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Pub trivia – fun facts you didn't know about wizarding inns

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__Spoiler warning! There are some mild spoilers ahead – turn back now if you’re not familiar with the stories…__

## The Leaky Cauldron is the oldest pub in London

Despite what many [Muggles](/fact-file/magical-miscellany/muggles) think, the title of oldest pub in London goes to this well-loved wizarding establishment. Found on Charing Cross Road, the [Leaky Cauldron](/fact-file/locations/the-leaky-cauldron) was built in the 1500s – long before Charing Cross Road was even planned! Its true address is number one, [Diagon Alley](/fact-file/locations/diagon-alley).

## Muggles used to frequent the Leaky Cauldron

This wizarding institution wasn’t always a place that where only magical folk congregated. As it was built two centuries before the imposition of the International Statute of Secrecy, it was initially visible to Muggle eyes too. Muggles weren’t made to feel unwelcome or turned away. Having said that, thanks to the *interesting* conversations and even more *interesting* magical pets, many scarpered before finishing their mead.

![LeakyCauldron WB F1 SomeoneOutsideLeakyCauldron Illust 080615 Land](//contentful.harrypotter.com/usf1vwtuqyxm/5sxx5inySIAWsKA0gcuUEG/ca736eb81e715e092136f42c579a2719/LeakyCauldron_WB_F1_SomeoneOutsideLeakyCauldron_Illust_080615_Land.jpg)

## Neville Longbottom and Hannah Abbott lived above the Leaky Cauldron

In a turn of events that we find extremely adorable, after leaving [Hogwarts](/fact-file/locations/hogwarts) not only did [Neville](/fact-file/characters-and-pets/neville-longbottom) continue his passion for magical plants as [Herbology](/fact-file/magical-miscellany/herbology) professor, but he also married [Hufflepuff](/fact-file/magical-miscellany/hufflepuff), [Hannah Abbott](/fact-file/characters-and-pets/hannah-abbott-fact-file). The happy couple decided to make a home for themselves living above the one-and-only Leaky Cauldron.

## A pub was the headquarters of a rebellion

Although we never learnt which one it was, according to *Sites of Historical Sorcery*, one of the wizarding pubs in [Hogsmeade](/fact-file/locations/hogsmeade) was said to have been the headquarters of the 1612 [goblin](/fact-file/creatures/goblin) rebellion. Could it have been the [Hog’s Head Inn](/fact-file/locations/the-hogs-head) which was known for its dubious dealings and schemes? Or perhaps it was the cosiness of the [Three Broomsticks](/fact-file/locations/the-three-broomsticks) that convinced the goblins to make it their base?

![pottermore-moments-hp-b5-hogs-head-homepage-hero](//contentful.harrypotter.com/usf1vwtuqyxm/2zygTLqXtChkWM7Asbbca3/14624eac244b6e0d0dd667458176dd1a/pottermore-moments-hp-b5-hogs-head-homepage-hero.jpg)

## The Hog’s Head Inn was run by a Dumbledore

While [Albus Dumbledore](/fact-file/characters-and-pets/albus-dumbledore) ran Hogwarts, just down the road his brother, [Aberforth Dumbledore](/fact-file/characters-and-pets/aberforth-dumbledore-fact-file), ran the Hog’s Head Inn. Crochety and a big fan of goats, he and his brother didn’t always see eye-to-eye. Ultimately, they were both extremely good people and Aberforth even helped the resistance at Hogwarts after Albus’ death – thanks to a secret passage that connected the [Room of Requirement](/fact-file/locations/the-room-of-requirement) to his pub.

## Sybill Trelawney made her infamous prediction at the Hog’s Head Inn

The Hog’s Head Inn was the location of many crucial story moments from the founding of [Dumbledore’s Army](/fact-file/magical-miscellany/dumbledores-army) to [Hagrid](/fact-file/characters-and-pets/rubeus-hagrid) winning a dragon egg in a game of cards. However, there was one particular moment that changed the course of wizarding history forever. On a gloomy night, Albus Dumbledore went to interview [Sybill Trelawney](/fact-file/characters-and-pets/sybill-trelawney) for the role of [Divination](/fact-file/magical-miscellany/divination) teacher. He was thoroughly unimpressed until, among the ramshackle décor and sticky floor, she made her prediction about the boy destined to end [Voldemort](/fact-file/characters-and-pets/lord-voldemort) and rid the world of his evil!

![pottermore-moments-three-broomsticks-homepage-hero](//contentful.harrypotter.com/usf1vwtuqyxm/YvfQFf3Sc7Y1rQNcmqoKm/7278f0704d0a659047a66375127ed129/pottermore-moments-three-broomsticks-homepage-hero.jpg)

## Katie Bell was given the cursed opal necklace at The Three Broomsticks

Run by Madam Rosmerta, the Three Broomsticks was a warm and welcoming establishment in Hogsmeade. Yet Dark Magic still managed to worm its way in there in the form of the cursed opal necklace. Part of a clumsy attempt on Dumbledore’s life, [Gryffindor](/fact-file/magical-miscellany/gryffindor) Quidditch team member, [Katie Bell](/fact-file/characters-and-pets/katie-bell), took the necklace from the pub while under the influence of the [Imperius Curse](/fact-file/spells/the-imperius-curse) and narrowly escaped its deadly power.

## It wasn’t just witches and wizards who frequented the Three Broomsticks

Said to be as old as the only all-wizard village in Britain, the Three Broomsticks was a bit of a haven for all sorts of magical beings, such as hags, who couldn’t disguise themselves particularly well in the Muggle world. In fact, Ron and Hermione once thought they spotted an ogre!

