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Posted by in Canon discussion
I decided to do a little bit of research and go in-depth into currency in the wizarding world. As we all know, wizard money is made up of gold galleons, silver sickles, and bronze knuts. In the first book, when Harry is getting money out of his vault for the… Read More
• Wizarding culture Galleons are fat gold coins used in the Wizarding World (PS5, HBP13), valued at approximately five British pounds (CR). The serial number identifying the Goblin who cast the coin is stamped around the edge (OP19). Coins of lesser denominations — silver Sickles and bronze Knuts — are also… Read More
• Insults, Curses, and Interjections “Galloping Gorgons!” is a mild oath used to express surprise – and is a form of swearing exclusive to the wizarding world. It is used by Rubeus Hagrid after Harry Potter reads his Hogwarts letter, when Hagrid realises that he has forgotten to let Albus Dumbledore know… Read More
• Businesses, merchants, and shops This shop, a favorite of Fred and George, sells a wide variety of tricks and practical joke items. The twins bought Dr. Filibuster’s Fabulous Wet-Start, No-Heat Fireworks here in 1992 (CS4), though of course four years later they were a direct competitor with their own joke shop, Weasleys’ Wizard… Read More
• Games, toys, and jokes • Sports and competitions Games and sports are integral to the life in the Wizarding World. Card games Chocolate Frog cards Exploding Snap Self-Shuffling playing cards Other wizard games Wizard Chess Gobstones Sports “When it comes to wizarding sports and games (Quidditch, Quodpot, Creaothceann – officially banned but still… Read More
• Food and drinks A type of beer sold at the Leaky Cauldron in Diagon Alley, said to have a horrible taste (Pm). Named for Minister of Magic Ulick Gamp, who allowed the famous wizarding tavern to stay open in London after the Statute of Secrecy, and permit the owner to control access to… Read More
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Posted by in Canon discussion / Essays
Recently I read the book 13th Gen which got me thinking across generational lines. One of my mother’s favorite sayings is “times change, people don’t.” As true as that may be, I do think that one’s place in time affects them in some way. The book outlined the six generations of Americans… Read More
• Character Geraint Ollivander was a great medieval wandmaker (Pm). According to his descendent Garrick Ollivander, he wrote that if someone was chosen by a cypress wand, he knew they would die a heroic death (Pm). Read More
• Source They travel via Portkey back to the Burrow, Harry tells Ron and Hermione about his dream, Mr. Weasley returns home from the Ministry to report problems with Rita Skeeter’s articles in The Daily Prophet, and Fred, George, Harry, Ron, Hermione… Read More
• Source Mad-Eye Moody jinxes dustbins and Mr. Weasley hustles off to sort out the mess. Mrs. Weasley takes the children to King’s Cross Station via Muggle taxis, and the trio meets old friends and enemies on the train.  … Read More
• Source The students arrive at Hogwarts in a gale and are soaked by Peeves‘ water balloons. The First Years are sorted, Hermione discovers that there are house elves at Hogwarts, and Moody is the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. Dumbledore announces the… Read More
• Source Harry sends an owl to Sirius Black telling him everything is fine. In Defence Against the Dark Arts class, Professor Moody puts the Imperius Curse on everyone and only Harry can resist it, school work piles up, Hogwarts spruces up for the visitors,… Read More
• Source The students learn about the Triwizard Tournament after dinner in the Great Hall. Next morning Fred and George fail to fool the Goblet of Fire. Harry, Ron and Hermione visit Hagrid, discovering that he fancies Madame Maxime of Beauxbatons. Read More
• Source An owl arrives from Sirius Black, Dobby startles Harry on Christmas morning, presents are opened, the boys have a snowball fight, and all prepare for the Yule Ball. At the ball, emotions run high as Ron is angry with Hermione for consorting with… Read More
• Source Past arguments are forgotten, and Hagrid is replaced as Care of Magical Creatures teacher when Rita Skeeter writes a defamatory article about him in the Daily Prophet. Harry, Ron and Hermione try but fail to visit him. They encounter Ludo Bagman in… Read More
• Source Harry, Ron and Hermione discuss Crouch, Fred and George discuss blackmail, and Moody discusses Crouch. Harry prepares for the Third Task, dreams of Voldemort in Divination, and reports to Dumbledore. Read More
• Source Harry, left alone in Dumbledore’s office, sees some glimpses of the past in Dumbledore’s Pensieve; Karkaroff giving evidence before a court of wizards, Crouch’s son being sentenced to Azkaban. Harry tells Dumbledore about his dream, and the headmaster speculates on its meaning. Read More
• Source Harry tells Ron and Hermione about the visit to Dumbledore’s office, Harry practices for the Third Task, Skeeter writes another article about Harry, and Hermione finally figures out how Rita gets her information. Mrs. Weasley and Bill arrive to watch Harry in the Tournament, the four champions enter… Read More
• Source Harry returns to the Hogwarts maze with Cedric’s body, telling Mad-Eye Moody what happened while returning to the castle. Moody reveals that it was he who put Harry’s name in the Goblet of Fire, and that he stage-managed Harry’s performance in all three Triwizard… Read More
• Source Harry tells his story to Albus Dumbledore and Sirius Black, then is turned over to Madam Pomfrey. Meanwhile, Cornelius Fudge allows a Dementor to administer the Kiss to Barty Crouch Jr. Fudge argues with Dumbledore about what has happened, refusing to believe… Read More
• Source They arrive at the campsite, erect their tents, tour the camp, meet Ludo Bagman (with whom Fred and George Weasley bet on the upcoming match), and excitement rises as game time draws near.  … Read More
• Source The spectators take their seats, Harry meets Winky (house elf for Barty Crouch), the Malfoys, and Mr. Oblansk (the Bulgarian Minister for Magic). The pre-game show features the Bulgarian and Irish team mascots, followed by the introductions of the team members, and the… Read More
• Source Harry dreams about Quidditch, some wizards run amok, Ministry wizards attempt to stop them, and Harry, Ron and Hermione hide in the forest, encountering Draco Malfoy along the way. Harry discovers that he has lost his wand. they meet Ludo Bagman, hear noises in… Read More
• Communication Ghosts can communicate with each other by ghostly letters. Nearly Headless Nick received one from Sir Patrick Delaney-Podmore of the Headless Hunt. Nick also must have used something of that sort to invite people to his Deathday party, too (CS8). The letters are transparent. Read More
• Art and Culture The ghost orchestra of 30 musical saws played on a black-draped platform at Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington’s 500th Deathday Party on Oct. 31, 1992. It sounded like a thousand fingernails on a blackboard (CS8). The ghosts guests at the party waltzed to the quavering music. Read More
• Organizations The ghosts’ council at Hogwarts is a group of ghosts including the House ghosts. They vote on matters that concern them. Read More
• Place A small city in western Ethiopia, Gimbi is home to the Gimbi Giant-Slayers, a Quidditch team that has twice won the All-Africa Cup (QA8).  … Read More
• Headlines and advertisements Give Gobstones A Second Glance is an advertising campaign run by the National Gobstone Association in an effort to recruit new Gobstones players. It featured an unfortunate picture of Kevin Hopwood, the current World Champion of the game (Pm). Read More
• Businesses, merchants, and shops Gladrags Wizardwear is a clothier in Hogsmeade, with additional shops in London and Paris (GF8). Harry visited the shop in 1995, to pick out the craziest socks he could find as a present for Dobby (GF27). Read More
• Place According to the Sorting Hat’s song, ‘glen’ is where Rowena Ravenclaw hails from. “Glen” is a Scottish term for “valley”, so she is most likely from Scotland – and thus perhaps the one of the four founders who lived closest to Hogwarts’ present location. Read More
• Character Glenda Chittock is a popular presenter of the W.W.N. (Wizarding Wireless Network) program Witching Hour (FW).  … Read More
• Character Glinda Crook was a witch who worked for the Campaign for Greater Freedom for Wizards (DP4). Read More
• Ministry of Magic The Goblin Liaison Office is part of the Being Division within the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, with the difficult task of being responsible for goblin relations. Read More
• Headlines and advertisements Goblin Riots Erupt in Chipping Clodbury is a headline in the Daily Prophet, reporting events during a meeting to discuss a new Bill of Goblin Rights (DP3). B.O.G. (Brotherhood of Goblins) supporters ran riot during a meeting held in Chipping Clodbury with representatives from the Department for… Read More
• Headlines and advertisements Why can’t goblins be more like elves? is an opinion article in the Daily Prophet, written by Winkus Oddpick (DP3). The editorial written by Mr Oddpick following the goblin riots in Chipping Clodbury appeared on page 32 of the Daily Prophet. Unfortunately we do not have that page or the text of… Read More
• Event The Ministry of Magic made a decision to leave full control of Gringotts Wizarding Bank in the hands of Goblins. It remained so until a partial takeover by the Death Eaters when Voldemort took control of the Ministry in 1997 (JKR-W3)… Read More
• Games, toys, and jokes • Organizations A Gobstones Club is an organization devoted to the game of Gobstones. There are many Gobstones Clubs at many different levels of society, from local amateur clubs to the official club organized through the Ministry of Magic. The Official Gobstones Club headquarters is located on Level Seven of the Ministry… Read More
• Headlines and advertisements Gobstones Tournament Overlooked is a letter of complaint from Grugwyn Rufford published in the Daily Prophet (DP1). Mr Rufford, a member of the Welsh National Gobstones Team, was upset about the lack of coverage for their win against Hungary, and the game of Gobstones in general. Read More
• Wizarding villages Though a Muggle village, Godric’s Hollow has a storied wizarding history. For over a thousand years it has been home to notable wizards and witches, and has been most famous as the birthplace of Hogwarts founder Godric Gryffindor. However, it has become renowned instead as the site of Voldemort’s… Read More
• Quote “There is no good and evil, there is only power, and those too weak to seek it.”… Read More
• Place A small town in Lithuania, northeast of Poland, Gorodok is home to the Gorodok Gargoyles (QA8). Read More
• Place In 1556, Gorsemoor was the birthplace of Gunhilda of Gorsemoor, who went on to become a beloved Healer and develop the cure for Dragon Pox (FW). Read More
• Hogwarts academics The grading scale for Hogwarts classes, Ordinary Wizarding Level (O.W.L.) exams, Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Test Level (N.E.W.T.) exams, and the Wizards’ Ordinary Magic and Basic Aptitude Test (W.O.M.B.A.T.) are as follows (HBP5): Pass Grades: Outstanding (O) Exceeds Expectations (E) Acceptable (A) Fail Grades: Poor (P)… Read More
• Character Resourceful, principled and brilliant, Hermione Jean Granger is easily the brightest witch of her generation. She, along with Ron Weasley, is one of Harry Potter’s closest friends. She is also Muggle-born (her parents were dentists – PS12), and so is a living, breathing example of the fallacy of pureblood… Read More
• Event Harry, Ron, Hermione, & Griphook break into Gringotts, steal Hufflepuff’s Cup, lose Gryffindor’s sword, and escape on a dragon. Before leaving Shell Cottage, Hermione disguises herself as Bellatrix Lestrange with the use of Polyjuice Potion and disguises Ron by using spells to alter his facial features. Harry and Griphook are… Read More
• Historical events During the “Country or Kind” Debate of 1777, the Great Meeting Chamber in Washington was magically enlarged to house thousands of participating witches and wizards presided over by President Elizabeth McGilliguddy (Pm:MACUSA). Read More
• Event An uprising by the hairy giants of North America which caused the Magical Congress of the United States (MACUSA) to move operations from Washington to New York City (Pm). The blame for this is generally placed on Irene Kneedander, Head of the Body for Protection of Magical Species (Humanoid) at… Read More
• Countries Greece is as steeped in history in the wizarding world as it is in the Muggle world. In fact, when Albus Dumbledore and Elphias Doge planned to take a Grand Tour of the world upon graduating Hogwarts, Greece was to be their first stop (DH18). This is understandable, as… Read More
• Buildings • Businesses, merchants, and shops • Pubs and inns The Green Dragon is an inn located five miles from the home of Janus Thickey, a wizard who pretended he had been killed by a lethifold but was later found to be living with the landlady of the Green Dragon (FB). Read More
• Houses and addresses Located on a street where the houses have high, timbered gables and look “like gingerbread houses,” this was the house where the wand-maker Gregorovitch once lived. Voldemort comes to this house searching for information about the Elder Wand to find Gregorovitch gone; the woman who answers the door instead claims… Read More
• Creature Grindylows are found throughout Britain and Ireland, including the lake on the grounds of Hogwarts in Scotland. Pale green in colour, these water demons have sharp horns, pointed fangs and brittle spindly fingers. Grindylows show aggression towards humans, wizards or Muggles, but merpeople have been known to domesticate them. Read More
• Businesses, merchants, and shops Gringotts Wizarding Bank is a goblin-run bank that does business worldwide but is headquartered in Diagon Alley. Introduction Part way down Diagon Alley, near its intersection with Knockturn Alley, stands an imposing snow-white marble building: Gringotts Wizarding Bank (CS4). “Towering over the other shops” (DH26), it is the… Read More
• Place The Grodzisk Goblins Quidditch team call this Polish county home. Josef Wronski – the Seeker who created the Wronski feint – played for this team (QA8).  … Read More
• Quote “The funny thing is that I did always think that, if it ever did get published, it was a book for obsessives….. And I did think if people liked it they would probably like it obsessively…. but I thought that it would be an obsessive few – I never guessed… Read More
• Character Arnold Guzman was an American who met with Newt Scamander at the Ministry of Magic in 1927. He was very persuasive in explaining how dangerous Gellert Grindelwald for members of the Wizarding World, especially Purebloods who saw him as a hero. Guzman also warned Newt that Grindelwald would use the… Read More