J. K. Rowling has captivated people around the world with her "Harry Potter" books, but the 46-year-old author is also gaining serious attention for her shorter writings too ... on Twitter. 

Rowling joined Twitter in 2009, after discovering she was being impersonated on the social media site, the Telegraph reported. 

Though the author has only tweeted 1,356 times in six years, she's managed to pick up 4.97 million followers, Washington Post noted. 

In addition to followers, Rowling has also gained a reputation for using the social media platform to defend and discuss important social issues. 

Recently, Rowling made headlines after a Twitter troll dissed the 2015 Wimbledon champion, Serena Williams.

Here's a look at Rowling's reaction to a user who said Williams is "built like a man."

Williams isn't the only person Rowling has supported on Twitter.

After Madonna fell onstage during a performance at the 2015 Brit Awards, Rowling praised the singer for getting back up and continuing to perform. She even used the hashtag #TeamMadonna. 

 The author has also used her 140-character powers to support of the LGBTQ community.

When one Twitter user asked, "I wonder why you said that Dumbledore is a gay because I can’t see him in that way," Rowling didn't miss a trick. 

Here's Rowling's response. The original tweet has since been deleted, Time reported. 

 She also tweeted to let her readers know that Hogwarts was a safe space for all wizards and witches. 

In celebration of Ireland's legalization of gay marriage, Rowling tweeted about a wedding between Albus Dumbledore and and Gandalf from "The Lord of the Rings."

 When the Westboro Baptist Church threatened to picket such an event (a bit strange given that both Dumbledore and Gandalf are fictional wizards), Rowling reacted perfectly. 

In January, Rowling disagreed with Rupert Murdoch's commentary on the Charlie Hebdo shooting and she made sure to let Twitter know. 

Rowling has little tolerance for Twitter users trolling her. 

In May, a Twitter user called the author nasty names including "JK B----face," after they were upset by Rowling's political opinions. The initial tweets have since been deleted, Mic reported.

Here she is annihilating her internet hater.

This spring, Rowling used her Twitter popularity for social good. In an attempt to help find missing persons, she retweeted multiple pictures and descriptions of missing people from throughout the United Kingdom. 

Rowling's Twitter game also shows of the author's keen sense of humor.

When actor Matthew Lewis, best known for playing dorky wizard Neville Longbottom in the "Harry Potter" film, posed half-dressed in a magazine spread, Rowling jokingly chided the former child-star.

"Now go put some clothes on," Rowling tweeted at Lewis. 

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If we define someone's influence as how much they can shape people's thoughts and goals, Adam Grant says J.K. Rowling is in a league of her own.

Thanks to her "Harry Potter" books, millions of young readers have been trained in social and emotional skills that policymakers are only starting to get behind. 

Grant, a professor at Wharton Business School and author of Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success, recently bestowed the title of "most influential" on Rowling in a Q&A on the open forum site Parlio.

Not counting the Bible, "Harry Potter has reached more people than any other book series in history," Grant points out. "Never mind the movies, merchandising, and other sources of contact."

Worldwide, "Harry Potter" books have sold more than 450 million copies. The next highest series is "Lord of the Rings," by J.R.R. Tolkien, at a comparably paltry 150 million copies.

But Rowling isn't just the most influential because she moves a lot of paper, Grant argues. It's how her books affect kids, both in the moment and for life.

"It affects them when they're young and impressionable — and has inspired an entire generation to read, opening the door to many other avenues for education," he says.

Some adults certainly read novels as a form of escape, but great novels suck you in. Science backs it up.

Psychological research suggests that, by stepping inside the mind of a main character, reading makes us more empathetic. We consider alternative points of view and see the rationale behind choices that we may never face firsthand.

More than that, "Harry Potter" has been found to be especially helpful in reducing kids' latent biases: Perspective-taking, wrote researchers of a 2014 study, "emerged as the process allowing attitude improvement" toward immigrants, homosexuals, and refugees when people sided with Harry over Voldemort.

The stories may take place in fantastical worlds, but its relatable themes get kids thinking positively about the Earth they inhabit.

"Ms. Rowling," Grant says, addressing the author, "the world would be a better place if you kept writing 'Harry Potter' books."

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Harry Potter fans are freaking out about a new theory that's been circulating on Tumblr. The theory will make you feel more wary about the Albus Dumbledore fans came to know and love.

Here's what you need to remember, before we tell you the theory.

The whole theory stems around the Tale of Three Brothers, a fairy tale told to Potter during the seventh and final book, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows."