Every quote to live by from your favourite witches

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Hermione wearing a red dress and smiling at Bill and Fleur's wedding.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1

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and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1

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## The importance of keeping things in perspective

![HP-F1-philosophers-stone-hermione-charms-learning-classroom-web-landscape](//contentful.harrypotter.com/usf1vwtuqyxm/qVjLFPXczR2mwGR54M1JK/5ffbc10854b90be415e66d18504a0f56/HP-F1-philosophers-stone-hermione-charms-learning-classroom-web-landscape)

‘Books! And cleverness! There are more important things – friendship and bravery…’

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Hermione Granger: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone

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Despite being known for her exceptional brain power, [Hermione](/fact-file/characters-and-pets/hermione-granger) also knew the importance of nurturing the other elements of her personality too. It’s a lesson she learnt in her first year after finding genuine friendship. It is also one that we could do with remembering too.

## Don’t be afraid to be bold

![HP-F5-order-of-the-phoenix-ginny-da-wand-determined-web-landscape](//contentful.harrypotter.com/usf1vwtuqyxm/3yxtbUPaKL5YRyOXEmcss7/b5f3840e6afd0c2e76548570d0532593/HP-F5-order-of-the-phoenix-ginny-da-wand-determined-web-landscape)

‘…anything’s possible if you’ve got enough nerve.'

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Ginny Weasley: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

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If you don’t ask you don’t get! As [Ginny](/fact-file/characters-and-pets/ginny-weasley) reminds us, if we shy away from a challenge, we’re never going to achieve our dreams. If we find our courage? Well, the world is our oyster.

## Be proud of who you are

![HP-F4-goblet-of-fire-mcgonagall-desk-web-landscape](//contentful.harrypotter.com/usf1vwtuqyxm/71JqjFqxFPKBLmoFUGKYJD/22d4d28400d268c5d1382d675b5ce1ae/HP-F4-goblet-of-fire-mcgonagall-desk-web-landscape)

‘It’s high time your grandmother learned to be proud of the grandson she’s got, rather than the one she thinks she ought to have...’

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Minerva McGonagall: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

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The no-nonsense [McGonagall](/fact-file/characters-and-pets/minerva-mcgonagall) was a witch worth listening to! It’s all too easy to get caught up in the comparison trap, trying to think about who you *should* be and feeling inadequate next to others. However, you are brilliant just the way you are. You are one-of-a-kind. If the Head of [Gryffindor](/fact-file/magical-miscellany/gryffindor) can see that – so can you.

## There is always hope

![HP-F5-order-of-the-phoenix-luna-da-room-of-requirement-casting-patronus-web-landscape](//contentful.harrypotter.com/usf1vwtuqyxm/5zrwB81bovDEUXWbMyCWia/26babee3a72e41ff8557681a28703f5a/HP-F5-order-of-the-phoenix-luna-da-room-of-requirement-casting-patronus-web-landscape)

‘The things we lose have a way of coming back to us in the end. If not always in the way we expect.’

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Luna Lovegood: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

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When times are hard, it can be easy to give up hope and become despondent. Yet this poignant point from the wonderfully eccentric [Ravenclaw](/fact-file/magical-miscellany/ravenclaw) is a reminder that good days are on the horizon – even if we can’t quite see them yet.

## Don’t be afraid to dream big

![WB-HP-F7-hermione-reading-promo-crop](//contentful.harrypotter.com/usf1vwtuqyxm/7uWvZ2RIgkybj8J1lCs5RA/39672ce02de6ff4e27d39381deb3c05f/WB-HP-F7-hermione-reading-promo-crop.jpg)

‘I’m hoping to do some good in the world!’

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Hermione Granger: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

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No matter who you are, you *can* make a difference. If you channel Hermione’s determination, we’re sure you will go on to do great and brilliant things.

## An excellent reminder

![HP-F5-molly-weasley-harry-potter-web-10744](//contentful.harrypotter.com/usf1vwtuqyxm/1ugOAEKJsmxHxy7rDSEkO8/d6f828346ab08de9e2eb69ed086fdf71/weasley-quiz-title-.jpg)

‘A good first impression can work wonders.'

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Molly Weasley: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

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A sage piece of advice from [Mrs Weasley](/fact-file/characters-and-pets/molly-weasley)! She might have said this to Harry before his [Ministry](/fact-file/locations/the-ministry-of-magic) hearing, but we think this is something that can be applied to many different areas of your life. From making friends to job interviews, things are always easier if you start off on the right foot.

## Do what is right, not what is easy

![WB-HP-F2-hermione-examining-potion-ingredients-with-cauldron-web-landscape](//contentful.harrypotter.com/usf1vwtuqyxm/4L5hkIozTd68acqd3hpP2I/27590dc492caea34621b56bdd472e45b/WB-HP-F2-hermione-examining-potion-ingredients-with-cauldron-web-landscape.jpg)

‘Well, if you two are going to chicken out, fine… I don’t want to break rules, you know. I think threatening Muggle-borns is far worse than brewing up a difficult potion.’

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Hermione Granger: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

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Hermione was the witch who once declared being expelled to be a fate worse than death. To hear her trying to convince [Harry](/fact-file/characters-and-pets/harry-potter) and [Ron](/fact-file/characters-and-pets/ron-weasley) to break the rules was rather shocking. Yet she raises an extremely valuable point. Sometimes you need to push the boundaries to do what is right. Following the rules can only go so far – especially if those rules cause more harm than good. It can be hard to stand up and be counted but we should all try to do so.

## Protect what is important

![WB-HP-F8-professor-sprout-web-landscape](//contentful.harrypotter.com/usf1vwtuqyxm/6PcDR4xjlhQ8xtErVUHYBc/198864f4ef4413d1ed6e50f91411088e/WB-HP-F8-professor-sprout-web-landscape.jpg)

‘I feel that if a single pupil wants to come, then the school ought to remain open for that pupil.’

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Pomona Sprout: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

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This was a brave statement from [Professor Sprout](/fact-file/characters-and-pets/pomona-sprout) in the wake of [Dumbledore’s](/fact-file/characters-and-pets/albus-dumbledore) death. [Hogwarts](/fact-file/locations/hogwarts) was so much more than a school. For many like Harry, it was a sanctuary and place they could call home. A place that should be protected. This is a sentiment we could all take on board. We should all work hard to take care of what, and who, is important to us.

