Alright my LSAT prep readers, today is the day of my birth! And not only is it my birthday, but it’s also J.K. Rowling and Harry Potter’s birthday; one of my favorite writers and one of my favorite characters, respectively. So obviously, today I will be putting forth a Harry Potter themed blog for you.
We all know that this whole LSAT prep thing you are doing is very stressful. So, it’s important to stay true to yourself throughout the process. For me, a huge de-stressor and passion has always been the Harry Potter series. J.K. Rowling is one of my biggest role models. I look up to her for her perseverance and immense creativity. Whenever I felt un-creative or downtrodden by my unending LSAT prep, I would put on one of the movies or grab one of the books and delve into the magical world of Harry Potter. If it’s not Harry Potter for you (I judge you), then use whatever your Harry Potter equivalent is. Make sure to regularly take a break from the stress that is your LSAT world. So, I decided, for this whimsical and wonderful day, that I would list a few facts about Harry Potter (the movies and the books) that you may not have known.
- J.K. Rowling has stated that Lord Voldemort is pronounced with a silent “t.” Crazy right? All this time I was pronouncing it with a hard “t” sound. It’s supposed to sound like the French word “mort,” meaning “death.” My whole life is a lie!
- J.K. Rowling and Harry Potter share the same birthday, July 31st. Yours truly shares that birthday, as well. Happy Birthday to us!
- In the Spanish translations of the Harry Potter books, Neville Longbottom’s toad, Trevor, has been translated as a turtle instead of a frog. How odd!
- Over the course of the Harry Potter movies, six actors have played Voldemort. They all looked the same to me!
- Dumbledore is an early modern English word for “bumblebee.”
- The least financially successful Harry Potter film made $90 million more than the most successful Twilight movie. Suck it Stephanie Meyers!
- Harry Potter actor, Daniel Radcliffe, voiced the cartoon parody of Twilight’s Edward Cullen on “The Simpsons.” Hilarious.
- Vol de mort means flight of death in French. J.K. Rowling astounds me.
- The actress who played Moaning Myrtle is actually 37 years old and is the oldest actress to portray a Hogwarts student. Talk about not looking your age.
- The driver and conductor of the Knight Bus, Ernie and Stanley, are named after J. K. Rowling’s grandfathers.
- The actor who plays the Weasley twins isn’t actually a redhead.
- J.K. Rowling is the first person to become a billionaire by writing books.
- The Death Eaters were originally known as the Knights of Walpurgis. Thank goodness she went with Death Eaters!
- The Hogwarts school motto is “Draco domiens nunquam titillandus” which is Latin for “Never tickle a sleeping dragon.”
- Avada Kedavra” derives from the Aramaic phrase “Abhadda kedhabhra,” which means “to disappear like this world.” Chilling.
Okay, I hope you found that interesting and light. Remember to take breaks and find whimsy in your day-to-day activities. I always found that keeping as optimistic of a view as I could really helped my mood and, in turn, my studying.
Happy Studying and Happy Birthday to J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter, and me!