To jog your memory, here's how the tale goes:

Three wizard brothers come to a river that's too treacherous to cross, so they make a bridge with their wands. But as they're crossing they're met by a hooded figure, Death, who is upset they've “cheated” him.

But Death, being cunning, acts like he's impressed. He offers them each a prize for outwitting him. The first brother asks for an extremely powerful wand — and so he is given the Elder Wand.

The second brother asks for the power to bring people back to life and is handed the resurrection stone.

The third brother, who senses that Death may have ulterior motives, asks for something that will allow him to move forward without being followed by Death himself. And so Death hands him an invisibility cloak that hides the wearer from even his own gaze.

For two of the three brothers, the story doesn't end well. The first brother is murdered over the Elder Wand. The second brother kills himself after a woman he brings back to life returns differently and he decides to join her in the void. The third brother lives to be an old man, then hands the cloak to his son, and "greets Death as an old friend."

Harry Potter fans have long assumed that the three brothers represent Lord Voldemort (the brother with the Elder Wand), Severus Snape (the brother with the resurrection stone) and Harry Potter (the brother with the invisibility cloak).

But who is death?

Death is Dumbledore, according to this new theory. Here's the evidence.

During the first book, Dumbledore gives Harry Potter an invisibility cloak, just like Death in the fable.

In the first book of the series, "Harry Potter & The Sorcerer's Stone," headmaster Albus Dumbledore gifts Harry an invisibility cloak, which belonged to Harry's deceased father, James.  The gift included a note: "Your father left this in my possession when he died. It is time it was returned to you. Use it well."

Dumbledore also gives Harry the Resurrection Stone.

During the first book, Harry Potter catches a Golden Snitch by swallowing it during his first Quidditch match. Later, Potter discovers Dumbledore hid the resurrection stone within that snitch. After Dumbledore's death, his will leaves the resurrection stone-containing snitch to Harry.

"To Harry James Potter, I leave the Snitch he caught in his first Quidditch match at Hogwarts, as a reminder of the rewards of perseverance and skill," his will reads.

For a while, Harry is unable to open the snitch. A sentence merely appears on the golden sphere, "I open at the close." 

But at the end of the final book when Potter is walking to his death match with Lord Voldemort, he's finally able to open the snitch by whispering "I am about to die." Inside, he finds the resurrection stone, the stone that was part of the Tale of Three Brothers. Harry is then able to see all of his deceased family members before what he believes is to be his final fight with Lord Voldemort.

And what about the third brother's Elder Wand? Dumbledore had that in his possession too.

Dumbledore acquired the Elder Wand's powers during a famous duel before the books take place. During his demise, the power of the wand shifts from himself to Draco Malfoy accidentally, and then ultimately to Harry Potter, who defeats Malfoy in a duel.

So with all that knowledge, here's the theory that's floating around Tumblr. The theorist also notes that Dumbledore first met Harry Potter at King's Cross and that he was ultimately behind/involved in the deaths of Severus Snape and Lord Voldemort.

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Author of the “Harry Potter” novels, J.K. Rowling, has built a reputation for delivering some incredible tweets.

And her most recent is another example.

Over the weekend someone tweeted the famous author this:

This question from a presumably aspiring writer is one Rowling likely gets on a daily basis. But instead of just ignoring it and going on with her day, Rowling responded with some great advice:

Rowling is quite a success story. She was working as a researcher and bilingual secretary for Amnesty International when she conceived the idea for "Harry Potter." In 2014 her net worth was $1 billion. 

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J.K. Rowling is known for confirming (or denying) Harry Potter rumors via her magical Twitter feed. The famous "Harry Potter" author has used the social media platform in the past to answer questions about minor characters' fates or background on locations in the books.

But now Rowling has taken it a step further, and actually named her favorite fan theory for the first time. A Twitter user sent this tweet to the author, asking "What's you[r] favorite fan theory?": 

And Rowling responded:

"Dumbledore as death. It's a beautiful theory and it fits."

The gist of the theory, which went viral in early August, is that Dumbledore represents "Death" in the Tale of the Three Brothers.

This folk story was an essential part of the final book, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows", and tells a tale of three powerful magical objects that were given to the brothers by Death himself.

It fits that Dumbledore is the parallel character to Death, since he once owned all three Hallows — the Elder Wand, the Invisibility Cloak, and the Resurrection Stone. Dumbledore was also the "giver" of all three Hallows.

The argument can be made that this is more of a fantastic literary analysis, since Dumbledore isn't literally Death. 

