30 Interesting Harry Potter Facts You Never Knew

Though it started from humble beginnings, Harry Potter has grown to become one of the most popular book series in history. The novel, which follows the story of a young boy enduring tribulations to defeat the monster that ended his parents’ lives, immensely resonated among people of all ages, especially children.

As the story is a global phenomenon, it’s almost impossible to learn of someone who hasn’t indulged in the Harry Potter series or books. However, with such coverage, many facts about Harry Potter are lost in the darkness of immense popularity. Today, we will go through some of these elusive details. So, join us on a ride as we explore 150 interesting Harry Potter Facts.

Harry Potter’s Blood Ties To Voldemort

1. No one was as evil as Voldemort in the Harry Potter universe. The Dark Lord instilled so much fear throughout the series that magicians feared to mention his name. 

2. However, though you may think Voldemort was somewhat of a God, you’d be wrong as he was once a student of Hogwarts. 

3. Before becoming a monster, Voldemort was Tom Riddle, and in a shocking twist of fate, he and Harry Potter are distant relatives. 

4. Tom Riddle and Harry come from the same Peverell family, the original owners of the Deathly Hallows. 

5. Tom Riddle’s bloodline extends from Cadmus Peverell, who received the resurrection stone from the spirit of Death. Harry Potter comes from Ignotus Peverell’s bloodline, the man who received the invisibility cloak.

Harry Shares the Same Birthday With J. K. Rowling

6. When creating the Harry Potter novels, J. K. Rowling modeled many of the characters with inspiration from the events in her life. 

7. As she loved Harry and saw him as her hero, she decided to make his birthday July 31st, the same day she was born. 

Is that cute or weird? Let us know what you think in the comments.

The Presence of Hatstalls

8. Whenever a child magician was ready to attend Hogwarts, they received a letter welcoming them into the magical institution. 

9. On gaining admission, each student had a house assigned to them among the four: Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Slytherin, and Gryffindor, with the help of the Sorting Hat. 

10. The Sorting Hat was an incredible magical item that could read someone’s thoughts, determine their abilities, and assign them to one of Hogwarts’ great houses. However, the hat couldn’t choose which house to place a student in sometimes; this phenomenon was called a Hatstall. 

11. The longest Hatstall in Hogwarts’ history occurred during Minerva McGonagall’s sorting. The hat deliberated for five minutes and thirty seconds before deciding Minerva belonged to Gryffindor.

12. Other people with lengthy sorting include Peter Pettigrew, who also spent over 5 minutes, and Hermione Granger, who spent 4 minutes during sorting.

The Magician Who Voldemort Feared

12. Many people may think Voldemort is the greatest wizard in the Harry Potter universe because he’s the Dark Lord. However, that’s far from the truth. 

There was one person he feared confronting because he knew he’d lose. That was Albus Dumbledore. 

13. Yes, Dumbledore was the mightiest wizard alive. He was so skilled that he defeated Gellert Grindelwald, who used the Elder Wand, the strongest throughout the magical world. Amazing, right?

The One Time Ron Weasley Was Almost Killed By J. K. Rowling

14. Do you know that Rowling almost ended the life of Harry Potter’s closest friend? That’s right, there was a time when J. K. Rowling was in a bad state. She claimed that she wanted others to feel the pain she felt and decided to end Ron Weasley’s life out of sheer spite. 

15. However, she didn’t pull through with her idea, and Ron was safe from his creator. Imagine how the Harry Potter universe would have turned out if it was George R. R. Martin.

Harry’s Scar Position

16. It’s no surprise there are differences in minute details between movies and book series. One such difference in Harry Potter was his scar position.

17. In the American version of the books, the young wizard’s scar was shown to be slightly centered; this idea could have made it into the film series if not for Rowling’s persistence on the scar being on the right side of Harry’s forehead.

Scariest Monsters In The Magical World

There are many terrifying monsters in Harry’s world. Some were so dangerous that just staring at them for a brief moment could end one’s life. Some include:

18. Acromantulas: These were the scariest animal-like creatures in the magical world. They were giant spiders with hairy bodies and eight legs. Acromantulas were social creatures and could undergo domestication if taken from birth.

19. Basilisk: The Basilisk was one of the deadliest creatures in the Harry Potter universe. It was a giant snake whose gaze was so powerful it could kill a person and petrify a ghost. Besides the ability to kill with its gaze, the Basilisk was also immensely poisonous.

20. Dementors: Dementors were demon-like creatures that conjured fear in the hearts of mighty magicians. There were monsters of darkness who made people relive their worst memories. Besides torture, Dementors could end anyone’s life by sucking out their soul. Rowling stated she created the Dementors to represent the gloominess of depression.

The Weird Nature of Ghosts

21. Ghosts are an integral part of the magical world and Hogwarts. Each house had many ghosts that littered the walls and corridors. However, there were many weird things about ghosts in the Harry Potter series.

22. First, normal humans couldn’t become ghosts. That’s right, only witches and wizards could become one. 

23. When someone didn’t want to die or got tied to a particular place, they became ghosts; this is why Dumbledore and Harry’s parents didn’t return after their demise.

Hogwarts’ Long History of Unsafety

24. Though it’s a pristine magical school for young witches and wizards, anyone would look at Hogwarts and immediately conclude it’s one of the most unsafe places in the magical world. It’s so dangerous that one may have better chances almost anywhere else. 

Reasons for Hogwarts being unsafe are:

25. The Forbidden Forest: Imagine a school with children built near a forest with monsters that’d love to end them. Who would come up with such an idea, right? Well, the creators of Hogwarts Academy placed the school right in the middle of a terrifying forest with many dangers.

26. Hidden Compartments With Deadly Monsters: Hogwarts is notorious for having many secret compartments filled with some of the scariest and deadliest creatures known to wizards, like the Basilisk; these creatures can only face defeat by either sheer luck or immensely skilled individuals. Some students, like Moaning Myrtle, were killed while in school.

27. Voldemort: Perhaps the worst threat in Hogwarts is Voldemort and his agents. The Dark Lord broke into the magical school or sent someone to help with his evil plans so much that students couldn’t be sure if their next teacher was an executioner.

Discrepancies In The Harry Potter Universe

Though many people love Harry Potter and ignore its flaws, some discrepancies in the overall plot make the story feel off.

28. One part of Harry Potter that feels slightly off is the technological gap between the magical and muggle worlds; this rift poses significant issues as it leaves many aspects of the story’s plot open. 

29. Another critical flaw includes the muggle world’s inability to influence the magical world and vice versa. With the abilities showcased by powerful wizards, it’ll be almost impossible to hide the existence of supernatural forces.

30. Also, the magical economy is vaguely described. Besides the Ministry of Magic, there aren’t other departments overseeing the politics and law of the magical world.

Conclusion

We hope you enjoyed learning our 30 cool facts about Harry Potter. You can also check out our 50 Dragon Facts or search our Facts Database. Also, don’t forget to leave us a comment and share.