Harry Potter - you may be in love with it, you may hate it, or you may be a former fan who is striving to distance yourself from it - but the fact remains that this name and this series had a huge impact on an entire generation. Written by Joanne Rowling, who is better known as JK Rowling, Harry Potter took people into the world of magic, might and righteousness and has a humongous fan following even today. This is the reason that July 31 - which is known as Harry Potter’s birthday - continues to be celebrated with great enthusiasm by Potterheads - the people in this fandom. Harry Potter Reboot Confirmed to Be in Development for MAX, Described as a 'Decade-Long' Series With an All-New Cast.

From buying butterbeer or making it yourself to rewatching the Harry Potter movies or revising the books, there are various ways that people celebrate this day. Considering the franchise is filled with 7 books and 8 movies, which is soon to be made into a TV show, there is an abundance of easter eggs and unique things about Harry Potter that not many people know. As we prepare to celebrate the birthday of Harry Potter, here are five things you may not have known about the boy who lived.

  1. Harry Potter actually shares his birthday with author JK Rowling, who will turn 58 this year. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint to Return for Warner Bros' Live-action Adaptation.

  2. Nicholas Flamel, who was a key part of the first book/movie (Harry Potter & The Sorcerer's Stone), was the only character who was inspired by the Muggle world. The real Nicholas Flamel was a French Businessman from the 14th century whose connection to alchemy came to light after his death. 

  3. On the other hand, all the plant names in the entire Harry Potter series actually come from a compendium called The Complete Herbal by botanist and herbalist Nicholas Culpeper. 

  4. Harry Potter is known for sharing his mother’s green eyes in the books. However, in the movies, Harry did not have green eyes; in fact, they were steely blue. This is because Daniel Radcliffe had an allergic reaction to contacts when they tried to stick to the facts. 

  5. One of the biggest disappointments from the movies for Harry Potter book lovers was the lack of the iconic character - Peeves, the mischievous ghost. However, not many know that British comedian Rik Mayall actually played the role in the first film! After filming, director Chris Columbus cut them on account of his dissatisfaction with the spectator’s on-screen appearance.

We hope that these facts add to your celebration of Harry Potter and his birthday. Despite the recent flack that JK Rowling has been receiving for her consistent transphobic comments as well as recent books that many believe perpetuate this hate, Harry Potter did impact a lot of people in their formative years and continues to be a cherished character that people often fall back to.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 31, 2023 11:46 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).