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Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts cast members join forces for Lumos charity album A Magical Time of Year 

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Fancy hearing David Bradley (AKA Argus Filch) try his hand at some Bing Crosby? Or Dan Fogler and Ezra Miller join up for a Hanukkah classic? These are just a few of the joys of A Magical Time of Year, a new compilation album recorded to raise money for the Lumos Foundation, a charity founded by J.K. Rowling.

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Various cast members from the likes of *Harry Potter and the Cursed Child* and the Fantastic Beasts and Harry Potter films, lent their voices to create this seasonal collection just in time for the holiday season. Take a look at the track list to see who got involved.

TRACK LIST 
1.	What Christmas Means to Me – Thomas Aldridge
2.	Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow! – Claudia Kim
3.	It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas – Kevin Guthrie 
4.	The Christmas Song – Chris Jarman
5.	Hanukkah Oh Hanukkah – Dan Fogler, Ezra Miller 
6.	Silent Night – Michelle Gayle
7.	Merry Christmas Everyone – Warwick Davis
8.	Santa Baby – Poppy Corby-Tuech
9.	What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve – Thomas Aldridge, Michelle Gayle
10.	Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas – Alison Sudol
11.	White Christmas – David Bradley
12.	Come, O Come, Emmanuel – William Nadylam
13.	O Holy Night – Ezra Miller 

Professor Flitwick actor and Lumos ambassador Warwick Davis, one of the contributors to the album, said of the experince: 

'I had such fun singing ’Merry Christmas Everyone’, a song I’ve loved since the original recording by Shakin’ Stevens. Through your support of this album, you’ll be helping Lumos make a real difference to the lives of children and families, and be adding a little magic to your holidays.'

A Magical Time of Year will be coming out this week on 29 November, with three teaser tracks available to download or stream from today. A percentage of the proceeds will go to the Lumos foundation, helping vulnerable children all across the world leave orphanages and reunite with their families.

To find out more about the album, [visit the Lumos website.](https://www.wearelumos.org/get-involved/magical-time-of-year/)

Everything you need to know about Cursed Child: The Journey 

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How on earth did they achieve that Time-Turner effect? What were the script edits like? How did the flying Dementors work? Those who have seen *Harry Potter and the Cursed Child* know all too well about the abundance of magical riches the show has to offer. And now, some of its secrets are revealed in this beautiful, new behind-the-scenes book. 

Available in a stunning hardback edition or as an eBook and put together by Jody Revenson, *The Journey* explores the many different elements that came together to bring the eighth Harry Potter story to life, from costumes to music, from early development to Opening Night. Compiled with exclusive interviews with all the original creative team, fans can expect many fun behind-the-scenes titbits to be unveiled, such as extracts from director John Tiffany’s own notebooks, and new, gorgeous photography displaying the complex rehearsal process.

For those who order the eBook, *The Journey* comes with an interactive element, such as five videos that invite readers to dive even deeper into *Cursed Child*’s inception. For example, enjoy a time-lapse of how London’s Palace Theatre was brought to life. Both theatre and Harry Potter fans are in for a treat. 

*Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: The Journey* publishes on 31 October, 2019 in the UK and 5 November, 2019 in the US.

To pre-order from different territories, follow these links: [UK](https://www.littlebrown.co.uk/titles/harry-potter-theatrical-productions/harry-potter-and-the-cursed-child-the-journey/9780751576108/), [US](https://kids.scholastic.com/kids/book/harry-potter-and-the-cursed-child-the-journey-by-harry-potter-theatrical-productions/), [Aus](https://www.dymocks.com.au/book/harry-potter-and-the-cursed-child-the-journey-by-harry-potter-thea-productions-and-jody-revenson-9780751576108?cfclick=7f13bcf15eb243b0877563592683d084), [NZ](https://www.whitcoulls.co.nz/product/harry-potter-and-the-cursed-child-the-journey-6496752), [India](https://www.amazon.in/Harry-Potter-Cursed-Child-Award-Winning/dp/0751576107/) and [South Africa](https://www.takealot.com/harry-potter-and-the-cursed-child/PLID56355835).


Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has its opening weekend in its new West Coast home, San Francisco 

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London. Tick. New York. Tick. Melbourne. Tick. San Francisco...? Tick! Cursed Child’s official Opening Day  at the Curran Theatre is finally here – and, as ever – there was a party to be had. 

Here’s all the action from the opening weekend, exclusive, never-before-seen photography of the production, and a special letter written to the company, from J.K. Rowling.


