Day 49 - at Sea but missing Harry Potter

We finally got our fourth Harry Potter fix today when the cruise staff hosted a Harry Potter trivia. We didn’t win, but we certainly held our own.

Here are some little known Harry Potter insights that I ran across recently. I found them fascinating. But if you are not a diehard fan, don’t bother to read.

A powerful potion

Snape made no secret of the fact that he wasn’t a fan of Harry, but do you remember the first encounter they had together? In this Potion’s lesson, Snape asked Harry what he would get if he were to add the powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood. While this seemed like an impossible question for the first-year student, this was actually pretty beautiful. That’s because the Victorian flower code states that while asphodel is a lily, wormwood is known for its themes of lingering mourning. He still mourned for his Lily.

Imitation is flattery

In the Order of the Phoenix, Harry was forced to teach his fellow students proper Defense Against the Dark Arts within Dumbledore’s Army, and he wore a cardigan (not robes) just like his icon, Professor Lupin. This was actually Daniel Radcliffe’s idea.

Forgetful Neville

Neville Longbottom was very forgetful as a child and was given a Remembrall in the Sorcerer’s Stone. This magical gift turns red when you forget something, but he just couldn’t remember what he had forgotten! If you look at everyone else around him, he’s actually left his robes in his dormitory.

Just making sure

Whenever you watch a film that involves animals, you’ll normally find a disclaimer during the end credits that confirms that no animals were harmed in the making of the movie. Of course, the producers of the Goblet of Fire also knew that they needed to keep the peace with the American Humane Society. They didn’t want anyone thinking that they had mistreated the dragons – even though they were the ones who wanted a fight – over the course of this movie. Therefore, they included "No dragons were harmed in the making of this movie" in the credits.

Spotting the Newt

In the Prisoner of Azkaban, the name Newt Scamander can be seen on the Marauder’s Map. While it’s not known what he was doing in Hogwarts at the same time as Harry, it is a precursor to another successful franchise.

The magical clock

In the Chamber of Secrets, we got to check out their magical home of the Weasley family. One of the most interesting pieces within their rickety house was their magical clock, which allowed Molly Weasley to keep track of her children and her husband at all times. If you look closely at this clock, though, you’ll be able to see that it comes complete with its very own “prison” category. She obviously expected the worst of her kids…