The life of J.K. Rowling [311497]

Introduction

Harry Potter is a book series illustrating a fantasy world of magic from a young and inexperienced boy’s perspective. The author, J.K. Rowling, describes the hard truth Harry Potter has to face when he is introduced to a [anonimizat].

With the help of popularity that the books and movies gained, J.K. Rowling created a complex world of Magic and Wizardry. [anonimizat], such as: “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” which is a schoolbook in the Magic World, “[anonimizat]” by J.K. Rowling, “The Harry Potter Spell Book” by Stephen Kershaw, “Harry Potter: The Creature Vault” by Jody Revenson, “Harry Potter: The Prequel” by J.K. Rowling and “Harry Potter: A History of Magic”. [anonimizat] 78 different books written related to the World of Wizardry of Harry Potter.

The author of the series also uses the website Pottermore.[anonimizat]. [anonimizat], shops, [anonimizat], [anonimizat]-[anonimizat]. [anonimizat]. [anonimizat] 100 locations in Hogwarts.

The World of Wizardry came to life in the real world with Amusement Parks and Resorts. [anonimizat], was first opened in Orlando as part of the Islands of Adventure in June 10th 2010. In 2014 and 2016 [anonimizat]. [anonimizat].

Besides the Theme Parks, J.K. Rowling revealed the places that had inspired him when choosing the locations in the book. [anonimizat], was the place where Harry Potter learned how to fly a broomstick. [anonimizat], was the location for some of the Diagon Alley scenes. [anonimizat], is used as the “bridge to Hogwarts” [anonimizat], visitors can board the train and pass it. The Kings Cross Station in London is the home for shops that sell Harry Potter merchandise and the place where is found the famous luggage trolley. [anonimizat]. There are many more places that inspired the author of the book when she wrote the novel series.

The life of J.K. Rowling

J.K. Rowling was born on July 31st 1965 [anonimizat]. Her real name is Joanne Rowling. She attended the University of Exeter for French and Classics which she graduated in 1986. She was working as a [anonimizat], she had the idea of writing a book about a normal boy attending a School of Magic.

She began writing the first book of the Harry Potter series: “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” in 1990. Her only experience for writing was since she was a child and used to write short fantasy stories for her little sister. She married her first husband 1992 and her daughter was born less than one year later. She divorced him in 1994 and in 1995 she already finished her first novel.

With the help of Christopher Little Literary Agency she began searching for a publisher for her first book. She submitted her novel to twelve different publishing houses and was refused by all of them until one year later when Bloomsbury accepted her offer and gave her 1,500 pounds in advance. In 1997, Joanne received an 8,000 pounds grant from the Scottish Arts Council in order to afford continuing dedicating her time to writing her books series.

The book was published in 1997 with only 1000 copies which are now valued up to 25,000 pounds. In the first year after it was published, the novel won three different awards. In early 1998, Scholastic Inc bought the right to publish the novel for 105,000 US dollars. The fourth book of the series broke the sale record in both United States and United Kingdom with over 372,775 copies sold in the first day after it’s release. In 2000, J.K. Rowling was named Author of the Year at the British Book Awards. The sixth book of the series, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was released in July 2005 and again, it broke all sales records for selling over nine million copies in the first 24 hours. The book also received the Book of the Year prize. The seventh book and the last, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was published in July 2007 and, once again, broke all the sales records, after selling over 11 million copies in the first 24 hours.

Warner Bros purchased the film rights for the first two books in October 1998 for over 1.000.000 US dollars. They took into consideration Rowling’s desires and thoughts about the movies. One of the most important wishes she had was that the movies must be shot in Britain with an all-British cast. J.K. Rewling reviewed all the scripts and had creative control over the film. She was also a producer for the last two movies of the series.

J.K. Rowling continued to work with Warner Bros for the next series to come from the World of Wizardry, this time with Newt Scamander as the main character. The first movie of the series was Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them in 2016 and the second movie was Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. The action is taking place approximately 70 years before Harry Potter was born.