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The cast and crew from *Cursed Child* were joined by producers Sonia Friedman and Colin Callendar, who had this to say about *Cursed Child*’s west coast takeover.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Alohomora! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CursedChildSF?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CursedChildSF</a> is officially open! <a href="https://t.co/TNnTU0tvPV">pic.twitter.com/TNnTU0tvPV</a></p>&mdash; Harry Potter and the Cursed Child SF (@CursedChildSF) <a href="https://twitter.com/CursedChildSF/status/1201350419676422144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

J.K. Rowling, who created the momentous eighth Harry Potter story alongside Jack Thorne an John Tiffany, delivered a special letter to the San Francisco production, making the weekend extra emotional. 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The company of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CursedChildSF?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CursedChildSF</a> received a little opening surprise from J.K. Rowling!<br><br>&quot;I couldn’t be prouder that the play’s now opening in one of my favourite cities!&quot; - <a href="https://twitter.com/jk_rowling?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jk_rowling</a> <a href="https://t.co/ByXcClRhCZ">pic.twitter.com/ByXcClRhCZ</a></p>&mdash; Harry Potter and the Cursed Child SF (@CursedChildSF) <a href="https://twitter.com/CursedChildSF/status/1201264969846677504?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 1, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

We were on hand to chat to the cast too – and in the spirit of the premiere – decided to launch into a game of ‘Would you Rather’ – Wizarding World style. Take a look as the cast deliberate hot topics, such as being told off by Professor Snape or Professor McGonagall. Choices, choices...

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Would you rather work at the Ministry of Magic or at Hogwarts? Watch the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CursedChildSF?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CursedChildSF</a> cast debate this hard-hitting Wizarding World question and more. <a href="https://t.co/J2iWR8tFuk">pic.twitter.com/J2iWR8tFuk</a></p>&mdash; Wizarding World (@wizardingworld) <a href="https://twitter.com/wizardingworld/status/1200776498279354369?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 30, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>


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And with that, another chapter of *Cursed Child’s* journey is officially written.

*San Francisco is now the fourth production of Cursed Child open around the world, with two more on the way for 2020: Hamburg and Toronto.*

*To learn more about [Cursed Child’s San Francisco production](https://www.harrypottertheplay.com/san-francisco/), visit the official website, as more tickets go on sale this week. Wizarding World Gold members and passport holders can also find out how to get [tickets before anyone else here](https://www.wizardingworld.com/news/get-early-access-to-cursed-child-tickets-with-wizarding-passport-and-wizarding-world-gold).*

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Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure wins ‘outstanding achievement’ award 

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The immersive ‘story coaster’ experience, which is themed around Hagrid and his love of magical creatures, launched back in June at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Universal Orlando Resort. You might remember that we were there to have [a spin ourselves](https://www.wizardingworld.com/news/all-the-action-from-the-grand-opening-of-hagrids-magical-creatures-motorbike-adventure)!

Now, the ride has been recognised by the Themed Entertainment Association, winning the Outstanding Achievement Award 2019. The TEA Thea Awards celebrate the best in themed experiences and innovations, such as theme parks and other destination attractions. 

Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure is unique in pushing the boundaries of coaster-technology, featuring huge vertical drops, a real-life Forbidden Forest comprised of over 1,200 trees, and an animated Hagrid figure, narrated by Robbie Coltrane himself. 

A big congrats to the whole team involved in the ride, and here’s to many more flights on that iconic motorbike.  

For more information about all of the attractions at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, check [the official website](https://www.universalorlando.com/web/en/us/universal-orlando-resort/the-wizarding-world-of-harry-potter/hub). 


Valentine’s Dinner in the Great Hall returns to the Studio Tour in 2020

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Ah, Valentine’s Day. We can’t say Harry Potter always had the greatest time on Valentine’s Day (just ask Cho Chang about their only date), but nonetheless it is a cause for some much-needed romance in the wizarding world. Who can forget the ‘dozen surly-looking dwarfs’ that Lockhart dressed with golden wings and armed with harps to deliver Valentines messages?!

In the absence of these messengers, we’re pleased to report that  Valentine’s Dinner in the Great Hall will return to Warner Bros. Studio Tour London - The Making of Harry Potter on Friday 14th, Saturday 15th and Sunday 16th February 2020. 

And we're pleased to say that Wizarding World Gold members will get 48 hours early access to book one of 33 pairs of tickets, 11 pairs per night,  that have been exclusively allocated to Gold subscribers. [Learn more about Gold here.](https://www.wizardingworld.com/about-gold)

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Couples are invited to spend Valentine's Day in a truly magical location this February as Warner Bros. Studio Tour London hosts a romantic dinner in the iconic Great Hall. Each night from Friday 14th February through to Sunday 16th February, guests attending the evening event will be greeted on arrival with welcome drinks and canapés, including a special 'Love Potion' cocktail (no, Snape was not coerced into making this one!), before sitting down to dine on the authentic Great Hall set.

You’ll have your own special romantic space with tables for two and a three-course dinner. Complimentary photos will be taken at the tables.

After dinner, access to the Studio Tour is all yours! Stop for a drink at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters to admire the costumes of film couples Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione from the series’ concluding scene set 19 years after the Battle of Hogwarts. After exploring Gringotts Wizarding Bank and having a wander up Diagon Alley, after-dinner tea, coffee and petits fours will be served overlooking the majestic model of Hogwarts castle at the tour’s conclusion.

Wizarding World Gold members will have early access to purchase tickets from Sunday 8 December 2019 at 10:00AM GMT until Tuesday 10 December 2019 at 10:00AM GMT, when tickets go on general sale.

*T&Cs: Event is 18+ only. Tickets available on a first-come, first-served basis and are subject to availability. Maximum 1 pair of tickets per Gold subscriber. Other limitations and [terms and conditions apply](https://www.wbstudiotour.co.uk/terms-and-conditions).

Get the latest Wizarding World news here. Faster than an owl and more accurate than the Daily Prophet

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What I learnt from Draco Malfoy... by playing Draco Malfoy

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“...It is exceptionally lonely, being Draco Malfoy...”

So comes a heartfelt and powerfully honest admission from someone who has never openly revealed any weakness, especially not to his greatest rival - Harry Potter.
 
Playing Draco Malfoy on stage is not just a hugely exciting challenge. It comes with a backstory so rich that it is impossible not to feel the weight of family history bearing down on him. As he also admits: ‘I will always be suspected. There is no escaping the past.'
 
What makes these lines so powerful to play is that after all the illusions and epic events of *Harry Potter and the Cursed Child*, this scene between the two arch rivals is just that - two men standing on stage together opening up about their pasts, their mistakes and their fears for their children. It’s my favourite scene to play. 
 
When we first meet the adult Draco in our story, he is already showing the burdens of his past. Although happily married to Astoria and with a son and heir - something his father would be relieved about - the Malfoys are still trapped by their past connections with Voldemort. So much so that Scorpius is rumoured to not even be a Malfoy, but the son of the Dark Lord.
 
His first interaction with Harry is to ask him a favour to help discredit the rumours, but his pleas are ignored - and so revives the rivalry and mistrust between the two men. For most of the first part of *Cursed Child* we see many of the old traits of Draco - his sneering view towards Muggles and Mudbloods, especially towards Hermione Granger as the Minister for Magic; and his sense of superiority over his old school acquaintances, including Potter and Ron Weasley.
 
The fun challenge in playing Draco is not to shy away from these darker parts of his character. His childhood was a deeply traumatic experience and the influence of his father has shaped a lot of his personality, no matter how hard Astoria has tried to help him change. I truly don’t believe that Draco was ever really a bad person. He was just an insecure boy with parents who encouraged him to behave as a superior wizard.
 
As he says to Harry and Ginny in *Cursed Child*, 'I think you have to make a choice - at a certain point - of the man you want to be. And I tell you that at that time you need a parent or a friend. And if you’ve learnt to hate your parents by then and you have no friends... then you’re all alone. And being alone - that’s so hard.' The thing that terrifies Draco so much is that the horrors of his childhood are being revisited on his son, and his love and protection of Scorpius becomes the single most important thing in his life. 
 
He also admits to being envious of Harry’s friendships with Ron and Hermione, and only after this admission does he begin to move closer to a potential future truce between them all. If adult Draco shows us anything, it is that we can all turn over a new leaf, and become less isolated by showing that we are all capable of change.
 



Hogwarts in the Snow: lesser known decorations from the Great Hall

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Gryffindor table set for Christmas at Hogwarts in the Snow

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### House representation

Professor McGonagall told Harry and his classmates on his arrival at Hogwarts: ‘your house will be something like your family’. For the films, the Art Department, Props Team and Set Decorators wanted to reflect house colours in the decorations for Christmastide – the time of year most commonly spent with loved ones. 

House representation details you may have missed include snowmen on cakes wearing house scarves, sweet pots and student presents wrapped with house colours, as well as crackers with an individual house design.  
House pride is strong as ever in the Great Hall during the festive makeover of the sets for Hogwarts in the Snow.   


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### Magical attention to detail

Those of you channelling a Ravenclaw’s thirst for knowledge will be delighted to find out there’s more detail than just House representation in the Great Hall.  

The garlands on every panel are the actual garlands used during filming, with some fresh ivy added we’re sure Professor Sprout would approve of.  
The Christmas puddings are rigged by the Special Effects department to produce real flames. Unfortunately, they are about as inedible as Hagrid’s rock cakes since they’re made of concrete and steel leaves to withstand the high heat.  


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### Fabulous filming facts

Did you know that during the filming of the first Harry Potter, real food was cooked and served fresh every day on set? Unfortunately, it didn’t keep well and by the end of a long day’s filming, it looked a little like the spread at Nearly Headless Nick’s Deathday Party. After the first film therefore, the ever-creative Props Team solved this problem by making replica feast food themselves. We hope the cast remembered the change: even the peas were metal ball bearings sprayed green!  

And do you remember the malevolent beings circling the top of the Christmas trees? The SFX Team led by Oscar-winning John Richardson added them in an inspired decorative mood. Out-Hermione all your friends by telling them the magical beings are actually fairies, not witches.  



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### Yule be surprised to know

The Great Hall also boasted additions for the special Yule Ball celebration that happened in Harry’s fourth year at Hogwarts.  

>‘Ah, music,’ he said, wiping his eyes. ‘A magic beyond all we do here!’ 
>
>*Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire*
 
Albus Dumbledore certainly would have approved of Professor Flitwick’s orchestra being set out for the Yule Ball set. It included all the original musical instruments from the fourth film, as well as velvet coloured chairs and music stands.  

Did you recognise the shape of the ice sculpture centrepiece on the Yule Ball table? It was actually based on the Brighton Pavilion! And there was no rest for the Props Team when it came to creating a wintery feel… All the flaming torches in the Yule Ball were painted to look like ice, and the icicles were all hand-made in resin.  


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An enormous cauldron of thanks to Warner Bros. Studio Tour London for sharing these seasonal secrets! 

For more information or to book your tickets in advance, you can head over to their <a href="https://www.wbstudiotour.co.uk">website.</a>


How the Weasleys changed my life as a redhead  

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It is a truth universally acknowledged that redheads didn't generally have the best time in primary school. Having red hair, even without hand-me-down robes, was basically an invitation to be picked on, whether you went to a wizarding school or your standard comprehensive. As much as I insisted that my hair was actually *auburn* (or titian, depending on one's preference), unfortunately more things rhymed with ginger, so that was that. Then when I was introduced to not just one ginger hero in the Harry Potter series, but a whole family of them, you can imagine how delighted I was. Here's how the Weasleys helped me to live my best redheaded life...

It was 2001 and during 'circle time' in my year 6 classroom, our teacher asked which fictional character we would most like to be. I proudly opted for Ginny Weasley. Despite one classmate’s snarky cry of 'who?!', I was pleased with my choice. For the first time in a long time, there was a ginger character to get on board with. After all, Ginny was in one of the coolest wizarding families! She lived in the Burrow! She could cast a mean Bat-Bogey Hex! She became slowly possessed by the spirit of Lord Voldemort! OK, maybe not that last one.

Ginny wasn't the only redheaded Harry Potter character to inspire me. Ron, after all, was Harry's best friend, and he’s not teased about his hair in the books, not really. It wasn't a personality point, nor was it an invitation for the rest of the characters to treat him badly. In fact, the only character to point out his hair is Draco Malfoy, who then gets superbly taken down by Harry Potter, marking the end of any chance of them becoming friends. It made me realise that hair colour isn't nearly as important as being good at something; like Ron with his chess, or being a great friend, or sticking your neck out to help someone. Just because my hair colour was what my classmates zoned in on, it didn't need to define me.  

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Suddenly, the classmates that picked on me were just a bunch of mini Dracos. And who wants to be Draco, running to tell the teacher every time he wanted to get Harry in trouble and buying his way into the Quidditch team, when you can be ginger and winning the House Cup?   

Then there was the Weasley family beyond Ginny and Ron. Fred and George were easily the funniest and most likeable characters in the novels (in my opinion, anyway). Hilarious, charming and massively popular, it made me feel smug that we had at least one thing in common. Not to mention Bill, who especially made being a redhead cool, what with his ponytail and his fang earring.

Of course, I'm not the only one to feel like the Weasley family seriously helped me out as a youngster. Speaking about how J.K. Rowling helped her to love her red tresses, Laura, 33, said: "She inspired me when she said she loved ginger people at the *Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2* premiere. I also love the fact that all the main characters are ginger like Lily, Ron, all of the Weasleys." Hayley, 28, added that thanks to the Weasleys, she's never dyed her hair a different colour. She said: "There wasn’t really anyone else who I knew in my year at school who was a redhead and people would always make jokes about me being ginger and I always desperately wanted to change my hair colour. But then the Weasleys got a bit of a cult following and became cool, so it helped me embrace my colour rather than hate it - haven’t touched hair dye since!"  

Even Rupert Grint himself had a lot to say about the Weasleys being up front and centre in the novels. Speaking at the *Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2* premiere, saying to J.K. Rowling: "What you've done for ginger people … I can't put it into words. So, thank you, Jo," to the ecstatic screaming of what I assume was the ginger part of the crowds at Trafalgar Square.

Going from a hair colour that went from being widely mocked to coveted was great. With countless people dressing up for Hallowe’en sporting red hair and a broken wand as Ron, it can most definitely be said that the Weasley family contributed to the rise of the redheads, and I couldn't be happier to be a part of that crowd.  

Now, who wants to talk about Spattergroit?

How the wizarding world sometimes gave us some unrealistic expectations 

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## Teachers

Perhaps you were lucky enough to have wonderful teachers, but Albus Dumbledore would be a hard act for any head teacher to follow. His wisdom, wit and protectiveness over his students was second to none.

Remember that time in *Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince* when Harry accused Dumbledore of abandoning the school? His angry reply said it all: ‘Please do not suggest that I do not take the safety of my students seriously.’

Then there was Remus Lupin who gave Harry private tuition so he could fight off Dementors. What better gift could a teacher give than a Patronus? ‘A pure, protective magical concentration of happiness and hope.’ Meanwhile, in Muggle life, extra maths tuition was never going to be quite as exciting... however excellent the teacher. 

