10 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About The Harry Potter Books
Even the most dedicated Harry Potter fan won't know all these secrets...
It’s been thirteen years since the last Harry Potter book was published. Since then, the movie adaptations have come to an end, the Fantastic Beasts franchise has been launched, and the Potterverse has even made it to the stage with Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
Whilst plenty of fans have embraced all corners of the wizarding world, the original Harry Potter stories are still the apex of J.K. Rowling’s creative endeavours – books are clearly her forte. And she’s also proofed her brilliance as a novelist with the terrific (and underrated) Cormoran Strike series as well.
Rowling’s success has inevitably led to a lot of press attention. There’s been interviews, documentaries, and news stories centred around Rowling and her best-selling novels. And with the release of Harry Potter: A Journey Through a History of Magic (2017), fans have even seen some of the author’s earliest drafts for themselves.
As such, there’s loads of behind-the-scenes information you might not be aware of. Forgotten chapters, personal regrets, and inspirations for certain parts of Harry’s journey have all been addressed by Rowling over the course of her magical career...
10. The Mirror Of Erised Was Inspired By The Death Of Rowling’s Mother
Many people know that Rowling came up with Harry Potter whilst on a train from Manchester to London – the idea just popped into her head. Fans are less familiar, however, with the death of Rowling’s mother.
In December 1990 (roughly six months after the aforementioned train journey), Anne Rowling died of multiple sclerosis. She was just forty-five years old.
Rowling’s vision for her seven-part series then darkened considerably. And one particular chapter was directly linked with her mother’s death. In 'The Mirror of Erised', Harry stumbles across a large mirror following a close shave with Argus Filch, the Hogwarts caretaker.
Before long, Harry realises this is no ordinary mirror. When he looks into it, he sees his long-lost family staring back at him, including his mother and father.
Rowling’s idea for this scene stemmed from her desire to see her own mother again. Just like her protagonist, she longed to spend more time with her deceased family.