J.K. Rowling is also known for her charity works. In 2000 she established the Volant Charitable Trust. In 2001 she published two booklets related to her book series, dedicated to Comic Relief. The booklets raised 15.7 million pounds in United Kingdom for the fund. In 2002 she helped Bloomsbury Publishing to raise money for the National Council for One Parent Families. In 2005 Rowling co-founded the Children’s High Level Group, now called Lumos. In 2006, she came to Bucharest to advocate against the use of metal cages in the mental institutions for children.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone

“Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” was published for the first time in the United Kingdom on June 26th 1997 by Bloomsbury. The next year, on September 1st, the book was published in the United States, but with a slightly different name: “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”. The movie with the same name, first of the series, was released on November 14th 2001.

The novel’s main character is Harry Potter, who has been living an ordinary life but abused by his aunt and uncle: Petunia and Vernon Dursley and his cousin, Dudley. His entire life takes a turn when, the clock hits 00:00 on his eleventh birthday and Rubeus Hagrid, a half-giant, personally delivers to Harry a happy birthday cake and a letter of acceptance into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Hagrid tells him the truth about his past and about his parents, so he accepts the invitation and leaves his aunt and uncle. Harry Potter’s parents, Lily and James were killed, trying to protect their child, by Lord Voldemort, one of the most evil and powerful wizards to ever exist which is now suspected to be dead. This tragedy led to the one-year-old baby Harry to be left on the porch of his aunt’s, his mother’s sister, house.

Hagrid introduces Harry to the world of wizardry, taking him to places such as Diagon Alley, a hidden street full of magic shops. A month later, he leaves the Dursleys’ house once again, to get to the Hogwarts Express, the train that will take him to Hogwarts, at the King’s Cross Railway Station, Platform 9 ¾ . On the train he becomes friends with Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger and he becomes enemy with Draco Malfoy. After arriving at Hogwarts, he is assigned by the Sorting Hatand Harry, Ron and Hermione all wind up in House Griffindor. Soon after starting the year, Harry discovers his talent of flying on a broomstick, and ends up in his House’s Quidditch team as a Seeker.

One night, the three friends leave their dorm rooms against the rules, and they find a three-headed dog that sat as guard for a forbidden trapdoor. Harry Potter receives an anonymous gift for Christmas: an Invisibility Cloak. He uses his new gift as a way of exploring the school at night when he discovers the Mirror of Erised, where he can see what it would be like if his biggest desire came true. The three best friends find out that under the trapdoor was kept the Philosopher’s Stone, which grants immortality to the one that uses it as well as turning metal into pure gold. They find out that Lord Voldemort is trying to steal the stone, so they decide to save it and enter the trapdoor.

Harry ends up alone with his teacher, Quirrell, partly possessed by Voldemort. The Philosopher’s Stone was hidden in Harry’s pocket. Quirrell attempts to kill Potter but when he touches the boy’s skin, he dies. Harry also passes out and three days later he wakes up in a hospital bed at the school’s infirmary.

The Griffindor house wins the House Cup and Harry returns to his uncle’s house for the summer.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

“Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” is the second book of the Harry Potter series and it was published on July 2nd 1998 in United Kingdom and June 2nd 1999 in United States. The film adaption of the book was released on November 3rd 2002. In 2000, the novel was named the Best Book for Young Adults by the American Library Association and it won the Children’s Book of the Year British Book Award.

The action of the novel begins with Harry Potter spending the summer with his horrible aunt and uncle and his spoiled cousin. Harry is taken by surprise when he’s visited by a house elf named Dobby. Harry is warned to not get back to Hogwarts by the house elf but he does not listen to him. The little creature begins wrecking the house and Harry Potter ends up being punished by his uncle by not being allowed to leave his room for the rest of the summer. His best friend, Ron, and his brothers come to save Harry and he spends the rest of the summer at the Weasley’s house.

