40 Fun Facts About Harry Potter

What are the four Hogwarts houses?

The four houses of Hogwarts are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin, each named after one of the school's four founders.

What magical object sorts new students into their Hogwarts houses?

The Sorting Hat originally belonged to Godric Gryffindor. The founders enchanted it to sort students into houses based on their qualities and preferences.

What is the name of the train that takes students to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry?

The Hogwarts Express departs from Platform 9¾ at Kings Cross station in London and takes students directly to Hogsmeade station near Hogwarts.

What position does Harry Potter play on the Gryffindor Quidditch team?

Harry becomes the youngest Seeker in a century when he joins the Gryffindor team in his first year. The Seeker's job is to catch the Golden Snitch.

What is the name of the spell used to disarm an opponent?

Expelliarmus is the Disarming Charm, which forces an opponent to release whatever they are holding, typically their wand. It becomes Harry's signature spell.

What is Lord Voldemort's real name?

Voldemort's birth name is Tom Marvolo Riddle. The letters of his name can be rearranged to spell "I am Lord Voldemort."

What type of creature is Buckbeak?

Buckbeak is a Hippogriff — a creature with the front half of a giant eagle and the hind half of a horse. He first appears in Prisoner of Azkaban during Hagrid's Care of Magical Creatures class.

How many players are on each Quidditch team?

Each Quidditch team has seven players: three Chasers, two Beaters, one Keeper, and one Seeker.

What is the name of the Weasley family's home?

The Burrow is the Weasley family home, located near the village of Ottery St Catchpole in Devon. Despite its ramshackle appearance, it is a warm and welcoming place that Harry considers a second home.

What potion allows a witch or wizard to assume the physical appearance of another person?

Polyjuice Potion allows the drinker to take on the physical form of another person for about one hour. It takes a month to brew and requires a piece of the person to be transformed into (usually hair).

What is the name of Dumbledore's phoenix?

Fawkes is Dumbledore's pet phoenix. He comes to Harry's aid in the Chamber of Secrets, and his tears — which have healing properties — save Harry from the Basilisk's venom.

Who created the Philosopher's Stone?

Nicolas Flamel is the only known creator of the Philosopher's Stone, which can produce the Elixir of Life and turn any metal into pure gold. He lived to be over 660 years old thanks to the Elixir.

Which Hogwarts professor is secretly a werewolf?

Remus Lupin, who teaches Defence Against the Dark Arts in Prisoner of Azkaban, is a werewolf. His condition is hinted at by his name — "Lupin" derives from the Latin word "lupus" meaning wolf.

What form does Harry Potter's Patronus take?

Harry's Patronus takes the form of a stag, the same animal as his father James Potter's Animagus form. James's Marauder nickname was "Prongs" because of his stag antlers.

What are the three Unforgivable Curses?

The three Unforgivable Curses are Avada Kedavra (the Killing Curse), Crucio (the Cruciatus Curse causing extreme pain), and Imperio (the Imperius Curse giving total control over the victim).

Which of these is NOT one of the three Deathly Hallows?

The three Deathly Hallows are the Elder Wand, the Resurrection Stone, and the Cloak of Invisibility. The Sword of Gryffindor, while important to the story, is not one of them.

What creature does a Boggart transform into?

A Boggart is a shape-shifting creature that takes the form of whatever the person facing it fears most. It is repelled by the Riddikulus charm, which forces it into an amusing shape.

How was Dobby the house-elf freed from the Malfoy family?

Harry placed Tom Riddle's diary inside his own sock. When Lucius Malfoy disgustedly removed the sock and flung it aside, Dobby caught it. A house-elf is freed when their master gives them clothing.

Who is the Half-Blood Prince?

Severus Snape is the Half-Blood Prince. He gave himself this title as a student, combining his mother's maiden name (Prince) with his blood status (half-blood, having a Muggle father).

Which Marauder's nickname is "Padfoot"?

Sirius Black's Marauder nickname is Padfoot, referring to his Animagus form of a large black dog. James Potter was Prongs (stag), Remus Lupin was Moony (werewolf), and Peter Pettigrew was Wormtail (rat).

What magical plant screams when uprooted and can knock out anyone who hears its cry?

Mandrakes (also known as Mandragora) have a cry that is fatal to anyone who hears it when mature. In Chamber of Secrets, second-year students repot baby Mandrakes while wearing earmuffs. Mandrake Restorative Draught is used to cure petrified students.