Here's a screenshot of the original theory as it was posted to Tumblr. 

Fans can rest easy knowing the Rowling herself agrees that this is a beautiful theory. 

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For many students, the beginning of a new school year is a dreaded event. So an Oklahoma teacher decorated her entire classroom based on the "Harry Potter" series to make learning a little more magical. 

Stephanie Stephens teaches eighth grade at the James L. Capps Middle School in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Us Magazine reports. Her wizard-inspired classroom starting gaining attention after Stephens' husband posted pictures of it on Reddit earlier this month. 

Students enter the classroom through a door decorated as Platform 9 and 3/4. The classroom also features a potions sections, Fluffy the three-headed dog, and Hedwig the owl. She even decorated the ceiling with winged keys from "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone."

Click through to see all the photos from Stephens' amazing classroom. Unfortunately, these are muggle pictures, so don't expect them to move. 

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J.K. Rowling is known for answering questions on Twitter about the magical world of Harry Potter.

Often the tidbits are fun additives to the already lush world she created in her iconic book series. But this time, fans were sad to hear the answer to a question about Hagrid, the lovable gameskeeper turned professor. 

Twitter user Tanisha Fagwani asked the author: "What was Hagrid's patronus?"

Jo always asked you this. What was Hagrids Patronus @jk_rowling

— Tanisha Fagwani (@tanishafagwani) August 21, 2015

A patronus is a powerful charm that protects its creator, taking the form of whatever creature most embodies the character of the witch or wizard it belongs to.

Think of it as a "spirit animal" of sorts. Harry's patronus was a stag — the animal his late father used to turn into at will as an Animagus. In order to create a patronus, one must conjure up the happiest memories they have, and use  positive energy with all their might.

Harry Potter fans were curious to hear what Hagrid's patronus' form would have been, since he never produced one in the books or the movies. 

But there was a reason for that. J.K. Rowling responded to Fagwani, simply stating: "Hagrid couldn't produce a Patronus. It's a very difficult spell."

Hagrid was wrongfully expelled in his third year at Hogwarts. Expulsion results in the breaking of your wand, and the effective end of all your magical training.

Hagrid kept the broken pieces of his wand, and sometimes illegally performed small acts of magic, but clearly his lack of education is the key factor in this sad reveal. Producing a patronus would have simply been too difficult for Hagrid. 

Fans responded with expressions of heartache and sadness for the lovable character.

@jk_rowling@tanishafagwani my heart Jo, my heart hurts

— Gracie Lou Freebush (@scotty_13_) August 21, 2015

@jk_rowling omg no that's so sad :(

— jasmin (@jilypotters) August 21, 2015

Though lack of skill is the likely explanation, many others online say Hagrid was simply too full of somber memories to conjure the charm. Remember, you need happy thoughts in full-force in order to make the spell work. 

@jk_rowling@tanishafagwani oh my GOD NO BECAUSE HE DIDNT HAVE ANY HAPPY MEMORIES???? MY HEART IS BLEEDING

— Karl Shannon (@ShannonKarl) August 21, 2015

Hagrid was orphaned at a young age, and suffered alienation from his peers due to his unusual size. Not to mention how disappointed he was to be expelled. Poor, poor, Hagrid. 

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Today has been a banner day for J.K. Rowling's Twitter followers— the "Harry Potter" author just revealed another major detail about the characters' lives after book seven. 

Earlier Tuesday, Rowling tweeted that Sept. 1 marked the first day of Hogwarts for James Potter, son of Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley. Now, she's announced via Twitter that James has officially been sorted into Gryffindor.

Here's that tweet. It's already been retweeted over 42,000 times. 

Rowling also dropped another plot detail in her tweet. Teddy Lupin, son of aurors Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks, is a Hufflepuff. And he's head boy too. 

Despite the happy occasion, many Twitter users were saddened to see that James hadn't been sorted into Slytherin. 

 Maybe they'll have better luck when Harry Potter's other son, Albus Severus Potter, heads for Hogwarts in 2017.  

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While we wait with bated breath for J.K. Rowling to reveal more Harry Potter details on Twitter, publishers have released some magical images from the upcoming illustrated version of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone."

Illustrated by noted British artist Jim Kay, the new book will feature 110 new color images, BuzzFeed reported earlier this year.

The new "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" will be available on October 6. After that, the illustrated series will be released one book per year until 2021, Scholastic explained in a press release.

Until then, check out the exciting new illustrations for a glimpse into Hogwarts like you've never seen it before. 

