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Take a look inside the new illustrated edition of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone designed by MinaLima 

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[This exciting new edition of the book](https://www.wizardingworld.com/news/scholastic-new-illustrated-edition-sorcerer-stone-minalima), which comes with special interactive paper craft features, immortalises many memorable moments from *Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone*, thanks to the talents of the MinaLima design team. 

The team, fronted by artistic duo Miraphora Mina and Eduardo Lima, have reimagined key moments from the first book that are guaranteed to get you all nostalgic. MinaLima are notable for their work across the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts films, designing iconic props, book covers, posters and much more. 

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The team spoke to us about the upcoming book, revealing how excited they were to get back to the ‘core’ of Harry Potter after having worked on Wizarding World projects for 20 years.


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‘It’s been a real honour to be invited into this exclusive club of illustrators, and to do it and stay true to our style,’ they said.

MinaLima follow in the footsteps of Jim Kay, who has illustrated four of the seven [Harry Potter books so far with his own distinctive flair.](https://www.wizardingworld.com/news/first-look-at-jim-kays-illustrated-edition-of-harry-potter-and-the-goblet-of-fire)

‘I think the biggest challenge was trying to un-think working on the films. And re-think, in a very from-the-heart way, what we felt we could best do for the text. This was a lovely opportunity to be fresh, and think - what would a child really love to see?’ 

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In this new illustrated offering, enjoy Dumbledore and Harry’s heart to heart set to a gorgeous stained-glass backdrop and take a moody glance at the Hut on the Rock where Harry first discovers he’s a wizard. 

Expect this new edition to be oozing with creative interpretations of some of your favourite characters and settings. 

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‘I think the double-spread of the kids arriving at the castle with Hagrid and the full moon just felt... if we could get the magic right in there and get the magic right in the train, that would be the key to unlock the style and personality of the book,’ the team told us.

‘For us, it’s always about that. There’s also a few little easter eggs – and there’s one in that particular drawing.'

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We’ll leave it to you all reading this to see if you can spot it! 

The new edition of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (or Philosopher’s Stone in the UK) is coming 20 October 2020, published by Scholastic and Bloomsbury respectively.   

To pre-order in the US, [visit the Scholastic website](https://kids.scholastic.com/kids/book/harry-potter-and-the-sorcerers-stone-9781338596700/), or the UK, [either MinaLima](https://minalima.com/) or the [Bloomsbury website.](https://harrypotter.bloomsbury.com/uk/harry-potter-and-the-philosophers-stone-minalima-edition-9781526626585/?ewid=1329)

Explore the wonders of the Harry Potter: A History of Magic exhibition at home

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The *Harry Potter: A History of Magic* exhibition unveils rare books, manuscripts and magical objects from the British Library’s collection, capturing the traditions of folklore and magic which are at the heart of the Harry Potter stories. Here’s our little reminder that you can explore the exhibition again, or marvel at the magic for the very first time from your own home, through Google Arts & Culture.

This online curation, which includes highlights from the British Library’s exhibition, is not only ideal escapism for curious adults but perfect for parents looking for engaging activities for their children. They’ll love the interactive experience of searching the Ripley Scroll, an ancient manuscript that sets out the ingredients for the elixir of life. Get those imaginations flowing by flicking through ancient spell books, as well as insiders’ insights into the exhibition in videos featuring Julian Harrison, its lead curator.

Jim Kay’s beautiful artwork (including a study of dragon eggs!) will no doubt inspire many a budding young artist, as well as reading the words of the illustrator himself from a rare interview. For the animal-loving there are plenty of magical creatures to fervently study, and for some story-writing inspiration, read early notes and sketches by J.K. Rowling as she created the wizarding world we all know and love. 

There’s even a ‘how to study like a wizard’ section, where you can discover the history behind the classes at Hogwarts. Grab your quills and delve into eight online exhibits – Potions, Charms, Herbology, Alchemy, Astronomy, Divination, Defence against the Dark Arts and Care of Magical Creatures. Which subject will you excel in? Beautifully curated for an online experience, each exhibit is visually dynamic – zooming into manuscripts, artwork and sketches – as well as fascinating and easily accessible. 

You can explore the [British Library’s Harry Potter: A History of Magic collection here](https://artsandculture.google.com/project/harry-potter-a-history-of-magic "Arts and Culture History of Magic exhibition link BL"). #HarryPotteratHome


Bloomsbury reveal new illustrated covers of Order of the Phoenix house editions 

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Each crest, once again designed by illustrator Levi Pinfold, comes packed with easter eggs and little references from the fifth Harry Potter story. Learn about each of the minute details displayed in the covers below. 

