Only 1 In 20 Fans Can Pass This Harry Potter Quiz Without Asking A Friend
- by Ariel_S
- – on
- in Movies and TV
Harry Potter is one of the biggest media franchises the world has ever know. In fact, the movies themselves have been only beaten by the entire Star Wars franchise and the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe. As for the complete media franchise, Harry Potter is number ten in the history of humankind. In total, the franchise as a media entity is recorded as being worth roughly $30 Billion dollars.
The novels, which first launched in the UK (as the Philosopher’s Stone) before heading across the pond the next year, have grossed nearly as much as the film franchise. Currently, the book sales are totalled at $7.7 Billion, just behind the Cinematic Box Office which is at $8.5 Billion.
The wonderful wizarding world of Harry Potter is a beautiful example of hard work, imagination, and never-ending desire to tell a story. Author J.K. Rowling began writing the first Harry Potter book in a coffee shop outside of London, struggling from debt and finances, a recent divorce, and the loss of her mother. It’s a rags to riches story that has produced one of the most in-depth fictional universes known to man. And that is why we’re putting all those Potterheads to the test with this magically difficult quiz.
When was the first Harry Potter book released?
It was the summer in a brokedown English country town where a middle-aged writer with potential sat, living off state allowances, and in a “trying time” to say the very least, but that’s when she penned the manuscript that would change her life, and the rest of the world, forever. It spanned ten years, as did the releases of all seven Harry Potter novels, but it was truly the first novel that began the insanity of the Potter fandom. But can we remember what year the first Harry Potter book was released?
What was the revised title for the first Harry Potter book?
The floodgates had opened, Harry Potter was making landfall all across the world, and the fever pitch of wannabe witches and wizards took over the globe. But it took over a year for the first book in the series, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone to hit the western world. However, when it did get published out in the States, some folks thought kids wouldn’t be interested in a novel with the word philosopher in the title, so they changed it to better convey the world of wizards.
Who wrote the Harry Potter books?
There isn’t much known about the author of the Harry Potter books prior to the release of the first novel in the series back in the late 1990’s, but that’s only if we’re looking at their publishing page. It’s rare, if it ever happens at all, that someone publishes at absolute blockbuster their first go at the books, but that’s exactly what happened here. Possibly due to luck, but more than likely it happened that way due to the inability to execute or get the green light on any manuscripts. They are now the UK’s best selling author of all time.
What street did Harry Potter grow up on?
There’s a long and tumultuous story to be read about the “boy who lived” and it winds up weaving the tale of a small child given up to his aunt and uncle after the untimely passing of his parents by the plague that is “he who shall not be named”. It’s where we begin the journey. On a particular street in Surrey County, in the south of England. The home of his adopted family, where Harry slept under the stairs, was on what street?
What was the surname of Harry’s adopted family?
It was there, on Privet Drive where Harry was the center of all the vitriol boiled up by the grotesque human beings that adopted him. His uncle (by marriage) Vernon is a rangy old man with a temper and a real strong complex about him, and he subjects young Potter to a torturous life of servitude and starvation. It’s a real ugly mess that only further spurs Harry’s need to discover somewhere greater. Uncle Vernon is father to dopey Dudley, and husband to Petunia (the sister of Harry’s birth mother).
What are Harry Potter’s parents' names?
Rumors and speculation run abound in the mind of young Harry Potter as he begins to put the pieces together of his parent's offing. It was, after all, “he who must not be named” that offed his parents, and attempted to off young Potter a well. But alas, a deep and mysterious magic lived within the boy, and his parents ensured he’d survive. We might find a hint in the birthname of Harry Potter (his middle name was handed down by his father), but for the parents of one of the world’s most well-known fictional characters, their names aren’t mentioned often.
What is the name of “he who must not be named”?
There’s a terrible fright in the once man’s face, and after the demise of Lily and James Potter, “he who must not be named” attempted to steal the life of young Harry, but upon failing, fled from his mortal form and disappear for over a decade. It wasn’t until the rise of Harry Potter to the wizarding world that he-who-must-not-be-named was seen again. It is said that the mere mention of his name could summon him from the shadows, hence the caginess around pet-names and everyone’s disdain when Potter himself mentions it many times.
But what is Lord Voldemort’s real name?