## Don’t judge a book by its cover

![hp-f4-fleur-arrival-beauxbatons-great-hall-uniform-web-landscape](//contentful.harrypotter.com/usf1vwtuqyxm/7L4Bw903CP5Rnv0MuCknWF/16abc8334d6185d0b8be2af4c5f93c45/hp-f4-fleur-arrival-beauxbatons-great-hall-uniform-web-landscape.jpg)

‘What do I care how ’e looks? I am good-looking enough for both of us, I theenk! All these scars show is zat my husband is brave!’

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Fleur Delacour: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

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You might think glamorous and goodlooking [Fleur Delacour](/fact-file/characters-and-pets/fleur-delacour) would also be extremely vain. Yet she wasn’t. Filled with self-confidence, she didn’t judge her husband based on his appearance – she knew it was the content of his character that truly mattered. That attitude is one we think everyone should embody.

## Boundaries are good

![mcgonagall-web-header-wand](//contentful.harrypotter.com/usf1vwtuqyxm/6J6heLMpK9Lee0eL8faPnj/18ebb3e1a6694c1ed440bf094b02a127/mcgonagall-web-headrer.jpg)

‘I do not generally permit people to talk when I am talking.’

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Minerva McGonagall: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

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Quite right too! Don’t let anybody try to take your voice or diminish you. If someone tries to talk over you, channel your inner McGonagall and lay down the law – they’ll soon learn a valuable lesson.

Your birth month tells us your Harry Potter soulmate

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## January: The determined and dedicated Oliver Wood is your perfect match

![WB-HP-F1-philosophers-stone-oliver-wood-web-landscape](//contentful.harrypotter.com/usf1vwtuqyxm/7iJHeRIUbca989dspC4c2t/a8eae533de5cb364c2b8ef17aa39c857/WB-HP-F1-philosophers-stone-oliver-wood-web-landscape.jpg)

When considering your ideal partner, you don’t want someone who is afraid of commitment and isn’t willing to put the work in. You want someone who is going to give the relationship their all. This is why you and [Oliver Wood](/fact-file/characters-and-pets/oliver-wood) make a perfect pair. This [Gryffindor](/fact-file/magical-miscellany/gryffindor) proved his determination time and time again as [Quidditch](/fact-file/magical-miscellany/quidditch) Captain. He was always coming up with training techniques and drills to make the team better. Yes, some of his teammates might have complained about the early starts, but it didn’t put Oliver off… and it worked. That’s the type of dedication you admire.

## February: Your soulmate is the creative and eccentric Luna Lovegood

![WB-HP-F5-luna-lovegood-wears-spectrespecs-with-quibbler-web-landscape](//contentful.harrypotter.com/usf1vwtuqyxm/5jiVEF9rz3GdDt6go666da/6431193cd66631881320a9921f2913fe/WB-HP-F5-luna-lovegood-wears-spectrespecs-with-quibbler-web-landscape.jpg)

There is nothing that bores you more than blending into the crowd. From your curious insights to your wacky wardrobe, you march to the beat of your own drum. You are proud to celebrate your uniqueness, and you are looking for a partner that doesn’t shy away from their individuality too. This is why [Luna Lovegood](/fact-file/characters-and-pets/luna-lovegood) with her [Spectrespecs](/fact-file/objects/spectrespecs) and radish-like earrings is your ideal match. The two of you would have a joyful relationship that celebrated creativity, eccentricity and a shared belief in the Crumple-Horned Snorkack.

## March: The brilliantly hilarious Ron Weasley is the one for you

![HP-F6-ron-in-bed-smiling-web-landscape](//contentful.harrypotter.com/usf1vwtuqyxm/51khMqIDGh7ltBpFgDIet4/4390b7228f2368b128a11304e8a73108/HP-F6-ron-in-bed-smiling-web-landscape.jpg)

Life’s too short not to have fun. Who wants to be miserable? Yes, serious things happen but you still want to find the joy in life, and you want a partner who can do that too. This is why you and [Ron Weasley](/fact-file/characters-and-pets/ron-weasley) would make the perfect pair. From his ‘Merlin's most baggy Y-fronts’ exclamations to quippy ‘Oh, of course… I forgot we’ll be hunting down [Voldemort](/fact-file/characters-and-pets/lord-voldemort) in a mobile library’ comebacks – his quick with would keep you entertained for life.

## April: The elegant and poised Fleur Delacour is your ideal soulmate

![hp-f4-fleur-arrival-beauxbatons-great-hall-uniform-web-landscape](//contentful.harrypotter.com/usf1vwtuqyxm/7L4Bw903CP5Rnv0MuCknWF/16abc8334d6185d0b8be2af4c5f93c45/hp-f4-fleur-arrival-beauxbatons-great-hall-uniform-web-landscape.jpg)

Graceful, elegant and gliding through life – that’s the ultimate dream. You aren’t interested in awkward situations and embarrassing encounters; you want life to be as serene as possible. As you want this from your partner too, you and [Fleur Delacour](/fact-file/characters-and-pets/fleur-delacour) would make a flawless duo. No matter what situation she faced – from walking into the [Great Hall](/fact-file/locations/the-great-hall) for the first time to rejecting [Yule Ball](/fact-file/magical-miscellany/yule-ball) dates, she was always perfectly poised which is something you appreciate.

## May: The thoroughly good Cedric Diggory is who you’re drawn to

![HP-F4-goblet-fire-cho-cedric-walking-into-yule-ball-together-happy-web-landscape](//contentful.harrypotter.com/usf1vwtuqyxm/7Gg3rW3wpho401kh28ueXG/2ce6bdeb293a9f962407b31ab38c3c2b/HP-F4-goblet-fire-cho-cedric-walking-into-yule-ball-together-happy-web-landscape)

You have no time for people that like to play games in relationships. You abhor anyone who has a mean streak. You really can’t stand when people are rude to those around them. This is why [Cedric Diggory](/fact-file/characters-and-pets/cedric-diggory) is the perfect person for you. Despite being handsome, intelligent and an extremely talented wizard, this [Hufflepuff](/fact-file/magical-miscellany/hufflepuff) was also humble. He was *good*. He helped Harry despite him being his [Triwizard](/fact-file/magical-miscellany/triwizard-tournament) rival and never let being the rising star at [Hogwarts](/fact-file/locations/hogwarts) go to his head. Cedric is a partner you would always feel safe with… and he is perfect for you.