A young Harry Potter, complete with broken glasses and green eyes like his mother, Lily.

Though his hair might not be red in this sketch, Ron still looks very much a Weasley with his tousled hair and freckles.

Hermione putting her wand's dragon heartstring core to good use with a spell in this illustration.

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A Harry Potter-themed bar, The Lockhart, just opened up in Toronto — and it looks absolutely magical. 

J.K. Rowling, Warner Brothers, and Bloomsbury Publishing don't appear to be affiliated with the project, so the bar owners are careful not to use the name "Harry Potter" or any other copyrighted material.

There's no butterbeer, for example, since that name of a Potter-approved beverage is copyrighted, according to the New Toronto. The references are more subtle: there's a drink called "The Shacklebolt" and a stag logo that nods to Harry's patronus. The bar name itself is inspired by Hogwarts professor Gilderoy Lockhart.

One reference, a drink called "Ludo's Debt," is so obscure, the bar owners have promised a free beverage to any customer who knows its meaning, New Toronto reported. Hint: Ludo is short for Ludovic. 

If visiting Canada isn't in the cards and you don't have any floo powder handy, don't fear. Thanks to Instagram, you can still have a look inside the new bar. 

Keep reading to take a trip inside The Lockhart. 

Here's a look inside The Lockhart, complete with "potions and elixirs."

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This is the Lockhart's twist on a Dark and Stormy. It's called the Shacklebolt and named after auror Kingsley Shacklebolt.

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Herbology-loving Neville Longbottom might enjoy this drink. It's called "the Botanist."

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On Wednesday, J.K. Rowling revealed yet another piece of Harry Potter trivia on Twitter — many people have been pronouncing Lord Voldemort's name completely wrong. 

Rowling has been tweeting up a storm lately about the lives of Harry Potter characters post-books and movies. Read more about that here. 

Now this: Voldemort, which translates to "flight of death" in French, should not be pronounced with an audible "t" at the end. 

It started with a tweet from a Twitter user about how to properly pronounce Voldemort, noting Rowling has discussed pronunciation before. 

Rowling responded, confirming the proper pronunciation. 

Here's her tweet. 

Twitter users immediately started buzzing about the news. 

There were apologies. 

Celebrations. 

 Questions.

 And encouraging tweets from Rowling's French fans. 

Finally, Lord Voldemort himself weighed in on the matter.

Oh, muggles. 

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The name "Voldemort" may be spelled with a T, but if you've been pronouncing it with one, you're in for a rude awakening.

J.K. Rowling, the author of the "Harry Potter" series, just set the record straight on Twitter. The name of the villain in her seven books should actually be pronounced "Vol-de-MOR," not "Vol-de-mort."

Yes, as if he's French. And yes, that means for the past 15 years and throughout all eight movies, "Harry Potter" fans, actors, and directors have been butchering Voldemort's name.

The revelation came from a North Carolina man, who tweeted the "Harry Potter" trivia fact on Wednesday:

Rowling then weighed in, and Mashable spotted it:

Oh snap. Every "Harry Potter" fan's head jerked, and the reactions started pouring in.

Meanwhile, French people rejoiced:

The Dark Lord himself chimed in. His reasoning: Muggles never listen.

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In 1997, J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" was published. The rest, as you probably know, is wizarding history. 

Now, fans of Rowling's beloved book series are leaving notes in books in libraries and book stores for future readers to find, using the hashtag #PotterItForward. People have begun sharing pictures of the #PotterItForward notes on Twitter and Tumblr.

Take a closer look. 

 The campaign, Mashable also reports, was started by fans on Muggle Net, a popular Potter fan-site. 

Here's another example of a #PotterItForward note. 

"Enjoy the magic," this Twitter user wrote in her note. 

These notes might be written by muggles, but their messages are nothing short of magical. 

"I met my best friends because of Harry Potter," this person wrote in their #PotterItForward note. 

We can only wonder what J.K. Rowling thinks about the #PotterItForward initiative, though if her past Twitter performance is any indication, we should be hearing from the author anytime now.  

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Harry Potter fans are about to get a whole lot of new details about the chosen wizard's family.

According to a press release from Pottermore.com, the site is undergoing a makeover that includes a new look and new content. The most important of which are new details about the Potter family.

Author J.K. Rowling has written an article delving into family's history. Dating back to their name's origin in the 12th Century, Rowling delves into Harry’s ancestry, explains how his grandfather quadrupled the family’s fortune and how the Invisibility Cloak became a family heirloom.