In book two, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the young titular wizard is abruptly thrown into a game of cat and mouse inside the basement of Hogwarts. Throughout his (and his friends) battle with wit and circumstances, his only real guiding light is a journal. A journal that once belonged to a young Lord Voldemort. Thanks to Sirius Black, Potter gained access and knowledge of the dark lord that no other might have had. But what was the name on that forsaken journal; what was Voldemort’s true name?
Which actor had to have his pockets sewn, so as to keep them from bringing food onto set?
It’s a really rough job at times, working insanely long hours, with little to no downtime, and on a production as big as this, under this much pressure, it’s no wonder some like to snack far more than most. The only problem is that the set decorators, and all those in charge of keeping continuity, get a little terse when actors mosey around onstage with food. One actor kept sneaking food onto the set of Azkaban, that the costume department was instructed to sew their pockets shut.
What is the name of the creator that takes the form of a person’s greatest fear?
In Hogwarts illustriously destructive Defense Against the Dark Arts program, one instructor brought one of the toughest magical creatures to class in order to teach the children how to adapt and survive an attack from one. The instructor informed them that if they were to picture something they thought to be hilarious, that they would then turn the creature into a mockery, disarming its lethal potential. It would become such things as a spider wearing skates, or Sirius in a dress, and even a Dementor when Harry faced it. But what was the name of this creature?
What did J.K. Rowling say that Voldemort would see if he faced a boggart?
Though it never happened at any point that we’re told of in the fictional story-archs of the books or films, it’s often a conversation between fans as to what they would see should they be unfortunate enough to come face-to-face with a boggart. In an interview with a European magazine, an editorialist asked the Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling what would ever come of a boggart should Lord Voldemort ever find himself in a showdown with a boggart. The answer might come as a surprise.
Which of the main trio did J.K Rowling almost off?
It might shock a Harry Potter fan some, but one of the three main characters of the book series wasn’t necessarily supposed to make it past the fourth book. Rowling claims that she was at a “severe dark period” in her life with the mounting pressures from fans, publishers, and herself. In that mindset, she wrote a draft of the Goblet of Fire that included the offing of one of the “Golden Trio”. She is quoted later stating that she’s glad she stuck to her promise of keeping them together, because that’s what they all deserved.
Which Harry Potter actor originally auditioned for Harry and Ron, and got neither?
When the films were commissioned, shortly after the breakout of the first novel in the west, the production teams and casting directors had a huge task ahead of them. They needed to select the perfect actors to play these roles for the next decade. The story of Harry Potter follows the growth of these characters, and it would only be smart to find actors that could grow with them. At the average age of 11 years old, the main cast embarked on a journey that would change their lives. One of whom originally wanted to be Harry, failing that, auditioned for Ron Weasley, but got cast in another role.
What is the one thing J.K. Rowling credits for the strength of her Harry Potter characters?
It can’t be easy, writing one of the greatest fiction novel series of all time. Harry Potter’s author, J.K. Rowling, has always been pretty up front about the hardships and difficulty of her life prior to, and post Harry Potter fame. The structure and intense effort put into crafting the world and the characters is enough to make the regular of us dizzy. But one thing that Rowling has always credited to the success and strength of all the characters, and the story of Harry Potter as a series, is...
Which character does J.K Rowling share a birthday with?
Though she often credits herself as having worked on the Harry Potter timeline, world, and characters for over five years prior to sitting down to write the first novel, J.K. Rowling was a mere 32 years old when she broke in a big bad, wizarding way. The British writer has stated in multiple interviews that without the strife of her twenties, Harry Potter in its entirety as a series, wouldn’t have been possible. It was going beyond the years that one “should find success” that pushed her to strive for the most. She wrote her birthday into the series, as one of the main characters also has a birthday on July 31st.
On what did J.K Rowling first write the house names?
It is always a wondrous journey, heading into the mind of someone that has been consumed by a story, and have created something gigantic like Rowling has with the Potterverse. One of the reasons it feels so large and real is because Rowling has done the work in flushing everything out. Included, her “favorite part of the process”, in naming things. According to the author herself, she would keep a notebook on her at all times that she would fill with unique names either come across, or created, to which she would pluck from when in need.
What creature did Rowling create to express her own depression?
Part of the difficult path that led Rowling into grand success was the loss of her mother, Anne Volant Rowling in 1990. After the passing of her mother, J.K. Rowling fell into a dark and deep fit of depression, something she would later credit for a whole large load of the special relationships she was able to write. It was based on her recounting of this dark demon she dealt with, that Rowling was able to create one of the scariest creatures in fiction history.
