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So much has been written about the controversy surrounding the Harry Potter book series. Many fundamentalist Christian groups have complained that the Harry Potter books promote witchcraft and promote pagan ideals. Some Christian churches have even gone so far as holding Harry Potter book burnings. But does this mean that all Christians are against Harry Potter books? Is it possible to be a true Christian as well as a true Harry fan? Many Christians have answered this question loudly and with pride: yes! Many Christians have come out to voice their support over the hugely popular Harry Potter views.

Many prominent members of the Christian community have come out to support Harry Potter books and his creator, the writer JK Rowling. Many have defended Rowling and the Harry Potter books. Many Christian leaders have argued that the Harry Potter books help children by letting them become aware of occult practices. Many Christian leaders have also spoken positively about the Christian elements that they have detected in the Harry Potter books. In the book God, the Devil & Harry Potter, Congregationalist minister John Killinger argues that the Harry Potter books grow out of a fundamentally Christian understanding of the world. Furthermore, he writes that the Harry Potter books also transcend any one religion, but that they definitely grow out of a basically sense of Christianity. The struggle between good and evil that is depicted in the Harry Potter books, Killinger argues, is one example about how the books are basically Christian in nature. Killinger also notes that many of the basic motifs, symbols and creatures that are found in many of the Harry Potter books are based on ideas that stem from medieval Christianity. Furthermore, Killinger argues, the Harry Potter books are basically Christian and they are important books because they allow the readers to rise about the usual materialist preoccupations and get in touch with the mysterious and magical side of our existence on earth.

Another prominent pro-Harry Christian argument comes from Connie Neal, who has written several books supporting the Harry Potter books from a Christian perspective. In her book, The Gospel According to Harry, Rowling argues that the magic in the Harry Potter books is completely harmless and clearly pure make-believe. Furthermore, Neal argues, Christians who read and criticize the Harry Potter books read them very selectively. Neal argues that the same technique could be used to find the gospel in the Harry Potter books.

Another Christian writer who has published in defense of the Harry Potter books is John Granger. Granger argues that JK Rowling is following in the tradition of writers like C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, who he calls “closeted inklings.” These are writers who appear to be writing secular works, but who are, upon closer inspection, writing deeply religious (and in these cases, Christian) works. Granger argues that the Harry Potter books are riddled with Christian imagery such as the phoenix, centaurs, the stags, the unicorns, and the philosopher’s stone. He argues that all of these objects represent the truth of Christ in some way. He also argues that in all of the novels, Harry is forced to go through some kind of symbolic death and resurrection, which is reminiscent of Christ’s journey. Granger argues that Harry frequently goes through trials that are Christ-like, and that his battle against evil recalls the battles of the Old Testament. Most of the time, he argues, Harry must go underground, either figuratively or literally, to confront a villain, and then he rises again once that villain has been vanquished. Moreover, he argues that Harry’s relationship with his best friends represents important Christian values of harmony, loyalty, and peace.

Hermione Granger is the third point in the Harry Potter triangle. The other points being, of course Harry himself, and the lovable Ron Weasley. With a sharp intelligence and sensible nature, Hermione represents the brains of the best friend triangle. Hermione—full name Hermione Jane Granger—is said to have been born on September 19, 1979. She is of course a fictional creation from the mind of JK Rowling, creator of the massively successful Harry Potter books, but she seems real to many young readers of the Harry Potter book series, especially young girls who admire Hermione’s detective skills and intellectual nature. In the movie versions of the books, Hermione is played by the young British actress Emma Watson. On a side note: some readers have complained that Hermione’s name, upon a first reading, is a bit difficult to pronounce. JK Rowling has commented that she would not have named her character Hermione if she would have though it would cause readers such problems. The character is said to be named after a Shakespeare character.

Like Ron Weasley and Harry Potter, Hermione Grangers is a student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She is curiously also one of the oldest students in her class. This is because she was born on September 19, 1979. This made her too young to join the previous class of Hogwarts students, since the cut-off date was just a few weeks prior to her turning eleven years old. So now she is one of the oldest students in her class, and some would say that she had demonstrated such maturity. She is not only mature but also owns a very keen intellect. She is also very sensible, brave, and fiercely loyal to her friends. However, she is also quite sensitive.

In the first book of the series, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Ron pokes fun at Hermione and she runs off to the bathroom to cry. When Ron realizes just how sensitive the ‘smart’ girl is, he treats her with more care and sensitivity. However, some would argue that this is character weakness and shows her lack of emotionally maturity and development. Also, some readers have noted that Hermione is not always cool under pressure. For instance, when she finds herself caught in the grips of the Devil’s Snare plant, she shrieks her head off and forgets to enact the flame spell that could potentially save her. However, other readers have argued that Hermione’s perceived character weaknesses are merely an extension of plot development. Some argue that Rowling needs Hermione (and other characters) to act in certain ways in order to move the plot along, and that this episode does not necessarily speak ill of Hermione.

Despite these perceived character weaknesses, most readers would agree that Hermione is a dedicated and loyal friend. Most would describe her as brave, fiercely intelligent and always willing to help. Moreover, many readers notes, usually her plan of action is the best, and Ron and Harry usually follow her lead. Physically, Hermione is described as having a head full of bushy brown hair and big brown eyes. She has been described as having rather big front teeth. In the past, some of her fellow classmates at Hogwarts have teased her about her experience. However, Hermione has become strong under the weight of frequent teasing. She seems to have developed a healthy self-esteem and strong sense of self. As she enters adolescence, Hermione is described as blossoming into a beautiful young woman. However, her true beauty lies in her inner strength, her strong political consciousness, and fiercely loyal attitude toward her good friends. There is no doubt that Harry and Ron would simply be lost without her.

JK Rowling may just be the most successful writer in publishing history. She is the undeniable publishing powerhouse of our times. How did she do it? How did a single mom living on state benefits end up becoming one of the most successful and wealthy women of our times? While Rowling professes to a lifelong love of literature and writing, it was not until her life appeared the most disorganized that she was able to pursue her dream wholeheartedly. She first got the idea for Harry Potter while stuck in commute. Here train commute was delayed between Manchester and London for four hours, and it was during this period that she says the idea of Harry Potter first came to her. When she got home, she set about writing down her ideas immediately.

In December 1994, Rowling’s had appeared to have taken a turn for the worse. She was recently divorced, unemployed and living as a single mother with her sister in Edinburgh, Scotland. She continued to live ‘on the dole’ as she completed her first novel. That book turned out to be Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (or Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in the United States). She finished her novel in 1995, typing out the manuscript on an old manual typewriter. She sent the finished manuscript to Bryony Evans, a manuscript reader who was immediately enthusiastic over the novel. He was asked to only review the first three chapters, but he became an enthusiastic early supporter of Rowling. From his response, the Christopher Little Literary Agents in Fulham agreed to take Rowling on as a client and represent her in their quest to find a suitable publisher. The book was delivered to twelve separate publishing houses, all of whom rejected the manuscript. Finally, a year later, the book was finally accepted by Barry Cunningham, the editor of a small publishing press known as Bloomsbury. One tale to emerge from this early period is the story of Alice Newton, the eight-year-old daughter of the publishing chairperson. She was given the first chapter to review by her father, and upon finishing, the girl immediately demanded more. Even though her novel had been accepted for publication, Rowling’s editors advised her to get a day job since she was unlikely to make a living at writing children’s books. However, nothing could be further from the truth.

However, with a grant from the Scottish Arts Council, Rowling was able to continue work on her book series. Rowling’s first of many major publishing successes occurred when Scholastic Inc. paid Rowling more than $100,000 to publish her first book in the United States. In June of 1997, the Bloomsbury publishing house printed a small initial print run of only 1,000 copies of the first Harry Potter book. Now, these first print runs have become highly sought-after collector’s items. The book began to garner its share of positive criticism and began to pick up several book awards.