## June: Your soulmate is Lavender Brown who wears her heart on her sleeve

![HP-F6-half-blood-prince-weasleys-wizard-wheezes-lavendar-looking-at-ron-web-landscape](//contentful.harrypotter.com/usf1vwtuqyxm/41iicwNjHTdrMVNZoiTdoC/ddf961f7074d912a9307c0dc9e2716aa/HP-F6-half-blood-prince-weasleys-wizard-wheezes-lavendar-looking-at-ron-web-landscape)

As someone who is often described as vivacious and an open book, you have real difficulty bonding with people who are closed off or reserved. You find those who keep their cards close to their chest rather unsettling – which is why [Lavender Brown](/fact-file/characters-and-pets/lavender-brown) is your soulmate. Whether she was snogging Ron in front of the whole [Gryffindor common room](/fact-file/locations/the-gryffindor-common-room) or giving him gaudy necklaces as a token of her affection, she was not afraid of her emotions or letting everyone else see them. This type of openness is something you can’t help but be drawn to.

## July: Your perfect match is loyal Neville Longbottom

![HP WB F4 Neville and his plant crop ](//contentful.harrypotter.com/usf1vwtuqyxm/66z5lwGFVYTJTiW2dNdKfw/e99e49796545303b7dec644c11004840/NevilleLongbottom_WB_F4_NevilleLongbottomWithPlantPromoShot_Promo_080615_CROP.jpg)

Don’t underestimate [Neville](/fact-file/characters-and-pets/neville-longbottom). He might have initially been a clumsy underdog, but he soon surpassed that and became a [sword-of-Gryffindor-wielding](/fact-file/objects/the-sword-of-gryffindor) hero. One who was loyal to his friends, his school and loyal to what was right. As someone born in July, this is what you would like to find in a partner. You don’t want a person who could easily be swayed. You want someone who is as committed to you as Neville is to his [Mimbulus mimbletonia](/fact-file/plants-and-potions/mimbulus-mimbletonia), which is why he is the one for you.

## August: The logical and intelligent Hermione Granger is the one for you

![HP-F7-deathly-hallows-part-one-hermione-bill-fleur-wedding-red-dress-web-landscape](//contentful.harrypotter.com/usf1vwtuqyxm/5aJclseoYsrr4a0y0XPiQY/be44e1bfabc2a5f7422ed6e87a5df30e/HP-F7-deathly-hallows-part-one-hermione-bill-fleur-wedding-red-dress-web-landscape)

As somebody who is known for their sharp mind and love of learning, we think you and the [cleverest witch of her age](/fact-file/characters-and-pets/hermione-granger), who takes the largest books out of the [Hogwarts library](/fact-file/locations/the-hogwarts-library) for ‘light reading’, would get on like a house on fire. Your days would be spent verbally sparring with each other, debating Ancient Rune translations and generally broadening your minds and you wouldn’t want it any other way.

## September: The discerning Draco Malfoy is your wizarding soulmate

![WB-F3-draco-in-care-of-magical-creatures-with-monster-book-of-monsters-web-landscape](//contentful.harrypotter.com/usf1vwtuqyxm/4FeDA9gWYlkm3iFXZMUOF5/47927d38da6fcc8d4660a5cd92a7e6d6/WB-F3-draco-in-care-of-magical-creatures-with-monster-book-of-monsters-web-landscape.jpg)

There’s nothing wrong with being shrewd or ambitious, these are traits that you rather admire. In fact, you find someone who knows exactly what they want and how to get it extremely attractive. This is why [Draco Malfoy](/fact-file/characters-and-pets/draco-malfoy) is the one for you. We are in no way saying you are prejudiced or a bully like he was. However, the embodiment of [Slytherin](/fact-file/magical-miscellany/slytherin) traits, he was not afraid to openly say he liked the finer things in life or believe he deserved them – just like you.

## October: Fiery Ginny Weasley is your magical match

![GinnyWeasley WB F6 GinnyAtSlughornsParty Still 080615 Land](//contentful.harrypotter.com/usf1vwtuqyxm/4otWY19HKE4WyOOy4Q0wSu/66177ea78a84f5e28b9fb79b2b961e51/GinnyWeasley_WB_F6_GinnyAtSlughornsParty_Still_080615_Land.jpg)

If there was a witch that knew exactly who she was, it was [Ginny Weasley](/fact-file/characters-and-pets/ginny-weasley). Having had a rough start at Hogwarts she blossomed into a fierce and phenomenal person – with an excellent talent for the [Bat-Bogey Hex](/fact-file/spells/the-bat-bogey-hex). That self-assuredness is something that you are looking for in a partner. You don’t want somebody who doesn’t take the time to work on being the best version of themselves. You want someone who is confident and powerful – exactly like Ginny.

## November: Harry Potter’s bravery is what makes him your soulmate

![HP-F8-harry-lake-web-header](//contentful.harrypotter.com/usf1vwtuqyxm/3SzHQWDxZAPjea1KYpaIO0/cc24a62a6e35937f165b190cf14df8e6/harry_heaer.png)

[Harry Potter](/fact-file/characters-and-pets/harry-potter) is not afraid to confront the difficult things in life. He doesn’t shy away from a challenge or let fear stop him. He puts himself out there whether that’s soaring through the sky on his [broomstick](/fact-file/objects/broomstick), fighting the forces of evil or summoning up the courage to ask his crush to the Yule Ball. This is something that you strongly relate to. You’re not one to be called timid and you can’t stand cowardice. We’re not saying you’re necessarily an extrovert, but you stand up when it matters and that’s why Harry is your ultimate wizarding soulmate.

