30 Harry Potter-related Facts That Even Major Fans May or May Not Have Known

There are tons of fans of Harry Potter all over the world. It's hard not to get interested in the world of witchcraft and wizardry when reading the books or watching the films. According to Reader's Digest, here are 30 facts that fans of the books and novels may or may not know

1. Sirius Black shows up in the first chapter of the book

-In the first installment of the book, Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone (Philosopher's Stone in other countries, such as England), Sirius Black shows up in the first chapter. He is referenced by Rubeus Hagrid, the gamekeeper and keeper of keys at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He mentions Sirius lending him the motorcycle that was able to get little orphan Harry to his only living relatives after Dumbledore asks him where he had gotten the motorcycle

2. Two father figures to Harry represent opposites

-According to J.K. Rowling, "I named them for the alchemical colors to convey their opposing but complementary natures. Red meaning passion (or emotion), white for asceticism; Hagrid being the earthy, warm and physical man, lord of the forest; Dumbledore the spiritual theoretician, brilliant, idealized and somewhat detached. Each is a necessary counterpoint to the other as Harry seeks father figures in his new world."

-Rubeus (red) and Dumbledore (white) represent the father figures in Harry's world, and from the world of alchemy, red and white are complementary colors but are also opposites

3. The first words Professor Snape utters to Harry reference his mother Lily

-Despite these being books for children, there are a lot of advanced topics both used and referenced in the series. For example, floriography, the language of using flowers to convey messages. It was popular in the Victorian era. In Harry's first Potions class, Professor Snape asks Harry "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?" Most would think that Snape was trying to embarrass Harry with a potion he has not learned yet. In real life, there is a flower called asphodel. It's a type of lily, whose message says "my regrets follow you to the grave." Snape was once in love with Lily, and by mentioning asphodel, he is telling Harry that he does regret her death. Snape then mentions that adding these two chemicals together would make a sleeping potion so powerful that it is known as the Draught of Living Death

4. The ingredients in Snape's three Potions questions are real

-When Snape goes on to ask Harry his next questions "What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?" or "Where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?" These questions sound like complete nonsense to Harry, since he is inexperienced with potion making, these ingredients are not made up at all. They are real ingredients used in potion making. Monkshood and Wolfsbane, according to Snape, are said to be the same plant

-Wolfsbane and monkshood are indeed the same plant. This highly poisonous plant goes by multiple names, including its botanical name Aconite, Devil's helmet, monkshood, wolfsbane, mourning widow, Queen of Poisons, blue rocket, Woman's bane, Leopard's bane. This plant is highly poisonous and can result in gruesome effects, including extreme convulsions, paralysis and death. It earns its nickname monkshood from the fact that the petals of the flower curl in, so as to resemble the cowl or hood of a monk. As for the bezoar, Snape replies that "it is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat." The stones are formed from material in the goat's stomach that form a mass. Snape mentions that a bezoar would save people from most poisons. Ironically, this reference is put to use in the sixth book, Harry Potter and

Wolfsbane. Many names, many symptoms. One deadly result

Bezoar

5. Names reveal the true natures of the characters

-Draco Malfoy and the Dark Lord, Voldemort, take their names from words in the French language. Mal foi means "bad faith" while vol de mort means "flight of death."

6. Names also provide clues to vital plot points

-Names can tell a lot about the characters and important plot points. In the third film, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Hogwarts gets a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher named Remus Lupin. The name Remus references the Roman myth of Romulus and Remus, two brothers who were reared by wolves. Lupin was inspired by the Latin word lupinus, translating into "wolfish."

-Ironically, Wolfsbane, the ingredient Snape mentioned in his Potions class, was once used to kill wolves. In the world of Harry Potter, Snape uses this highly poisonous plant to make a potion to ease Lupin's symptoms

7. Lupin's werewolf condition is a metaphor for HIV

-J.K. Rowling states "Remus Lupin's affliction was a conscious reference to blood-borne diseases such as the HIV infection, with the attendant stigma. The potion Snape brews him is akin to the antiretroviral that will keep him from developing the 'full blown' version of his illness." Unfortunately, due to his condition being made public, he has to leave Hogwarts. "The sense of 'apartness' that the management of a chronic condition can impose on its sufferers was an important part of Lupin's character." He often appeared tired and unwell, two symptoms of HIV

8. Mirrors are windows to the soul

-It's been said that mirrors reflect what is in one's soul or heart. That is why mirrors figure prominently in the books. In the first book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Philosopher's Stone), Harry discovers the Mirror of Erised (Desire spelled backwards). This mirror is said to show what is in the viewer's heart, their deepest desires. And when Harry looks at it, he sees his parents. In the fourth book, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, he comes across a Foe-Glass, which reveals enemies near and far. This mirror is in the office of Professor Alastor "Mad Eye" Moody, the school's new professor for Defense Against the Dark Arts. In the fifth book, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Sirius gives Harry a two way mirror so they can communicate. It later gets shattered, but Harry sees an eye staring back at him. Harry discovers it belongs to Albus Dumbledore's brother Aberforth, who later helps him to safety using the mirror