To this date, Rowling has written and published six Harry Potter’s books, and each has been more successful than the one before. Rowling is currently working on the seventh, and last, book of the series. The last three Harry Potter books that have been published have broken all kinds of records, and they have been noted as the fastest-selling books in all of history. The sixth Harry Potter book has been the most successful thus far, and currently holds the title of the Guinness World Record award for the fastest-selling book ever. It is said that the sixth Harry Potter book sold more copies in its first 24 hours of availability than The Da Vinci Code did in one whole year. 

Many critics have noted that the popular Harry Potter book series is a well-defined series that is united by several strong themes. JK Rowling, the creator of the series, has succeeded in embedding several interesting themes and motifs into her novels. The Harry Potter book series deals with many of the big themes of life: love, death, the presence of evil, and many more. Many of these themes may seem too dark or “heavy” for a young reading audience, but Rowling succeeds in dealing with “serious” themes in ways that both young adults and older readers can appreciate and deal with.

One of the most important themes in the Harry Potter books is death. This is a potentially dark theme that Rowling deals with openly yet which is not exploited. The first book in the series—Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in the United Kingdom) introduces us to Harry, a boy whose parents have died in a mysterious manner. Harry must deal with the notion of death early on, as an orphan who must live with his bumbling, selfish relatives. But besides the death of Harry’s parents, the theme of death is also present throughout the Harry Potter books through the character of Voldemort. Voldemort is the looming reminder of death in all the Harry Potter books. He is Harry’s ultimate antagonist in the series, and a constant reminder of his parent’s death and the threat of dying. Many critics have analyzed Voldemort’s name for clues. The word ‘mort’ translates in death in French and Latin, and the word ‘volde’ also contains many clues. ‘Vol’ means flight in French, and it also reminds many German readers of the words ‘Wald,’ which means forest, and the word ‘Volk,’ which means people. Other German speakers are reminded of the word ‘will,’ which is pronounced ‘vill’ in German, and which means wish or volition. In this case, Voldemort’s name would translate loosely as ‘death wish’ or ‘the will to death.’

But besides his name, the character of Voldemort himself is the most frequent reminder of death throughout the Harry Potter series. Voldemort is obsessed with conquering death. He is on the ultimate quest of immortality, and will stop and no end to accomplish this goal. Harry Potter and his mates are responsible for stopping Voldemort, or the Dark Lord as he is most commonly referred to, which brings us to another of the main themes in the Harry Potter book series: good versus evil. This is a classic theme, but even this well-worn idea sees new light in the confident hands of JK Rowling.

Yet another very strong theme that is invoked in nearly all the books of the Harry Potter series is the sting of prejudice and discrimination. In the Harry Potter series, the world of witches and wizards is mired in prejudice and discrimination. Some magical characters view the non-magical world inhabited by “muggles” as inferior. Other characters discriminate against certain classes or designations of ‘magical folk.’ For instance, some wizards and witches discriminate against those who are not “pure blood.” There is a complicated system of designation that has to do with a wizard’s heritage, including half-blood, or Muggle-born wizards that are sometimes disparagingly referred to as “mudblood.”

Of course, there are many other important themes in the Harry Potter themes, which include loyalty, friendship, the importance of choice, and the power of love. Rowling has been lauded by critics and readers at large for her ability to create entertaining literature that also deals with important themes. However, Rowling herself asserts that the themes of the series have mostly emerged organically, and that she prefers the themes to emerge on their own rather than consciously embedding themes into her works.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is the much-anticipated follow-up to the vastly successful Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets was first published on July 2, 1998. The book was also made into a film, with the theatrical release in November of 2002.

The story in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets picks up where the first volume left up. The book starts off with Harry returning to stay with the Dursley’s after his first year spent away at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Back at the Dursleys, Harry is visited by Dobby, a small house elf. Dobby warns Harry that he must not return to Hogwarts, and that he will be in danger if he does not heed his warning. But Harry decides that he must return, despite Dobby’s ominous warning. The Dursley’s meanwhile hide all of Harry’s books and magic accessories in an attempt to keep him home. But thankfully the Weasley brothers, including Fred, George and Ron, hatch a plan to rescue Harry in their dad’s flying car. Harry spends the rest of the summer with the Weasley clan. When autumn arrives, the Weasley’s head to platform 9 ¾ to catch the Hogwarts express to school. But they are unable to find the magical barrier that allows them access to the magical platform. So, they take the flying car all the way to Hogwarts, crashing into the Whomping Willow on the way. The car ejects their belongings into the Forbidden Forest, and Ron’s wand is slightly damaged.