## December: The glass half-empty Moaning Myrtle is your perfect match

![HP-F2-chamber-of-secrets-moaning-myrtle-girls-bathroom-web-landscape](//contentful.harrypotter.com/usf1vwtuqyxm/2HdGuqY9aOgGStQJii0yVY/5013a2d38cecb8e9f536e42f6dbf0036/HP-F2-chamber-of-secrets-moaning-myrtle-girls-bathroom-web-landscape.jpg)

There is no person that gets on your nerves more than the one who is relentlessly optimistic. You don’t have time from all that chirpiness and being constantly told to look on the bright side. In fact, being stuck with someone like that would be your worst nightmare. You want someone who will always look on the gloomy side – which is why [Moaning Myrtle](/fact-file/characters-and-pets/moaning-myrtle) (emphasis on the *Moaning*) is your perfect match. Despite her crush on Harry Potter, with your maudlin outlook, we’re sure you could win her over and many (un)happy centuries sitting in the [u-bend of a Hogwarts toilet](/fact-file/locations/moaning-myrtles-bathroom) discussing all the reasons why everything is awful.

For beginners, for novices, for Harry Potter superfans going 20 years-strong, dig deep into the wizarding world with our collection of features.

Features - Wizarding World

Early uses of magic revealed in The Tales of Beedle the Bard

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Harry, Ron and Hermione in Xenophilius LoveGood's House from The Deathly Hallows.

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[Hermione](/features/hermione-granger "Hermione Granger") might have dismissed the Hallows as a simple fairy tale, but they ended up proving to be all too real – and the details Beedle gave in ‘[The Tale of the Three Brothers](/features/tale-of-the-three-brothers "Behind the scenes: animating the ‘Tale of the Three Brothers’")’ were startlingly accurate.

And [the Hallows](/features/the-deathly-hallows "The Deathly Hallows") weren’t the only time Beedle demonstrated the long, curious history of the magical world. From Babbitty Rabbitty, to the warlock’s [Horcrux](/features/the-horcruxes "The Horcruxes")-like hairy heart and the determined Hopping Pot, Beedle highlighted some pretty developed magic…

## ‘The Wizard and the Hopping Pot’: sentient magical objects

[Dumbledore’s](/features/albus-dumbledore "Albus Dumbledore") view of ‘The Wizard and the Hopping Pot’ – the tale of a bewitched pot that wouldn’t stop hopping unless its Muggle-hating owner helped his father’s neighbours – was that the story, with its pro-Muggle message, was ahead of its time.

However, it also featured a significant piece of magic. How exactly did the creator of the Hopping Pot influence an object even after his death, and – what’s more – enable it to make moral judgements?

If we compare the Pot to other magically activated objects, such as Mr Weasley’s [enchanted Ford Anglia](/features/the-flying-ford-anglia "Behind the scenes: creating the flying Ford Anglia") or the Hogwarts [Sorting Hat](/features/the-sorting-hat "The Sorting Hat"), it seems a particular enchantment was needed to bewitch it into fulfilling its function, such as the pot hopping, the car flying, or the Hat sorting students. 

Making judgements seems to be learned behaviour, though. The car was ‘turned wild’ by the [Forbidden Forest](/features/the-forbidden-forest "The Forbidden Forest") and the Sorting Hat was happy to talk [Harry](/features/harry-potter "Harry Potter") through his Slytherin anxieties after Harry comes across the hat again in [Dumbledore’s office](/features/dumbledores-office "Dumbledore's office").  

So maybe the Hopping Pot was already enchanted and just absorbed enough of its original owner’s intentions to enforce them. We’ll never know, but on a related note, it seems likely [Mr Weasley](/features/arthur-weasley "Arthur Weasley") could have picked up some tips from the Hopping Pot’s creator.

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## ‘The Fountain of Fair Fortune’: the Pensieve

Like Harry pretending to feed Ron the [Felix Felicis](/features/felix-felicis "Felix Felicis") potion, the Fountain of Fair Fortune proved more tricksy than lucky – none of the three witches or their Muggle companion suspected it wasn’t actually enchanted. It was, in fact, the choices they each made in reaching the Fountain that led to them enjoying long, happy lives. Which sounds like something Dumbledore might advise, funnily enough.

There’s another moment in ‘The Fountain of Fair Fortune’ that brings Dumbledore to mind. Specifically, something Dumbledore, as Headmaster of [Hogwarts](/features/hogwarts "Hogwarts"), owned – the [Pensieve](/features/pensieve "Pensieve"). ‘The Fountain of Fair Fortune’’s Amata used her [wand](/features/wands "Wands") to withdraw memories, then dropped them into the rushing water that was the Fountain’s final obstacle. But unlike Dumbledore, Amata didn’t study them – she let her memories wash away. In doing so, all her regrets disappeared and she no longer had need of the Fountain.

The Hogwarts Pensieve didn’t work like that: it was a container, after all, not a stream. Still, drawing out memories is pretty clever, so Amata must have known some advanced magic. And she was also wise enough to know when she was happy. No wonder Sir Luckless flung himself at her feet.

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## ‘The Warlock’s Hairy Heart’: Horcrux magic

In terms of its storybook princess, ‘The Warlock’s Hairy Heart’ was closest to a Muggle fairy tale – but the warlock’s actual hairy heart was rooted firmly in the wizarding world.

The warlock, Beedle told us, used [Dark Arts](/collection/the-dark-arts "The Dark Arts") ‘to ensure his immunity’ from love. We later discover this meant he’d removed his heart from his body and kept it in a casket in a dungeon, where it became strange and shrunken and hairy. 

Dumbledore pointed out how similar this was to a [Horcrux](/features/the-horcruxes "The Horcruxes"): ‘He is dividing what was clearly not meant to be divided – body and heart, rather than body and soul – and in doing so, he is falling foul of the first of Adalbert Waffling’s Fundamental Laws of Magic.’

