12 Fun Facts About Harry Potter

12 Fun Facts About Harry Potter

Many of us grew up with Harry Potter and his friends, watching them face adversity, build relationships and explore the magical wizarding world. For more than a decade, we’ve enjoyed the films and books by J.K. Rowling as soon as they were released. But the fun didn’t stop there. Even when the film series were all released, some of us watched and re-read the stories over and over.

Whether you’re a casual lover of Harry Potter or consider yourself a hardcore fan, there might be a few fun facts that you didn’t know about J. K. Rowling’s boy wizard – despite the compulsive reading and watching. Today I am bringing you some interesting facts to delight – and test – you.

See how many of these 12 nerdy Harry Potter facts were already lodged in your brain.

1. J. K. Rowling shares a birthday with Harry

Harry Potter © Warner Bross

It’s a double birthday! J.K. Rowling was born July 31, 1965, in Bristol (England) and Harry Potter was born on a train one day when she imagined the story. Harry’s official birthday, as recorded in the novels, is July 31. Harry would turn 40 years old in 2020, according to the books, movie and Tony Award-winning ‘Cursed Child’ timelines, which indicate that the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry alum was born in 1980.

2. The original Harry Potter manuscript was turned down by 12 publishers before Bloomsbury finally accepted it

After J. K. Rowling wrote ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’ – while living on benefits with her daughter – Christopher Little accepted the copy and worked as her literary agent. However, Little sent the manuscript to 12 different publishers before it ended up with Bloomsbury.

“Over a period of nigh on a year, the book was turned down by more or less every major publishing house in the U.K.,” said Christopher Little “Various reasons were given including the story being too long, the fact that a story set in a children’s boarding school might feel too ‘exclusive’ to many readers, etc.” Only 1,000 copies were printed in the first print run of ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’. These now sell for thousands of pounds.

3. Millennium Bridge did actually move in real life

Image sourced from Unsplash

Millennium Bridge became famous after its appearance in ‘Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince’ (2009). In the wizarding movie, Fenrir Greyback and a small group of Death Eaters destroyed the bridge.

This wasn’t very far away from the truth as on the opening day Millennium Bridge started experiencing some serious swaying. It had to be closed and fixed. Foster + Partners, the firm who designed the bridge later discovered a phenomenon of how pedestrian loads can affect structures.

Millennium Bridge is such a special connecting point in London because it was built as the first pedestrian bridge over the Thames. You can visit it anytime – sunrise is my favourite – and enjoy not only this structure, but also the views of St Paul’s in the background.

OPENING TIMES: 24 H
Location: THAMES EMBANKMENT, LONDON SE1 9JE (GOOGLE)

4. The Leaky Cauldron’s entrance is actually an Optician’s shop

The Leaky Cauldron © Warner Bross

Chris Columbus, the director of ‘Philosopher’s Stone’ was struggling to find a setting for The Leaky Cauldron when he came upon The Glass House at the Leadenhall Market. ‘It was the perfect guise for a pub for wizards.’

The iconic entrance to Diagon Alley in ‘The Philosopher’s Stone’ is actually an optician in Leadenhall Market. That rounded doorway – though blue and not black like in the movie – will be instantly recognisable to Harry Potter fans – they may even find Mad-Eye Moody inside, getting fitted for a contact lens.

Opening Times: 24 H (Exterior only)
Location: The Glass House, 2-3 Bull’s Head Passage, Leadenhall Market, EC3V 1LU (Google)

5. Platform 9 ¾ was in Euston, not King’s Cross

Platform 9 ¾ © Warner Bross

Kings Cross train station is where the Hogwarts Express begins its long journey to Hogwarts School. Wizards board Platform 9 ¾ which in theory is located between platforms 9 and 10 of King’s Cross. However, between those platforms, there’s only air.

In an interview with the BBC in 2001 J. K. Rowling admitted confusing Euston station with Kings Cross Station. “I wrote Platform 9 3/4 when I was living in Manchester, and I wrongly visualised the platforms, and I was actually thinking of Euston, so anyone who’s actually been to the real platforms 9 and 10 in King’s Cross will realise they don’t bear a great resemblance to the platforms 9 and 10 as described in the book. So that’s just me coming clean, there. I was in Manchester; I couldn’t check.”

