• Source We are reminded of Harry’s previous adventures and told of his summer holidays, he receives birthday cards and presents from his friends, and Harry learns what Ron and Hermione did during the summer. Read More
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Posted by in Harry Potter Lexicon Minute
Think about when you first saw that dedication to you, the reader, in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. You probably read that before you read a word of the novel itself. Think for a moment about whether reading that dedication impacted the attitude you had as you started in… Read More
• Common items Parchment, specially treated animal skin used for writing on, is frequently used in place of paper in the wizarding world. Read More
• Character Professor Phoebus Penrose’s committee produced a report entitled “A Study into Muggle Suspicions About Magic” (DP1). Professor Penrose contends in that report that Muggles notice much more of what happens in the wizarding community than is generally believed. For example, entries into the Annual International Wizard Gardening Competition’s Contorting Cereals… Read More
• Event Dumbledore left a letter on the Dursley’s doorstep with baby Harry. In it he explained that her sister Lily had died, and if she accepted Harry into her home, she would seal the magical bond of blood between them. Her nephew would be safe on Privet Drive until he turned… Read More
• Character Antioch Peverell was the oldest of the three brothers in The Tale of the Three Brothers, and owner of the Elder Wand. Read More
• Character A legendary wizarding family connected to the Deathly Hallows and said to be the origin of the Tale of the Three Brothers by Beedle the Bard. The family became extinct through the male line, but survived through Iolanthe Peverell who married Hardwin, son of Linfred of Stinchcombe, and passed down… Read More
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Posted by in About Sources
Synopses by William Silvester Chapter 1 – The Boy Who Lived In which we meet the Dursleys and learn of the peculiar happenings surrounding the arrival of Harry Potter on their doorstep including a conversation between Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall. Chapter 2 – The Vanishing Glass In which is related… Read More
• Character Phyllida Spore was a famous herbologist and the author of One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi (PS5). Read More
• Character Librarian at Hogwarts who looks like an underfed vulture (CS10) with a shriveled face, and who spends more time policing the library than helping with research (OP29). Pince is highly suspicious of the students and places nasty spells on books to make sure they’re returned on time:… Read More
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Posted by in Harry Potter Lexicon Minute
Today, I’d like to talk about a cool fan theory from back in the day that still has not been conclusively proven or disproven. After the “I am Lord Voldemort” anagram twist in Chamber of Secrets, Potter fans were on high alert for any other relevant anagrams in the series. Read More
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Posted by in Fandom News
One of the latest books to come out for Dungeons and Dragons is called Strixhaven: Curriculum of Chaos. The book is designed to provide D&D players with the opportunity to play as students at a magical school. It’s pretty easy to see the connections to the adventures of Harry and… Read More
• Source Pottermore was a website by J. K. Rowling intended to become the permanent online home for Harry Potter. The site opened for a limited beta release in September of 2011 and for the general public in April of 2012. The website as originally conceived was to… Read More
• Source A number of spell books were available on the original version of Pottermore. These were not the same as the books which a player collected and keept in the trunk. Rather, these books were accessed through individual moments or through the Duelling Club and Potions Class links on the Pottermore… Read More
• Source Other books by J.K. Rowling about the wizarding world: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Quidditch Through the Ages The Tales of Beedle the Bard The Cursed Child (script) Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (screenplay)… Read More
• Magical objects A wooden sign with golden letters found in front of the ruined cottage where James and Lily Potter died, commemorating their sacrifice. When Harry and Hermione visitied Godric’s Hollow, a touch of the gate made the sign rise out of the ground. Many witches and wizards had visited the site… Read More
• Event J K Rowling’s new website for Harry Potter fans (http://www.pottermore.com) was originally launched in July 2011, with limited access to a group of beta testers. It was opened to all fans in April of 2012. Read More
• Publications One of the scholarly journals of the wizarding world; Albus Dumbledore had at least one paper published in it when he was still quite young (DH2). Read More
• Thing The Predictions of Tycho Dodonus was a book published before 1927 in which the author, Tycho Dodonus, put forth a number of poetic prophecies. Many in the Wizarding community were familiar with the book including Albus Dumbledore, Yusuf Kama, Porpentina Goldstein, and Torquil Travers (CG). Read More
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Posted by in Canon discussion / Essays
Prejudice against Muggles compared to the attitude of Arthur Weasley (“bless them”) “Muggle-baiting”—the Shrinking Keys during the Voldemort years: Muggle killing and torturing at the Quidditch World Cup—Muggle torture, connected to Death Eaters Prejudice against Muggle-borns (Mudbloods) Salazar Slytherin—argued with Godric Gryffindor about admitting Muggle-born students Lucius and Draco Malfoy… Read More
• Event There was no way that Hermione and Ron were going to let Harry go Horcrux hunting alone. So they had to prepare. Hermione started to research, as she does, spells and potions that she thought they would need. One of those spells helped her create her purple beaded bag with… Read More
• Books and Literature The Prince’s copy of Advanced Potion-Making by Libatius Borage was given to Harry Potter out of a cabinet by Professor Horace Slughorn on the first day of N.E.W.T. level Potions class in his sixth year. Appearances Unlike Ron Weasley’s copy from the same cabinet,… Read More
• Character Helbert Spleen was a Healer at St. Mungo’s Hospital of Magical Maladies. He also wrote for the Daily Prophet (DP3)… Read More
• Source Harry learns that Professor Snape will referee the next Quidditch match, Nicolas Flamel is found, Gryffindor wins over Hufflepuff when Harry grabs the Snitch after only five minutes. Harry follows Snape into the Forbidden Forest where he meets Quirrell and they… Read More
• Source The Dursleys, of 4 Privet Drive, live a perfectly normal life together until one grey Tuesday in November of 1981. On his way to work that day, Vernon Dursley notices a stern-looking cat watching his house. He also sees people in the streets, dressed in cloaks and whispering… Read More
• Wizarding culture Many books are produced in the Wizarding World. Some of them are recreational, others are scholarly. Some are used as textbooks at Hogwarts. Known publishers are listed here, along with books they are known to have published: Dust & Mildew The Philosophy of the Mundane: Why the Muggles Prefer Not… Read More
• Publications The Pure-Blood Directory is an infamous publication from the 1930s which listed the so-called ‘Sacred Twenty-Eight’ families who have maintained a pure bloodline through history. The stated goal of the directory was to help pure-blood families keep their bloodlines pure by knowing with which families to intermarry. Some of these… Read More
• Character In the summer of 1995, The Quibbler prints an interview with Doris Purkiss, who claims that Sirius Black is really Stubby Boardman, and that Stubby had been enjoying a romantic dinner with her the day of the murder of the Potters and therefore had an alibi (OP10). Read More