Pottermore: More Potter?

Written by Laney O'Shea and Emily Rush

Although the Harry Potter era has come to an end, it is in no way the end of the Potter fandom. In fact, this fandom has grown stronger due to Rowling’s new creation: Pottermore.

Pottermore is a virtual Harry Potter world in which Potter fans are able to journey through Hogwarts, Gringotts, Diagon Alley, and many other exciting Potter locations. Potterheads are able to read through e-books, brew potions, and even friend other Potter fans. Furthermore, Pottermore users are given a House and a wand based on a series of questions that every wizard must answer in order to continue their journey. Elena Isenberg, a freshmen, says, “I love getting to experience Hogwarts in a more visual way than reading.” This experience has been highly popular with Harriton students who are Harry Potter fans, even though it hasn’t officially opened yet.

A select few have been able to obtain early admission into Pottermore, by answering questions that Rowling posted on the Pottermore website; if a reader answered one of the seven Potter-related questions correctly within a certain timeframe, they were granted early access. Luckily, Pottermore will be open to the rest of the world at some point in October.

Pottermore has many amazing features, but it also has many downfalls. “The site crashes all the time,” complained Hugh Downs, a freshman. On a frequent basis, the site restricts access, shuts down, or just simply doesn’t work. Heather Marshall added, “I would like for the site to be more interactive. I want to play games and move around, not just look at things.” Many Potter fans have echoed this sentiment – they want to live the scenes, not just look at them.

Despite the complaints, Potter fans must remember that we are only in the beta testing period. The point of the beta period is to make the website better for other fans in the future. Users are encouraged to comment on each section of the website, and by giving their input, they will make the site better once it is open to the public. Freshman Olivia Sun is confident in the process. “JK Rowling is involved,” she said, “So we can be sure that the finished product will be phenomenal.” Ana, also a freshman, stated, “Pottermore immerses me into a world that I love but I can normally only dream of.”