So even in the darkest depths of the wizarding world nobody can literally carve out their heart and expect to live – for long, anyway. Still, we can think of [one Dark Arts practitioner](/features/lord-voldemort "Lord Voldemort") who’d give it a try if it worked. And at least the hairy-hearted warlock only divided himself once…

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## ‘Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump’: Animagi

Long before [the Marauders](/features/everything-we-know-about-the-marauders "Everything we know about the lives of the Marauders") and [Rita Skeeter](/features/rita-skeeter "Rita Skeeter") there was Babbitty Rabbitty: an early [unregistered Animagus](/features/wizarding-world-illegal-animagi "Unregistered Animagi from Rita Skeeter to Peter Pettigrew"). Although as Dumbledore notes, Beedle’s depiction of her Animagus form was not entirely accurate, given that he asks us to believe Babbitty can talk while in rabbit form, which isn’t possible for true Animagi.

This wasn’t the only magic Babbitty displayed: she Vanished a hat, made a horse fly – presumably using a charm like [Wingardium Leviosa](/features/wingardium-leviosa "Wingardium Leviosa") – and she threatened the King with terrible pain along the lines of the [Cruciatus Curse](/features/cruciatus-curse "Crucio"). In Beedle’s time, Unforgivable Curses were not illegal, so Babbitty could have made threats without fear of redress. Which was perhaps just as well – she seemed a bit of a rule-breaker…

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## ‘The Tale of the Three Brothers’: well, you all know this one

Which brings us to Beedle’s best-known tale. ‘The Tale of the Three Brothers’ introduced three objects that proved instrumental in Harry’s fight against Voldemort – not because uniting them made him Master of Death, but because of the role each played in Harry’s life.

The [Elder Wand](/features/elder-wand "Elder Wand") was the least significant for Harry, but it was the one Voldemort coveted, and when Voldemort – never quite grasping the right truth – failed to recognise Harry as master of the wand, it cost him dear. 

For Harry, the [Resurrection Stone](/features/resurrection-stone "Resurrection Stone") was far more important, because it meant he was able to see the family that died to save him. That gave him the courage to make his own sacrifice.

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But it was the [Invisibility Cloak](/features/invisibility-cloak "Invisibility Cloak") that repeatedly proved its value. When we discovered Harry’s [connection to the Peverells](/features/the-potter-family-tree "The Potter family tree") – the real-life brothers who inspired Beedle’s tale – it became obvious that the Cloak was both the stuff of legend and a piece of magic so clever it could help with everything from midnight jaunts around Hogwarts to the defeat of one of the Darkest wizards.

Discover the films

Wizarding World Image Crediting

to Fantastic Beasts

Why every parent should read Beedle the Bard to their kids

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*The Tales of Beedle the Bard* has, for centuries, been as much a staple of wizarding childhood as Cinderella or Snow White has for tiny Muggles. After all, the Bard’s tales are like the Wizarding World’s equivalent of *Aesop’s Fables*, and provide valuable lessons for magical children – but there’s a lot us Muggles can learn from them, too.    

## They’re funny – in a way kids totally get

The first tale – ‘The Wizard and the Hopping Pot’ – leans heavily on just the kind of gross, icky humour that has toddlers falling about. We read of warty little children, smelly cheese, sloppy sour milk and (best of all) a ‘plague of hungry slugs’. Throughout the collection, there are plenty of shudder-worthy images: in ‘The Fountain of Fair Fortune’, a bloated worm drinks one of the heroine’s tears. If that doesn’t raise a merry grimace on their little gap-toothed faces, then you’re not reading it right!

## The use of language is exquisite, but never impenetrable 

Like Muggle fairy stories, the tales are a glorious repository of elegant, archaic language and poetic turns of phrase. Maybe a sullen ‘warlock’ is expected by ‘his kinsfolk’ to perk up ‘when a maid catches his fancy’, or the ‘charlatan’ who cheated the ‘foolish king’ out of ‘a silver chalice’ needs the help of a local ‘washerwoman’. Words and ideas all too seldom encountered in cartoons or  apps.

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Harry Ron and Hermione sitting at the Burrow for Dumbledore's will 

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## The text is brief, and illustrated

Beedle the Bard’s tales are concise, and can easily be boxed off at bedtime. They’re also leavened with illustrations, some pretty (the floral spandrels draped across most pages), some worth dwelling on for explanation (the lute and spilled goblet), and some also funny (wait until you get to the bamboozled levitating horse). 

## There’s a subtle whiff of romance…

…without any of the bluntly hormonal goings-on of the later Potter books. Instead, there are hints of a more chivalric brand of love – one that nods to beauty, but cares more about truthfulness – acknowledging the ephemeral, sometimes foolish, often sadly unpredictable nature of the human heart. 

Better yet, contrasted with the tragic drippy heroines found throughout the Muggle fairytale canon, the tales are, for their vintage, refreshingly feminist. Witches, by and large, take their fates into their own hands without waiting for a brave knight or handsome prince to save the day, thank-you-very-much.

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## Beedle provides timeless moral guidance

Virtue is rewarded and wickedness punished. Power, deception and intimidation will only get characters so far; the real winners prevail through ingenuity, application, kindness and common sense. Helping others is a noble end in itself. Jealousy and vanity, left unchecked, are always toxic. All things must pass, but therein lies the imperative to lead an upstanding life. 

## The stories gain more meaning as you get older 

Each tale is helpfully dissected in a collection of short afterwords by no less a figure than [Albus Dumbledore](/features/albus-dumbledore "Albus Dumbledore"), giving the tales even more resonance when you grow up. 

The all-too-relevant lessons about prejudice and intolerance, as seen through the prism of [pure-blood](/writing-by-jk-rowling/pure-blood "Pure-Blood by J.K. Rowling") wizarding history, are timeless for any age. Even bowdlerisation – the iffy Muggle practice of expunging naughty words or ideas from classic texts to remove unsavoury notions – is touched on in an illuminating reference to literary fusspot Beatrix Bloxam. 

Dumbledore even treats us to an intriguing glimpse into the world of wizarding superstition, when discussing the lore which grew up around the [Elder Wand](/features/elder-wand "Elder Wand") in the famous ‘[The Tale of the Three Brothers](/features/tale-of-the-three-brothers "Behind the scenes: animating the Tale of the Three Brothers")’.