The part about the invisibility cloak is very timely as fans have been recently dissecting its origins story, "The Three Brothers," told by Hermione Granger in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1."

Also as part of the new version of Pottermore.com, a Harry Potter journalist will write about all the latest developments in the Harry Potter world. He or she will also cover the Warner Bros. feature film "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them," based on an original J.K. Rowling screenplay, and the stage play "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child," a new story by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany, which is set to open in London in 2016.

The site is now being optimized for mobile in order to make sharing with others easier.

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MORE: JK Rowling just dropped a bomb on Harry Potter fans, revealing they've been saying Voldemort's name wrong for 15 years

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If you've already read the entirety of the Harry Potter series, watched the films multiple times, and still find yourself craving more magic, you're in luck. 

Pottermore, J.K. Rowling's website devoted to all things Potter just got a complete make-over, complete with a new features section where fans will find everything from insights from Hagrid to how to make wands.

Rowling also released a short history of the Potter family tree. Dating back to the 12th century, it's sure to satisfy even the most loyal Potterhead. 

Keep reading to learn 17 things you've always wanted to know about the Potter family. 

Rowling's new story, "The Potter Family," lets us know what Harry's descendants were up to decades before he was even born.

Rowling notes that the Potter family is not a part of the "Sacred Twenty-Eight," the list of the 28 families who were still of "true blood," by the 1930s.

Source

"The anonymous compiler of that supposedly definitive list of pure-bloods suspected that they [the Potters] had sprung from what he considered to be tainted blood," Rowling explains.

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Throughout J.K. Rowling's beloved wizarding series, Harry Potter's wealth is no secret. 

In the first book, "Harry Potter and the Sorcere's Stone," Hagrid takes Potter to visit his vault at wizarding bank Gringotts, for the first time.

Inside, Potter is stunned to find a seemingly endless trove of bronze knuts, silver sickles, and gold galleons, the currency of the wizarding world.

For years, fans have wondered how the Potter family came to be so rich, especially given that Harry's parents, Lily and James, were only 21 when they were murdered by Lord Voldemort. 

"How did Harry inherit so much money when his parents will have only worked 2 years tops at an ok wage,"one reddit user asked. "They also had a house, which would've set them back a lot."

On Tuesday, author J.K. Rowling finally revealed the source of the Potter income in a new entry on fan site Pottermore.

According to Rowling, the first member of the Potter family was a 12th century man a named Linfred of Stinchcombe. 

"Linfred was a vague and absent-minded fellow whose Muggle neighbours often called upon his medicinal services," Rowling explained. 

It was these "medicinal services," including "Skele-gro" and "Pepper Potion," that were the beginnings of the Potter family fortune. 

You might remember Skele-gro from the second book, where Madame Pomfrey treats Harry with it to re-grow his arm bones after a quidditch match. 

Linfred turned a nice profit selling his treatments and when he died, left a "significant pile of gold" to each of his seven kids. 

Over the next several decades, members of the Potter family worked diligently to maintain the family's wealth, Rowling explained. 

Fast forward to the 20th century, where Fleamont Potter, a distant descendant of Linfred of Stinchcombe, "took the family gold and quadrupled it."

Like Linfred of Stinchcombe, Fleamont also had a knack for creating potions. He was the creator of Sleekeazy’s Hair Potion, a beauty product which would later become a favorite of witches including Hermione Granger. Fleamont "sold the company at a vast profit when he retired,"Rowling writes.

Fleamont Potter died of dragon pox and his fortune was left to his son, James Potter. From there, the family fortune was bequeathed to Harry, after James and Lily Potter were killed. 

Looks like Harry Potter's kids, Albus Severus and James Sirius, could stand to inherit quite a bit of money from their dad. Though probably not as much as J.K. Rowling's children. In 2014, the author's net worth was a reported $1 billion.

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Throughout J.K. Rowling's beloved wizarding series, Harry Potter's wealth is no secret. 

In the first book, "Harry Potter and the Sorcere's Stone," Hagrid takes Potter to visit his vault at wizarding bank Gringotts, for the first time.

Inside, Potter is stunned to find a seemingly endless trove of bronze knuts, silver sickles, and gold galleons, the currency of the wizarding world.

For years, fans have wondered how the Potter family came to be so rich, especially given that Harry's parents, Lily and James, were only 21 when they were murdered by Lord Voldemort. 

"How did Harry inherit so much money when his parents will have only worked 2 years tops at an ok wage,"one reddit user asked. "They also had a house, which would've set them back a lot."