Back at Hogwarts, there are three new people that Harry encounters. The first is the new vain professor Gilderoy Lockhart. Then there is Colin Creevey, a new Gryffindor member who admires Harry and is constantly taking his picture. Finally there is Ron’s little sister Ginny Weasley, who is infatuated with Harry. The action starts when the chamber of secrets is opened, setting a monster loose that begins to stalk the Hogwarts castle. The monster has the power to petrify students. Legend says that Salazar Slytherin built the chamber of secrets, and that it can only be opened by one of his heirs. Harry, Hermione and Ron begin to investigate. Hermione creates a polyjuice potion that allows them to disguise themselves as Slytherin students. However, a few cat hairs inadvertently fall into Hermione’s portion, thus turning her temporarily into a cat. Harry and his friends are not able to find out who the heir is.

The monster attacks continue and more students become petrified, including Hermione. Even worse, someone leaves graffiti on a wall that says Ginny Weasley has been taken to the chamber, where only her bones will be found. Harry and Ron begin to investigate further, and they find the entrance to the chamber of secrets. They make Gilderoy Lockhart accompany them, but then Harry and Ron become separated when a falling rock separates them. Harry finally penetrates the chamber, where he discovers Ginny lying unconscious. Harry discovers that the spirit of Voldemort has incarnated Ginny and caused her to open the chamber. Harry also encounters a young man named Tom Riddle, who described himself as a memory, but who is also the spirit of Voldemort. Tom Riddle begins to steal the life from Ginny’s body. Harry battles Tom Riddle and the monster that has been petrifying Hogwarts students. Dumbledore’s phoenix arrives and he is able to slay the monster with a sword brought to him by the phoenix. Ginny recovers from a near-death state when he stabs Tom Riddle’s diary with one of the basilisk’s fangs. The petrified students are revived as soon as the diary is destroyed.

Ravenclaw is definitely the most cerebral of all the houses at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Like all the houses at the famous wizard’s school, Ravenclaw has its own distinct identity and traditions at the magical Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Ravenclaw distinguishes itself in the Harry Potter book series through the specific values and characteristics of this house. Ravenclaw is well known for valuing knowledge, a fast wit, and intelligence. Every house at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry has its own special animal emblem, and Ravenclaw is no exception. The Ravenclaw animal emblem is the eagle. Each house also has its own distinct color codes, and the Ravenclaw has its own distinct color code: the very sober bronze and blue.

The house head of Ravenclaw is Fillus Flitwick, and although the Harry Potter books do not name a resident ghost, the Harry Potter movies do name the Ravenclaw house ghost as the Grey Lady. The Ravenclaw house is named after its namesake, the founder of the house named Rowena Ravenclaw. All the houses of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry correspond roughly to an element, such as air, water, fire and earth. JK Rowling has suggested in past interviews that the Ravenclaw house corresponds to the air element. The book series provides more physical description of the Hogwarts house more than any other of the school houses. However, the physical description of Ravenclaw does provide some bits of description. We are told that the Ravenclaw dormitories and the common room are located in the Ravenclaw Tower, which is located on the west side of the Hogwarts School.

Readers are able to gain much familiarity with the Gryffindor house because it is the house of Harry, if you will. But Ravenclaw does not get nearly as much attention as Gryffindor or even Slytherin. There is not as much description about Ravenclaw than any of the other houses at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Not many of members of the Ravenclaw house receive much description in the course of the series. However, it is hinted at that the members of Ravenclaw are especially physically attractive. It appears that the members of Ravenclaw are especially beautiful, as they have occasionally been described as being pleasing to the eye. Almost all the members of Ravenclaw that are mention in the series have been described as lovely or handsome. None of the members of Ravenclaw have yet figured prominently into any of the plot points, but some of the better-known names include Cho Chang, Roger Davies, Luna Lovegood and Filius Flitwick.