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![Bloomsbury_OOTP_House_Covers_Hufflepuff](//images.ctfassets.net/usf1vwtuqyxm/1v5GFSqAgbxtyNhsHaGCXt/d91339989edf49dccb116fdad96d4c97/HP5_HE_JacketsExplained_1080x1350_v4_HUFF.jpg)

![Bloomsbury_OOTP_House_Covers_Slytherin](//images.ctfassets.net/usf1vwtuqyxm/3IQ6wQOHSZUXuOg1riZn7O/582f014ef788888ba44ca6ce50c5b0f9/HP5_HE_JacketsExplained_1080x1350_v4_SLYTH.jpg)

![Bloomsbury_OOTP_House_Covers_Ravenclaw](//images.ctfassets.net/usf1vwtuqyxm/2fWYn2qMxuShnWOvjCeyq6/ff7b7f0994f54bc34288f434beb6fa45/HP5_HE_JacketsExplained_1080x1350_v4_RAVEN.jpg)

This is the fifth offering from Australia-based artist Levi Pinfold, who has been working on these special edition Bloomsbury books since the first book, always being sure to incorporate small details into each cover. 

Levi told us earlier this year, ‘I think to get that much detail into such a small space is kind of exciting and kind of cool. It’s just the little tiny details that I really enjoy because they’re so hard to see and I think that really brings it together and turns it into something you feel like you can disappear into.’ 

You can watch more of Levi’s Wizarding World thoughts here. 

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/suHJVy_Wgig" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

*You can pre-order the Hogwarts House Edition of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (whichever house you hail from!) [at the Bloomsbury website. ](https://bit.ly/2vyYD5i)You even get a little pocket-sized house notebook as a free treat!*

Bloomsbury and Scholastic reveal covers for new illustrated edition of Quidditch Through the Ages

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Today Bloomsbury Children’s Books and Scholastic have revealed beautiful covers for the full colour illustrated edition of J.K. Rowling’s Quidditch Through the Ages, illustrated by Emily Gravett to be published simultaneously in hardback on 6th October 2020.

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*Quidditch Through the Ages Illustrated Edition* is packed full of high-flying illustrations from Emily Gravett, twice winner of the Kate Greenaway Medal.

Gravett’s imaginative artworks truly bring the sport of Quidditch to life. You can expect to feast your eyes on match posters, team uniforms, Chudley Cannons memorabilia, as well as broom adverts, old Quidditch World Cup tickets and much more. But don’t just take it from us – here’s a sneak peek at some of the delights you can expect inside...

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Charming and funny, Emily Gravett’s handmade artworks are the perfect pairing for J.K. Rowling’s humorous insights into – as Ron would tell you – ‘the best game in the world’.
 
Quidditch Through the Ages first appeared in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Hermione borrowed it from the library – of course – and later lent it to Harry before his first ever Quidditch match. As Harry found out, Quidditch Through the Ages is a whistle-stop tour of the wizarding world’s favourite sport, with trivia, tales of on-pitch antics, team profiles and Quidditch moves (haven’t you always want to know how to do a Wronski Feint?). And now this new edition brings the sport to life in glorious technicolour!
 
As with previous editions, proceeds from the sale of this new illustrated book will go to J.K. Rowling’s own international children’s charity Lumos, which helps some of the world’s most vulnerable children and young people to have a better life, with additional proceeds going to Comic Relief.

New mobile game Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells announced

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Portkey Games' latest offering shows the breadth of games for different audiences that the label is creating - collaborating with a number of innovative developers.

Hot on the heels of recent mobile games Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery and Wizards Unite, Zynga Inc. (makers of CSR Racing and Words With Friends) are soft launching Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells in select markets.

Licensed from Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and published under the Portkey Games label (you can [read more about Portkey Games here](https://www.wizardingworld.com/news/portkey-games-to-release-new-games-inspired-by-jk-rowlings-wizarding-world)), the game promises to weave match-3 puzzle gameplay with the characters, narrative, settings, spell-casting and, of course, magical mischief of the Wizarding World. We know very well that Harry Potter quizzes, puzzles and other brain teasers have always been as popular as a swift Butterbeer down The Three Broomsticks – so this should be right up your (Diagon) alley! 

In the game, players create a persona then go on to unlock exclusive Wizarding World elements such as new spells and brewing potions. They will also encounter iconic moments and memorable faces from the Harry Potter films. Users will swish and flick through matching puzzles and other obstacles, earning experience points along the way.

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As well as being able to level up their skills and spells alongside customising their unique in-game personas, players will also be able to form clubs and join forces with other fans to socialise and participate in special in-game cooperative activities. Sounds like you’ll be able to put together your own version of Dumbledore’s Army amongst your friends, in other words.

‘We are incredibly proud to bring Harry Potter to Zynga's portfolio and are dedicated to creating a game that's worthy of the Wizarding World and its legions of fans,’ said Bernard Kim, President of Publishing at Zynga. ‘By combining the ubiquity of mobile and the expertise of Zynga’s development team in partnership with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, we are crafting a game that will delight fans of all ages around the globe.’

Check back to hear more about when *Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells* will launch worldwide for iOS and Android devices, as well as Amazon Kindle and Facebook. 

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

News - Wizarding World

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The funniest ten moments of Quidditch commentary

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## When Lee Jordan couldn’t keep his Gryffindor loyalty under control 
‘So – after that obvious and disgusting bit of cheating –’

‘Jordan!’ growled Professor McGonagall.

‘I mean, after that open and revolting foul –’
‘Jordan, I’m warning you –’

‘All right, all right. Flint nearly kills the Gryffindor Seeker, which could happen to anyone, I’m sure’.

*Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone*

## When Luna Lovegood wasn’t too fussed about remembering the players’ names 
‘… but now that big Hufflepuff player’s got the Quaffle from her, I can’t remember his name, it’s something like Bibble – no, Buggins –’

‘It’s Cadwallader!’ said Professor McGonagall loudly from beside Luna.

*Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince*

## When Malfoy fouled Harry and Professor McGonagall forgot all about Lee Jordan’s bias 
Professor McGonagall didn’t even bother to tell him off. She was actually shaking her fist in Malfoy’s direction; her hat had fallen off, and she, too, was shouting furiously.

*Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban*

## When Ginny Weasley deliberately flew into biased commentator Zacharias Smith 
‘Forgot to brake, Professor, sorry.’

*Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince*

## When Lee Jordan spoke mostly in capital letters
‘YOU CHEATING SCUM!’ Lee Jordan was howling into the megaphone, dancing out of Professor McGonagall’s reach. ‘YOU FILTHY, CHEATING B–’

*Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban*

## When Luna Lovegood had a deep and meaningful chat with the whole Quidditch crowd 
‘Smith was being quite rude about Gryffindor, I expect he regrets that now he’s playing them – oh, look, he’s lost the Quaffle, Ginny took it from him, I do like her, she’s very nice …’

*Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince*

## When Ludo Bagman noticed the referee at the Quidditch World Cup having Veela issues
‘Now, we can’t have that!’ said Ludo Bagman, though he sounded highly amused. ‘Somebody slap the referee!’

*Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire*

## When Lee Jordan appeared to be sponsored by the Firebolt
‘The Firebolt’s precision-balance is really noticeable in these long –’

‘JORDAN! ARE YOU BEING PAID TO ADVERTISE FIREBOLTS? GET ON WITH THE COMMENTARY!’

*Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban*

## When Professor McGonagall just couldn’t take it anymore
‘Seventy–forty to Hufflepuff!' barked Professor McGonagall into Luna’s megaphone. 

‘Is it, already?’ said Luna vaguely. 

*Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince*

## When Lee Jordan bemoaned the state of his love life
‘And it’s Johnson – Johnson with the Quaffle, what a player that girl is, I’ve been saying it for years but she still won’t go out with me –’

*Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix*

Watch our guide on how to draw a Niffler 

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Is there a cuter fantastic beast than the Niffler? (Shush, nobody tell Pygmy Puffs we said that.) How about creating your own to show off to your mates?

The mischievous creature, known for foraging shiny objects and for being a particular favourite of Newt Scamander, was first introduced to us in the book *Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire*, and we’ve been in love ever since.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wdhd0hNU5W8" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

And don’t worry, you don’t have to have the artistic prowess of Dean Thomas (remember his ‘Potter for President’ Qudditch banner?) to draw this little fellow – our guide is designed so everyone can draw along. 

Don’t forget to draw the Niffler’s gold coins – otherwise you’ll have yourself one sad Niffler. 

For more of our arts and crafts videos, check the [Wizarding World YouTube channel.](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChPRO1CB_Hvd0TvKRU62iSQ) 

Play our Triwizard Tournament Wordsearch

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Our Wizarding World app users may have already played our wordsearches and crosswords, but now, we're popping a few on our website so everybody can have a go.

The theme for this particular one is the Triwizard Tournament. See how quickly you can find the words - a slightly easier challenge than taking on a Hungarian Horntail. Simply click and drag to find all the words. And watch out for a few little magical quirks along the way.