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## Adventures

Reading about Hogwarts had us imagining we’d be solving at least one mystery a term during our own school years. Think again! No priceless magical objects hidden down the third-floor science corridor, no secret chamber under the sports hall, no school heirlooms scattered across the country in need of destruction. Nothing. The biggest mystery some of us had to face at school was why we weren’t allowed to write about the Harry Potter books in our English exams... or was that just us?

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## P.E.

We thought physical education or games or sport – whatever your school called it – wouldn’t be so different to Quidditch. How very wrong we were. It turns out you can’t really compare Quidditch to any sport you might try at school. Why? Well, clearly it’s the best sport ever invented. Flying broomsticks, spectacular dives, signature moves (we’d all love a go at a Wronski Feint) and Quidditch heroes worthy of admiration – Viktor Krum, Gwenog Jones, Charlie Weasley. Not to mention that Quidditch teams are mixed, so it’s a sport that heroes equality. 

P.E.’s only saving grace perhaps was that it was timetabled to end; in Quidditch, if you had a particularly slow Seeker, the game could go on for days. In fact, the record is six months – that’s a really long P.E. lesson.

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Cormac McLaggen brags to Ron Weasley at Quidditch Keeper tryouts

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## School dances 

When our own school dances, discos, and graduation balls came around, we’re sure we weren’t alone in imagining some version of the Yule Ball ¬– that glittering winter spectacular that was held in honour of the Triwizard Tournament in *Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire*. Perhaps you too had unrealistic expectations about the décor and pictured your school hall decked out ‘in sparkling silver frost, with hundreds of garlands of mistletoe and ivy crossing the starry black ceiling’ with your classmates in elegant dress robes. And don’t forget the live fairies! 

How our expectations crashed through the floor when everyone turned up in jeans, jumped up and down to the music, and the only refreshments were bowls of ready salted crisps. We’d rather have braved taking Cormac McLaggen to Slughorn’s Christmas party. 


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## School meals

Much to our disappointment, it turned out that cafeteria food couldn’t really compete with Hogwarts feasts. From the way the food just magically appeared on the tables, to the sheer number of choices, our own Muggle school food didn’t stand a chance. Treacle tarts, Yorkshire puddings, flaming Christmas puddings, platters of fat chipolatas, tureens of buttered peas – to name a few delights. At Harry’s first ever banquet ‘He had never seen so many things he liked to eat on one table’. If you can say the same about your school food, then we are Slytherin green with jealousy.


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Hats fly in the air when Gryffindor win the House Cup 

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## Trouble

Is it us or did Harry, Ron and Hermione always manage to avoid really serious trouble? Imagine if you had crashed a stolen car - albeit one belonging to your parents - into an ancient tree on school property? Expulsion would definitely have been on the cards. But Professor McGonagall didn’t even take any house points off Harry and Ron when they crashed Mr Weasley’s car into the Whomping Willow. And when it came to the Chamber of Secrets, they broke ‘about a hundred school rules into pieces along the way’ and then received Special Awards for Services to the School. 

Huh, surely Muggle teachers would barely raise an eyebrow at small transgressions like running in the corridors, chewing gum in class or forgetting your sports kit? 

No such luck. If only we could have had detention with Hagrid and unicorns instead of writing lines...

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## Friendship

Harry, Ron and Hermione are true friendship goals but we’re not sure the expectations they created for our own are realistic. 

We’re sure your friends are wonderful, but have you ever fought off a twelve-foot mountain troll with any of them? Or accidentally eaten slugs trying to stick up for them? Or believed in a friend so much that you agreed to destroy evil objects with them even though they had no plan whatsoever? You see our point. 

But it’s worth saying here that friendship is always relative to the people who are in it, so we’re sure you have a mountain troll moment in your friendship story… even if it doesn’t involve troll bogies or Wingardium Leviosa. 

One expectation that the Harry Potter stories gave us was that friendship is vitally important, and that wasn’t unrealistic at all. 

What your Patronus says about you

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Luna conjuring her rabbit Patronus in the Room of Requirment 

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## Five favourites from the top ten 

*Most popular: dolphin*

It’s a good thing that dolphins are the most common Patronus form, because they’re friendly, sociable mammals! They live in pods, communicate in squeaks, whistles and clicks and are incredible playful creatures. If you have a dolphin as a Patronus, perhaps it matches your own extroverted personality? If that doesn’t sound like you, maybe deep down you’re more outgoing than you thought…  

*Tonkinese cat*

There are no fewer than six types of cat in the top twenty, but the one that came in second to the dolphin was the Tonkinese cat. It’s no real surprise that cats were amongst the most common Patronus types; according to J.K. Rowling ‘it is usual for a Patronus to take the form of an animal commonly found in the caster’s native country’. A Tonkinese cat Patronus might indicate that you’re a curious and loving person. This breed delights in playing games, unlike lazier cats, and is very generous with their affection. 