On Tuesday, author J.K. Rowling finally revealed the source of the Potter income in a new entry on fan site Pottermore.

According to Rowling, the first member of the Potter family was a 12th century man a named Linfred of Stinchcombe. 

"Linfred was a vague and absent-minded fellow whose Muggle neighbours often called upon his medicinal services," Rowling explained. 

It was these "medicinal services," including "Skele-gro" and "Pepper Potion," that were the beginnings of the Potter family fortune. 

You might remember Skele-gro from the second book, where Madame Pomfrey treats Harry with it to re-grow his arm bones after a quidditch match. 

Linfred turned a nice profit selling his treatments and when he died, left a "significant pile of gold" to each of his seven kids. 

Over the next several decades, members of the Potter family worked diligently to maintain the family's wealth, Rowling explained. 

Fast forward to the 20th century, where Fleamont Potter, a distant descendant of Linfred of Stinchcombe, "took the family gold and quadrupled it."

Like Linfred of Stinchcombe, Fleamont also had a knack for creating potions. He was the creator of Sleekeazy’s Hair Potion, a beauty product which would later become a favorite of witches including Hermione Granger. Fleamont "sold the company at a vast profit when he retired,"Rowling writes.

Fleamont Potter died of dragon pox and his fortune was left to his son, James Potter. From there, the family fortune was bequeathed to Harry, after James and Lily Potter were killed. 

Looks like Harry Potter's kids, Albus Severus and James Sirius, could stand to inherit quite a bit of money from their dad. Though probably not as much as J.K. Rowling's children. In 2014, the author's net worth was a reported $1 billion.

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Pottermore, J.K. Rowling's website devoted to all things Potter just got a complete make-over, complete with a new features section where fans will find everything from insights from Hagrid to how to make wands.

Rowling also released a short history of the Potter family tree. Here's all the new stuff we learned from the site today.

Produced by Matt Johnston. Research by Madison Kircher. Video courtesy Warner Bros.

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J.K. Rowling's Twitter feed might just be the best thing to happen to Harry Potter fans since, well, ever. 

The author is constantly dropping new information about the beloved wizarding series, including new details about Harry Potter's kids and how to properly say Lord Voldemort's name (pro tip: don't pronounce the final "t").

On Wednesday, Rowling tweeted a seemingly non-Potter related tweet about a sea otter at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, named Luna. 

According to the tweet, sea otters are Rowling's favorite animals. 

Here's the tweet. 

And here's a closer look at Luna the Otter. 

 To the average person, this might just seem like a tweet about an adorable sea otter, but to a Potter fan, Rowling's tweet actually contains an interesting detail about Hermione Granger and her patronus. 

In case you aren't familiar with patronuses, wizards use the "Patronus Charm" to ward off soul-sicking dementors. Each wizard's patronus takes the shape of a different animal, and often reflect a character's personality. For example, Harry's is a stag and Professor Snape's is a doe. 

Here's a look at Hermione casting her patronus in the "Order of the Phoenix" movie. 

Does that silvery animal look familiar? It should. Hermione's patronus is an otter, which means Rowling based Hermione's patronus on her favorite animal. 

It makes sense that Rowling would choose her favorite animal for Granger. The author has said that she sees much of herself in the young wizard, including shared "insecurity and a great fear of failure."

For those of us who aren't lucky enough to be wizards, an updated version of Rowling's website, Pottermore, promises that patronus assignment will soon be an online option for us muggles. 

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NOW WATCH: 9 new things J.K. Rowling just revealed about Harry Potter's family

If you've already read the entirety of the Harry Potter series, watched the films multiple times, and still find yourself craving more magic, you're in luck. 

Pottermore, J.K. Rowling's website devoted to all things Potter just got a complete makeover, complete with a new features section where fans will find everything from Hagrid's insights to how to make wands.

Rowling also released a short history of the Potter family tree, titled "The Potter Family." Dating back to the 12th century, it's sure to satisfy even the most loyal Potterhead. 

Keep reading to learn 17 things you've always wanted to know about the Potter family. 

The Potter family is not a part of the "Sacred Twenty-Eight," the list of the 28 families who were still of "true blood," by the 1930s.

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"The anonymous compiler of that supposedly definitive list of pure-bloods suspected that they [the Potters] had sprung from what he considered to be tainted blood," Rowling explains.

Never fear, the Potter family history is still "illustrious" thanks to their connection to the "Deathly Hallows," the three legendary magical objects that make a person the master of death.

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