<iframe width="600" height="650" src="https://bridgecard.wizardingworld.com/wordsearch/20200225/00010/" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

If you're enjoying our puzzles, this is just the tip of the iceberg. 

Wizarding World Gold subscribers can play weekly challenges in our app feed, with a few treats thrown in for free-users too. You can learn more about [Wizarding World Gold here. ](https://www.wizardingworld.com/about-gold?gclid=CjwKCAiAhc7yBRAdEiwAplGxXxd32IayJKnEscllKgsPU4_IPOqy9bD51W21pSP5saL64lLwzoU7lBoC1wYQAvD_BwE)

Stick around on WizardingWorld.com for another puzzle coming soon. 

Into the Pensieve: Do you remember Bob Ogden?

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## Who was Bob Ogden?
This exact question was asked by Harry Potter himself in *Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince*. According to Dumbledore, Bob Ogden was employed by the Department of Magical Law Enforcement back when Voldemort’s relatives – the Gaunt family – were still at large.

## When did we meet him?
Confusingly, we met Bob Ogden in the Pensieve, via a memory Dumbledore collected from Ogden before the Ministry official died. Dumbledore showed Ogden’s memory to Harry during one of their private lessons in *Half-Blood Prince*. Bob Ogden was dead by the time Harry saw this memory – he was around when Lord Voldemort’s mother, Merope Gaunt, was barely out of girlhood. 

## What was he doing when we met him?
When Harry dropped into his memory, Bob Ogden was acting in his capacity as a Ministry official. A wizard called Morfin Gaunt had ‘performed a jinx or hex on a Muggle, causing him to erupt in highly painful hives’ and Ogden was tasked with seeking Morfin out and summoning him to a Ministry hearing. However, Ogden got a little bit more than he bargained for when he turned up at the Gaunt house. He was met by Morfin Gaunt who hissed at him in Parseltongue – a language he couldn’t understand – and was then hit in the nose by a thoroughly unpleasant spell. 
The rest of the family weren’t much fun either. Marvolo Gaunt, who we later learned was Lord Voldemort’s grandfather, was obsessed with being descended from Salazar Slytherin, and treated Ogden – as well as his daughter Merope – with utter contempt.   

## What did he look like?
Appearance-wise, Bob Ogden was short, plump and wore ‘enormously thick glasses that reduced his eyes to molelike specks’. In the memory Dumbledore had collected, he was also wearing ‘the strange assortment of clothes so often chosen by inexperienced wizards trying to look like Muggles: in this case, a frock-coat and spats over a striped one-piece bathing costume’. It was a bold look, we’ll give Ogden that.

## What about his personality?
Bob Ogden might have only appeared on a total of thirteen pages across the Harry Potter series, but we reckon you can tell quite a bit about the kind of wizard he was from his brief encounter with the Gaunt family. He was definitely a patient man. Despite Marvolo and Morfin taunting and insulting him, he remained calm and professional, refusing to retaliate. He also made it clear he didn’t share Marvolo’s contempt for Muggles and didn’t give two hoots whether or not someone was of pure blood. He also protected Merope from her father’s temper at great personal risk. He was certainly brave to enter the Gaunt house alone, but not foolhardy – his logic told him to fetch reinforcements when Morfin chased him from the house with a bloody knife and hexes. 

We’d bet our favourite Chocolate Frog card that Bob Ogden was a fair and just Head of the Magical Law Enforcement Squad. 

## Why did he matter?
Ogden’s memory of the Gaunts proved extremely useful to both Dumbledore and Harry in the fight and eventual defeat of Lord Voldemort. He shed light on the life of Lord Voldemort’s mother, Merope, and her son’s past – something that Dumbledore told Harry was ‘very important’, particularly when it came to the prophecy. Bob Ogden’s memory also provided vital clues about not one, but TWO Horcruxes, that Harry would have to ensure were destroyed before defeating Lord Voldemort. 

Let us explain. In the memory, Merope Gaunt – Voldemort’s mother – was wearing a heavy gold locket around her neck. Marvolo almost strangled her with it as he pointed out to Ogden that it had belonged to Salazar Slytherin. After finding a fake version of the locket with Dumbledore, Harry would later break into the Ministry of Magic to steal the real locket from Dolores Umbridge. And Ron would eventually destroy it with Godric Gryffindor’s sword. 