Arriving at the train station, Ron and Potter realise they can not enter the magic train platform so they take the Weasley’s flying car to get to Hogwarts in time. Because they land badly, both of them get detention and professor Lockhart lectures Harry for what they did.

Draco Malfoy is named the new seeker of the Slytherin Quidditch team and, because of his hate for mudbloods, he is the suspect of petrifying the school caretaker’s cat and writing a hateful message next to it. This freaks out the entire school. Harry starts hearing a creepy voice and he and his two best friends, Ron and Hermione, learn for the first time about a secret chamber that was opened fifty years ago which leads to a student being killed.

Potter ends up in the school’s infirmary after he was severely injured in a Quidditch match against the Slytherin house. Potter discovers his ability to talk to snakes when, at a duelling club, he starts speaking Parseltongue. The fellow students are frightened, knowing that only the heir of Slytherin can speak that specific language which is also the only person known alive to be able to open the secret chamber.

Harry, Ron and Hermione discover that, contrary to their suspicions, Draco Malfoy is not the heir of Slytherin, therefore he could not be the one that opened the chamber. On Valentine’s Day, Harry finds a notebook in a broken toilet. By writing in it, he finds out that the notebook was actually a diary previously owned by Tom Riddle, who can magically respond to what Harry is writing in it. Hermione and a Ravenclaw girl are found petrified. They find out that the killed girl was found in a bathroom which leads them to believe that Moaning Myrtle, a bathroom ghost, is the victim of the monster.

What they find in Hermione’s petrified hand is a piece of paper which describes what a basilisk is resulting in the discovery of what the identity of the monster was. Soon after the revelation, the teachers announce that Ginny Weasley, Ron’s little sister, was taken into the chamber. Potter enters the chamber of secrets where he finds both Ginny and Tom Riddle, actually the younger version of Voldemort and also the one who tricked Ginny all along. Harry destroys the Diary and the basilisk protecting Tom and saves Ginny. Everything gets back to normal at school by the time the year is over and the students leave Hogwarts for the summer.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

The novel “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” is the third book of the series and it was released on July 8th 1999 in the United Kingdom and September 8th, the same year, in the United States. The movie with the same name and plot was released on May 31st 2004. Over 68,000 copies of the book were sold in the first three days after its release and the movie produced approximately 796 million US dollars.

The action of the book starts, once again, at the Dursley’s residence when Harry finds out about a prisoner, named Sirius Black, that escaped prison. Harry decides to leave the house for good and he gets picked up by the Knight Bus. He arrives at the Diagon Alley where stays for the next three weeks until he leaves for school.

Harry finds out that Sirius Black was a convicted murderer in the magic world and he could possibly be looking to kill him as well. On the way to the school, Potter is suddenly attacked by a Dementor, which causes him to faint but he is saved by his professor, Remus Lupin. The teacher also tells them that the dementors were there to protect the students from Sirius. That was not the last time that a dementor attacked Harry because, at a Quidditch match, he is once again attacked by one, which leads him to falling from 50 feet in the air and his broomstick being smashed. Seeing this happening more than once, Lupin starts teaching Harry how to protect himself from the dark creatures, using the Patronus Charm.

Potter receives the Marauder’s Map from Ron’s brothers, George and Fred. Later that day, when he visits a specific village in Hogsmeade, he finds out that Sirius Black was actually his godfather who was helping Voldemort to get to Lily and James, Harry’s parents. He was also convicted for killing thirteen innocent people and Peter Pettigrew.

For Christmas, Harry receives, once again, an anonymous gift, which was a brand new broomstick. After Draco was attacked by one of Hagrid’s animals, a hippogriff, he is obligated to execute him. While Ron was chasing his rat, Scabbers, he is attacked by a black dog which drags him under the School’s biggest tree. Harry and Hermione follow him, in an attempt to save him, but they find out that the dog was actually Sirius Black himself. The three friends also learn that professor Lupin, James Potter, Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew had the ability to transform in specific animals, Peter being actually Ron’s rat, Scabbers. Peter was hiding and running from Sirius after finding that he escaped because he was the real murderer of the thirteen people and the one who helped Voldemort kill Harry’s parents.