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Finally, in a profound climax, the late [Hogwarts](/features/hogwarts "Hogwarts") Headmaster reminds readers of the vulnerability and weakness in the face of temptation, or heartache, or loss we all share. 

And that’s true whether you’re a child, an adult, a witch, wizard, Muggle or Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot and Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards.

In defence of Rita Skeeter

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Rita Skeeter looking quizical from the Goblet of Fire 

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Okay, so [Rita Skeeter](/features/rita-skeeter "Rita Skeeter") was the worst kind of tabloid hack. She exploited a terrified 14-year-old [Harry](/features/harry-potter "Harry Potter") for column inches, she let her bigoted opinions damn the likes of poor [Hagrid](/features/rubeus-hagrid "Rubeus Hagrid"), and to top it off she wrote a 900-page tell-all hatchet job on [Albus Dumbledore](/features/albus-dumbledore "Albus Dumbledore") after he died. She wasn’t exactly a national treasure.

But if we look deep, deep, deep, deep down, surely there must have been a scrap of good in her? Maybe her journalistic ambitions got the better of her? Maybe she’d been under the [Imperius Curse](/features/imperius-curse "Imperio") for decades? In an attempt to somehow find good in one of the most irredeemable of people, here are a few things about Rita that weren’t as bad as all the other things.

## She was genuinely good at her job

You know Rita Skeeter as the worst kind of tabloid journalist – devious, dirty, amoral. But here’s the thing: from an editor’s point of view, and from her readers’ point of view, Rita Skeeter was great at her job. She got the scoops, she asked the right questions, she made wizards buy papers. Did the ends justify her spying on people as an [unregistered Animagus](/features/wizarding-world-illegal-animagi "Unregistered Animagi from Rita Skeeter to Peter Pettigrew")? No. But do you think wizards would enjoy her gossip any less if knew where it came from? Debatable.

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Rita Skeeter interviews Harry in the broom cupboard, her Quick Quote Quill takes down all the notes.

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## The beetle Animagus thing was pretty clever

Although Rita’s reveal as an unregistered Animagus was sinister and dastardly, it was, admittedly, pretty clever. Achieving Animagus status is incredibly difficult magic at the best of times – and doing it in secret even more so. Just ask [James Potter](/features/james-potter "James Potter") and his friends. Being a beetle, an insect that is small, discreet and could fly away at a moment’s notice, was also very convenient considering Rita’s ambitions to be a journalist – it’s just a shame she didn’t use her ‘bugging’ skills for much more than idle gossip.

## Her writing was described as ‘enchanting’ 

Okay, so Albus Dumbledore actually described it as ‘enchantingly nasty’, but still, enchanting, right?

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Rita Skeeter taking notes during the trial of Igor Karkaroff in the Goblet of Fire.

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## She did sometimes stand up for what was right

Before finding her new target in Harry, Rita was usually writing damning reports on the [Ministry of Magic](/features/the-ministry-of-magic "The Ministry of Magic"). Sure, she was still being damning, but she was holding the Ministry to account, which included revealing that Bertha Jorkins had gone missing. It was probably all for her own means as usual, but highlighting the corruption of the Ministry, which gradually became dangerous during the height of [Voldemort’s](/features/lord-voldemort "Lord Voldemort") power, was at the very least sort-of helpful: even though most of it was exaggeration, hyperbole and lies. Still, what’s the wizard equivalent of a Pulitzer Prize? 

## She helped Harry, albeit under blackmail from Hermione

Although this was completely to save her own neck, Rita did indeed interview Harry so he could deliver the truth about Lord Voldemort to the masses. And for *The Quibbler*, no less – she no doubt must have loathed writing for such a publication even more. This would be a noble moment of redemption, had she not been doing it so [Hermione](/features/hermione-granger "Hermione Granger") would not reveal her unregistered Animagus status. But at least Rita wasn’t so evil that she refused to do the right thing for the wrong reasons. Yes, the alternative was [Azkaban](/features/azkaban "Azkaban"), but still…

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An illustration of Rita Skeeter from the Goblet of Fire

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## Er, she had a unique sense of style?

Say what you like about Rita Skeeter’s personality, but at least she had a groovy style! Crocodile handbags, peroxide-blonde pin curls, jewelled glasses and gold teeth – what’s not to love? At least Rita liked to be creative with her look, and think outside the fashion box. Yes, she was a terrible person, but she looked fun while being so terrible.

## And, erm, her pen was cool? 

It wrote by itself!

## And, er… 

## Erm… 

## She wasn’t a Death Eater?

Well, that’s something. 

*Each month Pottermore will try to defend the more… questionable characters from the Harry Potter stories. Come back next month when we make the case for Dudley Dursley.*

Pottermore’s guide to immortality 

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Peter prepairs the cauldron for Voldemorts

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When Voldemort’s [Death Eaters](/features/a-guide-to-lord-voldemorts-death-eaters "A guide to Lord Voldemort's Death Eaters") arrive to witness his resurrection, he tells them a tale of near-death and half-life, of years spent inhabiting animals, the possession of [Quirrell](/features/quirinus-quirrell "Quirinus Quirrell"), and his pursuit of the [Philosopher’s Stone](/features/philosophers-stone "The Philosopher’s Stone"). And all of this, he implies, is the very least of it. Almost everything Voldemort has done has been in pursuit of a goal he believes only he is capable of achieving: immortality.

But [Voldemort](/features/lord-voldemort "Lord Voldemort") isn’t the first character, fictional or otherwise, to lust after immortality. We only need to look at the long-established legend of the Philosopher’s Stone and its Elixir of Life to confirm this. So where did this concept of eternal life come from and how has it become so entrenched in our culture? Here’s our handy guide… 

## What is immortality?

The dictionary definition of immortality is, literally, the ability to live forever, although there are other figurative interpretations – to say something or someone has achieved immortality might also mean they are timeless, or that their reputation is so renowned they will never be forgotten. But Voldemort desires immortality in the literal sense of never dying. He knows he won’t be easily forgotten. He wants eternal life.