Ogden also saw Marvolo Gaunt wearing the black-stoned ring that Tom Riddle later made into his second Horcrux – a Horcrux Dumbledore himself destroyed before his death. But the ring didn’t just give Harry a clue about Horcruxes, he remembered that Marvolo had boasted that the ring displayed the Peverell coat of arms – a family inextricably linked to the Deathly Hallows. Arguably, the black-stoned ring of Bob Ogden’s memory helped Harry work out that Dumbledore had left him the Resurrection Stone. 

## Why might we have forgotten him?
We’d certainly forgive you for overlooking Bob Ogden. With an appearance on only thirteen pages of a book series with an enormous catalogue of supporting characters, Ogden might have been one that slipped your mind. He also only appeared in the Pensieve, so never truly entered Harry Potter’s timeline – and this can make him harder to remember. That being said, we hope that one day you’ll take a Harry Potter quiz and the winning answer will be Bob Ogden – and you can feel really, really smug. 


Play our Silliest Words Wordsearch!

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Our Wizarding World app users may have already played our wordsearches and crosswords, but now, we're popping a few on our website so everybody can have a go.

The theme for this particular one is rather silly words - all in the spirit of Magical Mischief month. See how quickly you can find these ridiculous words - hopefully the wordsearch won't be like Peeves and behave itself.

Simply click and drag to find all the words...

<iframe width="600" height="650" src="https://bridgecard.wizardingworld.com/wordsearch/20200317/00013" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Fancy playing our other free puzzles? Be our guest.

[Try our Triwizard Tournament wordsearch here. ](https://www.wizardingworld.com/features/wizarding-world-triwizard-tournament-wordsearch)
[Try our Wizarding World books crossword here. ](https://www.wizardingworld.com/features/wizarding-world-books-crossword)

Wizarding World Gold subscribers can play weekly challenges in our app feed, with a few treats thrown in for free-users too. You can learn more about [Wizarding World Gold here. ](https://www.wizardingworld.com/about-gold?gclid=CjwKCAiAhc7yBRAdEiwAplGxXxd32IayJKnEscllKgsPU4_IPOqy9bD51W21pSP5saL64lLwzoU7lBoC1wYQAvD_BwE)

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

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The Which Witch Quiz 

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The Ultimate Food Quiz

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The Arthur and Molly Weasley Quiz

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Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

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and the Goblet of Fire

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The Magic Gone Wrong Quiz

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Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

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and the Chamber of Secrets

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The Gilderoy Lockhart Quiz

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

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

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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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JKR Signature Small gif

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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JKR Mirror of Erised illustration

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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Harry locates the One Eyed Witch using the Maurauder's Map.

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Perhaps no students (even including Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger and Tom Riddle) have ever explored the castle and grounds of Hogwarts as thoroughly and illicitly as the four creators and contributors to the Marauder’s Map: James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew.

James, Sirius and Peter were not initially impelled to explore the school grounds by night out of devilment alone (though that played its part), but by their desire to help their dear friend Remus Lupin to bear his lycanthropy. Prior to the invention of the Wolfsbane Potion, Lupin was compelled to undergo an excruciating transformation every full moon. Once his condition was discovered by his three best friends, they sought a way to render his transformations less solitary and painful, which led to them learning to become (unregistered) Animagi, so that they could keep him company without harm to themselves. The ability of Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew and James Potter to become, respectively, a dog, a rat and a stag, enabled them to explore the castle grounds by night undetected. The interior of the castle, meanwhile, was mapped over time with the help of James Potter’s Invisibility Cloak.

The Marauder’s Map is lasting testimony to the advanced magical ability of the four friends who included Harry Potter’s father, godfather and favourite teacher. The map they created during their time at Hogwarts appears to be a blank piece of parchment unless activated by the phrase: ‘I solemnly swear that I am up to no good,’ a phrase that, in the case of three of the four makers, should be understood as a joke. The ‘no good’ of which they wrote never denoted Dark magic, but school rule-breaking; similar bravado is evinced by their use of their own nicknames on the map (‘Messrs Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs’).

The magic used in the map’s creation is advanced and impressive; it includes the Homonculous Charm, enabling the possessor of the map to track the movements of every person in the castle, and it was also enchanted to forever repel (as insultingly as possible) the curiosity of their nemesis, Severus Snape.

Although the precise circumstances surrounding the makers’ loss of their map are not given in the Harry Potter novels, it is easy to conclude that they eventually over-reached themselves and were cornered by Argus Filch, probably on a tip-off from Snape, whose obsession it had become to expose his arch-rival, James Potter, in wrongdoing. The masterpiece of a map was confiscated in Sirius, James, Remus and Peter’s final year and none of them were able to steal it back from a well-prepared and suspicious Filch. In any case, their priorities changed in their final months at school, becoming far more serious and focused on the world beyond Hogwarts, where Lord Voldemort was successfully rising to power. All four of the map’s creators would shortly be inducted into the renegade organisation headed by Albus Dumbledore, the Order of the Phoenix, and a map of their old school – no matter how ingenious – would no longer be of use to them except as a piece of nostalgia.