9. Bathrooms seem to be required rooms in the books

-It's strange, but it's true (sorry to reference a line from the classic Queen song "I Want to Break Free"). Nearly every book has a scene being fought in the loo (British term for bathroom). Book 1 has a fight with a troll in the girls' bathroom. Book 2 has the Harry, Ron and Hermione brewing Polyjuice Potion in a disused, haunted girls' bathroom. Book 4 has Harry solving a clue for the second task of the Triwizard Tournament using a large bathtub. Book 6 features Harry using a spell from his Potion book on Draco Malfoy. Book 4 also mentions Dumbledore stating that there is a room in the castle that presents itself if one needs it. He mentions needing a chamber pot and it turns into a bathroom. A room he calls the Room of Requirement. The reason there could be an obsession with bathrooms is that prior to the 18th century, witches and wizards seemingly relieved themselves wherever they stood. There were no bathroom facilities

10. Riddle's diary almost never made it to school

-This diary, which belonged to Tom Riddle, who eventually became Lord Voldemort, was slipped into Ginny Weasley's cauldron in Diagon Alley, almost never made it to Hogwarts. The reason being that the Weasley family almost always forgot one thing or another. First George forgets his box of fireworks. Then Fred forgets his broom. Ginny forgets her diary. The diary would never have made it to school

11. Random, seemingly unimportant items end up becoming important

-Sometimes the most random things can prove to be the most important. In the fifth book, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry, Ron and Hermione are cleaning out the headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix, a place called Grimmauld Place. They come across a locket that was unable to be opened. It later turns out to be a Horcrux, an item in which someone had inserted part of their soul and protected it with Dark magic. According to the book "There was a musical box also a heavy locket that none of them could open, a number of ancient seals and, in a dusty box, an Order of Merlin, First Class."

-In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Harry's copy of Advanced Potion Making, turns out to be Professor Snape's old schoolbook, with notes and hints he's written to make things easier. And thus Harry starts to follow these tips instead of the book everyone else follows. He hides this book in the Room of Requirement. While the tiara belonging to the founder of Ravenclaw House, Rowena Ravenclaw, is used to mark the spot where it's hidden. "He perched a dusty old wig and a tarnished tiara on the statue's head to make it more distinctive." Throughout the books, vanishing cabinets are mentioned quite frequently. These items are used to secretly travel from one place to another. In The Chamber of Secrets, Harry mispronounces his destination while using Floo powder and ends up in a dark magic shop called Borgin & Burkes. He hides in what turns out later to be a vanishing cabinet. Later on, Peeves the Poltergeist drops one to distract the Hogwarts caretaker Argus Filch. In The Order of the Phoenix, Fred and George Weasley force a member of the Slytherin House named Montague into a vanishing cabinet. This ends up backfiring because Montague tells Malfoy about it, giving him the idea to use it to sneak Lord Voldemort's supporters in to Hogwarts

12. Seven is the most powerful number

-Those who study numerology know that the number seven holds a lot of power. This number pops up throughout the series. The Weasley family has seven children. The Quidditch team has seven players. The term at Hogwarts is seven years. Lord Voldemort splitting his soul into seven pieces and putting them into random items that have meaning to him. Thus creating seven Horcruxes. Three also holds a strong power in the series. Three Deathly Hallows. The three-headed dog named Fluffy. Three schools in the Triwizard Tournament. The trio of Ron, Hermione and Harry

13. Number 13 is unlucky

-This number is considered highly unlucky in the world of numerology. In each of the books, the 13th chapter introduces an evil character or item that contains Lord Voldemort's soul. For example, the diary of Tom Riddle is introduced in Chamber of Secrets. Professor Alastor "Mad Eye" Moody performing magic on a student in the Goblet of Fire. Harry's first detention with Professor Umbridge in The Order of the Phoenix. The unusual Divination teacher, Professor Trelawney, references the dark power of the number 13 by refusing to attend a Christmas dinner in The Prisoner of Azkaban. She says "If I join the table, we shall be thirteen! Nothing could be more unlucky! Never forget that when thirteen dine together, the first to rise will be the first to die!" Her prediction does come true. When Dumbledore rose when Trelawney appears, he dies later on. In the fifth book, Sirius rises from the dining table first and dies later on. In The Deathly Hallows, Lupin rises first to mourn the death of Mad Eye Moody

14. Trelawney's predictions eventually come true

-The unusual Divination professor was known for rambling what sounds like nonsense. When she states she thinks Harry was born in mid-winter, she was wrong. He was born in July. It turns out that it was Lord Voldemort who was born in mid-winter. New Year's Eve specifically. And, as readers later come to find out, the night Harry's parents were killed, part of Lord Voldemort's soul resides within Harry, which explains why Harry can speak to snakes and why anytime Lord Voldemort is near, Harry gets physically affected.

