Some fun facts about the famous books and films by JK Rowling – Harry Potter.
His birthday is 31 July 1980, the same day at JK Rowlings.
She found the witchy sounding names, such as toadflax and grommel in an old herbal lore book dating from the 1600s.
They were asked to put the book Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, on sale in shops on a non-school day, to avoid children playing truant.
An outbreak of lice occurred among children during the filming of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
The driver and conductor of the Knight Bus, Ernie and Stan, are named after Rowling’s grandfathers.
Dumbledore’s full name is Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. Albus is latin meaning ‘white’, Percival was a knight of King Arthur’s Round Table and means ‘pierce the veil’, suggesting an ability to return from the dead (by coming back from heaven through the veil of the Earth’s atmosphere), Wulfric was a 12th century saint who was a deeply holy man after seeing a homeless man in the street, Brian is Celtic meaning ‘Strong’ and Dumbledore is an old English word meaning ‘bumble bee’.
Rowling has said that if she could take Polyjuice Potion, she would become (former) Prime Minister, Tony Blair for an hour.
She also said that she would be dreadful at playing Quidditch as she is not sporty, not good with heights and rather clumsy.
A Platform 9 3/4 sign has been erected at King’s Cross Station, between platform 9 and 10. Part of a luggage trolley has also been installed below the sign, whilst the near end is visible, the rest of the trolley seems to have disappeared into the wall.
The name ‘Voldemort’ comes from the French words meaning ‘flight of death’. Voldemort’s main goal is to conquer death. In the second Harry Potter novel, it transpires that ‘I am Lord Voldemort’ is an anagram of his full name, Tom Marvolo Riddle.