*Fox*

Following the felines, the fox slinks into fifth place. Foxes are cunning, resourceful and fiercely intelligent – remind you of anything? That’s right – we wouldn’t be surprised if some members of Slytherin house find themselves with a fox Patronus. Foxes are also highly adaptable and can live in many diverse habitats around the world. If deep down you’re channelling the fox, you’ll likely have resilience in spades.

*St Bernard*

The sixth most popular Patronus is a type of dog. Like cats, there are quite a few friendly canines in the top twenty, but the St Bernard comes out top dog. A gentle giant, the St Bernard reminds us a little of Rubeus Hagrid in nature. Apart from its size, this breed has become well known for performing search and rescue, saving lives in the mountains. You’re likely to have bravery with a St Bernard as your Patronus, as well as a big heart – even if you don’t wear it on your sleeve. 

*Hedgehog*

This prickly customer just makes it into the top ten. Hedgehogs hibernate in cold climates, so if your Patronus takes this form it might be that you’d rather curl up under a blanket than take on the winter chill. Personality-wise, these critters may look cute but they’ve got a hard edge when it comes to defending themselves. Perhaps you have hidden depths to your personality if this is your Patronus. One thing’s for sure though, we wouldn’t mind having this spiky Patronus on our side against a Dementor.

Still curious about whether your Patronus made it into the top 20? Scroll to the bottom to find out!

## A handful of rarities

*Unicorn*

A magical form of Patronus is very uncommon, and the unicorn is one of the rarest on our list. According to Newt Scamander, the unicorn ‘is a pure white, horned horse when fully grown’. They generally avoid human contact, so a unicorn Patronus might indicate shyness in a personality as well as an air of mystery. 
Although it doesn’t follow that a magical Patronus is more powerful than any other, it may reflect an ‘unusual personality’. 

*Snowy owl*

Given their prominence in the wizarding world, you might think that having an owl Patronus is pretty commonplace. However, they’re unusual and this is backed up by our statistics – the Snowy owl is 115th most common. In fact the highest any owl comes on list is 105th with the Scops owl. If you’re lucky enough to have a Snowy owl as your Patronus, you may well reflect its protective and fearless personality – it fiercely defends its nest, even against wolves. No doubt Hedwig would have been a Gryffindor!

*Stag*

118th on our list is the stag Patronus we associate so closely with Harry, as well as his father, James Potter. Interestingly the doe sits next to the stag on the list, almost like they’re watching over each other – not unlike James and Lily, and later... Snape and Harry. Often regarded as a protector, a stag Patronus might indicate that you look out for others, as well as shine in leadership roles. Just like Harry, we’d feel safe with his proud guardian as our Patronus.

*Wood mouse*

If you have a mouse as a Patronus we’re here to reassure you – they may be small, but they are mighty! J.K. Rowling tells us that ‘one of the most famous Patronuses of all time was a lowly mouse, which belonged to a legendary young wizard called Illyius, who used it to hold off an attack from an army of Dementors single-handedly.’ As well as bravery, having this mouse Patronus may also hint at your initiative and intelligence. Wood mice mark their territory by placing objects in key places. Smart! At 87th down the list, this little mouse is also a relatively rare Patronus.  

*Albatross* 

The albatross is the rarest Patronus on our list; the one belonging to the lowest number of Wizarding World fans. With the longest wingspan of any bird – up to 11 feet – the albatross surfs the ocean winds for hours, hardly even needing to flap. If you have produced an albatross Patronus, perhaps you have a happy-go-lucky personality and enjoy throwing caution to the wind. The Dementors would be unlikely to get you down with this giant feathered friend soaring in to save the day.


## The top twenty... 

1. Dolphin
2. Tonkinese Cat
3. Manx Cat
4. Nebelung Cat
5. Fox
6. St Bernard Dog
7. Weasel
8. Bassett Hound
9. Black And White Cat
10. Hedgehog
11. Deerhound
12. West Highland Terrier
13. Siberian Cat
14. Tortoiseshell Cat
15. White Stallion
16. White Mare 
17. White Swan
18. Osprey
19. Borzoi
20. Ragdoll Cat


If you haven’t yet sought out your Patronus, you just need to sign up for a Wizarding Passport [here ](https://my.wizardingworld.com/about-passport "Wizarding Passport link")to discover it. 

If you already have a Patronus you can admire it [here](https://my.wizardingworld.com/patronus "Patronus experience link").

Whatever form your Patronus takes, we hope it brings you happiness and hope!



For beginners, for novices, for Harry Potter superfans going 20 years-strong, dig deep into the Wizarding World with our collection of features.

Features - Wizarding World

For beginners, for novices, for Harry Potter superfans going 20 years-strong, dig deep into the Wizarding World with our collection of features

quiz

Quiz

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The Patronus Quiz

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Ready? Expecto...

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The Harry Potter Film Binge Quiz

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Harry Ron and Hermione sitting at the Burrow for Dumbledore's will 

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Now, we cannot stress this enough, this is a quiz entirely about the films – all eight of them. We know your book knowledge is impeccable, but bear in mind it will only help you so much here. So, make sure you’re all caught up, and let’s see who is the greatest binge-watcher of them all. 