Peter is caught and almost killed by Sirius and Lupin but they are stopped by Harry, who tells them that his father would not want this to happen. Peter escapes once again. They are all attacked by a Dementor once again and they all faint. The three friends wake up in the infirmary room of the school only to find out that Sirius was sentenced to lose his soul. Dumbledore, knowing that Harry’s godfather is innocent, advices Hermione to use her time-turner. They travel back in time and successfully save both Hagrid’s hippogriff, Buckbeak, and Sirius, who travel together to safety.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

The fourth book of the series, “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” was released on July 8th 2000 in both United Kingdom and United States. The movie based on the novel was released on November 6th 2005.

The novel starts with a nightmare Harry has of Voldemort killing an innocent old man. The pain he has from his childhood scar wakes him up. Later that day, Potter goes to the Quidditch World Cup with his two best friends, Ron and Hermione. After the game is ended, the whole place is attacked by death-eaters, Voldemort’s followers, leaving their signature, a Dark Mark, in the sky. On the night of the students’ arrival at school, Dumbledore announces that the Triwizard Tournament will be held at Hogwarts. The prize is a thousand gold Galleons. Joining the four houses are two different schools: Beauxbatons Academy and Durmstrang Institute, with the purpose of competing for the big prize.

On the Halloween night the three participants for the big prize are magically chosen by a spell. Entering the competition is against the rules and against the magic spell for the students under seventeen. For the Beauxbatons Academy Fleur Delacour is chosen, for Durmstrang is Viktor Krumand, and for Hogwarts it is Cedric Diggory. The spell also chooses a fourth student, Harry Potter, which causes big controversy in the school, considering he is only thirteen years old. The first task of the competition is to bring back a golden egg protected by dragons. Harry finishes the task on the first place. The golden egg hides clues for the second task but it releases a very horrible scream when it is opened. He later finds out that he should open the egg under water. When he uses a bath full of water to open it, he hears a very angelic voice. He finds out that way that the next task is to breath under water. As a second task they have to save the person they care about most, who are trapped under water and protected by water creatures. Harry saves Ron while Viktor Krum saves Hermione. Harry ends up, this time, on the second place.

The final task arrives and it was a hedge maze which hid a Goblet of Fire inside it. In the competition, Harry immobilizes Viktor and makes a pact with Cedric: they need to win the challenge together which means they have to lift the Goblet of Fire at the same time. When they grab it, they realise that the goblet is actually a portkey which took both of them to a graveyard. There they met Peter Pettigrew who kills Cedric and takes some of Harry’s blood as an ingredient for his spell to resurrect Lord Voldemort successfully. Voldemort summons his disciples and challenges Harry to a wand fight, which he has no choice than to accept. While fighting, their wands connect and the Lord is casting its most recent spell, which makes his last victims appear as ghosts: Harry Potter’s parents. Harry takes this as a distraction and he travels back to Hogwarts using the Portkey, taking Cedric’s body with him.

Harry is declared the winner of the tournament. He gives to George and Fred all his winnings and they choose to open a Joke Shop with the money they have received. For the summer, Harry returns once again to the Dursleys.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

The novel was published on June 21st 2003 both in the United Kingdom and the United States and it’s the fifth of the Harry Potter series. The movie adaption for the book was released on June 28th 2007 first in Tokyo and a couple of weeks later on July 12th in the United Kingdom. The novel was sold in more than five million copies in the first 24hours from publication.

