Have you memorised every chapter of every Harry Potter book? Do you find yourself muttering “Expelliarmus” in front of the mirror at every opportunity you get? Well, welcome to the world of Potterheads! Don’t let anyone tell you that the magic does not exist.
However, if you are a muggle who hasn’t ventured into the world of Hogwarts, all we can say is, give it a shot right away (we insist). Potterhead or not, there’s always room for some interesting trivia, isn’t it? Here are a few you must know:
1. Did you know, the inspiration behind the names of the trio —Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley and Hermoine Granger—are deeply rooted in their characteristics? JK Rowling has, in the past, revealed that “Harry” is the Middle English version of the name “Henry,” used by many kings of England. It alludes to the importance of Potter in the wizarding community. “Ronald” is an anglicised name derived from the Old Norse name “Rögnvaldr”. It refers to the ruler’s adviser, which holds true to the way his character is fleshed out in the series. Hermoine finds her inspiration from William Shakespeare’s, A Winter's Tale, but as per Rowling, the name is a reflection of her parents, “a pair of professional dentists, who liked to prove how clever they were.”
2. If you are a fan of the series, you probably have a favourite house from among Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff. It might come as a surprise that she first wrote these names down on the back of an airplane vomit bag.
3. JK Rowling has studied classical languages and mythology, and is familiar with Latin. This is why Hogwarts’s motto and many spells are derived from the ancient language. “You know the way that most school slogans are things like persevere and nobility, clarity, and fidelity or something, it just amused me to give an entirely practical piece of advice for the Hogwarts school motto,” she said in an interview in 2005.
4. Dementors draw inspiration from Rowling battle with depression. On a TV show, she said, “I know sadness. Sadness is to cry and to feel. But it's that cold absence of feeling—that really hollowed-out feeling. That's what Dementors are.”
5. Initially, Rowling had planned for Arthur Weasley’s character to meet with a grim fate in Order of the Phoenix, but she changed her mind. “I think part of the reason for that is there were very few good fathers in the book. In fact, you could make a very good case for Arthur Weasley being the only good father in the whole series,” she had said in an interview.
6. Do you know why Rowling decided on Hogwarts departing from King's Cross station? It’s because her parents met on a train to Scotland from King’s Cross.
7. Quidditch is quite the highlight in the series, but reports suggest, it was conceived after Rowling had a fight with her then boyfriend. She had said, “In my deepest, darkest soul I would quite like to see him hit by a bludger.”