-She predicted Dumbledore's death in the sixth book. "Again and again, no matter how I lay them out, the lightning-struck tower. Calamity. Disaster. Coming nearer all the time." is Trelawney's prediction about the death of Dumbledore. Ironically, he dies that same night, in a chapter called The Lightning-Struck Tower

15. Predictions from Harry and Ron come true too

-In Divination, Harry and Ron make up predictions just to pass their assignments. Unknown to both of them, they actually come true. Harry says "OK...on Monday, I will be in danger of burns." Ron's prediction for Tuesday includes "Why don't you get stabbed in the back by someone you thought was a friend?"

-They both come true. Unfortunately, it's Harry who suffers from these. He risks burns from a dragon during the first task of the Triwizard Tournament. And Ron refuses to speak to him out of jealousy

16. Ron jokes about Tom Riddle and it's accurate

-In The Chamber of Secrets, the diary of Tom Riddle is introduced. During a detention, Ron is assigned the task of cleaning trophies and medals in the Trophy Room. He kept burping up slugs as a result of a backfired spell on a medal for a Tom Riddle, for Special Services to the School. Harry, Ron and Hermione wonder what he did to earn it. Ron remarks "Maybe he got thirty O.W.L.s or saved a teacher from the giant squid. Maybe he murdered Myrtle; that would've done everyone a favor."

-It turns out that Riddle did actually kill Myrtle. He killed her when he opened the Chamber of Secrets and unleashed the Basilisk, who stared at Myrtle and killed her with its deadly gaze

17. Pranks from Fred and George come in handy

-These two were always guaranteed to provide a sarcastic comment or a hilarious prank. Their pranks first start in The Sorcerer's Stone. When they bewitch snowballs to consistently hit Professor Quirrell in the back. Each book involves them and their sarcastic wit and pranks

18. Harry Potter bears a strikingly close resemblance to another person who was a "chosen one"

-The story of Harry pulling the sword of Godric Gryffindor, the founder of Gryffindor House, from the Sorting Hat bears a close resemblance to another "chosen one" of history. That story is of King Arthur. Of him pulling the sword Excalibur from a stone. They both bear similarities. Arthur was an orphan who came from a modest background, who was chosen to possess a sword with massive power and become a leader. Harry is the same way. For Arthur, Merlin, a powerful wizard, would be his mentor. As Dumbledore could be Harry's Merlin

-According to J.K. Rowling "Gryffindor's sword owes something to the legend of Excalibur, which in some legends must be drawn from a stone by the rightful king. The idea of fitness to carry the sword is echoed in the sword of Gryffindor's return to worthy members of its true owner's house." There's another reference to the legend of Arthur and Excalibur in The Deathly Hallows. "There is a further allusion to Excalibur emerging from the lake when Harry must dive into a frozen forest pool to retrieve the sword in Deathly Hallows. In other versions of the legend, Excalibur was given to Arthur by the Lady of the Lake and was returned to the lake when he died."

19. Dumbledore's password to his office will often be his favorite treat

-The way to access Dumbledore's office was to use a password. It would always be his favorite sweet. In the first book, Dumbledore offers Professor McGonagall a sherbet lemon. He explains that it is a Muggle treat he's rather fond of. That turns out to be the password for his office. When the books were released in America, the word was changed to lemon drop, for fear no one would know what a sherbet lemon is. While in the film, McGonagall says "sherbet lemon" as the password.

-In The Goblet of Fire, Harry needs to speak with Professor Dumbledore. He starts guessing passwords until he gets to Cockroach Cluster. The statue moves and Harry said "I was only joking" as he moves past the statue in amazement

20. Chocolate Frog cards can be spies

-In the Harry Potter world, Chocolate Frogs come with wizard and witch cards. The people within will disappear from time to time. In The Order of the Phoenix, Ron's brother Bill states "Dumbledore says he doesn't care what they [Ministry of Magic] do as long as they don't take him off the Chocolate Frog cards." A fan theory suggests the reason why the witches and wizards disappear is because they are spies. Just like the Chocolate Frog cards, portraits in Hogwarts are living and breathing, their inhabitants disappearing from time to time

21. Aberforth Dumbledore appears before the Deathly Hallows

-The owner of the Hog's Head becomes a powerful member to the resistance movement against Lord Voldemort. The owner turns out to be the brother of Dumbledore, Aberforth. He was first mentioned in The Goblet of Fire, when Dumbledore tries to cheer up Hagrid, who was outed as a giant. "My own brother Aberforth was prosecuted for practicing inappropriate charms on a goat." Later it's revealed that Aberforth's Patronus charm (to repel Dementors), takes the form of a goat. He shows up in most of the books

22. Dementors are a metaphor for depression

-These black-cloaked figures first appear in the third book, The Prisoner of Azkaban. All throughout the series, they are known as the guards for the prison Azkban, where witches and wizards convicted of crimes are sentenced. These creatures suck the joy and happiness out of anyone. They are said to be a sort of physical manifestation of what one who is suffering from depression is going through. When these creatures are near, someone relives the worst moments of their lives. When they near Harry, he can hear his mother's screams before her death

23. The Marauder's Map contains plot hints

-"I solemnly swear I am up to no good!" These words magically activate the Marauder's Map, a magical map that shows the entire school of Hogwarts and any inhabitant within those confines. The creators of the map are Messrs Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs. This is a reference to Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, Sirius Black and James Potter. Ironically, they died in reverse order. James died prior to The Sorcerer's Stone. Sirius in The Order of the Phoenix. Peter and Remus both in The Deathly Hallows. This map shows up in the third book, also The Prisoner of Azkaban. In the third book, students of Hogwarts are allowed to visit Hogsmeade, the local village, with permission from a guardian. Since Harry did not have his permission slip signed, he is resigned to stay at school. Pranksters George and Fred Weasley have come up with a way for him to get out. It's called the Marauder's Map. It shows, in addition to all inhabitants of Hogwarts, secret exits and entrances to the school

24. The Black family has a theme revolving around the celestial

-Many members of Sirius Black's family are named after constellations. Sirius himself is named after "The Dog Star". It serves as the main part of the constellation known as Canis Major "great dog". Bellatrix Lestrange, Sirius' cousin who became an evil witch, takes her name from a star in the Orion constellation, meaning "female warrior." Her sister and mother of Tonks, Andromeda, takes her name from the constellation of the same name, meaning "chained maiden", while Sirius' brother Regulus takes his name from the constellation of the same name, meaning "little king." Their uncle Alphard takes his name from a star in the Hydra constellation meaning "solitary one."

25. The Hogwarts House colors represent the four elements

-Students, upon entering Hogwarts, are sorted into their Houses, which become their family while at school. There are four houses, each with their own colors, resident ghost and mascot. Gryffindor is red and gold with a griffin. Ravenclaw is dark blue and bronze with a raven. Slytherin is emerald green and silver with a snake. Hufflepuff is black and yellow with a badger. If you're interested in the ideas behind the zodiac, you'll realize these house colors have deeper meaning than you thought

-On the Wizarding World site, J.K. Rowling wrote "The four Hogwarts houses have a loose association with the four zodiac elements, and their colors were chosen accordingly. Gryffindor (red and gold) is connected to fire; Slytherin (green and silver) to water; Hufflepuff (yellow and black, representing wheat and soil) to earth; and Ravenclaw (blue and bronze; sky and eagle feathers) to air

26. Wizards may drink coffee

-On the Black family tree, you might see a logo that looks a lot like the logo for Starbucks coffee. Both the logo and the tapestry reference the same items: a siren, a mermaid-like creature from Greek folklore who had a crown and two tails. They were known for luring sailors to their death with their beautiful songs

27. Nicholas Flamel was a real person

-This person is first mentioned in the first book, The Sorcerer's Stone. He is referenced as working with Professor Albus Dumbledore to create The Sorcerer's Stone. In real life, Nicholas Flamel was a medieval scholar, philanthropist and alchemist who died in 1418. As a cool side note, alchemy is a real thing. It involves taking multiple items, combining them to make new items. It's the medieval grandfather to what we know of as chemistry today. Its practitioners were concerned and fascinated with the idea of experimenting with different elements and items to create new substances. They also were fascinated with the spiritual and mystical side to this process. They were called philosophers which is why the British title of the book was The Philosopher's Stone

28. Mandrakes are a real plant

-These plants make their debut in The Chamber of Secrets. They are the first plant Professor Sprout has the students working with. They'll be repotting these rather unattractive plants. Professor Sprout warns them that they must wear ear muffs to block their cries otherwise the students will be knocked out for several hours. While Hermione states that fully grown Mandrakes can kill with their cries. What some may not know is that mandrakes are an actual plant and the body of the plant does look like a human body

-This plant is native to the Mediterranean region of the world and the Middle East. They go by many names, including Satan's Apple, Circe's plant, manroot. Firstly, they were used for medicinal purposes. But, unfortunately, mandrakes in real life are highly poisonous plants that can result in gruesome results, such as delirium, hallucinations, seizures and death. They contain highly deadly chemicals such as scopolamine, atropine, mandragorin and hyoscyamine. These gruesome effects are the result of ingesting the plant. Luckily, the toxins in this plant can used safely in the world of medicine. Scopolamine is often used to prevent nausea and vomiting and can be found in many motion sickness medications. It's even used in anesthesia. Atropine can be used medicinally for dilating the eyes for eye exams and eye procedures and treating a condition called amblyopia, more commonly known as lazy eye, in children. Also, it can be used to treat bradycardia, or slow heart rate and reducing saliva prior to surgery

29. Dumbledore looks seemingly triumphant when Voldemort returns to power

-A lot of readers are left wondering why Dumbledore would be happy seeing the Dark Lord rise once more. In The Deathly Hallows, when Harry is between life and death, he talks with Dumbledore. He asks him about how he can be alive when the Killing Curse was used on him this time. Dumbledore replies "He took your blood and rebuilt his living body with it! Your blood is in his veins, Harry, Lily's protection inside both of you! He tethered you to life while he lives!" This certainly explains the look of triumphant joy on Dumbledore's face in The Goblet of Fire, when Harry thought he saw a glimmer of triumph in Dumbledore's eyes when he was in Moody's office

30. Platform 9 3/4 may hide a secret meaning

-In the Wizarding world, students and families access the Hogwarts Express through Platform 9 3/4 at Kings Cross station in London. This is a very real place and as such, there is a marker there stating Platform 9 3/4. People from all over the world go in their Hogwarts uniforms to get pictures by this marker. From The Deathly Hallows, readers learn that on October 31, 1981, Harry's parents were killed by Lord Voldemort and Harry got his scar. In The Chamber of Secrets book, Sir Nicholas, known also as Nearly Headless Nick, celebrated his 500th death day. His cake, which looked like a tombstone, stated his death occurred on October 31, 1492. October 31 is Halloween, a rather spooky day. If the math is done right, here's how everything adds up. The first book takes place in 1991 when Harry is 11 while the second book takes place in 1992, when Harry is 12. In the first book, Harry goes to Gringotts on July 31 to get money out and reads about a break-in later on in The Daily Prophet. He exclaims "That Gringotts break-in happened on my birthday!" That means that in terms of time, there were exactly 9 and three quarter years between the attack on Harry's parents and Harry finding out he was a wizard when he was 11

20 Mythological References in the Harry Potter World

It's a well known fact that when J.K. Rowling was writing her famous series, she drew a lot of inspiration from English, Irish and other folklores and mythologies. Throughout the series, there are references to those mythologies and folklores. According to MSN.com, a story by Emily Richardson Dupuis, here are 20 mythological references throughout the Harry Potter world.

1. Three Headed Dog

-Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Philosopher's Stone)

-This creature made an appearance in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Sorcerer's Stone in the US). This three headed dog was called "Fluffy" and was guarding the opening to a chamber of the castle where the Sorcerer's Stone was being stored. This monster was actually based on the three headed dog known as Cerberus, the dog who guards the Underworld in Greek mythology

2. The Basilisk

-Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

-This long toothed serpent shows up in the second book. The only one who can hear it is Harry, because he inherited the Dark Lord's ability to talk to snakes, called Parseltongue. It's said that anyone who stares directly at it is immobilized, or in their parlance, Petrified. This is a strong reference to Medusa, a snake-like woman with a body of a snake and hair of snakes, whose gaze can turn those who see her to stone

3. Remus Lupin

-Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

-This professor, with his shabby-looking clothes, shows up in book / film three as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. He shares a name with one of the founders of the city of Rome, Remus. It was said that Remus was reared by wolves. It's later revealed that Remus is a werewolf, so the name is ironic in more ways than one

4. Mermaids

-Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

-These creatures showed up in the fourth book / film. They lived in the Black Lake that was part of the Hogwarts property. The second task for the Triwizard Tournament involved going into the lake to retrieve something that has been taken. Mermaids were not a Disney invention nor an invention of J.K. Rowling. Mermaids were mentioned in the ancient Greek story The Odyssey by Homer. These creatures would lure sailors to their death by singing beautiful songs. These sailors, enchanted by the beautiful music, would crash upon rocks and die from the crash or drowning

5. Hippogriffs

-Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

-The third book / film introduces these mystical creatures. Groundskeeper Hagrid, who is now working as the Care of Magical Creatures teacher, introduces this creature as Buckbeak. In ancient Greek mythology, these half-horse half-griffin creatures were seen as symbols of love. It's ironic that in the third film / book that Harry uses Buckbeak to save not only his beloved godfather Sirius Black but also the beloved hippogriff from death

6. The Protean Charm

-Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

-Hermione uses this charm to summon members of Dumbledore's Army, the ragtag collection of students who want to learn Defense Against the Dark Arts in the fifth book / film. This charm summons members of the group who want to learn to defend themselves when their own teacher, a Ministry of Magic-appointed staff member named Dolores Umbridge, refuses to teach them. This is a reference to ancient Greek mythology. It's in regards to Proteus, who was a servant of the god of the sea Poseidon, who could transform into any animal he wished

7. The Veela

-Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

-Mentioned only in the fourth book and not the film, veela were creatures of immense beauty who would charm and enchant those who seen them into doing things the witness would not normally do. They were brought in to be cheerleaders, of a sort, for the Bulgarian Quidditch team at the Quidditch World Cup. According to Slavic folklore, these creatures are blessed with astounding beauty, but they have a dark side. When angry, they can transform into birds or snakes and have the ability to throw fire. Ironically, this dark side was also mentioned in the book

8. The Weird Sisters

-Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

-Introduced in the fourth book / film, this group of three witches were a popular musical group in the wizarding world. J.K. Rowling took the name from the Shakespeare story Macbeth, but it does go back even further in British folklore

9. Hermione

-All of the books / films

-It would blow the mind to know Hermione got her name from folklore. But her name is derived from both a character of the same name in Shakespeare's The Winter Tale and the Greek messenger Hermes, who was a messenger for the gods who was known for high intelligence and quick thinking

10. Centaurs

-Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Sorcerer's Stone)

-During his detention, Harry is sent into the Forbidden Forest to look for an injured unicorn. After encountering a dark creature with a black cloak, this creature is chased off by a half-man half-horse creature known as Firenze. In ancient Greek mythology, centaurs were considered lawless and wild, while the centaurs in the Harry Potter world are gentle and highly intelligent, who look to the stars for signs of their future

11. Kappas

-Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

-Introduced in the third book / film by Defense Against the Dark Arts professor Remus Lupin, he mentions that these creatures are particularly nasty. They are water-dwelling, bloodthirsty creatures. These creatures originate out of Japanese folkore and, in the original story, they are reptile-like creatures obsessed with politeness, which is why Lupin instructs the class to bow to it as it will bow in return and spill the water on its head, weakening it

12. Nagini

-Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

-This large reptile is named Nagini and is the loyal pet of the Dark Lord, Lord Voldemort. It's also considered to hold a piece of his soul, in the book referred to as a horcrux. The name of this female snake originates from Eastern mythology. "Naga" meaning snake in the language of Sanskrit. In Buddhist mythology, a magical snake would protect Buddha while he was meditating from storms

13. Dragons

-Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

-This is the first task of the Triwizard Tournament-get past your assigned dragon to get the golden egg, which contains a clue about your next task. These fearsome fire-breathers appear in many cultures all over the world. While they may differ in appearance depending on the culture, they are all still given the highest level of both fear and respect. They have been shown as horned, winged, reptilian-looking creatures who can breathe fire since the Middle Ages

European dragon

Chinese dragon

14. Unicorns

-Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Sorcerer's Stone), Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

-In detention, Harry was sent to look for signs of an injured unicorn. In mythology, the legend of unicorns can go all the way back to ancient Mesopotamia. In the later books, specifically Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, a new temporary professor is appointed to the Care of Magical Creatures class, a woman named Professor Grubbly-Plank. She states that unicorns usually prefer the female touch, meaning it would prefer girls. This is a reference to the old English Renaissance stories that unicorns could only be tamed by female virgins

15. The Dark Mark

-Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

-In the fourth book / film, while at the Quidditch World Cup, a follower of Lord Voldemort, known as a Death Eater, sends up a spell into the sky, releasing a Dark Mark over the site. In the books, when there is a Dark Mark over a location, it means someone has died. According to the stories from the Middle Ages, The Devil's Mark indicated to early hunters of those who practiced witchcraft that anyone with a mark such as this, whether it be a mole or freckle, had made a pact with the Devil

16. Padfoot

-Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

-Padfoot was the name Sirius Black used when he transformed into a dog. In the books / films, anyone who could transform into an animal at will was called an Animagus. Sirius would transform into a dog to be more easily hidden. In British folkore, there are many stories of large black dogs as guardians. There is even one story of a large black dog in Staffordshire called Padfoot

17. Quirinus Quirrel

-Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Sorcerer's Stone)

-This was the stuttering professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts. He wore a turban with garlic inside in case vampires attacked. Under his turban, he had the face of Lord Voldemort. He was referenced in the first book / film. His name comes from the Roman god Janus Quirinus, who was said to have two faces

18. Argus Filch

-All of the films / books

-He was the grumpy caretaker of Hogwarts. He was known for having a dusty brown cat he named Mrs. Norris, who was known for quickly finding her master. His first name is derived from an ancient Greek mythological creature with 100 eyes and his surname is another word for stealing

19. The White Deer

-Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

-When Harry is taught how to perform the Patronus charm by Professor Lupin, he tells Harry to focus on a strong, good memory. When Harry is able to successfully conjure a Patronus, his comes in the form of a white deer. In Celtic mythology, white deer are incredibly important. They are seen as symbols of the afterlife or otherworld. This is seen as a nod to the Patronus that Harry's father had. There is also known fact that white deer often foreshadowed a quest, a mission or task that must be completed

20. Lily and Petunia

-In the Victorian era, there was a study called floriography, or "language of flowers." This language stated that flowers had meanings, secret meanings that meant nothing to the person unless they were well versed in it. Harry's mother Lily meant beauty and purity, and in Greek mythology it represented motherhood. Lily's sister Petunia, on the other hand, was unpleasant, she was named after a flower known and associated with fury and bitterness

25 Random Facts You May or May Not Know About the Harry Potter films

Fans of the books and films think they might know everything, but something comes along and shows them something even they never knew. According to MSN.com, and a story by Collin Scanlon, here are 25 facts you may or may not know about the Harry Potter films / books.

1. J.K. Rowling wrote the names of the four houses for Hogwarts on an air sick bag

-In a 2017 tweet, the legendary author revealed that she had written the names of the four Hogwarts houses (Hufflepuff, Slytherin, Gryffindor and Ravenclaw) on an air sick bag during a flight

2. The names of the magical plants and other flora comes from a real book on botany

-Botany is the study of plants. And a real book, Culpeper's Complete Herbal, provided inspiration for the names of magical plants within the Harry Potter universe. This book was written by a 17th century herbalist and physician named Nicolas Culpeper. J.K. Rowling revealed this during a 2003 interview with 60 Minutes

3. J.K. Rowling briefly considered killing off a member of the iconic trio

-Anyone who has seen the Harry Potter films knows of the famous trio of Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley. In a 2013 interview with Daniel Radcliffe, the author had admitted to considering killing off Ron Weasley, Harry's best friend. She also considered Rubeus Hagrid, the much-loved groundskeeper at Hogwarts, meeting a dark end

4. Even Stephen King was afraid of Dolores Umbridge

-Stephen King, the master of the macabre, the saint of scary, was afraid of Professor Dolores Umbridge, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor appointed to the position in the fifth book and film Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix. During an interview, King stated "The gently smiling Dolores Umbridge, with her girlish voice, toad like face, and clutchy, stubby fingers is the greatest make-believe villain to come along since Hannibal Lector."

5. Harry's eyes are not green in the film for a specific reason

-Throughout the book series, Harry's eyes are always mentioned as green. In the films, however, they are steely blue, Daniel's natural eye color. Production crew originally had intended for Daniel to wear contact lenses with green irises to give him the impression of green eyes. But Daniel suffered an allergic reaction to them and the production crew did away with the lenses. Instead, the just matched his eye color with the actress who would play his mother in the film

6. Peeves was meant to be in the film

-In the books, Peeves was a mischievous poltergeist who caused havoc all over Hogwarts. It was originally considered to have legendary British actor and comedian Rik Mayall take on the role. He even completed filming some scenes, only to learn later on that director Christopher Columbus had cut the scenes due to dissatisfaction with the on-screen appearance of the spectral being

7. The actress playing Moaning Myrtle was much older than her character

-In the books and films, Moaning Myrtle was a girl who haunted a bathroom because she had stared right into the eyes of a basilisk, a snake who could kill with its stare. She was only 14 when she died, but the actress playing her, Shirley Henderson, was actually 36 when she played the teenaged girl in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

8. Harry's iconic lightning bolt scar was applied via makeup thousands of times

-During the 8 film series, makeup artists applied the iconic lightning bolt shaped scar to Daniel Radcliffe's forehead and his stunt doubles more than 5,000 times

9. Michael Jackson wanted to compose a musical centering around Harry Potter

-Strange as it may sound, The King of Pop himself, Michael Jackson, wanted to compose a musical about The Boy Who Lived. In a 2010 interview with Oprah Winfrey, J.K. Rowling mentioned that Michael Jackson approached her with the idea of a musical being centered around Harry Potter. Eventually, this idea would come to fruition, in the form of the 2016 stage production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

10. Rupert Grint never watched any scenes with the giant spiders

-Early in the film series, Ron was known for having flaming red hair, sarcastic remarks and his devastating arachnophobia, or fear of spiders. In real life, Rupert Grint is known for suffering from arachnophobia. He avoids watching any scenes that involve the giant spiders