While spending another summer at his uncle and aunt’s house, Harry and his cousin Dudley are attacked by dementors. He uses magic to protect himself and his cousin but he is taken by a group of wizards to number twelve, Grimmauld Place, London. It is the meeting place of the Order of the Phoenix, a group of powerful wizards dedicated to fight against Lord Voldemort and his disciples. Harry returns to Hogwarts with his two best friends: Hermione and Ron where they find out that their Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher has been changed once again, Dolores Umbridge taking this position being at the same time employee at the Ministry of Magic.

The new teacher, Dolores Umbridge refuses to teach her students actual Defense spells. Harry and some of his friends decide to start their own secret group for learning Defense spells and a couple of other students sign up for it. Harry is banned from the Griffindor Quidditch team by his teacher because he is considered a liar. In protest, the twins George and Fred leave Hogwarts and move to London where they are finally planning to open the Joke Shop.

Harry keeps having a dream in which he is walking to a door at the Department of Mysteries inside the Ministry of Magic and when he opens it, all he can see is glass spheres. He wakes up before he finds out what the dream is supposed to mean. Professor Snape starts teaching Harry how to protect himself from further invasions by Lord Voldemort in his mind.

The D.A. (the group of students who teach each other Defence spells) are caught by professor Umbride. To save Potter, Dumbledore takes full responsibility for D.A. and resigns as Headmaster, his places being taken by Dolores Umbridge. Harry has another nightmare in which Sirius is tortured by Voldemort. He is determined to save his godfather and, against Hermione’s warnings that it might be just Voldemort trying to lure him, he goes to help Sirius.

Harry teleports himself to Sirius’ house and he finds out from the house elf that his godfather was already at the Ministry of Magic. When he returns to Hogwarts he realises that he and his friends are caught by Dolores. They get rid of her by sending her to a Centaur which takes her away. Harry and his friends fly to the Ministry of Magic but they don’t find Sirius and they realise that Hermione was right all along. They are surrounded by death eaters. Harry and his friends fight together as one against the threat. Several members of the Order of the Phoenix arrive for the rescue and help them win the fight. Harry’s godfather is killed by a death eater: Bellatrix Lestrange.

Harry is sent back to Hogwarts. Dumbledore, is back as the headmaster. Harry returns to his uncle and aunt’s house for one more summer.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

The novel “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” was published on July 16th 2005. In the first 24 hours of publication nine million copies of the book were sold which was a record at the time. The sixth of the book series Harry Potter was adapted into a movie released on July 7th 2009 in London and on July 15th in the rest of the United Kingdom and the United States.

The action of the novel starts with professor Snape meeting Narcissa Malfoy, Draco’s mother and an imprisoned Death Eater. He makes her the promise to protect her son. Snape was also known to be part of the Order of the Phoenix, an anti-Voldemort coalition.

Dumbledore takes Harry from his uncle’s house and on their way to the Burrow, Dumbledore recruits Horace Slughorn as the new teacher at Hogwarts. Harry, Ron and Hermione are reunited on the Diagon Alley and together they see Draco and they follow him in a shop. There they hear him yelling at the owner of the shop for not fixing an unknown object, which makes the trio suspect him of being a Death Eater like his father.

Returning to Hogwarts, the students are surprised to find that the new teacher for Defense Against the Dark Arts is none other than Snape. For the class, Harry receives an old textbook which once belonged to “The Half-Blood Prince”. There he finds hand-written notes that help him excel in making potions. Besides the classes he already has, Harry has regular meetings with Dumbledore which teaches him about Voldemort’s history and family, that way he can practice his defense against the Lord better. Potter learns that Voldemort was abandoned as a child by his mother in an orphanage and he grew to be an aggressive boy. He also learns that Voldemort divided his soul in seven different Horcruxes, two of which were already destroyed.

Harry spends his time at Quidditch practice, being the captain, and following Draco. He also uses the Marauder’s Map to keep keep track of Malfoy but he finds out that he spends most of his time in the Room of Requirement, which transforms in whatever its users need. Harry can not find out what Draco is up to unless he finds out what the room is. While he tries to find that out, Harry and Dumbledore leave the school together to go destroy one more Horcrux: the Merope’s Locket. They have to overcome multiple challenges but they succeed. When they return to Hogsmade they notice the Dark Mark above the astronomy tower.

