About This Quiz
Are you a true Harry Potter fan? Did you read all of the books ... at least twice? Did you see all the movies the second they were released in theaters? Do you own your own copies of the movies on DVD or Blu-Ray so that you can binge watch them when you need a Harry Potter fix? Do you know Harry Potter and all of the characters in the books so well that you could describe them in your sleep? If you answered yes to any of these questions - or all of them if you are a true fan - then this is the quiz for you. Get ready to prove just how much you really know about even the most minute detail of Harry Potter and the wizarding world.
The Harry Potter books and movies are a complicated set of characters and scenes. The good news is that the author of the books, JK Rowling, has been rather forthcoming about details about the characters that may not have made it into those books and movies. After all, she couldn't include absolutely everything, or the books would be the size of dictionaries and the movies would be eight hours long.
How well do you know Harry Potter?
Harry's owl was named Hedwig. We thought we'd end on an easier note, since this was a pretty tough quiz. Also, we miss Hedwig and wanted to make sure she was mentioned.
Professor Snape was in love with Lily Potter. Everyone knows that! If you didn't, go back and reread the books.
JK Rowling knew how the books would end before she even wrote all of them. This is not entirely unusual, though. Many successful authors have entire stories fleshed out in their heads before they start writing.
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Stephen King is said to have been particularly enamored with the character of Dolores Umbridge. We think she would have made a great character in one of his books.
Although some actors go deep into their characters for a movie, Daniel Radcliffe did not allow Harry's scar to be tattooed onto his face. The movie makeup artists did get a lot of experience reapplying it over and over, though.
Brad Pitt would have been a bit too old to play Harry, so this one is a no brainer. And, as much as we like Haley Joel and Jonathan, Daniel Radcliffe IS Harry Potter.
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Viktor Krum attended Durmstrang Institute. Durmstrang is the wizarding school that is located somewhere in the Netherlands.
JK Rowling has struggled with depression, and for her, the dementors signify the sad feelings that are common with depression. Watch how Harry Potter characters describe dementors - as if they feel sad and empty when the dementors are around.
Hermione's patronus is an otter. Fun fact ... Ron's patronus is a Jack Russell terrier.
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Arthur Weasley's flying car was a Ford Anglia. The Anglia was a Ford sold in the UK from 1939 to 1967.
Fred and George were inadvertently hitting Voldemort's face, since he was wrapped in Quirrell's turban. Bet you never thought of that, did you?
Harry Potter and the Sorcer's Stone was almost called Harry Potter and the School of Magic. Of course, in the UK, the title is Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.
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Harry Potter's eyes are green. Daniel Radcliffe's eyes are blue. The movies reconciled these differences by making Lily's eyes blue in the movies, too.
Professor Snape did not die laughing. Sirius Black and Fred Weasley did, and JK Rowling did this intentionally as both were portrayed as tricksters.
Harry Potter shares a birthday with JK Rowling, the series' author. When you're an author, you can pop in whatever details you like into your books, and JK did just that. She also made sure that Hermione shared some of her characteristics when she was the same age.
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The last sentence of the Harry Potter book series is "All was well." JK Rowling was actually going to make the last word "scar," but she changed her mind.
Yup, it's true. As Rowling was writing the books, she found herself in a stressful life situation. Many authors take stress out on their characters. Thankfully, Rowling restrained herself, and Ron got to live to wizard another day.
Harry and Ginny named their first born after Harry's dad, James. His middle name was Sirius, after Sirius Black, Harry's godfather.
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Hogwarts is hidden from the prying eyes of wayward muggles. If muggles accidentally came across Hogwarts, all they would see is an old, falling down building and a "keep out" sign.
Fred and George Weasley were born on April 1st, which is April Fools Day. That JK Rowling is a real wit!
Tom Felton makes a great Draco Malfoy, but he would have made a hideous Hermione. Tom Felton did, however, audition for the parts of Harry and Ron.
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Ron became an Auror after he left Hogwarts. A fitting occupation, we think, since Ron would be hard pressed to write or teach.
Actually, the books don't address what happened to Dolores Umbridge. But JK Rowling clarified the matter in an interview - Umbridge was sent to Azkaban.
Originally, Arthur Weasley was slated to die at the fangs of Nagini. But, because there are so few positive dad role models in the story of Harry, Rowling decided to let him live. Whew!
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Remus Lupin's patronus was a wolf, not a werewolf as some people believe. Remus hated all things werewolf.
No, we're not making this one up. The word "dumbledore" really does mean "bumblebee" in Old English. Look it up.
Ginny Weasley became a professional Quidditch player after her time at Hogwarts. However, when she and Harry had children, Ginny retired from sports and devoted herself to raising their children.
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Michael Jackson wanted to head up a Harry Potter musical, according to JK Rowling. Most offers of these types of productions, she has turned down.
Helena Bonham Carter is considered a rather odd bird to begin with, and she's known for really connecting with her characters. She is said to have kept Bellatrix Lestrange's teeth. Now, that's a nice memento.
Mere wooden brooms would have broken during the scenes. To make sure that the actors were safe, the brooms in the movies were made out of titanium.
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Draco Malfoy almost did not attend Hogwarts. Draco almost went to Durmstrang Institute, the school that Viktor Krum attended.
The cat who played Mrs. McGonagall in Harry Potter was named Mrs. P. Head. We're not sure if any of the other animagus actors had names.
The Harry Potter chapter, "The Boy Who Lived," is known as "The Laddie Wha Lived," in Ireland. And, that's not even the strangest translation of Harry Potter books. They are all mostly tailored to their audience.
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McGonagall's husband was the victim of a venomous Tentacula bite. Fun fact ... when she was young, McGonagall was in love with a muggle.
JK Rowling scribbled the names of the Hogwarts houses while she was on a flight. She grabbed the first thing she saw that she could write on ... an air sickness bag. How's that for spur of the moment?