r>1. J.K. Rowling's original title for the first book was "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone," but the U.S. publisher changed it to "Sorcerer's Stone" to better appeal to American readers.
2. The seven Harry Potter books have sold over 500 million copies worldwide, making it the best-selling book series in history.
3. The Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where Harry attends school, is located in Scotland near the town of Hogsmeade.
4. Daniel Radcliffe, who played Harry Potter in the movie adaptations, had to wear green contact lenses because his blue eyes didn't match Harry's green eyes described in the book.
5. Hermione Granger's original character name was Hermione Puckle, but J.K. Rowling changed it before the first book was published.
6. Slytherin House, which is known for producing dark wizards, was founded by Salazar Slytherin, who believed in pure-blood wizarding families and despised Muggle-borns.
7. J.K. Rowling made sure that the actor who played Harry's Uncle Vernon in the movies was taller than Harry to emphasize his dominance over him.
8. Rowling based the character of Rubeus Hagrid on one of her own friends, a tall and bearded biker named Rob.
9. The Hogwarts Express, which takes students to Hogwarts School, departs from Platform 9 and 3/4 at King's Cross Station in London.
10 The Hogwarts motto, which is etched on the school crest, is "Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus," which means "Never tickle a sleeping dragon."
11. The character of Nearly Headless Nick, the Gryffindor house ghost, was inspired by a real-life ghost named Williamina Stirling, who was said to haunt a Scottish castle.
12. Voldemort's real name is Tom Marvolo Riddle, which is an anagram for "I am Lord Voldemort."
13. Ron Weasley is the sixth of seven children in his family, and his younger sister Ginny marries Harry Potter.
14. Dobby the House Elf, who serves the Malfoy family, is freed by Harry in "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" and becomes a loyal friend to him.
15. J.K. Rowling has said that the character of Severus Snape is her favorite and that he is "a horribly damaged human being."
16. Harry's pet owl, named Hedwig, is a snowy owl and is one of the only animals in the books that doesn't speak.
17. Hogwarts has a secret chamber called the Room of Requirement that appears only when someone needs it and can provide anything they desire.
18. Prisoner of Azkaban, the third book in the series, has the fewest number of pages but the highest word count.
19. The first few chapters of "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" were actually written on an old manual typewriter in a café in Edinburgh.
20. The four Hogwarts Houses - Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin - are named after the founders of the school.
21. Harry Potter's parents, James and Lily Potter, were both members of Gryffindor House, as was their friend Sirius Black.
22. J.K. Rowling has said that she based the character of Hermione on herself when she was younger.
23. Hogwarts has a group of caretakers called "squibs" who are non-magical but help maintain the castle.
24. The Mirror of Erised, which shows a person's deepest desires, is "desire" spelled backwards.
25. Professor Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts, is said to have a scar above his left knee that is shaped like the London Underground map.
26. J.K. Rowling has said that the Sorting Hat, which sorts students into their house, was one of the most difficult things to create in the series.
27. The wizarding sport of Quidditch involves players flying on broomsticks and trying to score points by getting a ball through the opposing team's hoops.
28. The House Cup, which is awarded to the Hogwarts House with the most points at the end of the year, was won by Gryffindor in all seven books.
29. Sirius Black, who was falsely accused of betraying Harry's parents, spent 12 years in Azkaban Prison before escaping and helping Harry.
30. Professor Remus Lupin, who teaches Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts, is a werewolf and was one of James Potter's best friends.
31. Harry's godfather Sirius Black gives him a two-way mirror that allows him to communicate with him, but Harry doesn't realize its true significance until the seventh book.
32. In the wizarding world, there is a creature called a house-elf that is bound to serve a wizard family until it is given clothing, which sets it free.
33. Neville Longbottom, who is often portrayed as clumsy and forgetful, becomes a hero in the final battle against Voldemort.
34. The Hogwarts School song is sung at the beginning of each school year and describes the school's four Houses and their values.
35. The character of Luna Lovegood, who is known for her eccentricity and belief in magical creatures, becomes a close friend to Harry in the later books.
36. Firenze, a centaur, teaches Divination at Hogwarts after being banished from his herd for helping Harry in the Forbidden Forest.
37. Voldemort's snake, Nagini, is a Horcrux, which means a piece of his soul is trapped inside her.
38. Gilderoy Lockhart, who teaches Defense Against the Dark Arts in the second book, is revealed to be a fraud who stole other wizards' achievements.
39. The Marauder's Map, which shows the whereabouts of people in Hogwarts, was created by James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew.
40. The character of Cedric Diggory, who is killed by Voldemort in the fourth book, is played by Robert Pattinson, who later became famous for playing Edward Cullen in the "Twilight" movies.
41. The three Deathly Hallows, which are a key part of the seventh book, are the Elder Wand, the Resurrection Stone, and the Cloak of Invisibility.
42. J.K. Rowling has said that she originally intended for the Weasley twins, Fred and George, to survive the series, but changed her mind.
43. The final battle between Voldemort and Harry takes place at Hogwarts School, where many beloved characters are killed.
44. Harry is known as "the boy who lived" because he survived the killing curse that should have killed him as a baby.
45. The first book, "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone," was rejected by 12 publishers before being accepted.
46. Dumbledore's desire for power ultimately led to his downfall, as he became obsessed with the Deathly Hallows and neglected his duty to protect Harry.
47. The character of Bellatrix Lestrange, who is one of Voldemort's most devoted followers, is played by Helena Bonham Carter in the movies.
48. The Hogwarts Express was originally designed to run on coal, but Rowling changed it to run on magic because she didn't want to promote coal mining.
49. Lupin's name comes from the Latin word for wolf, which is fitting since he is a werewolf.
50. J.K. Rowling has said that she would have liked to have written a scene where Dumbledore and Harry have a long conversation after the events of the series, but it didn't fit with the story's timeline.