Each of the four houses in the Harry Potter books operate as distinct entities, with their own set of dormitories and common rooms. Each of the four houses also has their very own table at the Great Hall. It can be said that the students of each house, which include Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin, do everything together: they study together, attend most classes together, eat together, and even sleep in the same section of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft. Although there exists plenty of rivalry between each of the different houses, that does not mean that they cannot mingle socially. Although most students take classes with members of the same house, there are no regulations against members from different houses socializing. Moreover, there are many different opportunities for members to mingle, including Quidditch matches and other social gatherings. Another of the prime moments of competition between the different houses happens during the annual House Cup. The annual House Cup is determined by the number of points that each member loses or earns throughout the course of the year.

There is nothing ordinary about the world of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It is a place where a three-headed dog guards a chamber of secrets, where a friendly ogre named Hagrid protects the young wizards in training, where broomsticks fly, and owls deliver the mail. Who wouldn’t want to live in such a magical universe? Many close readers of the hugely popular Harry Potter series have also noticed that the plants depicted in the books do not escape JK Rowling’s (the creator of the Harry Potter series) watchful and detail-oriented eye. Indeed, no small detail seems to escape Rowling’s watchful eye. She seems to have planned every detail of her novels, and this much of what makes this so absorbing: she has created a whole other universe that seems real yet fantastical all at once. Here is a brief look at the plants that are highlighted in the Harry Potter books. These plants certainly constitute no ordinary horticulture.

At the fabulously magical Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, all the young wizards in training must take an herbology class named Magical and Mundane plants that allows students to learn the difference and be able to differentiate between plants that are mundane and those that are magical. Most of the magical plants have been entirely made up by Rowling herself, while many of the mundane plants are actually part of our own non-muggle world. Here is a brief sampling of some of the plants that are highlighted throughout the Harry Potter books series.

Abyssinian shrivelfig: Students learn how to prune and work with these plants. However, only second year herbology students are allowed to work with Abyssinian shrivelfig trees. When the shrivelfigs are peeled, they can be used as an active ingredient in the shrinking solution.

Alihotsy: According to Rowling, eating the leaves of this plant will cause hysteria in whoever ingests them.

Bouncing Bulb: This plant caused quite a fuss in one particularly eventful herbology class. The bulb was repotted during one herbology class. But then it accidentally wriggled free from Harry’s own hand, and then banged him across the face.

Bubotuber: What is this strange sounding thing? The bubotuber is said to look almost exactly like a giant, thick black slug. This strange plant is even known to squirm slightly when held. Although strangely enough, once the bubotuber has been planted, it will stick out vertically and straight as an arrow. Professor Sprout taught the fourth year students how to work with the pus from the bubotuber. The pus from this strange plant is known to react strangely with human skin. If it remains undiluted, it is well known that it will cause painful, oversized boils to rise from the skin. However, when it processed carefully and correctly, it can be diluted properly to create a wonderful cure for acne.

Devil’s Snare: This strange plant is well known because it is made of soft and springy vines and tendrils. The plant itself seems to possess some sense of touch. The plant does exactly what its name invokes: it is known to snare anyone who dares touch it. The Devil’s Snare plant will lace around the arms and legs of its capture and eventually choke them to death. Like quicksand, the more a person attempts to resist its embrace, the harder the plant will choke.  However, if the person manages to relax, the Devil’s Snare plant will work slowly, allowing more time for rescue or possible escape. According to Rowling’s, the Devil’s Snare plant grows best in the darkest and dampest of all environments. It does not like fire. The best thing to do when caught in its grip is to use flames to drive it away, or use a flame spell against it.

Ron Weasley stands as one of the most ideal representations of a best friend ever to be penned into the world of fiction. As Harry Potter’s best buddy, fans the world over have become endeared to the lovable Ron Weasley. Even after the adolescent spats that they have encountered in recent years, fans everywhere still love Ron Weasley. Why? He is sincere, funny, and always loyal to everyone’s favorite boy wizard, Harry Potter. Here is a brief overview of everyone’s favorite best friend, Ron Weasley.