Which book did Rowling base almost all of the plant life in Harry Potter off of?
We mentioned a few questions ago that Rowling was keen to keep notebooks filled with names that peaked her interest or “sounded witchy” with her, but when it came to all of the flora of the mystical and fictional Harry Potter Universe, Rowling turned to an actual book. Which means, that no matter how odd or fitting names like Fleawort or Knotgrass are, they’re real plants in the world. The book was written in the 17th century and contained a vast compendium of interesting and odd plantlife.
What was the originally planned western name for Philosopher’s Stone?
We know that the western release of the very first Harry Potter book came almost a year after its debut in the UK, and that the States publishers decided they had to change the name. “No kid wants to read a book about a philosopher” they said. We also know that they eventually landed on the simple change of the word philosopher to sorcerer. Which, in the end, does a better job of expressing a magical theme. But who knew there was almost a much more simple and boring name for the book?
What was the publishing codename for The Deathly Hallows?
By the time that Rowling and company were getting ready to entire the final stages of publishing the 7th and last Harry Potter book, there was too much risk to do things the normal way. In the world of publishing, the fervor isn’t usually big enough to call for secrecy, but there was so much pressure to ensure that the manuscript for Deathly Hallows wouldn’t leak. It probably would have fetched an insane price on some sort of fictional wizard black market. To make sure no one was interested in the manuscript as it got passed back and forth, the publishers came up with a very unique and boring codename.
What is the model of the Weasley’s flying car?
In the second Harry Potter tale, the Chamber of Secrets, Ron saves Harry from a sticky situation at the Dursley’s house on Privet Drive by stealing his father’s flying car. In a direct disobeyment of his father’s orders, Ron risks exposure by flying the car through the muggle neighbourhood that Harry resides in, and neglects to conceal the car whilst flying over London. Poor Arthur had his tricky muggle vehicle spotted by many muggles in the streets. How does the car fly? Well Arthur himself enchanted it. But what kind of car is it?
Name this wizard?
He may have been the brunt of a lot of jokes, but he also might have one of the most complex and intriguing histories out of all the students attending Hogwarts in the Harry Potter era. Born of pure-blood, this wizard is the child of two historical Aurors, and original members of the Order of the Phoenix, but was quickly cast as a weird nerd in his first year at Hogwarts. Over the years, he would come out of his shell, display an absolute mastery of Herbology (eventually becoming a professor of Herbology at Hogwarts) and showing true bravery as a member of House Gryffindor.
Why are Harry’s eyes blue in the film, not green like the novels?
J.K. Rowling herself has stated that “sometimes [we] can’t be so strict with things. They are huge books that just can’t really be translated properly to film” and in that vein, the folks making the blockbuster films has a bit of freedom of comfort. One change that wasn’t made by choice, rather circumstance, was Harry Potter’s eye color. “We tried,” exclaimed the film's producers, “but J.K. said that as long as his eyes match Lily’s, it doesn’t matter what color they are” so they scrapped it and used Radcliffe’s natural eye colors.
Which real-life library did they film at?
There are a lot of monumental and stunning sets in the Harry Potter live-action movie franchise. There wasn’t a single expense spared in the recreation of this fictional world. But the company did make some exceptions to sets and filmed a few key scenes in real-life locations. One of the most elaborate and beautiful locations in the entire school is the library, where Hermione spends a whole lot of time. The locations department of the film was asked to find a real library to film in and they took a long shot at one of the most famous libraries in all of the UK, knowing that some of the things they’d need permission to do within it, had never been done.
What day is Fred and George Weasley’s birthday?
The two jokers of the Weasley family are some of the most beloved characters from both the novels and the live-action films. In what seems like tradition for J.K. Rowling characters, the twins began the series as the comedic relief, but became hugely impactful in large events as the series went on and grew up. Fred and George are entrepreneurs, they want to open up a shop, and there are a thousand tiny pranks and stunts they want to pull on the way there. So it’s kind of fitting that their birthday would be one that is synonymous with their personalities.
Who was the original cast to play Gilderoy Lockhart in the Chamber of Secrets?
