The Harry Potter Blog - Harry Potter News, Movies, and Books

Looks like the final 20 minutes of OotP will be in 3D in IMAX theaters:

“IMAX Corporation and Warner Bros. Pictures today announced that select scenes of the IMAX DMR(R) version of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix will be digitally converted into An IMAX 3D Experience(R).”

Full press release.

Both the 3D and the regular versions will be released in theaters on July 13, 2007.

Okay, being a Harry Potter fan and a Lego fan, I couldn’t resist posting this - silly as it is Have you seen any of the Harry Potter Lego spoofs?

Here’s the Harry Potter clip from ‘The Today Show’

Here are some sites that with think do a top job with their Harry Potter sites as far as creativity, aesthetics, interactivity, and content:

5. Harry Potter Fan Zone: The site keeps readers up-to-date on the latest Harry Potter news, and also has lots of media to browse and loads of informational content.

4. MuggleNet: This site is chock full of stuff to keep even the most avid Harry Potter fan busy for hours on end, including a huge forum, movie info, quotes, and more.

3. Veritaserum: This site is probably the most creative in my book, they’ve got an interesting layout (and not cluttered like many other HP fan sites are), loads of photos to peruse, a nice fat forum, and more ~ definitely not one to be missed!

2. The Leaky Cauldron: With a super cool design, loads of images and information, and a massive forum, you can’t really go wrong here. A few of their more interesting links weren’t working, like the links to ‘crafts’ and ‘quizzes’ - but hey, it’s still great.

1. HPANA: Has the largest Harry Potter forum out there, tons of photos and content, the latest news - what it lacks in its somewhat plain (yet very organized and clean) design, it certainly makes up for in content.

Did you agree with our list?  What are your favorite HP fan sites?  Fill us in!

Entertainment Weekly goes behind the scenes of the upcoming  ”Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix”

Secret schemes! Bloddy battles! A first kiss! Go behind the scenes of this July’s eagerly awaited ”Harry Potter” movie, and mull over seven key talking points

You’ll find five photos from the film and interviews with Daniel Radcliffe and director David Yates.

Read more at EW

Yesterday on “The Today Show,” the cover art was revealed for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. 

The U.S. version of this seventh and last book in the Harry Potter series will have 784 pages and the British version will have 608 pages.

The final book will be released on July 21st, 2007.

One of Hermione Granger’s favorite subjects at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is Arithmancy. Arithmancy is not a fantasy subject that JK Rowling, creator of the Harry Potter series, made up to entertain readers. It is an actual method of divination that is traced back all the way to the Ancient Greeks. According to Hermione Granger herself, Arithmancy is one of her favorite subjects at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry because it is scientific in nature, extremely precise, measurable, and an empirical, scientific method of divining the future. Arithmancy is used by learned wizards to divine the future in a way that is not possible through other charms, spells, or books. First used by the ancient Greeks, the practice of arithmancy is considered somewhat obscure, but the popularity of the Harry Potter books have allowed this lost art of divination to gain new interest from Harry Potter fans.

How does arithmancy work? It is believed that the way arithmancy was first used in ancient times was before an important battle. Historians believe that the Greeks used arithmancy to divine what the outcome of a battle would be, and in the process of divining a battle, it was hoped that the outcome of the battle could also be controlled. How did the ancient Greeks use arthimancy to divine the outcome of battles? The ancient Greeks would use arithmancy to assign values to the letters in the names their battle combatants. This, they believed, allowed them to divine the outcome of battles. Later in history, around the ninth century BC, it is also believed that the Chaldeans in Arabia also practiced a form of arithmancy. It is believed that the Chaldeans form of arithmancy had to do with dividing their alphabet into three separate parts. Each part was to be comprised of only seven letters. Then, each of these seven letters was attributed to the seven planets that had been discovered at that time.

In the world of Harry Potter, wizards in training learn and practice arithmancy as a way to help divine and predict the future. Moreover, the wizards in training in the Harry Potter books tend to use arithmancy in conjunction with other charms, spells, or forms of magic in order to increase their chances of predicting the future correctly. The type of arithmancy that Hermione and her Hogwarts wizard in training pals use is very similar to the ancient form practiced by the Greeks. To practice the most basic form of arithmancy, simply use the name of the people whom you want to learn more about. To begin, take their name and convert each letter in their name into a number. Every letter in the alphabet should correspond to a specific number. Once you have figured out which number goes with each letter, you must’reduce’ your numbers by adding them all up together until you are only left with one digit.