Opening Times: 24 H
Location: Pancras Rd, Kings Cross, London N1 9AP (Google)

6. The Ministry of Magic locations used in the films are actually right next to some of London’s Central Government Ministry buildings in Whitehall

Ministry of Magic © Warner Bross

The headquarters of the Ministry are in Whitehall too, but deep underground. Hence, the Ministry connects the British government to the wizarding world. Scotland Yard — known as the Metropolitan Police headquarters — is where Harry and Arthur Weasley enter the Ministry of magic (using the guest entrance). The phone box, which is the entrance to the wizard worlds authoritative body, doesn’t actually exist, it’s a prop. On the contrary, all the bollards were removed for the scenes but were installed back after the filming was over. Scotland Yard appears a second time on ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1′ just before Harry, Ron and Hermione use Polyjuice Potion to enter the Ministry undetected.

Location: 15 Scotland Pl, SW1A 2BD (Google)

7. Dumbledore has a scar in the shape of London Underground

Dumbledore © Warner Bross

Albus Dumbledore once told Minerva McGonagall that he had a scar above his left knee in the shape of a perfect map of the London Underground.

“Even if I could, I wouldn’t. Scars can come in handy. I have one myself above my left knee that is a perfect map of the London Underground.” – Chapter 1, The Boy Who Lived.

8. The Knight Bus that Harry Potter used to travel to London in the Prisoner of Azkaban film is in fact a triple-decker version

The Knight Bus © Warner Bross

The Knight Bus, a purple triple-decker that assists stranded individuals of the wizarding community, is actually real. You can see it in person at the Warner Bros. Studios. Harry Potter, after being rescued from another terrible holiday with the Dursleys, speeds over Lambeth Bridge, squeezing between two regular London double-deckers. If you pay attention, you’ll be able to spot the stunning Lambeth Palace too.

Funnily, the bus’s height posed a challenge as the vehicle was required to pass underneath bridges. To solve this problem, the top of the bus was designed to be removable.

9. There’s a real-life Diagon Alley

Diagon Alley © Warner Bross

Many London streets are said to have inspired J. K. Rowling including Cecil Court. This tucked-away alley has Dickensian style bay windows, is lit by gas lamps and is very reminiscent of Diagon Alley. Walking thought it is very atmospheric. Some say it also looks like Knockturn Alley where Harry Potter arrives after making a mistake using the Flu Network in the Chamber of Secrets.

Location: Cecil Ct, Covent Garden, London WC2N 4EZ (Google)

10. The doors at Gringotts work, it took three months to make the door they used for Bellatrix’s vault

Bellatrix’s vault © Warner Bross

Many of the moving parts for the vault doors were designed and hand-cast in resin by the Special Effects Department. Due to the high level of craftsmanship, the intricately designed doors were able to be reused a decade later for Harry Potter and the ‘Deathly Hallows Part 2‘.

11. The scenes for 4 Privet Drive were originally shot on an actual street

Harry Potter © Warner Bross

They shot in a real house in a community called Picket Post Close. But they ended up having to build identical model houses because they didn’t have access to the house for reshoots.

Warner Brothers had to pay the residents of Picket Post Close a large fee for using their neighbourhood in the film, as well as for the inconvenience of all the filming equipment. When it came time to shoot the second film, it was decided it was easier and cheaper to shoot at Leavesden Studios where an actual Privet Drive set was built, as the residents continued to demand further payments.

Location: 12 Picket Post Close, Winkfield Row, Bracknell (Google)

12. The final Battle of Hogwarts took place in 1998, the same year that the first Harry Potter book was published

Final Battle of Hogwarts © Warner Bross

Commenting on this, Rowling has said: “I open at the close.” This message was also inscribed on the Snitch that Dumbledore left as a bequest for Harry in his will which Harry had caught in his first Quidditch match as a seeker. Dumbledore put enchanted writing on the snitch that could only be read when Harry touched it to his mouth. It read, “I open at the close”.

The Harry Potter books and movies are one of the coolest literary works of our times and visiting the key places in person is pretty amazing! On the other hand, I assumed you read the books and watched the movies because if not… spoiler warning. If you’d like to see these and more Harry Potter film locations in real life, join our walking Harry Potter Tour.

If you have more time and wish to explore further, make sure you extend your visit to Oxford, Edinburgh and — of course — the Warner Bros. Studios.