Harry Potter is one of the most beloved and iconic franchises in pop culture history. From the books to the movies, fans around the world have been captivated by the story of the boy who lived. But even the most die-hard fans may not know all the trivia surrounding the series. In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the lesser-known facts about Harry Potter.
Here are 30 things we may not know:
- The original title of the first book was “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” but was changed to “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” for the US release.
- The character of Harry Potter was actually born in the same year as J.K. Rowling’s own son, making him a very personal creation for the author.
- Rowling came up with the idea for the series while on a delayed train from Manchester to London.
- The books have been translated into over 80 languages, including Ancient Greek and Latin.
- Harry Potter was rejected by 12 publishers before finally being picked up by Bloomsbury.
- The Hogwarts Express was filmed on the West Highland Line in Scotland, which is a real working railway line.
- The character of Nearly Headless Nick was based on a real person, who was actually fully beheaded.
- Hermione’s patronus is an otter, which is J.K. Rowling’s favorite animal.
- The character of Luna Lovegood was inspired by a girl Rowling went to school with who was always “in her own world”.
- J.K. Rowling was the first person to become a billionaire from writing books.
- The Mirror of Erised shows the viewer their deepest desire backwards, which can only be read correctly by looking at the reflection in a mirror.
- The names of the four Hogwarts houses were chosen to represent the four founders of the school: Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin.
- The Great Hall scenes in the movies were filmed at Christ Church College in Oxford, England.
- The Weasley family was originally supposed to have a cousin named Mafalda who was going to be a spy for Voldemort, but the character was ultimately cut from the series.
- The Weasley twins’ real names are Fred and George Gideon Weasley, while Percy’s full name is Percy Ignatius Weasley.
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was first published in 1997, and it took J.K. Rowling five years to write it.
- The character of Peeves the poltergeist was originally supposed to appear in the movies, but he was ultimately cut due to time constraints.
- The wizarding sport of Quidditch was inspired by a game J.K. Rowling played in college called “Kwidditch.”
- In the books, Neville Longbottom’s parents are tortured into insanity by Bellatrix Lestrange and other Death Eaters.
- The Hogwarts Express is a real train that runs from London to Scotland, but the platform 9 3/4 at King’s Cross Station was created for the movies.
- The name “Hogwarts” comes from a town in England called Hogsmeade, which J.K. Rowling visited as a child.
- The Marauder’s Map was created by James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew while they were at Hogwarts.
- The Hogwarts motto, “Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus,” means “Never tickle a sleeping dragon.”
- The character of Luna Lovegood was based on a girl J.K. Rowling knew in school who was always a bit “out there.”
- J.K. Rowling originally wanted to use the name “Harriet” for the main character, but decided on “Harry” instead.
- The idea for the Dementors came from J.K. Rowling’s struggle with depression, and they are meant to represent the feeling of hopelessness.
- The Hogwarts school song was written by J.K. Rowling, but it has never been included in any of the books or movies.
- The character of Hermione Granger was inspired by J.K. Rowling’s own experiences as a bookish, know-it-all student.
- J.K. Rowling originally planned to kill off Arthur Weasley in the fifth book, but changed her mind and instead killed off Sirius Black.
- The character of Professor Snape was almost played by Tim Roth, but he turned down the role.
These are just a few of the lesser-known facts about the Harry Potter series. The world of Hogwarts and wizardry is full of hidden gems and fascinating trivia, and it’s no wonder that fans continue to be enchanted by the story even after all these years.