Birthdays

Ron Weasley - March 1st

Fred and George Weasley - April 1st (that's April Fool's Day guys!)

Neville Longbottom - July 30th

Harry Potter - July 31st (the same as J.K. Rowling!)

Ginny Weasley - August 11th

Percy Weasley - August 22nd

Hermione Granger - September 19th

Professor McGonagall - October 4th

Professor Flitwick - October 17th

Mrs Weasley - October 30th

Bill Weasley - November 29th

Hagrid - December 6th

Charlie Weasley - December 12 th

Draco Malfoy – June 5 th

Remus Lupin – March 10 th

Mr Weasley – February 6 th

Professor Snape – January 9th

· Harry's middle name is "James," taking after his Dad!

· Hagrid, Lily and James were all in Gryffindor.

· James Potter was a Chaser (although possible Seeker too) on the Gryffindor Quidditch Team.

· There is something going on between Ron and Hermione.

· Witches and wizards have longer life spans than muggles.

· The Gringotts goblins return the muggle money they acquire back into circulation.

· The Sorting Hat originally considered Hermione for Ravenclaw.

· Lily's maiden name is "Evans."

. Ginny's middle name is 'Molly' after her mother, Hermione's is 'Jane' and Ron's is 'Bilius' after his Uncle.

. Lupin and Sirius were also in Gryffindor.

. The 'J' in Remus 'J' Lupin, stands for 'John'.

. JK Rowling originally planned for Hermione to have a sister but feels it is a bit late in the series to start introducing her.

. Professor Trelawney's middle name is 'Patricia'.

. Muggle parents are convinced to send their children to Hogwarts after special messengers are sent to their homes to explain everything to them. However, they will have already noticed strange behaviour in their children over the last ten years.

. If a muggle looks at Hogwarts the only thing they will see is nothing but a ruined castle with a large sign saying "KEEP OUT, DANGEROUS BUILDING".

. Quidditch was invented after JKR had a fight with her then boyfriend in a hotel room.

. Bill is two years older than Charlie who is two years older than Percy making the Weasley children: Bill (23), Charlie (21), Percy (19), Fred and George (16), Ron (15) and Ginny (14) in Order of the Phoenix.

. Lupin is a half blood.

. The word "muggle" came about after JKR was looking for a word that suggested 'foolishness' and 'loveability'. The word 'mug' came to mind, for somebody gullible and then she softened it. JKR thinks 'muggle' sounds cuddly.

. Draco is an only child.

. Dumbledore's Patronus is a phoenix, Hermione's is an otter and Cho Chang's is a swan.

. The paintings at Hogwarts are all of dead people and are therefore not as fully realised as ghosts which means they can only leave an imprint of themselves. For example, they repeat only catchphrases. Think of Sir Cadogan. This means, that Harry's parents cannot speak to him through a painting of themselves if one was ever painted.

. Those wizards who come back as ghosts are those who are afraid of death.

. Harry was the first character created for the series.

. Hermione has no brothers or sisters. She was originally supposed to have a younger sister who was a Muggle and whom could not go to Hogwarts. JKR felt it was a subplot that didn't work and so it was removed altogether. JKR has deliberately left Hermione's family in the background because you see so much of Ron's that in contrast JKR wanted Hermione's to appear quite normal. Her parents, as is well known, are both dentists and whilst quite bemused by their odd daughter are proud of her all the same.

. Harry does not have a godmother.

. Rita Skeeter was originally called "Bridget." She was originally written into an early draft of Philosopher's Stone when Harry first arrives at The Leaky Cauldron.

. Witches and wizards can only see the Thestrals once they have had time to register and appreciate that they will never see the person who has died, again. The idea that Harry could finally see the Thestrals set the tone for Order of the Phoenix.

. The descriptions in Philosopher's Stone of Dudley as being "what appeared to be a beach ball wearing different coloured bauble hats" is in reference to many of JK's early baby photos.

. A boy and girl who grew up in the same neighbourhood as JK had the surname of "Potter." Years later they popped up in the press claiming the boy was Harry Potter and that he and JK used to play dress ups, as witches and wizards no less.

. The name for the Tutshill Tornadoes Quidditch team comes from the name of a town JK spent much of her childhood growing up.

. In high school Jo met Sean Harris, whom which Chamber of Secrets is dedicated to. It is his Ford Anglia that is replicated in the books and much of which Ron's characteristic humour is based on.

. The storyline for Half-Blood Prince once resided in Chamber of Secrets.

. Mark Evans has absolutely no significance to the series, it is just coincidence that his name is similar to Lily and Petunia's maiden name. Similarly to that is Sturgis Podmore and Podmore from the Headless Hunt.

. Wizards can make themselves untraceable.

. The Head of Ravenclaw house is Professor Flitckwick, not Sinistra.

. Prefects can take points from students.

. Original manuscripts of Philosopher's Stone had Harry's parents being accused of stealing the stone.