The Marauder’s Map was, however, of immense use to the young Weasley twins. The story of Fred and George’s acquisition of the map is told in *Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban*. It was a mark of their high esteem for Harry Potter, and their belief that he stood in need of assistance with a destiny none of them yet fully understood, that they later gifted the map to him, unwittingly passing it on to the child of one of the creators.

The map was subsequently confiscated from Harry Potter by a Death Eater in disguise at the school, who recognised it as a likely source of his own discovery.

## J.K. Rowling’s thoughts

The Marauder’s Map subsequently became something of a bane to its true originator (me), because it allowed Harry a little too much freedom of information. I never showed Harry taking the map back from the empty office of (the supposed) Mad-Eye Moody, and I sometimes regretted that I had not capitalised on this mistake to leave it there. However, I like the moment when Harry watches Ginny’s dot moving around the school in *Deathly Hallows*, so on balance I am glad I let Harry reclaim his rightful property.

Hatstall

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An archaic Hogwarts term for any new student whose Sorting takes longer than five minutes. This is an exceptionally long time for the Sorting Hat to deliberate, and occurs rarely, perhaps once every fifty years.

Of Harry Potter’s contemporaries, Hermione Granger and Neville Longbottom came closest to being Hatstalls. The Sorting Hat spent nearly four minutes trying to decide whether it should place Hermione in Ravenclaw or Gryffindor. In Neville’s case, the Hat was determined to place him in Gryffindor: Neville, intimidated by that house’s reputation for bravery, requested a placing in Hufflepuff. Their silent wrangling resulted in triumph for the Hat.

The only true Hatstalls known personally to Harry Potter were Minerva McGonagall and Peter Pettigrew. The former caused the hat to agonise for five and a half minutes as to whether Minerva ought to go to Ravenclaw or Gryffindor; the latter was placed in Gryffindor after a long deliberation between that house and Slytherin. The Sorting Hat, which is infamously stubborn, still refuses to accept that its decision in the case of the latter may have been erroneous, citing the manner in which Pettigrew died as (dubious) evidence.

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

The Magical Congress of the United States of America (MACUSA)

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## Origins

The Magical Congress of the United States of America, known to American witches and wizards by the abbreviation MACUSA (commonly pronounced as: Mah – cooz – ah) was created in 1693, following the introduction of the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy.  Wizards worldwide had reached a tipping point, suspecting that they could lead freer and happier lives if they built an underground community that offered its own support and had its own structures. This feeling was particularly strong in America, due to the recent Salem Witch Trials.

MACUSA was modeled on the Wizards’ Council of Great Britain, which predated the Ministry of Magic. Representatives from magical communities all over North America were elected to MACUSA to create laws that both policed and protected American wizardkind. 

MACUSA’s primary aim was to rid the continent of Scourers, corrupt wizards who had hunted their fellow magical beings for personal gain.  MACUSA’s second great law enforcement challenge was the number of wizarding criminals who had fled to America from Europe and beyond, precisely because of the lack of organised law enforcement such as existed in their own countries. 

The first President of MACUSA was Josiah Jackson, a warlike wizard who was voted into post by his fellow representatives because he was considered tough enough to deal with the difficulties of the post-Salem Witch Trials era. 

In these first years, MACUSA had no fixed meeting place. Meetings were held in different locations to avoid No-Maj detection. 

## Law Enforcement

President Jackson’s immediate priority was to recruit and train Aurors. The names of the first dozen volunteers to train as Aurors in the US have a special place in United States’ wizarding history. There were so few of them, and the challenges they faced so great, that they knew they might be required to lay down their lives when they took the job.  The descendants of these witches and wizards have been given particular respect in the US ever since. The original twelve were:

Wilhelm Fischer<br />
Theodard Fontaine<br />
Gondulphus Graves<br />
Robert Grimsditch<br />
Mary Jauncey<br />
Carlos Lopez<br />
Mungo MacDuff<br />
Cormac O’Brien<br />
Abraham Potter<br />
Berthilde Roche<br />
Helmut Weiss<br />
Charity Wilkinson<br />
        
Of these twelve, only two survived into old age: Charity Wilkinson, who would become MACUSA’s third President, and Theodard Fontaine, whose direct descendant Agilbert is the present day Headmaster of Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Also of note are Gondulphus Graves, whose family remains influential in American wizarding politics, and Abraham Potter, whose distant relationship to the famous Harry Potter would be uncovered by eager genealogists centuries later.