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Discover the films

Wizarding World Image Crediting

to Fantastic Beasts

The Potions Quiz 

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Harry’s Potions lessons often came with mixed results. When taught by Snape, it was a bubbling nightmare, full of exploding cauldrons, orange potions and threatened toads. 

So, how good is your potions knowledge? Sadly, we have no annotated textbooks or Felix Felicis to help you here, but best of luck all the same. 

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The Neville Longbottom Quiz

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Neville defies Lord Voldemort and holds the sword of Gryffindor in the aftermath of the Battle at Hogwarts.

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As it’s Neville’s birthday, here's a quiz to see how much you really know about him. Let’s hope there’s no red smoke in your Remembralls after this quiz...

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The Albus Dumbledore Quiz

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Dumbledore uses the Deluminator outside the Dursley's house.

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Fascinating things, quizzes. So how well do you really know your Albus Dumble-lore?

Do you know your sherbet lemons from your Acid Pops? How about all of Dumbledore’s myriad middle names? What does ‘Nitwit, Blubber, Oddment, Tweak’ actually mean? (Just kidding, nobody knows that.) 

Let’s see how much you know about one of the greatest wizards there ever was.  

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Take these quizzes and discover how much you know about the Wizarding World. From spells to ghosts, potions to professors, wands to witches and more.

Quizzes - Wizarding World

Put your wizarding knowledge to the test with curious quizzes for all levels

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J.K. Rowling Originals

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The Sorting Hat

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The famous Hogwarts Sorting Hat gives an account of its own genesis in a series of songs sung at the beginning of each school year. Legend has it that the hat once belonged to one of the four founders, Godric Gryffindor, and that it was jointly enchanted by all four founders to ensure that students would be sorted into their eponymous houses, which would be selected according to each founder’s particular preferences in students.

The Sorting Hat is one of the cleverest enchanted objects most witches and wizards will ever meet. It literally contains the intelligence of the four founders, can speak (through a rip near its brim) and is skilled at Legilimency, which enables it to look into the wearer’s head and divine his or her capabilities or mood. It can even respond to the thoughts of the wearer.

The Sorting Hat is notorious for refusing to admit it has made a mistake in its sorting of a student. On those occasions when Slytherins behave altruistically or selflessly, when Ravenclaws flunk all their exams, when Hufflepuffs prove lazy yet academically gifted and when Gryffindors exhibit cowardice, the Hat steadfastly backs its original decision. On balance, however, the Hat has made remarkably few errors of judgement over the many centuries it has been at work.

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JKR Sorting Hat illustration

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## J.K. Rowling’s thoughts

The Sorting Hat does not appear in my earliest plans for Hogwarts. I debated several different methods for sorting students (because I knew from early on that there would be four houses, all with very different qualities). The first was an elaborate, Heath Robinson-ish machine that did all kinds of magical things before reaching a decision, but I did not like it: it felt at once too complicated, and too easy. Next I placed four statues of the four founders in the Entrance Hall, which came alive and selected students from the throng in front of them while the school watched. This was better, but still not quite right. Finally, I wrote a list of the ways in which people can be chosen: eeny meeny miny mo, short straws, chosen by team captains, names out of a hat – names out of a talking hat – putting on a hat – the Sorting Hat.

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The Potter Family

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The Potter family is a very old one, but it was never (until the birth of Harry James Potter) at the very forefront of wizarding history, contenting itself with a solid and comfortable existence in the backwaters.  

Potter is a not uncommon Muggle surname, and the family did not make the so-called ‘Sacred Twenty-Eight’ for this reason; the anonymous compiler of that supposedly definitive list of pure-bloods suspected that they had sprung from what he considered to be tainted blood. The wizarding Potter family had illustrious beginnings, however, some of which was hinted at in *Deathly Hallows*. 

In the Muggle world ‘Potter’ is an occupational surname, meaning a man who creates pottery. The wizarding family of Potters descends from the twelfth-century wizard Linfred of Stinchcombe, a locally well-beloved and eccentric man, whose nickname, ‘the Potterer’, became corrupted in time to ‘Potter’. Linfred was a vague and absent-minded fellow whose Muggle neighbours often called upon his medicinal services. None of them realised that Linfred’s wonderful cures for pox and ague were magical; they all thought him a harmless and lovable old chap, pottering about in his garden with all his funny plants. His reputation as a well-meaning eccentric served Linfred well, for behind closed doors he was able to continue the series of experiments that laid the foundation of the Potter family’s fortune.  Historians credit Linfred as the originator of a number of remedies that evolved into potions still used to this day, including Skele-gro and Pepperup Potion. His sales of such cures to fellow witches and wizards enabled him to leave a significant pile of gold to each of his seven children upon his death. 

Linfred’s eldest son, Hardwin, married a beautiful young witch by the name of Iolanthe Peverell, who came from the village of Godric’s Hollow. She was the granddaughter of Ignotus Peverell. In the absence of male heirs, she, the eldest of her generation, had inherited her grandfather’s invisibility cloak. It was, Iolanthe explained to Hardwin, a tradition in her family that the possession of this cloak remained a secret, and her new husband respected her wishes. From this time on, the cloak was handed down to the eldest in each new generation. 

