July 15, 2011 marked the end of an entire literary era for Potterheads because of the release of the final Harry Potter movie. It seemed like it was finally time to completely let go of the magic, until (like magic) a ray of hope appeared—Pottermore.
Pottermore is a website conceptualized by the author of the Harry Potter books, J.K. Rowling and sponsored by Sony. The website contains over 18 thousand words of additional information about the seven books and everything about the Wizarding World.
Early registration began on the 31st of July, on Rowling’s and Harry Potter’s birthday.
The Magical Quill Challenge
Unfortunately, many Potterheads, after trying their best to register early, did not get access to Pottermore. To prevent any system failures, Rowling devised a clever way to grant early access to those truly worthy. Thus, the Magical Quill Challenge, which tested eager Potterheads of their Harry Potter knowledge, and their mathematical skills was deviced. For seven days, the website would post one numerical question from one of the seven books. After answering the question, the website would indicate a number, to which the answer needs to be multiplied. Once one obtains the product, one has to place it beside the web address given by Pottermore.
Different numbers for each day lead to different websites. In each website, one must find the magical quill, which is the direct link to the registration site. The magical quill is a magical pen, which senses the birth of magical children. It writes down their names on a large book, which Professor McGonagall checks annually. Once the child turns eleven, the school sends an owl to them to welcome them at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The website only takes note of a contender’s age for security purposes, which meant only those above eleven years of age, would be admitted in the site.
The first three days of the Magical Quill Challenge were the trickiest of all since timing was essential and the website could post questions at any time of the day.
One even had to worry about worldwide contenders, making the whole challenge stressful, exciting and an excellent test of luck all at the same time. The challenge was appropriate for determining the one million people worldwide who would enjoy Pottermore before others.
Pottermore: Magic, stories and absolute fun
Inside Pottermore, newly inducted witches and wizards from across the globe take part in the magical journey of Harry Potter. Newfound information about the four Houses (care to take a guess, which House Merlin was in?) are shared and the website also highlights some of the more clandestine characters like the Dursleys and Professor McGonagall.
Users get the full Potter experience. The website gives each person a unique username, a personalized wand and, of course, the most awaited Sorting Ceremony in Chapter 7, wherein the magical hat sorts the witches and wizards into the four houses. Users generate their own accomplishments in Hogwarts, like collecting Chocolate Frog cards, earning House Points, dabbling in the art of Potion making, or even engaging in Wizard Duels.
How Pottermore redefines the joy of reading
Many people fail to see the magic of how a few words in a book could alter the way one sees things. The power of fictional literature is a tool for escapism, a way for people to submerge themselves into an alternate dimension to forget about the troubles of the real world. Harry Potter that started a literary movement that remains strong after 14 years since its publication.
Reading was a strictly one-way process. The author would write things down in such a way that makes them real to the mind of the reader. The reader, in turn, would find oneself to be in a completely different world altogether. There was no direct interaction between the author and reader.
Pottermore, being an interactive website that allows readers of the Harry Potter series to interrelate with each other, broke the barriers of literature. People can form friendships with people from all over the world in the virtual Wizarding Realm. They all experience the same magical journey; only the choices they make are the ones that make their stories completely original. No two users take the same exact path, and that is the beauty of Pottermore.
Harry Potter: a modern classic forever in the hearts of the young and the young at heart
Harry Potter remains as strong as ever with the release of Pottermore. One of the great things about Pottermore is its egalitarian approach for its users. It does not matter that someone is a diehard fan or one just started reading the series, everyone starts out on the same ground level. Much like the series, it does not matter whether someone is Muggle Born, a Half-Blood or a Pure Blood – magic flows through everyone, no matter what.
Many regard the series as a modern classic because of the massive fellowship it sparked. Only a million fans got in during the Magical Quill challenge and surely, more fans will come. It rings true that the welcome email was a dream come true for many fans.
Harry Potter is not just a series, a film franchise or a passing fad. It was and is a movement of people who love the story, and find their own through it. It is probably difficult to imagine that the story that started with a young boy living in a cupboard would inspire so many readers of different walks of life.
Pottermore is not just a website, it is a fulfilment of a dream for many who stayed with Harry since the beginning and stuck with him until the very end. Many dreams came true and will continue to come true with the single statement that starts their story, and says that they officially belong to the Wizarding World: You are magical.
