10 Little Known Facts About Harry Potter

If you’re a big fan of Harry Potter, you may think that you know all the facts and lore surrounding the series. I thought I was an expert on all things Harry Potter until I failed some of the harder Harry Potter trivia questions I ran into at https://harrypottertriviaquestions.com. The next time you’re being quizzed and Harry Potter questions come up, be armed and ready with these 10 little-known facts:

The Names Of the Hogwarts Houses Were Invented On The Back of a Barf Bag

Way back in the year 2000, Rowling was asked what it was that made her think of the names of her characters and the dormitories at Hogwarts. Her response was that she came up with the names and wrote them down on the back of an airplane sick bag!

Rupert Grint’s Audition Was Less Than Standard

Back when Grint was just 10 years old, he sent in a video audition for a part in the Harry Potter series. For the video, he pretended to be his female drama teacher and then did a rap about how he wanted to be Ron!

Harry’s Eyes Aren’t Green in the Movies For Good Reason

Radcliffe’s eyes are blue, but in the books, Harry’s eyes are supposed to be bright green. This presented a problem when the green contacts Radcliffe tried caused an allergic reaction. It was decided what was most important was that Harry’s eyes were similar to his mother’s so they instead chose to cast someone with a close resemblance to Radcliffe to play the part of Lily Potter.

The Brooms Used In The Series Were Made of Titanium

The brooms used throughout the series were no ordinary brooms! Crafted out of aircraft-grade titanium, the brooms needed to be able to handle the weight of the kids while they sat on them. Frequently, they had to be mounted to motion-controlled bases for green-screen shots, so it was necessary that they be strong enough to support 80 or more pounds.

Moaning Myrtle’s Part Was Played By a 36 Year Old

Moaning Myrtle may look like just another one of the kids, but did you know that the actress that played her, Shirley Henderson, was 36 when she played the part?
Shirley stated that due to the more technical nature of the role, playing the part of a ghost was actually more difficult than playing a real person!

Rowling Revealed That Dumbledore Was Gay

Back in 2007, Rowling was asked whether or not Dumbledore had ever been in love. She then revealed that she had always thought of him as gay and that he had even fallen in love with Grindelwald!

Moaning Myrtle Was Inspired by the Bathrooms of Rowling’s Youth

Rowling revealed on Pottermore that Moaning Myrtle, the whining ghost in the bathroom, was inspired by “the frequent presence of a crying girl in communal bathrooms” during her youth.

Ron Was Almost Killed Off Before the Battle of Hogwarts

Rowling’s original plan for the series was that none of the main trio of the series would die. Halfway through writing the series though, she found herself in a bit of a slump and, out of sheer spite, she thought it might be a good idea to kill off Ron. She reconsidered though and, we’re all glad she did!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Was Not the Only Title For The Final Book

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was not the only title that Rowling had come up with for the final book in the series. Also on the table were Harry Potter and the Peverell Quest and Harry Potter and the Elder Wand.

Seven Owls Were Cast to Play Hedwig

For the part of Hedwig the Owl, 7 different owls enjoyed the opportunity of playing the part! Their names were Swoops, Gizmo, Kasper, Oops, Oh Oh, Elmo, and Bandit.
With a body of work as large as the Harry Potter series, between the books and the movies, there are a lot of little-known tidbits of information out there. The next time you are amongst Harry Potter fans, you’ll surely impress with these obscure facts handy!