Ron Weasley, full name Ronald Bilius ‘Ron’ Weasley, is said to have been born on the first of March, 1980. Although he is a fictional character in JK Rowling’s fantastically successful Harry Potter book series, many readers and critics alike have noted that Ron Weasley stands as one of Rowling’s most credible and realistic fictional characters. Ron Weasley bears all the trademark stripes of the large Weasley clan: they all have flaming red hair, blue eyes, and are usually rather tall and gangly. And Ron Weasley is no exception: he is all of these things. He is also described as having freckles, big hands and feet, and a rather long nose. In very popular Harry Potter films, he is portrayed by the young actor Rupert Grint.

Like Harry Potter, Ron Weasley also belongs to the house of Gryffindor at Hogwarts. He became best friends with Harry and Hermione Granger during their first year together at Hogwarts. Like Hermione, Ron Weasley nearly always plays a pivotal role in Harry’s adventures. Like Draco Malfoy, Ron Weasley also represents a kind of foil to Harry’s character. While Harry Potter is an orphan who has been mistreated by his relatives, Ron Weasley comes from a large and very loving tight knit family. He has several older brothers, all of whom are well-regarded graduates of Hogwarts School.

However, in such a big family, it can be easy at times to feel lost. Ron often feels overshadowed by his older brothers. To further compound these feelings, Ron Weasley is usually considered to have average wizarding abilities. He does not seem to excel or stand out, and he sometimes feels ignored because of this fact. Harry Potter is usually the one to receive the limelight, and this causes a rift in their relationship later in the series. The two characters—Harry and Ron—also serve as important thematic foils to one another in another important respect. While Ron is rich with family, his family is not rich. His family has meager financial holdings, and Draco Malfoy often teases him because of this. Meanwhile, while Harry has a big inheritance, he lacks the richness of Ron’s large and tight knit family.

Ron Weasley’s parents are Arthur and Molly Weasley. Ron is the sixth of their seventh children, and he is the youngest son. He has a younger sister, Ginny, who will eventually become Harry Potter’s love interest. Ron Weasley grew up with his family in The Burrow, which is close to the village of Ottery St. Catchpole in Devon. His five older brothers are called Bill, Charlie, Percy, and the twins, Fred and George. The Weasley family is interesting because they hail from a very old pure-blood wizarding family. However, they do not discriminate against muggles or muggle-born wizards. Ron Weasley stands out from his large family because he is funny and sometimes described as a bit goofy. However, it is precisely these characteristics that has endeared Ron Weasley to so many fans of the Harry Potter books the world over. Many readers argue that the series simply would not work as well without the lovable Ron Weasley by Harry’s side.

One of the greatest mysteries of the Harry Potter book series has to do with Harry’s parents. We know they were called James and Lily Potter, but what else do we know about them? Very little, in fact, and Harry Potter creator JK Rowling’s has revealed little information about Harry’s parents. The rumor mill reports that readers will finally get to know more about Harry’s parents. But for now, what do we know about said James and Lily Potter? What kind of parents were they? And what sort of students were they when they attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as young wizards in training?

Here is what we know about James Potter, Harry’s father: he was born in 1958 in Great Britain, although no specific city or region is mentioned. Physically, James Potter is described as having hazel eyes, a rather thin face, messy black hair that always sticked up at the back, a nose slightly longer than Harry’s, and about the same height as Harry during his own Hogwarts school days. James Potter attended Hogwarts School from approximately 1969 to 1976. He belonged to the Gryffindor house, and we understand that his best friends at school included Sirius Black (who we find out is Harry’s godfather), Peter Pettigrew, and Remus Lupin. Sirius Black became like a member of James Potter’s family.

