During the last 26 years, Harry Potter books have sold more than 600 million copies worldwide. Additionally, a single first-edition copy of “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” sold for more than £55,000 (USD $71,344), and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter has become a global phenomenon since opening 14 years ago at Universal Orlando Resort.
With so many years of Potter-related entertainment, you can be forgiven if you’ve forgotten some magical moments. For instance, it’s easy to forget the magic involved in Harry’s initial meeting with Ron. If he’d met Draco first, who knows how twisted and unrecognizable his life could have become?
Harry Potter’s Patronus
What could protect Potter and his friends from the Dementors? An Expecto Patronum spell, of course. Harry had worked on this spell for a while, but the best he’d gotten was a cloud of mist. Finally, when it really counted, he produced a stag that saved him and his friends. This was doubly magical as it took the same shape as James Potter’s Patronus.
Scabbers Was Peter Pettigrew
The moment this was revealed shook many Potterheads to their core. How could the Weasleys have become linked to a pet who was actually Peter Pettigrew in hiding? It might have been dark magic, but it was magical nonetheless. It became even more real once the pieces were put together and we discovered that Peter was behind the deaths of James and Lily Potter.
First Visit to Ollivanders
Picking your first wand is an extremely magical moment, and it was made more so by the fact that Harry and Voldemort shared wand cores. Combining this with the golden light that engulfed Harry made it a scene worth remembering.
Snape Might Have Been a Good Guy
Professor Severus Snape was the bane of Harry Potter’s existence. He kept a firm eye on everything Harry did and happily punished him whenever he slipped out of line. Therefore, everyone was shocked to discover that Snape was protecting Harry the entire time. Although going so far as to refer to Snape as a good guy is questionable, there’s no doubt that he kept Harry alive several times. Therefore, maybe you shouldn’t fret if a Harry Potter quiz says you’re most like Snape.
Tom Riddle Was an Anagram for Voldemort
Ginny Weasley, Harry Potter’s future wife, was entranced by the Diary of Tom Riddle. Under the diary’s influence, Ginny released the Basilisk and had it attack several students at Hogwarts. Fortunately, Harry Potter released her from Riddle’s grasp, and everyone learned that Tom Riddle was an anagram for Lord Voldemort’s birth name.
There were several other magical moments, including Harry’s first look at the Mirror of Erised and the revelation of the prophecy. Perhaps this explains why the Harry Potter series became a worldwide bestseller that has endured for decades.