In the Triwizard Tournament, what must champions retrieve in the First Task?

In the First Task, each champion must retrieve a golden egg from a nest guarded by a dragon. The golden egg contains a clue for the Second Task when opened underwater.

What is the name of the potion known as "Liquid Luck"?

Felix Felicis is the potion known as Liquid Luck. Harry wins a vial of it in Half-Blood Prince by brewing the best Draught of Living Death in Slughorn's class. It takes six months to brew properly.

What are the three core materials used by Ollivander in his wands?

Ollivander uses three "supreme" wand cores: phoenix feather, unicorn hair, and dragon heartstring. Each produces wands with distinct characteristics — unicorn hair is most consistent, dragon heartstring most powerful, and phoenix feather has the greatest range.

What subject does Professor Flitwick teach at Hogwarts?

Professor Filius Flitwick is the Charms professor and head of Ravenclaw house. He is described as a tiny, part-goblin wizard who is an expert duellist.

What is Dumbledore's full name?

Dumbledore's full name is Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. He reveals this to Harry during their first meeting in the Philosopher's Stone.

What form does Severus Snape's Patronus take?

Snape's Patronus is a doe, the same as Lily Potter's. This reveals his lifelong love for Harry's mother and is one of the most emotional revelations in the series.

What is the core of both Harry's and Voldemort's wands?

Both wands contain a tail feather from the same phoenix — Dumbledore's phoenix, Fawkes. This is why their wands are "brothers" and produce the Priori Incantatem effect when forced to duel.

Which of these characters did NOT die during the Battle of Hogwarts?

George Weasley survived the Battle of Hogwarts, though he had lost his ear earlier in the Deathly Hallows. His twin brother Fred, along with Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks, were all killed during the battle.

What did Harry name his three children?

Harry's children are James Sirius Potter, Albus Severus Potter, and Lily Luna Potter. They are named after important people in Harry's life: his parents, Dumbledore, Snape, Sirius, and Luna.

Who destroyed Voldemort's Horcrux Nagini?

Neville Longbottom beheaded Nagini with the Sword of Gryffindor during the Battle of Hogwarts. The sword presented itself to him as a true Gryffindor in his moment of need.

What did Dumbledore claim to see when he looked into the Mirror of Erised?

When Harry asks Dumbledore what he sees in the Mirror of Erised, Dumbledore says he sees himself holding a pair of thick, woollen socks. Harry suspects this is not the truth, and J.K. Rowling later confirmed Dumbledore actually saw his family whole and alive.

Which Horcrux was destroyed by Ron Weasley?

Ron destroyed Salazar Slytherin's Locket using the Sword of Gryffindor, which had been impregnated with Basilisk venom. The Horcrux tortured Ron with visions of his insecurities before he struck it.

Who was the Gryffindor ghost, also known as Nearly Headless Nick?

Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington is the Gryffindor house ghost, nicknamed Nearly Headless Nick because his execution with a blunt axe left his head partially attached.

Which Horcrux was destroyed by Hermione Granger?

Hermione destroyed Helga Hufflepuff's Cup using a Basilisk fang in the Chamber of Secrets during the Battle of Hogwarts. Ron had the idea to go to the Chamber to retrieve the fangs.

What does the potion Amortentia smell like?

Amortentia, the most powerful love potion in existence, smells different to each person depending on what they find most attractive. It has a distinctive mother-of-pearl sheen and spiraling steam.

Who was the original owner of the Elder Wand according to wizarding legend?

According to "The Tale of the Three Brothers," the Elder Wand was given to Antioch Peverell, the oldest brother, by Death himself. Cadmus received the Resurrection Stone and Ignotus received the Cloak of Invisibility.

Which Hogwarts founder is said to have brought house-elves to work in the castle?

Helga Hufflepuff brought house-elves to work at Hogwarts, giving them a safe place to work and be cared for. This reflects her compassionate nature and value of loyalty and fair treatment.

What is the core of the Elder Wand?

The Elder Wand contains a Thestral tail hair core, which is unique among wands. Thestrals are associated with death, fitting for a wand that is one of the Deathly Hallows and has a blood-soaked history.

How many ways are there to commit a foul in Quidditch, according to the books?

There are 700 ways to commit a foul in Quidditch, and all of them occurred during the 1473 Quidditch World Cup match. This fact is mentioned in Quidditch Through the Ages.