12 'Harry Potter' Secrets You Didn't Know J.K. Rowling Revealed

The Chamber of Secrets has been opened!
Gamma-Rapho

It's Harry Potter's birthday, and you know what that means: time to get riddikulus.

It's hard to believe, but the boy wizard, who was born July 31, 1980, is turning 35 this year. Perhaps even harder to believe is that we still don't know everything about him. Though Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows came out in 2007, author J.K. Rowling is still revealing secrets we had no idea about.

Rowling actually shares a bday with Potter, so you know they'll be turning up, and you can celebrate too with these crazy "Harry Potter" secrets Rowling has revealed over the years through interviews and fan questions:

1. Harry Potter and Voldemort are related.

Image: Giphy

Looks like Harry has some family after all! Holidays are going to be awkward.

Rowling has confirmed Harry and Voldemort are related through the Peverells, the dudes who inspired "The Tale of the Three Brothers" from The Tales of Beedle the Bard. Though many wizarding families are related if you trace it back far enough.

2. Wizard kids are homeschooled before Hogwarts.

Image: Giphy

Well, they should probably learn math at some point, right?

When Rowling was asked where wizard kids go to school before Hogwarts, she said, "Most are homeschooled, because they aren't really able to control their powers, so it would be too dangerous to let them out and about," reports Time.

3. Ginny became a professional Quidditch player.

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After Deathly Hallows, Ginny went on to be a professional Quidditch player and later reported on the sport for The Daily Prophet, because the girl has skills.

4. Hermione got her parents back.

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A lot of people think Hermione lost her parents for good after she altered their memories for their own protection, but that's just because we're all ignorant muggles. Rowling says Hermione got her parents back "straight away."

5. Slytherin isn't so evil anymore.

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Albus Severus still doesn't want to go there, but Slytherin has been "diluted" after Voldemort's downfall. Sorry, Malfoy. That's a bummer.

6. Harry's son stole the Marauder's Map from him.

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Rowling solemnly swears Harry's son James is up to no good, and pilfered the map from his dad's desk.

Mischief managed, bruh.

7. Harry lost the ability to speak Parseltongue.

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Rowling says Potter loses the ability now that he's no longer a Horcrux, and he's "very glad to do so."

8. Voldemort's boggart is his own corpse.

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In Harry Potter, a boggart is a shape-shifting thing that takes the form of your worst fear, and Rowling says Voldemort's worst fear was death, so the boggart would be his own dead body.

Really, it probably should've just been a mirror. (Ouch! Can someone get He Who Must Not Be Named some sunscreen? Dude just got burned.)

9. Dumbledore's Army kept their coins.

Rowling says the DA saved the coins, which are now "like badges or medals of honor," but our guess is if these kids went on to wizarding college, the coins probably got traded for some late-night libations.

Neville probably knows what we're talking about.

Wow. I remember my first butterbeer ...

10. Most of the characters found love.

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The characters found love in a Hogwarts place. Draco Malfoy marries Astoria Greengrass, George Weasley marries Angelina Johnson, Neville Longbottom marries Hannah Abbott and Luna Lovegood marries Rolf Scamander, the grandson of the guy who wrote Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

11. Harry ended up with the flying motorbike.

Mr. Weasley fixed it and then gave it to Harry, because he has such a great track record with flying vehicles.

Wait, never mind.

12. Harry Potter's scar was lightning-shaped because it's cool.

Image: Giphy

When asked about the lightning shape of Harry's scar, Rowling said, "To be honest, because it's a cool shape. I couldn't have my hero sport a doughnut-shaped scar."

Yup. Harry's scar just looks that way because it's cool. Whether or not you believe in magic, there's no denying the boy who lived has swag.

Image: Tumblr

Happy birthday, Harry Potter!

For more "Harry Potter" facts, check out the transcript from J.K. Rowling's live chat on Bloomsbury.

Also on HuffPost:

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