In addition, we learn that he had a disagreement with his family, and eventually moved in with James Potter’s family when he was sixteen years old. Eventually, the Potters began to view Sirius as their second son. It is said that James Potter’s parents were older, nearly elderly, and he was an only child who found him being pampered as a child. How did James Potter get along with his schoolmates at Hogwarts? Some are surprised to find out that James was sometimes viewed as arrogant and a bully, although his close friends describe him simply as very cool. But it appears that the young James Potter found himself maturing during his school days. He was also a brilliant student who loved playing Quidditch.

What about James mother, Lily? Lily Potter, before meeting future husband James, was named Lily Evans. She was said to be born in 1958, and died in 1981, when Harry was still an infant. Physically, Lily is described as having almond-shaped eyes that are a striking green in color. She had dark red hair, and she wore it down to her shoulders. She was well-liked by her classmates and professors at Hogwarts school. She was described as a bit cheeky, funny, excitable, and exceedingly charming. She was a member of the Slug Club, a club that Slughorn ran that was developed especially for exceptional students. Lily was considered to be a very pretty little girl.

It is believed that James Potter was taken with her nearly immediately. It is said that Lily was muggle-born, and she had a sister named Petunia. Petunia tells Harry that there parents were always very proud to have a witch in the family. It is known that in her final year, Lily was appointed head girl. Lily famously rejected James when he first asked her out during their fifth year. She fastidiously rejected him for his arrogance, but a spark of attraction always appeared to be present. Moreover, as James began to mature, Lily was able to give him a second chance.

Soon after James and Lily married, they had a young son who they named Harry. He was born on July 31, 1980. It is said that the Potter family belonged to the Order of the Phoenix, an organization dedicated to battling Lord Voldemort and his dangerous death eaters.

One of the greatest joys in reading the hugely popular Harry Potter books is reading about all the magical creatures that Harry and his cohorts at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry encounter on their various adventures. Fans of JK Rowling commend her on a great sense of whimsy and imagination in creating an entire collection of magical beasts and creatures that inhabit the wondrous world of Harry Potter. The magical creatures that are found throughout the Harry Potter universe make up an important part of the series. The first six books in the series (a seventh, and final, volume is to be released sometime in 2007) show Harry and his friends encountering many of these often startling and purely magical creatures on their adventures.

Moreover, learning and caring for magical creatures is one of the most important skills that is taught to all the incoming wizards in training that inhabit the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. For instance, they must carry with them and study the book The Care of Magical Creatures in the similarly-named course that they are required to take at Hogwarts School. Besides this, Rowling herself has penned a manual of sorts titled Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. This is a guide of sorts that shows readers how to track many of the magical beasts that are mentioned in the series, written by the authority herself. However, Rowling does not take explicit credit for this fantastic volume. The credit for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them goes to the noted (and thoroughly fictional) magizoologist Newt Scamander.

Rowling herself has noted that many of the fabulous creatures that are riddled throughout the six Harry Potter books are derived from many diverse classical sources, such as ancient Greek mythology, Egyptian mythology, Scandinavian folklore, and of course, British folklore. All of the magical creatures mentioned in the Harry Potter series are overseen by the Department of the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, which is part of the Ministry of Magic. This important department is responsible for regulating all of the magical creatures that exist in the Harry Potter universe. The department generally classifies all beasts into one of three categories. The first category is known as the Beast division. The second is called the Being division, and the third is known as the Spirit division. Magical creatures deemed to be Being creatures include humans, goblins, fairies, pixies, and gnomes. Members of the beast division include centaurs and merpeople. Members of the spirit division include all types of ghosts.

There are many magical beasts in the Harry Potter books, and these are typically classified according to other categories as well. Many fans of the Harry Potter series choose to separate the magical beasts into two categories: animals with magical powers, and characters. Animals with magical powers are those that live in the backdrop of Harry’s universe, while characters are magical beasts that have an important role in the story, such as the three-headed dog that attacks Harry and his friends in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

Some magical creatures may also be kept as pets, including toads, cats, and owls. A notable exception is Ron Weasley, who chooses to keep a pet rat instead of the other more conventional options. All students are allowed to keep one pet. Many of the students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry like to keep owls because they are watchful pets, and they can help deliver the post. However, although owls make good pets at Hogwarts, they do not have any exclusive or innate magical powers.