They rush to the tower and Harry hides under his invisible cloak while Dumbledore is threatened by Draco. The headmaster tries to stall him but they are interrupted by Snape. Harry can not see what is happening but he hears members of the Order of the Phoenix fighting against Death Eaters.

Snape kills Dumbledore, who is thrown over the edge of the tower. Harry rushes to Snape wanting to kill him as a way to avenge his headmaster but he fails. Devastated, Harry looks at the locket only to realise it is actually not a Horcrux. Inside it, he finds a note signed “R.A.B”. Harry decides to not return to Hogwarts the following year so he can focus on fighting Lord Voldemort. His friends vow to join him.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

The book was published on July 21st 2007, breaking all the records by selling close to eleven million copies in the first 24 hours of its release in the United States and the United Kingdom alone. The movie adaption for the last book of the Harry Potter was released in two parts: the first part was released on November 11th 2010 and the second part was released on July 7th 2011. The two parts combined had a gross of over 2 billion US dollars.

The action starts with Harry Potter being moved to a safe location. Ron and Hermione decide to help Harry destroy the Horcruxes. Dumbledore left them clues, such as the Sword of Griffindor that they need to find. The Ministry of Magic falls, being now lead by Voldemort. Harry, Ron and Hermione run the Siurius’ house where they find out that the real locket-Horcrux belongs to Dolores Umbridge now. They manage to take it from her.

In the Forest of Dean, Harry is lead by a Patronus to the Sword of Griffindor, which is the only one that can destroy Horcruxes. He successfully destroys the locket with the help of his friends. They visit Xenophilius Lovegood which tells them the story of Deathly Hallows – three objects that make their owner the master over death.

The three of them are captured by Death Eaters and taken to Draco Malfoy’s house but they escape it with the help of Dobby the Elf. They go to find the Hufflepuff Cup which is another horcrux and successfully destroy it. The three friends go to Hogwarts where they find another Horcrux: the Diadem of Ravenclaw. Ron and Hermione destroy it as well.

Snape is killed by Voldemort and Harry finds out that Snape was secretly working for Dumbledore to save Harry. Neville Longbottom, a student and Harry Potter’s friend, destroys Voldemort’s snake, Nagini, which is another Horcrux. Voldemort kills Harry with a killing curse, the kid being the last Horcrux. Harry wakes up in a dream-like version of King’s Cross Station where he has a talk with Dumbledore. He realises that he is not actually dead but the Horcrux inside him was destroyed. Potter returns to the real world. Voldemort casts, once again, a killing curse which refutes and he ends up killing himself. Peace is reinstalled in the World of Wizardry.

The epilogue is set nineteen years into the future where Ron and Hermione are married and Harry and Ginny are also married. Both families are sending their children to Hogwarts at the King’s Cross Station.

Magical Settings in the world of Witchcraft and Wizardry

The world of magic as described by J.K. Rowling, is a long-lasting old and hidden from the eyes of muggles place. Some things are just like in the normal world, for example, schools. Some of the most prestigious schools are Beauxbatons Academy, a European school located somewhere in the Pyrenees and Durmstrang Insitute which is located in the far north of Europe but with a dark reputation. There are also other schools that were not mentioned in the Harry Potter 7-books series but are mentioned in other J.K Rowling writings, such as Castelobruxo, a Brazilian school for magic and Ilvermorny which is located in Mount Greylock in Massachusetts, North America. But the best known of them all is Howarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry located in Scotland. The school, of course, holds a lot of different classes for young students to learn about spells, magic plants and so many more. One of the most mentioned class in the books in Defence Against the Dark Arts which, as the name states, studies dark magic and how to protect yourself from it. Other known courses that are very interesting are Transfiguration which focuses on transforming the appearance of an object, Potions which teaches students how to brew potions, Astronomy and Herbology are just like their names states and there is also the Flying lessons class. And these are only the core classes that first-year students must take. They also have to choose two more classes between Muggle Studies, Divination (the study of divining the future and future events using tools and rituals), Care of Magical Creatures, and Study of Ancient Runes.