11. Jason Isaacs almost didn't play Lucius Malfoy

-Originally, Jason Isaacs had auditioned to play the role of Gilderoy Lockhart, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor appointed to Hogwarts in the second film, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Instead, he was offered the role of cold, conniving Lucius Malfoy, the father of Draco Malfoy. He initially had intentions of declining the role due to Lucius' villainous nature, seeming too similar to his role as Captain Hook in 2003's Peter Pan

12. Russian lawmakers didn't like Dobby the House Elf

-Despite rumors never being proven accurate, lawmakers in Russia are convinced that Dobby the House Elf is based on Russian president Vladmir Putin. His people were so enraged by this that they started planning lawsuits against Warner Bros for this

13. Eddie Redmayne had auditioned for the role of Tom Riddle

-In the books, Tom Riddle was a student at Hogwarts who eventually became the Dark Lord, Lord Voldemort, who name can never be said. Instead, he must be referred to as He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. In an interview in 2016, Eddie Redmayne mentioned that he auditioned for the role of Tom Riddle, but instead he got the role of Newt Scamander in the Fantastic Beasts series

14. The first role cast was Rubeus Hagrid

-Even before the name of the movie was created, Scottish actor Robbie Coltrane was cast as Rubeus Hagrid, the lovable groundskeeper at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. After that, more roles were cast

15. Harry's iconic scar appears differently in the books

-Despite the lightning bolt scar appearing to be just above his right eye in the films, on the covers of the books and in the books themselves, the scar is located in the middle of his forehead

16. Hermione nearly had buck teeth in the film

-In the books, it was always mentioned that Hermione had slightly buck teeth. This caused her classmates to mock and ridicule her. Production initially attempted to fit Emma Watson with a prosthetic set of buck teeth, but later scrapped the idea when Emma Watson found great difficulty talking with them in

17. Fred and George Weasley were born on a most unique day

-Fred and George Weasley were two of Ron's twin brothers, who were also known for being pranksters of the highest order. Ironically, they were born on April Fool's Day, April 1. (I'm sure it's the characters who were born that day, not the actual actors Oliver and James Phelps. Oliver Phelps was born 2/25/1986, 13 minutes before his brother James Phelps, also born 2/25/1986.)

18. Rowling herself says she would have been a Hufflepuff

-Despite being the more timid and reserved house, Rowling states if the Sorting Hat had sorted her into a Hogwarts house, it would have been Hufflepuff

19. The driver and conductor of the Knight Bus were named after Rowling's grandfathers

-The violently purple Knight Bus makes its debut in both the film version and the book Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. The conductor of the bus, Stan Shunpike, and the driver, Ernie Prang, were both named after Rowling's real-life grandfathers

The Knight Bus

Stan Shunpike, conductor

Ernie Prang, driver

20. While on screen, Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint completed real school work on screen

-Despite playing the iconic trio of Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, the young actors were still students in school and needed to complete school work. The three of them completed actual school work during filming

21. 7 different owls played Hedwig

-Hedwig was the snowy owl Harry gets for his birthday from Hagrid. Throughout the 8 film series, 7 different snowy owls played Hedwig. Their names were Swoops, Oh Oh, Elmo, Bandit, Oops, Gizmo and Kasper

22. Emma Watson went academic for her audition of Hermione Granger

-Emma Watson actually went as far as to hold her auditions for Hermione Granger at her real school's gymnasium in Oxfordshire

23. One question J.K. Rowling always feared

-That question is what material Professor Albus Dumbledore's wand was made of. J.K. Rowling had always been leary of being asked that question. The wand was made from elder trees (elder trees are often associated with death in folklore). She was afraid to mention this for fear that this revelation would spoil the eventual fate in store for Dumbledore later on for readers

24. The Dementors are a way of suggesting Rowling's struggle with depression

-The black shroud-covered ghouls in the books and films are said to be the guards of the wizard prison Azkaban. They administer what is called The Dementor's Kiss. This involves pulling back their shrouds and effectively sucking the soul of the doomed recipient right out of their body. Leaving the doomed victim in a prison of their mind, stuck with only the worst memories ever. This comatose, vegetative state is not totally dissimilar to depression

25. Radcliffe had to shave part of his leg for the second film

-In the second film, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, there is a scene where Harry is attempting to stop Lucius to give him back an old diary that belonged to Tom Riddle. With Dobby by his side, Lucius gives the old diary to Dobby. When he opens the book, he finds a sock and declares "Master has given Dobby clothes. Dobby is free." Upon hearing this revelation, Harry pulls up a pant leg to reveal a missing sock. Daniel, who was already beginning to go through puberty at that point, had to shave his leg partially to give the illusion of being a slightly younger boy