It has been widely known since the production and casting of the first Harry Potter movie began that J.K. Rowling specifically requested that all or many of the cast be British actors, which marks great reason why it’s chock full of famous UK thespians. One role, that of the dopey but lovable Gilderoy Lockhart, in the second film, had originally been given to a rather famous British actor that had made an amazing name for himself in America. He eventually had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts. Bet he regrets that a bit now, huh?
Who was cast as a young Dumbledore in the Fantastic Beasts sequel?
It’s got to be a rather daunting role to undertake. One of the most precious and beloved characters in all of the fantasy worlds ever made? The original Dumbledore actor, Richard Harris, was astounding as the headmaster. But unfortunately, Harris passed away in the middle of the series, leaving Michael Gambon to come on board and fill his shoes, which he did magically. So when it came to casting a young Dumbledore for the Fantastic Beasts spin-off franchise, there was a lot of pressure to nab someone notable.
Who was originally supposed to play Lily Potter in The Sorcerer’s Stone?
As the crux of Harry Potter’s story is the fact that he was orphaned by Voldemort as a baby, and had to go live with his Aunt and Uncle (not in Bel-Air). The roles of Lily and James Potter weren’t going to be ones with huge screen time. They’re gone, after all. We know, so is nearly-headless Nick, but that doesn’t count. The role of Lily Potter (needed for the short scene where Harry sees his parents in the Mirror) would eventually go to Geraldine Somerville, but that’s not who was originally offered the small part.
Which character’s actor lost so much weight between movies that he almost lost his role?
One of the toughest parts about filming this many movies, over this many years, with (in an attempt to anyways) the same cast the entire time, is that kids change a lot over their teens. It’s noticeable in some of the movies as certain actors hit puberty before others, and voices are all over the place. This really lends to the realism that these characters are growing up in front of our very eyes. One actor, however, lost so much weight between the Chamber of Secrets and Prisoner of Azkaban that he was almost recast.
Name this wizard?
The small book titled Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them was a small mention in one of the first Harry Potter books. So when, years later, Rowling would write a few short books that were all mentioned in the literature, to flesh out the universe a bit, Fantastic Beasts would be one of them. Some had doubts that a little side-project could uphold in its own spin-off movie franchise, but the world of Fantastic Beasts is a beautiful one. Including this fantastic wizard, who, is one of the most compassionate male characters to ever hit the silver screen.
How many Owls were used to portray Hedwig over the course of all films?
Oftentimes in the muggle world, Harry is left to linger in the disdain that lives within the Dursley’s. His only friend and compassionate salvation is his owl, the messenger bird and pet that was chosen for him before his first year at Hogwarts during his trip with Hagrid to Diagon Alley. This wonderful snow-white owl is featured in all of the films, and even has an up-and-down relationship with Potter. Who knows how many owls in total were used to play Hedwig in the movies?
What is the meaning of Dumbledore’s name?
We’ve gone through it a bunch so far in this quiz, the fact that Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling loved to collect interesting sounding names in a book in order to have a cache for when she needed to reach for a new one. Dumbledore however, arguably one of the most iconic Harry Potter characters aside from the series’ namesake himself, had some specifics behind his name. Rowling stated that his name means something else, the name of a living thing, because she pictured him wandering around and humming to himself.
What was the one word J.K. Rowling wanted to end the series with?
It’s a daunting mountain, staring up at the Harry Potter universe from the starting line. But plenty of extremely talented writers have a destination. It’s a goal. A light at the end of the tunnel. It doesn’t matter necessarily how we get there, as long as we reach it in the end. J.K. Rowling once stated that she had a single word in mind for the ending of the entire series. It stuck for the entire way, right up until she actually wrote the end, at which time she changed it.
Was the food shown in the Great Hall real?
It’s a pretty epic scene, the first time the trio enters the Great Hall of Hogwarts for the sorting ceremony on year one. All of the actor’s reactions were actually organic, because the main cast had never seen the set before they shot the scene. There’s a lot of footage in that hall over the course of their entire time at Hogwarts, usually it has to do with those insanely huge feasts that appear on the table for the students and faculty to eat. But was all of that food real?
Which actor was provided with a ton of spoilers, on purpose?
There’s a lot of work that has gone into the overarching storylines in Harry Potter. Some of them are far more complicated than others, but they all have grand payoffs in the books, and in the live-action adaptation. One character in particular had such a drastic reason for their actions that J.K. Rowling and the films producers actually sat down with them and revealed almost every single detail about the story so that they would know why and where all of their actions and feelings are coming from. And boy did it pay off.