J.K. Rowling Reveals New Secrets About Harry Potter's Family on Redesigned Pottermore
Nowadays, it’s weird when a month goes by where J.K. Rowlingdoesn’t reveal scoop and secrets about the greater wizarding world of Harry Potter. Alas, it’s been but a hot minute since she info-dumped upon us stories of horrible Aunt Petunia’s past and revealed which law Hermione broke, but now, she’s back.
In a new essay on Pottermore, appropriately titled “The Potter Family,” the author traces the Potter lineage back to the 12th century. She also notes that, till Harry pushed them to the forefront of the wizarding community, the Potter family was content “with a solid and comfortable existence in the backwaters.”
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Rowling reveals the Potter surname originated with a wizard named Linfred of Stinchcombe, “a locally well-beloved and eccentric man,” whose nickname ‘the Potterer" was eventually “corrupted” to Potter.
Here’s what Rowling writes about Linfred:
“Linfred was a vague and absent-minded fellow whose Muggle neighbours often called upon his medicinal services. None of them realised that Linfred’s wonderful cures for pox and ague were magical; they all thought him a harmless and lovable old chap, pottering about in his garden with all his funny plants.”
She notes that historians credit Linfred as the inventor of remedies such as Skele-gro and Pepperup Potion, while Harry’s grandfather, Fleamont Potter, was the one who created the magical Sleekeazy’s Hair Potion.
Additionally, here’s how the Potter family inherited the invisibility cloak:
“Linfred’s eldest son, Hardwin, married a beautiful young witch by the name of Iolanthe Peverell, who came from the village of Godric’s Hollow. She was the granddaughter of Ignotus Peverell. In the absence of male heirs, she, the eldest of her generation, had inherited her grandfather’s invisibility cloak.”
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The note accompanies Tuesday’s launch of a “newly imagined” Pottermore. The site now features listicles written by Pottermore staff -- like, “8 adorable moments between Harry and Ginny” and “11 times Professor Snape was the hardest teacher to please at Hogwarts” -- and soon, the ability to learn your Patronus.
Rowling also narrates a “Welcome to Pottermore” video, in which she promises the site will contain, “New information will be revealed about the characters, places, and magic you’re familiar with, as well as introductions to a few new characters, places, and notions.”
Love those new notions!
Now, find out what Daniel Radcliffe told ET about whether he will reprise his Harry Potter role anytime soon: