
• Communication Ghosts can communicate with each other by ghostly letters. Nearly Headless Nick received one from Sir Patrick Delaney-Podmore of the Headless Hunt. Nick also must have used something of that sort to invite people to his Deathday party, too (CS8). The letters are transparent. Read More
• Character Gilderoy Lockhart is a celebrity wizard and author, on staff for the 1992-1993 school year at Hogwarts as Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts. Read More
• Event Harry, Hermione, and the Weasleys visit Flourish and Blotts to buy school books. There they discover that Gilderoy Lockhart is signing his new book, Magical Me. When Lockhart spots Harry, he drags the boy up in front of the camera with him and announces the crowd that he will be… Read More
• Character Ginevra Molly Weasley (Ginny) is the youngest child of the Weasley family and the only daughter. Ginny is the youngest child and only daughter of Arthur and Molly Weasley (CS3), and the first girl born to the family in several generations (JKR). Though consistently underestimated by… Read More
• Article
Posted by in Canon discussion / Essays
In her essay Ginny Weasley, Why? published on The Harry Potter Lexicon in October 2003, author Water Witch presented a surprisingly astute evaluation of the importance of Ginny Weasley—surprising because, although the article was written after the publication of Order of the Phoenix, it predated Half-Blood Prince. Even though Rowling… Read More
• Article
Posted by in Harry Potter Lexicon Minute
Pottermore is no more. I guess having the name “Potter” in the title was too limiting, since now the website is called “Wizarding World” and encompasses the “Fantastic Beasts” films as well as the Potter books and films. My reaction? Whatever. I loved Pottermore for Rowling’s… Read More
• Character Diadema is mentioned as a sister to the famous Miranda Goshawk, who used the Bat-Bogey Hex on Diadema to get her to return clothes she took without Miranda’s permission. (BoS)… Read More
• Character Famous author of the Standard Book of Spells series of books (Standard Book of Spells Grade One through [known] Grade Six) which are required textbooks for students at Hogwarts (PS5, PA4, GF10, OP9, HBP9). Read More
• Character Older sister of Miranda Goshawk. Romilda enjoyed tricking her younger sister Miranda with inaccurate incantations. When Miranda published her famous spellbook, she had special editions created for her sisters with incorrect incantations in them. Romilda suffered a magical mishap as a result, but eventually her tail disappeared (BoS). Read More
• Character Tangwystl is mentioned as a sister to the famous Miranda Goshawk, who used the Bat-Bogey Hex on Tangwystl when she wanted to quiet her so she could do her homework. (BoS)… Read More
• Glossary “The Greater Good,” often “For the Greater Good” was an idea developed Goderic’s Hollow in the summer of 1899 by Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald which advocated wizard supremacy “for the greater good” of the world (DH18). Dumbledore and Grindelwald’s plans to achieve the Greater Good by wizarding takeover… Read More
• Headlines and advertisements Where Is Grindelwald? is a headline from a magical newspaper in 1926 referring to Aurors searching for the criminal Gellert Grindelwald. Unknown to MACUSA, Grindelwald was hiding out – disguised and working for them in New York City (WFT). Read More
• Headlines and advertisements Grindelwald Strikes Again in Europe is a headline from a magical newspaper in 1926. It refers to Gellert Grindelwald’s attacks on both Wizards and Muggles in Europe at that time (WFT).  … Read More
• Occupations A team of adventurous bankers from Gringotts who go out into the world breaking the protective Charms and Curses on old forgotten Wizarding treasure troves. Sometimes referred to as Curse-Breakers (PA1, OP29). Read More
• Character Grizel Hurtz is the “Agony Aunt” of the Daily Prophet and one of the experts featured on the Problem Page (DP3). Ms Hurtz advised lovelorn witch Lilith Molesby about the drawbacks of using a Love Potion to force a wizard to be in love with her. She recommended a course… Read More
• Books and Literature Children’s story, a childhood favorite of Aberforth Dumbledore. He and his brother Albus argued about which story their mother should read to them at bedtime. Albus preferred The Tale of the Three Brothers (TBB/TTB). Read More
• Quote “The funny thing is that I did always think that, if it ever did get published, it was a book for obsessives….. And I did think if people liked it they would probably like it obsessively…. but I thought that it would be an obsessive few – I never guessed… Read More
• Character Elladora Guffy was the next-door neighbour of Ethelbald Mordaunt. Madam Guffy was fond of practical jokes. She was been known on occasion to enchant Mordaunt’s garden furniture. This infuriated Mr. Mordaunt, which he eloquently expressed in a letter to the Daily Prophet (DP1). Read More
• Character Zamira Gulch was the author of Practical Household Magic. She also wrote for the Problem Page of the Daily Prophet (DP3). Ms Gulch specialised in readers’ everyday magical problems and advised a witch who could not get her Fixing Charms to stick. She suggested better concentration while performing charms… Read More