. Dean Thomas's background was sacrificed by JKR for Neville's who is more central to the plot. It was originally planned that Dean (who was originally written as being named "Gary"), a black Londoner, who thought he was a Muggle, would learn why his father walked out on his family when he was young. It was because his father was a wizard who was killed by Death Eaters when he refused to join them and he hid his identity out of a need to protect his family. Dean now lives a happy home life with his Mum, stepfather and a number of half-brothers and sisters.

. Sirius's eyes are grey.

. Hufflepuff's common room is more like a cellar rather than a dungeon.

. Mafalda, the Weasley's "second cousin who's a stockbroker" was supposed to appear in Goblet of Fire but was cut by JKR when she wasn't doing what she wanted. Mafalda was originally taken along to the Quidditch World Cup, after her parents requested that now they knew she was a witch she be introduced into wizarding society. She was a very unpleasant character who was supposed to reveal certain information about the Death Eaters (she is a nosy, eavesdropping, gossping Slytherin). She was a match for Hermione because Mafalda was very gifted and quite a show-off so Hermione was torn between deploring the rule-breaking and longing to join in and beat her. She did have her limitations, being only 11 yrs old to which Rita Skeeter worked much more effectively.

. Theodore Nott was another character who was cut from both Chamber of Secrets and Goblet of Fire because he just didn't work. He was raised by an elderly widower and a Death Eater father. He was a clever loner who never felt the need to join gang's including Malfoy's. In one scene that was originally written for the novels he is seen speaking with Draco who consider's Nott to be an equal because he is pure-blood, about Dumbledore's regime at Hogwarts, Harry Potter and all sorts of stories that the Death Eater's told about how he survived. It was designed to show Malfoy's house and its difference to Privet Drive.

. Mopsy the Dog Lover was written into Goblet of Fire as an eccentric, dog loving old witch whom Sirius stays with when he returns to Hogsmeade. She takes in Sirius assuming he was a stray. He was to join her other ill-assortment of dogs, whom she was always having bad turns with the neighbours about because of their barking and mess. She added nothing to the storyline so subsequently she was cut.

. Opening chapters of Philosopher's Stone included scenes of Voldemort killing the Potter's and a character named Pyrites meaning "fools gold," a dandy who wore white silk gloves.

. Even earlier drafts of Philosopher's Stone had the Potter's living on a remote island and Hermione's family on the mainland. Hermione's father spots an explosion when the Potter's were killed and rows out to the island only to find their bodies in the wreckage.

. Crookshanks is based on a cat JKR used to see prowling around a square she used to eat her lunch in when she was on a break at work. It looked just as it is described in the books: a face that looks as though it has crashed face first into a wall with ginger hair and bandy legs.

. Gilderoy Lockhart is the only character based on a real person someone JKR knew.

. Hermione's surname was originally "Puckle" but it didn't suit her at all and so it was changed to something a little less frivolous. Hermione is a slight extension of JKR when she was younger. She is a swotty little know-it-all but underneath there is a lot of insecurity and a great fear of failure.

. Ron's character is the only one of the main three whose name never changed. Weasels and red hair are said to be bad luck.

. Mrs Weasley's maiden name is "Prewett." You will remember this name because many of them were lost at the hands of Voldemort.

. Arthur was one of three brothers.

. Ginny's full name is Ginevra, not Virginia. She is the first girl born into the Weasley clan for generations.

. All the Irish Quidditch team players are all named after people JKR knew. Moran, Troy and Quigley are all people she has known. Troy is one of her dearest friends and is a passionate supporter of West Ham Football club which is why it is in her honour that it is the only team mentioned in the books.

. Gideon and Fabian Prewett are Molly's brothers. This explains her fear and over-protective stance towards Harry.

. A squib is a non-magical person born to at least one magical parent. A squib is a dominant and resilient gene. Squibs could not attend Hogwarts. They are people who are exposed to a magical life but can never feel truly part of it. Both Filch and Arabella Figg have managed to work within the magical world even though neither can do magic. They have had the aid of magical objects, creatures and a thorough knowledge of the magical world to help them.

. Everyone who shows magical ability before their 11th birthday automatically gains a place at Hogwarts.

. Therefore, Hermione was nearly 12 by the time she started at Hogwarts.

. The core in Hermione's wand is dragon heartstring. Together with Harry and Ron's wand cores they make the three main core's used by Mr Ollivander the wand maker.

. Theodore Nott is the "stringy Slytherin" described in the Thestral scene in Phoenix. He can also be descirbed as "rabbity."

. Originally JKR chose Harry's wand to be made of holly because it contrasted with the traditional associations made by Voldemort's yew wand. European tradition has it that the holly tree (from 'holy) repels evil, while yew, which can achieve stunning longevity can symbolise both death and resurrection. Its sap is also poisonous. She then looked into the Celtic system and found that coincidentally she had given Harry the right wood type. She then also gave Ron and Hermione Celtic wood wands as well. Ron who has originally beech became ash and Hermione's is vine (with a dragon heartstring core). This system was only used for Harry, Ron and Hermione. Hagrid has an oak wand but if JKR were to use the Celt system he should have an elder wand. However oak in Britain is symbolic of strength, protection and fecundity, making it the "King of the Forest." Here is the breakdown of the system below: