Are You Ready?

Today, prepare to be tested in a quiz about 

wizard values – will you pass? 

Moment Special

How many things can you find in this moment? Will any of them become objects in our trunks next week? Have a guess.... 

We'll be focusing on a Moment every week, so be sure to comment! 

We ADORE comments!!! 

Add us on Pottermore (I heart friends). I'm PhoenixCastle2566 and Aqsa is ProphecyRiver12478- Psst  I love sending gifts!- Nawal 

The Truth Unveiled

 

The life behind the press. It's so sad!

  

The upcoming craze.

 

Halloween

As Halloween is edging nearer, the spirit is rising, the fear is building... Join in the festive spirit by giving us +1s and tonnes of comments, even SPOOKY jokes and wise cracks! You never know we might publish the joke you're holding in... Meanwhile examine this G.I.F. Don't you see something strange??? +1to all my readers!- Nawal

 

The Sneak Peek

This is proof of 'SnitchSpirit's' wrongdoings.

Exclusive Content

The subterranean Chamber of Secrets was created by Salazar Slytherin without the knowledge of his three fellow founders of Hogwarts. The Chamber was, for many centuries, believed to be a myth; however, the fact that rumours of its existence persisted for so long reveals that Slytherin spoke of its creation and that others believed him, or else had been permitted, by him, to enter.

There is no doubt that each of the four founders sought to stamp their own mark upon the school of witchcraft and wizardry that they intended would be the finest in the world. It was agreed that each would construct their own houses, for example, choosing the location of common rooms and dormitories. However, only Slytherin went further, and built what was in effect a personal, secret headquarters within the school, accessible only by himself or by those he allowed to enter.

Perhaps, when he first constructed the Chamber, Slytherin wanted no more than a place in which to instruct his students in spells of which the other three founders may have disapproved (disagreements sprung up early around the teaching of the Dark Arts). However, it is clear by the very decoration of the Chamber that by the time Slytherin finished it he had developed grandiose ideas of his own importance to the school. No other founder left behind them a gigantic statue of themselves or draped the school in emblems of their own personal powers (the snakes carved around the Chamber of Secrets being a reference to Slytherin’s powers as a Parselmouth).

What is certain is that by the time Slytherin was forced out of the school by the other three founders, he had decided that henceforth, the Chamber he had built would be the lair of a monster that he alone – or his descendants – would be able to control: a Basilisk. Moreover, only a Parselmouth would be able to enter the Chamber. This, he knew, would keep out all three founders and every other member of staff.

The existence of the Chamber was known to Slytherin’s descendants and those with whom they chose to share the information. Thus the rumour stayed alive through the centuries.

There is clear evidence that the Chamber was opened more than once between the death of Slytherin and the entrance of Tom Riddle in the twentieth century. When first created, the Chamber was accessed through a concealed trapdoor and a series of magical tunnels. However, when Hogwarts’ plumbing became more elaborate in the eighteenth century (this was a rare instance of wizards copying Muggles, because hitherto they simply relieved themselves wherever they stood, and vanished the evidence), the entrance to the Chamber was threatened, being located on the site of a proposed bathroom. The presence in school at the time of a student called Corvinus Gaunt – direct descendant of Slytherin, and antecedent of Tom Riddle – explains how the simple trapdoor was secretly protected, so that those who knew how could still access the entrance to the Chamber even after newfangled plumbing had been placed on top of it.

Whispers that a monster lived in the depths of the castle were also prevalent for centuries. Again, this is because those who could hear and speak to it were not always as discreet as they might have been: the Gaunt family could not resist boasting of their knowledge. As nobody else could hear the creature sliding beneath floorboards or, latterly, through the plumbing, they did not have many believers, and none, until Riddle, dared unleash the monster on the castle.

Successive headmasters and mistresses, not to mention a number of historians, searched the castle thoroughly many times over the centuries, each time concluding that the chamber was a myth. The reason for their failure was simple: none of them was a Parselmouth.The subterranean Chamber of Secrets was created by Salazar Slytherin without the knowledge of his three fellow founders of Hogwarts. The Chamber was, for many centuries, believed to be a myth; however, the fact that rumours of its existence persisted for so long reveals that Slytherin spoke of its creation and that others believed him, or else had been permitted, by him, to enter. There is no doubt that each of the four founders sought to stamp their own mark upon the school of witchcraft and wizardry that they intended would be the finest in the world. It was agreed that each would construct their own houses, for example, choosing the location of common rooms and dormitories. However, only Slytherin went further, and built what was in effect a personal, secret headquarters within the school, accessible only by himself or by those he allowed to enter. Perhaps, when he first constructed the Chamber, Slytherin wanted no more than a place in which to instruct his students in spells of which the other three founders may have disapproved (disagreements sprung up early around the teaching of the Dark Arts). However, it is clear by the very decoration of the Chamber that by the time Slytherin finished it he had developed grandiose ideas of his own importance to the school. No other founder left behind them a gigantic statue of themselves or draped the school in emblems of their own personal powers (the snakes carved around the Chamber of Secrets being a reference to Slytherin’s powers as a Parselmouth). What is certain is that by the time Slytherin was forced out of the school by the other three founders, he had decided that henceforth, the Chamber he had built would be the lair of a monster that he alone – or his descendants – would be able to control: a Basilisk. Moreover, only a Parselmouth would be able to enter the Chamber. This, he knew, would keep out all three founders and every other member of staff. The existence of the Chamber was known to Slytherin’s descendants and those with whom they chose to share the information. Thus the rumour stayed alive through the centuries. There is clear evidence that the Chamber was opened more than once between the death of Slytherin and the entrance of Tom Riddle in the twentieth century. When first created, the Chamber was accessed through a concealed trapdoor and a series of magical tunnels. However, when Hogwarts’ plumbing became more elaborate in the eighteenth century (this was a rare instance of wizards copying Muggles, because hitherto they simply relieved themselves wherever they stood, and vanished the evidence), the entrance to the Chamber was threatened, being located on the site of a proposed bathroom. The presence in school at the time of a student called Corvinus Gaunt – direct descendant of Slytherin, and antecedent of Tom Riddle – explains how the simple trapdoor was secretly protected, so that those who knew how could still access the entrance to the Chamber even after newfangled plumbing had been placed on top of it. Whispers that a monster lived in the depths of the castle were also prevalent for centuries. Again, this is because those who could hear and speak to it were not always as discreet as they might have been: the Gaunt family could not resist boasting of their knowledge. As nobody else could hear the creature sliding beneath floorboards or, latterly, through the plumbing, they did not have many believers, and none, until Riddle, dared unleash the monster on the castle. Successive headmasters and mistresses, not to mention a number of historians, searched the castle thoroughly many times over the centuries, each time concluding that the chamber was a myth. The reason for their failure was simple: none of them was a Parselmouth.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of SecretsChapter 16 - “The Chamber of Secrets”Exclusive Content - The Chamber of Secrets

Exclusive Content

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, 

Chapter 17 - “The Heir of Slytherin”

EXCLUSIVE CONTENT: The Sword of Gryffindor

The sword of Gryffindor was made a thousand years ago by goblins, the magical world's most skilled metalworkers, and is therefore enchanted. Fashioned from pure silver, it is inset with rubies, the stone that represents Gryffindor in the hour-glasses that count the house points at Hogwarts. Godric Gryffindor's name is engraved just beneath the hilt.

The sword was made to Godric Gryffindor's specifications by Ragnuk the First, finest of the goblin silversmiths, and therefore King (in goblin culture, the ruler does not work less than the others, but more skillfully). When it was finished, Ragnuk coveted it so much that he pretended that Gryffindor had stolen it from him, and sent minions to steal it back. Gryffindor defended himself with his wand, but did not kill his attackers. Instead he sent them back to their king bewitched, to deliver the threat that if he ever tried to steal from Gryffindor again, Gryffindor would unsheathe the sword against them all.

The goblin king took the threat seriously and left Gryffindor in possession of his rightful property, but remained resentful until he died. This was the foundation for the false legend of Gryffindor's theft that persists, in some sections of the goblin community, to this day.

The question of why a wizard would need a sword, though often asked, is easily answered. In the days before the International Statute of Secrecy, when wizards mingled freely with Muggles, they would use swords to defend themselves just as often as wands. Indeed, it was considered unsporting to use a wand against a Muggle sword (which is not to say it was never done). Many gifted wizards were also accomplished duellists in the conventional sense, Gryffindor among them.

Much like a magic wand, the sword of Gryffindor appears to be almost sentient, responding to appeals for help by Gryffindor's chosen successors; and, similar to a wand, part of its magic is that the silver drinks in poison and blood, which may then be used against enemies.

There have been many enchanted swords in folklore. The Sword of Nuadu, part of the four legendary treasures of Tuatha Dé Danann, was invincible when drawn. Gryffindor's sword owes something to the legend of Excalibur, the sword of King Arthur, which in some legends must be drawn from a stone by the rightful king. The idea of fitness to carry the sword is echoed in the sword of Gryffindor's return to worthy members of its true owner's house.

There is a further allusion to Excalibur emerging from the lake when Harry must dive into a frozen forest pool to retrieve the sword in Deathly Hallows (though the location of the sword was really due to a spiteful impulse of Snape's to place it there), for in other versions of the legend, Excalibur was given to Arthur by the Lady of the Lake, and was returned to the lake when he died.

Within the magical world, physical possession is not necessarily a guarantee of ownership. This concept applies to the three Deathly Hallows, and also to Gryffindor's sword.

I am interested in what happens when cultural beliefs collide. In the Harry Potter books, the most militant of the goblin race consider all goblin-made objects to be theirs by right, although a specific object might be made over to a wizard for his life-span upon a payment of gold. Witches and wizards, like Muggles, believe that once payment has been made, the object belongs to them and their descendants or legatees in perpetuity. This is a clash of values without a solution, because each side has a different concept of what is right. It therefore presents Harry with a difficult moral dilemma when Griphook demands the sword as payment for his services in Deathly Hallows- NawalThe sword of Gryffindor was made a thousand years ago by goblins, the magical world's most skilled metalworkers, and is therefore enchanted. Fashioned from pure silver, it is inset with rubies, the stone that represents Gryffindor in the hour-glasses that count the house points at Hogwarts. Godric Gryffindor's name is engraved just beneath the hilt. The sword was made to Godric Gryffindor's specifications by Ragnuk the First, finest of the goblin silversmiths, and therefore King (in goblin culture, the ruler does not work less than the others, but more skillfully). When it was finished, Ragnuk coveted it so much that he pretended that Gryffindor had stolen it from him, and sent minions to steal it back. Gryffindor defended himself with his wand, but did not kill his attackers. Instead he sent them back to their king bewitched, to deliver the threat that if he ever tried to steal from Gryffindor again, Gryffindor would unsheathe the sword against them all. The goblin king took the threat seriously and left Gryffindor in possession of his rightful property, but remained resentful until he died. This was the foundation for the false legend of Gryffindor's theft that persists, in some sections of the goblin community, to this day. The question of why a wizard would need a sword, though often asked, is easily answered. In the days before the International Statute of Secrecy, when wizards mingled freely with Muggles, they would use swords to defend themselves just as often as wands. Indeed, it was considered unsporting to use a wand against a Muggle sword (which is not to say it was never done). Many gifted wizards were also accomplished duellists in the conventional sense, Gryffindor among them. Much like a magic wand, the sword of Gryffindor appears to be almost sentient, responding to appeals for help by Gryffindor's chosen successors; and, similar to a wand, part of its magic is that the silver drinks in poison and blood, which may then be used against enemies. There have been many enchanted swords in folklore. The Sword of Nuadu, part of the four legendary treasures of Tuatha Dé Danann, was invincible when drawn. Gryffindor's sword owes something to the legend of Excalibur, the sword of King Arthur, which in some legends must be drawn from a stone by the rightful king. The idea of fitness to carry the sword is echoed in the sword of Gryffindor's return to worthy members of its true owner's house. There is a further allusion to Excalibur emerging from the lake when Harry must dive into a frozen forest pool to retrieve the sword in Deathly Hallows (though the location of the sword was really due to a spiteful impulse of Snape's to place it there), for in other versions of the legend, Excalibur was given to Arthur by the Lady of the Lake, and was returned to the lake when he died. Within the magical world, physical possession is not necessarily a guarantee of ownership. This concept applies to the three Deathly Hallows, and also to Gryffindor's sword. I am interested in what happens when cultural beliefs collide. In the Harry Potter books, the most militant of the goblin race consider all goblin-made objects to be theirs by right, although a specific object might be made over to a wizard for his life-span upon a payment of gold. Witches and wizards, like Muggles, believe that once payment has been made, the object belongs to them and their descendants or legatees in perpetuity. This is a clash of values without a solution, because each side has a different concept of what is right. It therefore presents Harry with a difficult moral dilemma when Griphook demands the sword as payment for his services in Deathly Hallows- Nawal

Spoiler Alert!!!

Spoiler Alert! Read J.K. Rowling’s exclusive content from unreleased chapters of Chamber of Secrets now!

- SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT! – Infamous Pottermore user SnitchSpirit168 has done it again. Somehow, someway, he has … 

From what SnitchSpirit has gathered, there are (at least) two additional exclusive content entries in chapters 12-18 in Chamber of Secrets. One of them is a subjected on The Sword of Gryffindor and it appears to be very interesting from a few quick glances (we haven’t read it). The second is an extensive piece on the Chamber of Secrets – including its history and origin, as promised by Pottermore in yesterday’s announcement. You can scroll down below to read them.

According to our source, there is a third entry about Ghosts (in general) but SnitchSpirit has not shared it. Apparently we will also be able to read about how Jo chose the ingredients for the Polyjuice Potion. It will be exciting to read about it once they are online!

SnitchSpirit has also taken a screenshot of a moment in one of the later chapters. If you would like to see it, click here. We will post some screenshots of the later moments on our blog later. You can check those out here and here. Looks like we’re in for a very fun ride!

The New Scoop

If you followed the spiders, it's time "ter find out some stuff"!

''…but Hagrid stood his ground, took a deep breath and said carefully, ‘If anyone wanted ter find out some stuff, all they’d have ter do would be ter follow the spiders. That’d lead ’em right! That’s all I’m sayin’.'

Chapter Fourteen, Cornelius Fudge, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

You may have seen them on the Insider and on their Facebook and Twitter pages recently. Yes, we’re talking about our many-legged visitors and if you’ve noticed them, then you may have remembered Hagrid’s advice ‘ter follow the spiders’... 

Now, it’s your turn to find out some stuff as we can announce that the final and last instalment of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets will be released next week.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Moment: Cornish Pixies

Whilst recapturing those escaped Cornish Pixies, we hope you didn’t disturb the Hogwarts portraits or the unsteady bookshelves!

Let us know what other things you spotted in this Moment...

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Update and Moment Sneak Peek

This week, The Insider has been putting the finishing touches to the Basilisk’s hiss for the final chapters of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

Aqsa and me are also delighted to give you an exclusive look at an upcoming Moment from Chapter Eighteen – Dumbledore Returns. 

Sorry I Haven't Been Posting

The Last Installments

Keep your eyes peeled for the final chapters of The Chamber of Secrets which will be released next week, in time for Halloween.

It’s been revealed on the Pottermore Insider site that some exclusive content – including information on the origin and history of the Chamber Of Secrets – will be unveiled.

Chapters 9 -11 Hints and Tips

Here's the rest of the walkthrough for the newly released chapters. Spoilers are going to ensue, so if you haven't started chapters 9-11 then you may want to have a go by yourself first.

Chapter 9

• READ MORE: Hogwart's Ghosts
• Sardine Flavored Bean
• Liver and Tripe Flavored Bean
• Book: Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century
• Galleon
• Blue Quill
• Homework Scroll
• Leaches
• Bogey Flavored Bean
• Galleon

Chapter 10

• Book: Moste Potente Potions
• Beatrix Bloxham Card
• Coconut Flavored Bean
• Curry Flavored Bean
• Merwyn the Malicious Card
• Sponge
• Poppy Heads

Chapter 11

Once you have completed 'The Diversion' by making the Swelling Solution, you need to return to Snape's officeto find the supplies for the Polyjuice potion.

• Boomslang Skin
• Bicorn Horn
• Alberta Toothill Card

Chapters 5 -8 Hints and Tips

 If you don’t want to see any spoilers as you make your way through the latest chapters on Pottermore then I suggest you don’t read any further.  I will be releasing the hints and tips little by little, or, if you have Microsoft word, then I will put up my current notes to be downloaded and read.

It’s very likely that I’ve missed a fair amount, but if people want to comment and mention things they’ve found, providing the chapter and rough whereabouts then I’ll add them to my notes (for people who wish to download them) and to the blog posts, to help people along.

Without further ado, here is what I found:

Chapter 5

• READ MORE: King’s Cross Station
• Squashed Dragonfly
• Valerian Sprigs
• Root of Aconite
• Sprig of Lavender
• Toffee
• Joscelind Wadcock Chocolate Frog Card
• Fluxweed
• Eel’s eyes
• Spines of Lionfish
• Bicorn Horn [can be found after you've made a swelling solution]
• Boomslang Skin [can be found after you've made a swelling solution]

Chapter 6

• Grey Feather
• Pink Earmuffs
• Valerian Sprigs
• Small Trowel
• Dragon Dung
• Bat Wings
• Protective Gloves
• Dymphna Furmage Chocolate Frog Card

Chapter 7

• READ MORE: Pure-blood Wizards
• Bowman Wright Chocolate Frog Card
• Knotgrass
• Horned slug
• Lilac Ink
• Peacock Quill
• Signed Photo
• Bridget Wenlock Chocolate Frog Card

Chapter 8

• Jet black candle
• Galleon
• READ MORE: Peeves
• 5 galleons
• Hair of a Slytherin Student
• Liquorice Wand 
• Droobles Best Blowing Gum 
• Cauldron Cake 

Brand New Segment!

Are you waiting for the House Points you earned pre-House Cup competition?

The Pottermore Insider gave us this update today regarding house points:

"Our Tech team are working to bring back your total house points earned. You’ll be able to see your current points earned since the last Pottermore House Cup, as well as your total."

We're guessing it should be a matter of a couple of weeks until you get your house points back. We'll update you again when Pottermore has given the points back. 

Meanwhile me and Aqsa have a competition for you guys who know absolutely everything there is in Harry Potter and those of you who like taking risks:

Can you name fourteen Gryffindors? 

You will need to add PhoenixCastle2566 before claiming your prize.

First Prize:

A Potion, Book, Cauldron, a Bezoar, a random object and THREE potion ingredients (it depends on which potion you will receive).

Runners-up:

A Book, a random object and a Bertie Bott Bean

Comment the answer and Pottermore username, first one to comment gets first priority. Competition ends on September the 23rd. 

In our next post we will publish the winners, runners-up and all the participants for the whole world to see!

Please Comment. +1 to all my readers! TTYL and Hasta la vista! 

 PhoenixCastle2566 (Nawal)

The Books, The Birth Of Magic

The Books

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone was published by Bloomsbury Children's Books in June 1997 and as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in the USA by Arthur A. Levine Books/Scholastic in September 1998.
 

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, was published in July 1998 (June 2, 1999 in the USA) and was No. 1 in the adult hardback bestseller charts for a month after publication.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban was published on 8th July 1999 (September 8, 1999 in America) to worldwide acclaim and massive press attention. The book spent four weeks at No.1 in the adult hardback bestseller charts, while Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone simultaneously topped the paperback charts. In the USA the first three Harry Potter books occupied the top three spots on numerous adult bestseller lists.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the fourth book in the series, was published in Britain, the USA, Canada and Australia on 8th July 2000 with a record first print run of 1 million copies for the UK and 3.8 million for the USA. It quickly broke all records for the greatest number of books sold on the first weekend of publication.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the fifth book in the series, was published in the UK, the USA, Canada and Australia on 21st June 2003. Published in paperback on 10th July 2004, it is the longest in the series – 766 pages - and broke the records set by Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire as the fastest selling book in history.
 

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the sixth book in the series, was published in the UK, USA and other English-speaking countries on 16th July 2005 and also achieved record sales.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the seventh and final book in the series, was published in the UK, USA and other English speaking countries on 21st July 2007. The book is the fastest selling book in the UK and USA, with 8.3 million selling in the first 24 hours and 11.5 million in the first ten days.
 
J.K. Rowling has also written two small volumes, which appear as the titles of Harry’s school books within the novels:
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Quidditch Through The Ages were published by Bloomsbury Children’s Books and Scholastic in March 2001 in aid of Comic Relief. The Tales of Beedle the Bard, another charitable book, was published by and for the Children’s High Level Group (LUMOS) in 2008.
The Harry Potter books are translated into 73 languages.

The Casual Vacancy

For those of you who are endlessly waiting for the release of 'The Casual Vacancy' here is a limited Exert: When Barry Fairbrother dies unexpectedly in his early forties, the little town of Pagford is left shocked.

Seemingly an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey,what lies behind the pretty façade is a town at war.

Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils…Pagford is not what it first seems.

And the empty seat left by Barry on the parish council soon becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen. Who will triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity and unexpected revelations?

And now The Seven Broomsticks brings you the cover page:Cool, isn't it? All that and more, only from The Seven Broomsticks! Keep reading and commenting! +1 to all my readers: Nawal Chaudhry

The Life and Lies of Joanne Kathleen Rowling

J. K. Rowling

Joanne Kathleen Rowling
Rowling at the White House Easter Egg Roll, 2010
Born	Joanne Rowling 31 July 1965 (age 47)[1] Yate, Gloucestershire, England
Occupation	Novelist
Nationality	British
Education	Bachelor of Arts
Alma mater	University of Exeter
Genres	Children's literature, fantasy
Subjects	Wizards and witches
Notable work(s)	Harry Potter series
Spouse(s)	Jorge Arantes (m. 1992–95) Neil Murray (m. 2001–present)
Children	2 daughters, 1 son
Relative(s)	Peter Rowling (father) Anne Rowling (née Volant) (mother) Dianne Moore (sister)
Influences[show]
Signature
www.jkrowling.com

Joanne "Jo" Rowling, ( /ˈroʊlɪŋ/) OBE, FRSL (born 31 July 1965), pen name J. K. Rowling, is a British novelist, best known as the author of the Harry Potter fantasy series. The Potter books have gained worldwide attention, won multiple awards, sold more than 400 million copies to become the best-selling book series in history and been the basis for a popular series of films, in which Rowling had overall approval on the scripts as well as maintaining creative control by serving as a producer on the final instalment. Rowling conceived the idea for the series on a train trip from Manchester to London in 1990.

Rowling has led a "rags to riches" life story, in which she progressed from living on social security to multi-millionaire status within five years. As of March 2011, when its latest world billionaires list was published, Forbes estimated Rowling's net worth to be US$1 billion. The 2008 Sunday Times Rich List estimated Rowling's fortune at £560 million ($798 million), ranking her as the twelfth richest woman in the United Kingdom. Forbes ranked Rowling as the forty-eighth most powerful celebrity of 2007, and Time magazine named her as a runner-up for its 2007 Person of the Year, noting the social, moral, and political inspiration she has given her fans. In October 2010, J. K. Rowling was named 'Most Influential Woman in Britain' by leading magazine editors. She has become a notable philanthropist, supporting such charities as Comic Relief, One Parent Families, Multiple Sclerosis Society of Great Britain, and Lumos (formerly the Children's High Level Group).

On 12 April 2012, Rowling announced that her new adult novel The Casual Vacancy would be published in the UK by Little, Brown and Company on 27 September 2012.

By: Nawal Chaudhry