Now it starts to get interesting. When you are trying to convert someone’s name by the method of arithmancy, you will probably end up with three numbers for them (that is, before you reduce the numbers into one digit). The first number you get is called the character number, and it is thought to describe the personality type of that person. The second number is referred to as their heart number, and it represents that person’s inner desires and fears. The final number is called the social number, and it represents the person’s outer personality.

It is no surprise why Hermione loves arithmancy so much: it requires a good deal of thought and calculation to find the right numbers, and Hermione is always up to such a challenge.

The Harry Potter books are centered in a magical wondrous world where becoming invisible is as easy as draping a cloak around one’s body, and where flying on a super-power charged broomstick is all part of a game. However, some of the most fun and intrigue in reading the Harry Potter books is derived from hearing about all of the charms and spells that are possible in the world of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Many critics have suggested that part of the wonder and fun of reading the Harry Potter books is that JK Rowling, the creator of the series, has succeeded in presenting the reader with a whole and complete magical universe in a way that makes the world seem possible to the reader. That is, even while reading about fantastical things such as dragons and wizards, readers still feels there is something true about the series.

An important part of the feeling of authenticity that pervades much of the Harry Potter books is Rowling’s ability to create a world filled with magic. The Harry Potter books are filled with examples of charms and spells that create a world of believable magic—at least as magical as these types of shows can get. There are numerous spells and charms that are mentioned throughout the book series. So many in fact, that they could fill an entire volume of charms and spells. In the magical world of the Harry Potter books, the students of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry are known to dabble in any number of charms and spells. In fact, this is what the students learn in most of their classes. Just because these special students are endowed with special skills and magical talents does not mean that it is particularly easy for them to pick up new charms and spells easily. In fact, it takes much practice and discipline for young witches and wizards to learn and then master new spells and charms.

Most of the names of the spells and charms that are mentioned throughout the book series appear to be Latin in their origin, at least in the origin of their names. Here is a brief sampling of some of the charms and spells that can be found throughout the Harry Potter books.

Accio: This is also described as the summoning charm. The charm is used to summon an object to the caster of the charm. The caster has two ways to approach this charm. They can either simply name the object they wish to summon, or they can use their pointing wand at the desired object and then ‘pull’ the object towards them with their wand immediately after saying the charm. For instance, if they want a glass, the caster would say, “Accio glass!”

Alohomora: This spell is used to open and unlock doors, and it is mentioned in several places throughout the Harry Potter series. The caster must simply voice the words to unlock or open a closed door. It can also be used to unseal doors that have been closed as a result of the Colloportus spell.

The banishing spell: This is an example of a non-verbal charm. That is, no specific words must be voiced in order to make the spell work. The banishing charm is the opposite of the summoning charm. It will cause the targeted object to be thrown in the opposite direction of the caster. The banishing spell is known to require good aim. In most cases, the banishing spell is simply shown to be the result of a gentle swish motion.

This is just a very brief sampling of the spells and charms that can be found in the Harry Potter books. There are literally hundreds of more spells and charms that can be found in the books.

The house of Hufflepuff is one of the four houses that are part of the Harry Potter book series. The other four houses include the ever popular Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and the ominous Slytherin. All of the students at the magical Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry School for Wizards are separated into four separate houses. While Harry and his best friends Ron and Hermione are members of the Gryffindor house, another of the most exciting houses of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry School is Hufflepuff.

The house of Hufflepuff stands as one of the most interesting and whimsical houses of the series, probably because it was founded by the always eccentric Helga Hufflepuff. The house of Hufflepuff is known as one of the most inclusive and warm of the houses at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry School for Wizards. The house of Hufflepuff is known to value friendship, fair play, hard work, loyalty, and patience. The members of the house of Hufflepuff are not known for a specific set of aptitudes, but rather they are admired for the aforementioned set of characteristics. Each of the four houses of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry School for Wizards has an emblematic animal symbol, and the symbol of the house of Hufflepuff is the badger.