## Challenges

America remained one of the most hostile environments for magical people, mainly because of Scourer descendants who had vanished permanently into the No-Maj community and who kept suspicion of magic alive.  Unlike most Western countries, there was no cooperation between the No-Maj government and MACUSA. 

Initially, an enchanted edifice was created in the Appalachian Mountains as MACUSA headquarters, but over time this became an inconveniently remote location, especially as wizards, like No-Majs, were increasingly congregating in cities. 

In 1760, MACUSA relocated to Williamsburg, Virginia, home of the flamboyant President Thornton Harkaway.  Among many other interests, President Harkaway is credited with breeding Crups – dogs that closely resemble Jack Russells, apart from the forked tail. The Crup’s devotion to wizards is only surpassed by its aggression towards non-magical people.  Unfortunately, President Harkaway’s pack savaged several local No-Majs, who afterwards were only able to bark for a period of 48 hours. This breach of the Statute of Secrecy led to Harkaway leaving office in disgrace. (It might not be coincidence that Williamsburg was the first city in the US to have a dedicated psychiatric hospital. Sightings of odd happenings around President Harkaway’s residence might account for the admission of No-Majs who were, in fact, perfectly sane.)

MACUSA relocated to Baltimore, where President Able Fleming had his home, but the outbreak of the Revolutionary War, followed by the arrival of the No-Maj Congress in the city, made MACUSA understandably nervous and they departed for what is now known as Washington. 

It was there that President Elizabeth McGilliguddy presided over the infamous ‘Country or Kind?’ debate of 1777. Thousands of witches and wizards from all over America descended upon MACUSA to attend this extraordinary meeting, for which the Great Meeting Chamber had to be magically enlarged. The issue for discussion was: did the magical community owe their highest allegiance to the country in which they had made their homes, or to the global underground wizarding community? Were they morally obliged to join American No-Majs in their fight for liberation from the British Muggles? Or was this, simply put, not their fight?

The arguments for and against intervention were protracted and the fight became vicious. Pro-interventionists argued that they might be able to save lives; anti-interventionists that wizards risked their own security by revealing themselves in battle. Messengers were sent to the Ministry of Magic in London to ask whether they intended to fight. A four-word message returned: ‘Sitting this one out.’ McGilliguddy’s famous response was even shorter: ‘Mind you do.’ While officially the American witches and wizards did not engage in battle, unofficially there were many instances of intervention to protect No-Maj neighbours and the wizarding community celebrated Independence Day along with the rest of American society – although not necessarily alongside them. 

One of the most significant American magical laws was created in 1790, when MACUSA approved an edict to enforce total segregation of the wizarding and No-Maj communities. Rappaport’s Law, named after then-President Emily Rappaport, was created as a result of one of the worst breaches of the International Statute of Secrecy ever known, a breach in which the daughter of Rappaport’s Keeper of Treasure and Dragots and a Scourer descendant almost exposed the existence of magic worldwide. With the passing of Rappaport’s Law, intermarriage and even friendship between wizards and No-Majs became illegal in the United States.

MACUSA’s base remained in Washington until 1892, when an unforeseen uprising of the Sasquatch population caused another security breach. Historians place the blame for the rebellion on Irene Kneedander, Head of the Body for Protection of Magical Species (Humanoid), whose interpretation of her job title had involved attacking any Sasquatch that ‘stepped out of line.’ The arrival in Washington of the Sasquatch necessitated mass Obliviations and extensive repairs to headquarters. 

MACUSA needed a new refuge, and over the course of several years, wizards infiltrated the construction team of a new building in New York. By the time the Woolworth Building was completed it could both house No-Majs and – if activated by the correct spells – transform into a space for wizards. The only outer mark of the MACUSA’s new secret location was the owl carved over the entrance.

## MACUSA in the 1920s

As with most other magical governing bodies, the Department of Magical Law Enforcement is the largest department in MACUSA. 

Rappaport’s Law was still in operation in the 1920s and several offices in MACUSA had no counterpart in the Ministry of Magic; for example, a sub-division dealing with No-Maj Fraternisation and an office issuing and verifying wand permits, which everyone, citizen and visitor, was supposed to carry within the States. 

A significant difference between the wizarding governments of the United States and the UK of this time was the penalty for serious crime. Whereas British witches and wizards were sent to Azkaban, the worst criminals in America were executed. 