The school of Witchcraft and Wizardry is also the most haunted place in Britain. The ghosts around the school are mostly good and well-intended. Each house of the school has its own ghost. For the Slytherin there is Bloody Baron, for Hufflepuff there is Fat Friar, house Griffindor has Nearly Headless Nick as their ghost and Ravenclaw has The Grey Lady.

Bloody Baron is known to be covered in silver bloodstains. He actually killed himself after killing the love of his life out of anger. He is also described as having chains around himself which he put as a way to be punished for the crime he had commited. The Fat Friar was a jolly fellow who was executed in the normal world because he was using magic to cure pox. The ghost of House Griffindor: Nearly Headless Nick who was a nobleman in the fifteenth-century named Sir Nicholas. He used magic trying to fix his lover’s crooked teeth but the spell backfired and Nick was sentenced to death by decapitation. The last but not least is The Grey Lady of House Ravenclaw who was stabbed to death by the Baron (now Bloody Baron) of anger and jealousy. Some other known ghosts around the school that are not part of a specific house are Moaning Myrtle and Peeves. Moaning Myrtle haunts a girl’s toilet, crying, moaning and howling all day long while lurking around the toilets. Peeves is not actually sure to be a ghost, given the fact he was around the school at all times and won’t have an actual conversation with anyone. The school’s professors and headmasters tried to remove Peeves from the school because he was the “pet-peeve” of every caretaker ever but did not succeed.

Another visited place by students is Diagon Alley. This street full of magic shops was inspired by the Cecil Court, located in London, where one can find a couple of book shops dedicated to magical literature, tarot card reader shops and magical lamps shops. Some shops located in the fictional Diagon Alley are: The Leaky Cauldron which is known to be the oldest pub in town, Flourish and Blotts, a bookshop for schoolbooks and Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes, Fred and George’s joke shop.

Hogsmeade is also a very popular place among the wizards, being the only village in Britain to be populated by wizards only. It is located close to Hogwarts and it is the home for a couple of shops and pubs as well, such as: Honeydukes, a famous sweet shop, the Three Broomstick, a pub, and Zonko’s Joke Shop. In Hogsmeade is also found Shrieking Shack, a house that is thought to be haunted by dark ghosts and creatures.

Conclusion

With the help of the fans and lovers of the book and movie series, J.K Rowling created a whole new fictional world. She made sure to satisfy her fanbase with as many details and information as she could to this day. She wrote additional books related to the world of wizardry like “Quidditch Throughout the Ages”, a handbook on the history and rules of the game and “The Tales of Beedle the Bard” which is a collection of five different stories of which only one is mentioned in the book.

The fictional magic world created by J.K. Rowling has such an impact even today. First of all, it taught adults that fiction is not just for kids. Even though the book was written for children and it still is associated with that age group, especially adults around the world are fans of the series. The books, it is true, are long and have many pages full of action but that did not stop so many children and adults to read it. The world of Harry Potter encouraged people to read around the world when it became such a big hit, selling over 500 million copies worldwide to this day.

The books and movies taught the children that read them many things. They learned that they should face their fear just like Ron did when he had to face a giant spider and like Harry did when he confronted Lord Voldemort. The books teach children to not mistake confidence for courage. Neville Longbottom was described as being always scared of his professors and basically of anything that moved but he showed his courage when he destroyed the horcrux right in front of Voldemort, showing that, if he needs to, he is ready to die for Harry Potter. Without the help of his friends, Harry Potter could have never killed Lord Voldemort and bring back the peace in the World of Wizardry and this goes to show as that, even though we don’t have wands that work and spells, the real help and magic is in having friends that care about us and love us.