In addition, each house also has its own house colors, and the house colors of the house of Hufflepuff are black and yellow. Each of the four Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry houses also has its own head of house, and the head of Hufflepuff is Pomona Sprout. All four houses at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry also have its own resident ghost. The spooky guest at the house of Hufflepuff is the Fat Friar. JK Rowling has indicated that each of the four Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry houses also roughly correspond to one of the four elements, such as water, fire, earth and air. In this case, the house of Hufflepuff corresponds to the element of earth. In this case, it can be said that the members of Hufflepuff are earthy in nature. The Hufflepuff dormitories have been described briefly in the series, including the common room, which is located close to the basement and close to the castle’s kitchens.

However, although the house of Hufflepuff is generally regarded positively by the other students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry School for Wizards, it is also sometimes referred to negatively as a house for loafers and those who are not extraordinary in some ways. The house of Hufflepuff is sometimes thought of as a place for unexceptional students. Some of the unkind students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry School for Wizards are even known to refer to the members of the house of Hufflepuff as “a lot o’ duffers.” In the course of the Harry Potter book series, the house of Hufflepuff has failed to distinguish itself in the same manner as the house of Gryffindor. In the first book of the Harry Potter series, Professor McGonagall wrote that it was well known that all four houses had produced their fair share of exceptional wizards and witches. But, the professor continued, the house of Hufflepuff has apparently forgone their grip on glory for many years.

However, even though the house of Hufflepuff does not always grab all of the glory at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, it has still definitely produced its share of stars. One of the biggest stars to come out of the house of Hufflepuff is Cedric Diggory, the Quidditch captain who becomes the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry champion in the Triwizard Tournament that is depicted in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

The seventh Harry Potter book is perhaps the most eagerly anticipated Harry Potter book of them all because—gasp!—it will reportedly be the last book in the immensely popular Harry Potter book series. There are a myriad of rumors floating about the seventh Harry Potter book. Recently, JK Rowling, the hugely successful creator of the Harry Potter books, announced the title for the seventh and final installment of the Harry Potter series: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. When the title was released, a flurry of rumors was also released. The title sounded a little spooky to some readers, and very intriguing to others.

Now that Harry fans everywhere know what the title of the last Harry Potter will be, it has opened up a Pandora ’s Box of rumors. Will Harry die in the final installment? Will he finally face the dark Lord Voldemort? What will happen to all of the characters? Here is a brief overview of the latest rumors about the seventh Harry Potter book. JK Rowling has mentioned in previous interviews that the final chapter of the Harry Potter series has been written for quite some time. Many fans now wonder what that ending has in store for them.

One of the biggest rumors regarding the seventh Harry Potter is that Harry will die in the final installment. Fans have analyzed all previous JK Rowling interviews for clues about what she plans to do in the final book. Various interpretations abound. Some fans believe that Rowling has hinted that Harry will indeed be offed in the seventh book. This is because of comments made by Rowling in which she talks about the temptation to off a main character so that sequels cannot be written years later by a different author. However, in other interviews, Rowling has stated that she does not feel tempted to kill Harry off because she cares about him dearly and had always planned to take him all the way to the seventh book. Most fans believe that Harry will survive in the seventh book, but the death of Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince has caused some fans to think that it is a distinct possibility.

Another of the major rumors about the seventh and final Harry Potter book is that Dumbledore will return in an important way. This has caused some readers to speculate about whether Dumbledore truly did die in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Did he really die, or was it some kind of illusion? Some readers believe that Dumbledore will return in some kind of ghost or phantom form. Another of the major rumors circulating around the latest Harry Potter book is the possibility that Severus Snape, the snarling mean professor, will actually turn out to be a good character. It is also rumored that Petunia Dursley, Harry’s mean aunt, will play a very crucial role in the final installment.

Another of the major rumors swirling around the final installment of the Harry Potter book series has to do with the release date of the last volume. It is rumored that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows will be officially released on July 7, 2007. That means the date is 07/07/07. Many fans agree that this would be a very clever and appropriate way to roll-out the final Harry Potter book. There is no doubt that there will be lines around the block on whatever the release date turns out to be. If past sales have been any indication, there is no doubt that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows will be the most successful Harry Potter book ever.