In the 1920s the President of MACUSA was Seraphina Picquery from Savannah. The Department of Magical Law Enforcement was headed by Percival Graves, a well-respected descendant of one of the original twelve American Aurors.

Patronus Charm

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Harry's stag patronus charges across the lake towards the Dementors.

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The Patronus is the most famous (and famously difficult) defensive charm.  The aim is to produce a silvery-white guardian or protector, which takes the form of an animal.  The exact form of the Patronus will not be apparent until the spell has been successfully cast.  One of the most powerful defensive charms known to wizardkind, the Patronus can also be used as a messenger between wizards. As a pure, protective magical concentration of happiness and hope (the recollection of a single talisman memory is essential in its creation) it is the only spell effective against Dementors.  The majority of witches and wizards are unable to produce Patronuses and to do so is generally considered a mark of superior magical ability.

Some witches and wizards may manage an incorporeal Patronus, which resembles a mass or wisp of silvery vapour or smoke. In some cases a witch or wizard may choose to produce an incorporeal Patronus deliberately, if he or she wishes to disguise the form it generally takes (Remus Lupin, for instance, is afraid that his corporeal Patronus gives too much away). The incorporeal Patronus is not a true Patronus and while it will give limited protection, it cannot provide the defensive power of the corporeal Patronus, which has the form and substance of an animal.

The Patronus Charm is one of the most ancient of charms and appears in many accounts of early magic.  In spite of a long association with those fighting for lofty or noble causes (those able to produce corporeal Patronuses were often elected to high office within the Wizengamot and Ministry of Magic), the Patronus is not unknown among Dark wizards.  While there is a widespread and justified belief that a wizard who is not pure of heart cannot produce a successful Patronus (the most famous example of the spell backfiring is that of the Dark wizard Raczidian, who was devoured by maggots), a rare few witches and wizards of questionable morals have succeeded in producing the Charm (Dolores Umbridge, for example, is able to conjure a cat Patronus to protect herself from Dementors).  It may be that a true and confident belief in the rightness of one’s actions can supply the necessary happiness.  However, most such men and women, who become desensitised to the effects of the Dark creatures with whom they may ally themselves, regard the Patronus as an unnecessary spell to have in their arsenal.

No reliable system for predicting the form of an individual’s Patronus has ever been found, although the great eighteenth-century researcher of Charms, Professor Catullus Spangle, set forth certain principles that are widely accepted as true.

The Patronus, asserted Spangle, represents that which is hidden, unknown but necessary within the personality.

> ‘For it is evident,’ he writes, in his masterwork ‘Charms of Defence and Deterrence’, ‘… that a human confronted with inhuman evil, such as the Dementor, must draw upon resources he or she may never have needed, and the Patronus is the awakened secret self that lies dormant until needed, but which must now be brought to light...’

Here, says Spangle, is the explanation for the appearance of Patronuses in forms that their casters might not expect, for which they have never felt a particular affinity, or (in rare cases) even recognise. Spangle is interesting on the subject of those unusual witches and wizards who produce a Patronus that takes the form of their favourite animal.

> ‘It is my firm belief that such a Patronus is an indicator of obsession or eccentricity.  Here is a wizard who may not be able to hide their essential self in common life, who may, indeed, parade tendencies that others might prefer to conceal.  Whatever the form of their Patronus, you would be well-advised to show respect, and occasionally caution, towards a witch or wizard who produces the Patronus of their choice.’

The form of a Patronus may change during the course of a witch or wizard’s life. Instances have been known of the form of the Patronus transforming due to bereavement, falling in love or profound shifts in a person’s character.  Thus Nymphadora Tonks’s Patronus changes from a jack rabbit to a wolf (not a werewolf) when she falls in love with Remus Lupin.  Some witches and wizards may be unable to produce a Patronus at all until they have undergone some kind of psychic shock.

It is usual, but not inevitable, for a Patronus to take the form of an animal commonly found in the caster’s native country.  Given their long affinity with humans it is perhaps unsurprising that among the most common Patronuses (although it must be remembered that any corporeal Patronus is highly unusual) are dogs, cats and horses.  However, every Patronus is as unique as its creator and even identical twins have been known to produce very different Patronuses.

Extinct Patronuses are very rare but not unknown.  Strangely, given their long connection with wizardkind, owl Patronuses are unusual.  Most uncommon of all possible Patronuses are magical creatures such as dragons, Thestrals and phoenixes. Never forget, though, 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.  While a rare and magical Patronus undoubtedly reflects an unusual personality, it does not follow that it is more powerful, or will enjoy greater success at defending its caster.

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Expecto Patronum

Expecto Patronum in J.K. Rowling's handwriting