The Potters continued to marry their neighbours, occasionally Muggles, and to live in the West of England, for several generations, each one adding to the family coffers by their hard work and, it must be said, by the quiet brand of ingenuity that had characterised their forebear, Linfred.  

Occasionally, a Potter made it all the way to London, and a member of the family has twice sat on the Wizengamot: Ralston Potter, who was a member from 1612-1652, and who was a great supporter of the Statute of Secrecy (as opposed to declaring war on the Muggles, as more militant members wished to do) and Henry Potter (Harry to his intimates), who was a direct descendant of Hardwin and Iolanthe, and served on the Wizengamot from 1913-1921. Henry caused a minor stir when he publicly condemned then Minister for Magic, Archer Evermonde, who had forbidden the magical community to help Muggles waging the First World War. His outspokenness on the behalf of the Muggle community was also a strong contributing factor in the family’s exclusion from the ‘Sacred Twenty-Eight’.  

Henry’s son was called Fleamont Potter. Fleamont was so called because it was the dying wish of Henry’s mother that he perpetuate her maiden name, which would otherwise die out. He bore the burden remarkably well; indeed, he always attributed his dexterity at duelling to the number of times he had to fight people at Hogwarts after they had made fun of his name. It was Fleamont who took the family gold and quadrupled it, by creating magical Sleekeazy’s Hair Potion ( *‘two drops tames even the most bothersome barnet’* ).  He sold the company at a vast profit when he retired, but no amount of riches could compensate him or his wife Euphemia for their childlessness. They had quite given up hope of a son or daughter when, to their shock and surprise, Euphemia found that she was pregnant and their beloved boy, James, was born. 

Fleamont and Euphemia lived long enough to see James marry a Muggle-born girl called Lily Evans, but not to meet their grandson, Harry. Dragon pox carried them off within days of each other, due to their advanced age, and James Potter then inherited Ignotus Peverell’s Invisibility Cloak.

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The Hogwarts Express

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The Hogwarts Express steaming through the country side

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As we know from early historical accounts, and from the evidence of early woodcuts and engravings, Hogwarts students used to arrive at school in any manner that caught their fancy. Some rode broomsticks (a difficult feat when carrying trunks and pets); others commandeered enchanted carts and, later, carriages; some attempted to Apparate (often with disastrous effects, as the castle and grounds have always been protected with Anti-Apparition Charms), others rode a variety of magical creatures.

In spite of the accidents attendant on these various modes of magical transport, not to mention the annual Muggle sightings of vast numbers of airborne wizards travelling northwards, it remained the responsibility of parents to convey their children to school, right up until the imposition of the International Statute of Secrecy in 1692. At this point, it became a matter of urgency to find some more discreet method of transporting hundreds of wizarding children from all over Britain to their secret school in the Highlands of Scotland.

Portkeys were therefore arranged at collecting points all over Britain. The logistics caused problems from the start. Up to a third of students would fail to arrive every year, having missed their time slot, or been unable to find the unobtrusive enchanted object that would transport them to their school. There was also the unfortunate fact that many children were (and are) ‘Portkey-sick’, and the hospital wing was frequently full to bursting for the first few days of every year, while susceptible students overcame their hysterics and nausea.

While admitting that Portkeys were not an ideal solution to the problem of school transportation, the Ministry of Magic failed to find an acceptable alternative. A return to the unregulated travel of the past was impossible, and yet a more secure route into the school (for instance, permitting a fireplace that might be officially entered by Floo powder) was strongly resisted by successive Headmasters, who did not wish the security of the castle to be breached.

A daring and controversial solution to the thorny problem was finally suggested by Minister for Magic Ottaline Gambol, who was much intrigued by Muggle inventions and saw the potential in trains. Where exactly the Hogwarts Express came from has never been conclusively proven, although it is a fact that there are secret records at the Ministry of Magic detailing a mass operation involving one hundred and sixty-seven Memory Charms and the largest ever mass Concealment Charm performed in Britain. The morning after these alleged crimes, a gleaming scarlet steam engine and carriages astounded the villagers of Hogsmeade (who had also not realised they had a railway station), while several bemused Muggle railway workers down in Crewe spent the rest of the year grappling with the uncomfortable feeling that they had mislaid something important.

The Hogwarts Express underwent several magical modifications before the Ministry approved it for school use. Many pure-blood families were outraged at the idea of their children using Muggle transport, which they claimed was unsafe, insanitary and demeaning; however, as the Ministry decreed that students either rode the train or did not attend school, the objections were swiftly silenced.

The Marauder’s Map

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From the Sorting Hat to wand woods, the Marauder’s Map and more. Discover the writing and content released by J.K. Rowling on Pottermore.com now available on Wizarding World.

J.K. Rowling Archive - Wizarding world

Explore the inner workings of the wizarding world with a collection of writing from J.K. Rowling