Welcome to the Harry Potter Lexicon
The most compleat and amazing reference to the wonderful world of Harry Potter
est. 2000 A.D.
Phase of the Moon: Waning Crescent
5 GBP = 1 Galleon 
Harry and Hagrid visit Gringotts
Hagrid retrieves the Philosopher’s Stone to take it back to Hogwarts, and helps Harry to withdraw some gold from the fortune he never knew his parents had left him. (PS5) After entering the huge, grand bank and explaining what they want to a goblin, Hagrid and Harry are taken by Griphook down to the vaults on a… Read More
Albus Dumbledore is born
Albus Dumbledore, one of the greatest wizards of the modern era, is born to Kendra and Percival Dumbledore in the village of Mould-on-the-Wold (DH2, DH11). Read More
The Russian Philosopher’s Stone
It’s a process familiar to most of us trying to brush up on a foreign language – get the Harry Potter books in one of the 85 languages they’ve been translated into, and read the story you know backwards and forwards in a language you may not. My first language was Russian, but the Russian translation of Harry Potter has… Read More
Lily and James Potter welcome baby Harry into the world
Harry James Potter was born to James Potter and Lily Evans Potter. His birth appeared to fulfill a prophecy given months before by Sybill Trelawney. This prophecy would be the impetus for many events, including the death of James and Lily 18 months later. Sadly, James’ parents, Fleamont and Euphemia Potter, died before they had a chance to meet their only… Read More
Making the Calendar Fit
I recently received two comments on two different entries in the Lexicon which brought up the same problem: the real world calendar doesn’t always agree with the days and dates in the books. I’m sure some of you are saying “Of course, we know that, this has been discussed in fandom for years and years.” That’s because you’ve been in… Read More
The Book of Prophecies: How “Order of the Phoenix” Predicts the Plot of “Deathly Hallows” – Part 2
In Part I of this series, I delved into specific chapter-level comparisons between Order of the Phoenix and Deathly Hallows, and how the events in the former predict or foreshadow those in the latter. In this article, I will be looking at broader themes and plot points that are… Read More
On this day in 1992...
Wales vs Hungary Gobstones Tournament
10 June 1992 — Mr Grugwyn Rufford, a member of the Welsh National… Read More
Harry stepped forward and bowed low to the hippogriff without breaking eye contact or blinking. After a few seconds, Buckbeak sank into a bow too. “How are you?” Harry asked him in a low voice, moving forward to… Read More
Latest from the Lexicon Blog
Draco’s Six
• Article
So much has been made of how seven is “the most powerfully magical number” (HBP23) in Harry Potter, with it serving as something of a motif throughout the series… to the point where my podcast, The Three Broomsticks, has a recurring segment about the “seven ingredients of today’s… Read More
The Fallen Fathers of Goblet of Fire
• Article
Jo’s portrayal of mothers in the HP books is fairly straight-forward: mother’s love is the be-all end-all of the series, so we can move right along. But her portrayal of fathers, on the other hand, is incredibly nuanced and intriguing. The turning point appears to be the middle book of… Read More
The Book of Prophecies: How "Order of the Phoenix" Predicts the Plot of "Deathly Hallows" - Part 2
• Article
In Part I of this series, I delved into specific chapter-level comparisons between Order of the Phoenix and Deathly Hallows, and how the events in the former predict or foreshadow those in the latter. In this article, I will… Read More
The Book of Prophecies: How "Order of the Phoenix" Predicts the Plot of "Deathly Hallows" - Part 1
• Article
The Harry Potter series is masterfully plotted, both as individual books and across the series as a whole. Within the fandom, there is a large focus on ring theory for understanding how the series is structured. In ring theory, each book has its… Read More
The Russian Philosopher’s Stone
• Article
It’s a process familiar to most of us trying to brush up on a foreign language – get the Harry Potter books in one of the 85 languages they’ve been translated into, and read the story you know backwards and forwards in a language you may not. My first language… Read More
Mapping the Wizarding World
• Article
Making the Calendar Fit
• Article
I recently received two comments on two different entries in the Lexicon which brought up the same problem: the real world calendar doesn’t always agree with the days and dates in the books. I’m sure some of you are saying “Of course, we know that, this has been discussed in… Read More
The Secrets of Dumbledore ... still a secret?
• Article