20 Fun Facts About Harry Potter Only True Fans Would Know
Call Yourself A Potterhead?
Think you know everything about Harry Potter? Think again. The Wizarding World is full of rich detail and surprisingly deep symbolism that even the most die-hard fans probably missed. From hidden easter eggs to behind-the-scenes details that were only revealed after the fact, here are 20 things about Harry Potter that will truly test your knowledge.
1. Gringotts Vault 713 Is Significant
The number of the Gringotts vault where the Sorcerer's Stone is kept when Hagrid goes to pick it up is 713. This is significant because it's lucky number seven and unlucky number 13 combined. In reverse, it's also the date Harry, Hagrid, and Griphook come to remove the stone from its vault.
2. Hogwarts Has 142 Staircases
Hogwarts Castle is made almost entirely out of staircases. J.K. Rowling stated in the books and in a live chat that there are 142 staircases at Hogwarts, many of which magically shift or are missing steps.
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3. Harry's Birthday Is The Same As J.K. Rowling's
July 31st is Harry Potter's birthday, the same date as J.K. Rowling's. Harry's is in the year 1980, and Rowling's is exactly fifteen years earlier, in 1965.
4. Dumbledore Is Gay
After the book series was completed, during a Q&A session, J.K. Rowling revealed that Dumbledore was gay. His relationship with Gellert Grindelwald was a romantic one.
5. Fred & George Were Born On April Fools' Day
The Weasley twins were more than casual pranksters; they made a living out of their mischievousness, founding Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes after their Hogwarts days. It's only fitting then that the two brothers were born on April Fools' Day.
6. Ron Almost Didn't Make It Past The Final Book
J.K. Rowling has revealed that she considered killing Ron Weasley in the final book. She was in a period of frustration and personal depression, and thought about doing so to sabotage the series, but decided against it, given how much of a core element he was to the plot.
7. Tom Felton Was Nearly Cast As Harry
Tom Felton, who ended up playing Draco Malfoy, originally tried out for the roles of Harry and Ron, but he wasn't a good fit for either. He actually lied to the director, copying another kid's answer to a question to hide the fact that he hadn't read the books, which was sly and clever: a very Malfoy thing to do.
8. Dementors Are A Metaphor For Depression
J.K. Rowling, who has spoken candidly about her struggles with mental health, has revealed that Demetors are a personification of depression. They're creatures that suck the happiness and soul out of people, leaving behind a cold shell.
9. "Muggle" & "Squib" Were Real Words
"Muggle" and "squib" aren't just made-up words; they have real English meanings, albeit very different ones. The word "muggle" first arose in the 17th century as a term for a sweetheart, and "squib" was a 16th-century word meaning a small explosive.
10. Wizarding Botany Is Based On Real Herbs
Their magical qualities may have been fictionalized, but many of the herbs in the wizarding world got their name from real plants. Most of the names come from a 17th-century book called Culpeper's Complete Herbal.
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11. Dumbledore Means Bumblebee
The name Dumbledore is an Old English word for bumblebee. J.K. Rowling chose this because she imagined Dumbledore humming to himself as he walked, like a bumblebee.
12. J.K. Rowling Wrote The House Names On A Barf Bag
J.K. Rowling has said that the inspiration for the names of the Hogwarts houses suddenly came to her on a flight. Because she didn't have any paper, she wrote them on the back of an airplane barf bag.
13. Hedwig Was Played By Seven Owls
Harry's beloved pet owl was played not by one, but seven snowy owls. They needed to cast so many because each one was trained for different actions, and owls tire easily.
14. The Three Central Characters' Names Have Deeper Meanings
Each of the three main characters, Harry, Ron, and Hermione, has a name with a deeper meaning. Harry is a Middle English form of Henry, a name historically given to kings with a meaning tied to leadership. Ronald is derived from Rögnvaldr, meaning "ruler's adviser," and Hermione is a feminine version of the Greek god Hermes, who is connected to wisdom.
15. The Actors Were Doing Real Homework
Seeing as they were real teenagers, any scene where you would see Ron, Harry, and Hermione doing homework, the actors were actually doing their homework. It might not have been about potions, though.
16. Professor McGonagall Was A Quidditch Star
You have to be pretty observant to notice that one of the Quidditch awards in the trophy case next to James Potter's has Professor McGonagall's name on it, meaning she was a Quidditch star back when she was a student. This makes sense considering how she was the one to first recognize and invest in Harry's talent.
17. The Name "Voldemort" is French
J.K. Rowling invented the name Voldemort from the French "vol de mort," which literally means "flight from death." This aligns with Voldemort's fear of dying and his obsessive quest for immortality.
18. Lupin's Condition Is A Metaphor For HIV
J.K. Rowling has stated that Remus Lupin's condition (being a werewolf) is a metaphor for HIV and other conditions with stigma. His condition is also blood-borne, and he experiences similar prejudice, social isolation, shame, and fear as someone with HIV.
19. Snape's First Words To Harry Were About His Mother
Snape's first words to Harry weren't just designed to intimidate and embarrass the young wizard; they were actually a coded message. He asks what he would get if he combined asphodel, a type of lily, with a bitter herb, wormwood, but using the Victorian language of flowers, Snape says I bitterly regret Lily's death."
20. Seven Is Significant
Numbers are significant throughout the Harry Potter books. Seven, generally considered a lucky or divine number, is the number of Weasley children, the number of HP books in the series, the number of years at Hogwarts, the number of horcruxes, and the number of Quidditch players.