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Harry, Ron and Hermione see the Dark Mark in the sky 

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## Where did it originate?

The concept of eternal life is as old as (mortal) life itself. Almost all the major world religions, including Buddhism, Christianity, Hindusim, Islam and Judaism, believe in an afterlife, and the ‘immortality of man’ (specifically, the immortality of the soul) was a key tenet of the Ancient Greek philosopher Plato, but there are stories of physical immortality – the quest to remain alive – stretching back just as far. 

## Immortality in ancient cultures

The Mesopotamian poem *The Epic of Gilgamesh* is considered by many to be the earliest surviving work of literature, and at over 4,000 years old it dwells on its hero’s quest to become physically immortal. Meanwhile, around 200 BC, the first Emperor of China, Qin She Huang, was so obsessed with achieving immortality that he probably killed himself by eating mercury, which was thought to have life-lengthening properties. Oh, the irony.

In the fourteenth century the real [Nicolas Flamel](/features/nicolas-flamel "Nicolas Flamel") – who appears in *Philosopher’s Stone* as the owner of the life-lengthening Stone so coveted by Voldemort – was said to have used the Stone’s Elixir to live for centuries, moving with his wife from their native France to India after faking their own deaths.

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Philosophers-Stone

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## Is immortality achievable?

So, is it actually possible to live forever? It depends. Even within the literal definition, there are different meanings. Some theorists talk about biological immortality – the absence of ageing – as being theoretically achievable if scientific advances continue, but this would not mean being invulnerable to physical harm. In other words, biological immortality might stop you getting sick but it wouldn’t stop you getting hit by a bus. So: swings and roundabouts.

The reason for this belief is because there is one species in existence which has biological immortality – the *Turritopsis dohrnii*, aka the immortal jellyfish. Studies show this tiny little organism not only refuses to die, but actually appears to age in reverse, growing younger until, at its earliest point, it begins its life cycle again. It’s been called the Benjamin Button jellyfish, after the F Scott Fitzgerald short story and 2008 film that tell the story of a man who ages backwards. Unlocking the secrets of the immortal jellyfish could spell unlimited possibilities for humankind.

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Quirrell and Harry in front of the Mirror of Erised.

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## Immortality in fiction

Since *The Epic of Gilgamesh*, the idea of an immortal human or human-like creature has dominated fiction. [Vampires](/writing-by-jk-rowling/vampires "Vampires by J.K. Rowling"), a staple of fiction since the early eighteenth century, are very hard to kill, being immune to death unless under very specific circumstances – a stake to the heart, say. Other stories fix immortality to an object, like Dorian Gray’s portrait in Oscar Wilde’s *The Picture of Dorian Gray*, and still others freeze characters in an eternal, immortal sleep, as with Sleeping Beauty in the fairytale and the White Witch in CS Lewis’s *The Chronicles of Narnia.*

## Defeating death

Back in the wizarding world, Voldemort is hardly the only one to hanker after immortality, despite wizards tending towards longer lives than their Muggle counterparts. Nicolas Flamel, for one, was 665 years old during Harry’s first year at Hogwarts. The difference is the lengths to which Voldemort is willing to go, and the sheer arrogance he will show in his desire to conquer death.

Voldemort’s understanding of immortality is crude, but not all interpretations are so dark and vampiric. The old philosophical concept of the immortality of the soul is about the idea that a person lives on in a non-physical sense, in some kind of afterlife, or through the people who have loved them. Much like the protection given to Harry by [his mother](/features/lily-potter "Lily Potter") – a protection Voldemort covets but will never understand.

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Illustration of Lily Potter's spirit protecting Privet Drive from Read the Magic

Lily Potter protects Privet Drive illustration Read the Magic B5

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*Want to join the Wizarding World Book Club? [Sign up here](https://my.pottermore.com/wizarding-world-book-club "Join the Wizarding World Book Club") to read along, gain awards and discover new content every week. You can also [join the conversation](https://twitter.com/wwbookclub "Wizarding World Book Club on Twitter") over on Twitter.*

Dragons of the wizarding world: Hungarian Horntail

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PM Illustrations dragons of the wizarding world Hungarian Horntail crop hero 

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It will come as no surprise to learn that the Hungarian Horntail is [one of the most dangerous dragons out there](/feature/ranking-the-wizarding-worlds-top-dragons). 

[Click here to learn more](/features/hungarian-horntail) about this fascinating breed.

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PM Illustrations animated dragons of the wizarding world Hungarian Horntail 

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*How do you like them dragons? Don’t forget to check out our [Common Welsh Green](/feature/dragons-of-the-wizarding-world-common-welsh-green "Dragons of the wizarding world: Common Welsh Green"), [Swedish Short-Snout](/feature/dragons-of-the-wizarding-world-swedish-short-snout "Dragons of the wizarding world: Swedish Short-Snout") and [Chinese Fireball](/feature/dragons-of-the-wizarding-world-chinese-fireball "Dragons of the wizarding world: Chinese Fireball") – and tune in for more scaly friends very soon.*

Dragons of the wizarding world: Chinese Fireball

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Dragons of the wizarding world: Chinese Fireball hero 

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You can learn more about our hot-headed friend [here.](/features/chinese-fireball)

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Dragons of the Wizarding World: Chinese Fireball 

Dragons of the Wizarding World: Chinese Fireball animated 

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*Not enough dragons for you? Alright then, you dragon-obsessive. Why not pop over and visit our [Common Welsh Green](/features/dragons-of-the-wizarding-world-common-welsh-green "Dragons of the wizarding world: Common Welsh Green") and the [Swedish Short-Snout](/features/dragons-of-the-wizarding-world-swedish-short-snout "Dragons of the wizarding world: Swedish Short-Snout")? And be sure to come back tomorrow to meet [Harry’s](/features/harry-potter "Harry Potter") dragon nemesis. We’re sure you know which one.*

Dragons of the wizarding world: Common Welsh Green

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Common Welsh Green Dragon - homepage video v2

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Dragons of the Wizarding Word: Common Welsh Green

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