So yesterday I found out that today is 50 days until the penultimate Harry Potter movie, which has the name, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1. Daniel Radcliffe has just marked the occasion by announcing that there are 10 sets of premiere tickets to give away on the official Facebook page
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 is released 19th November and the buzz has been so mad for the movie, I thought it was only right to get a nice little feature for it. Now, I don’t know masses about Potter but I have many friends who do so I got them to get their thinking caps on to tell me 50(ish) of the best things about Harry Potter. They sent me more than 50 in the end but they were all so good, they had to go in.
So, without further ado, here are my friends’ opinion on 50(ish) of the Coolest Things from the Harry Potter Movies.
If we’ve missed any, tell us in the comments section below, and if you want to see 7 particularly cool things check out the new characters posters which have just been released.
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The Knight Bus, Ernie Prang & the shrunken head
If the N207 provided the speed and level of entertainment Ernie and the shrunken head do on this bizarre form of wizard transport, our taxi bills would be vastly reduced!
Dobby
House Elves in general are pretty amazing, but Dobby tops our list for his continued loyalty to Harry Potter – with occasional disastrous results!
Talking to people through a fireplace
You can’t even get a decent fireplace in most ‘muggle’ homes these days, never mind one that talks to you!!
Flying
On broomsticks, motorbikes or secondhand cars; we don’t care we just want to fly!!!
Veelas
An entire race of breathtakingly beautiful women. Doesn’t really require anymore explanation does it?
Grawp
The cutest giant since Roald Dahl’s BFG, at sixteen feet tall he is considered small for a giant, but he has a big heart and a stonking great crush on Hermione!
Gringotts Bank
The wizarding bank run by goblins, if our bank had enchantments and cool underground rides we’d probably avoid the bank manager a little less!
Diagon Alley
Located in London, but hidden from muggle folks, Diagon Alley is host to the aforementioned Gringotts Banks as well as a ton of other amazing wizard shops – accessed via The Leaky Cauldron pub!
Floo Powder
No content with being able to talk to people in fireplaces, with this use of this magical powder wizards can TRAVEL from one fireplace to another!
Marauder’s Map
A map of Hogwarts school with a difference – it’s designed for mischief and show the reader where anyone who might catch the mischief maker is! We could do with one of these for our office on a Friday afternoon – MISCHIEF MANAGED!
Invisibility Cloak
Another magical object that speaks for itself, invisibility cloaks are cool on so many levels because well…they make you invisible!
Hogwarts
High School for witches and wizards. Pupils at Hogwarts study potions and spells instead of maths and French – plus there’s talking pictures, magical food and fun (whilst generally life threatening) adventures to be had at every turn!
Whomping Willow
A magical tree with a violent temper – particularly if you’re in the habit of crashing flying cars into it. It does however make for an AMAZING hiding place if you can access secret passage – well worth the risk if you ask us!
Parseltongue
A language generally associated with dark wizards which they use to talk to snakes. Particularly useful for setting large snakes on large and irritating cousins…not that we would do anything like that…
Bellatrix’s Laugh
Helena Bonham Carter’s Bellatrix Lestrange is one of the most evil but amazing baddies in cinematic history. We could list 50 things we love about her alone, but her manic laugh when conducting evil deeds tops the bunch!
Buckbeak
Half giant eagle, half horse, Buckbeak the Hippogriff is one of Hagrid’s favourite pets, and he also helps Harry’s uncle escape in the third film.
Polyjuice Potion
Every wanted to pretend to be someone else? With Polyjuice Potion you’ll look and sound exactly like the person you are impersonating – check out the seven Harrys in the new trailer!
Wands
Essential in the world of Harry Potter, who hasn’t wished at some point that they had a magic wand?!?
Hermione Granger
Let’s face it, she’s bright, beautiful, rich and a model. She also punched Tom Felton (who plays Draco Malfoy) in the nose in Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban!
Severus Snape
Every film should have an evil enemy played by Alan Rickman!
Albus Dumlbedore
Played to perfection by both Richard Harris and Michael Gambon, the headmaster of Hogwarts is both the scariest, and kindest headmaster to ever grace the silver screen.
Sybil Trelawney
Professor Trelawney is by far the craziest of all the Hogwarts professors, believing she has the power to predict the future, but with only one or two real predictions ever coming true. Played in typically eratic fashion by the amazing Emma Thompson.
Minerva McGonagall
Maggie Smith was born to play Professor McGonagall, the strict head of Hogwarts house with a heart of gold!
Apparition
Another great way to travel for public transport haters, apparition allows witches and wizard to instantly teleport from one place to another. Beware of splinching, where youi accidently leave half your body behind!
Time Turner
Ever wished you could go back in time? Using a time turner you can go back to any point in time, but you mustn’t be seen by yourself!
Sweets
Forget mint humbugs, in the Harry Potter films the sweets are far more exciting! There’s Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans, which come in EVERY flavour, even earwax, and Chocolate Frogs, which come alive, so eat them quick!
Talking Portraits
Ever seen an amazing portrait and wished you could talk to the person in it? In Hogwarts the enchanted portraits often chat to the students, with one called the Fat Lady used as the guardian of the Gryffindor Common Room.
Use of British Film actors and locations
Maggie Smith, Kings Cross Station, Jim Broadbent, Oxford University Library, Alan Rickman, Harry Potter’s use of an a nearly all British cast and filming around the UK is something for us to be very proud of!
Hagrid’s motorbike
Hagrid is half giant, so it’s unlikely a broomstick would be able to accommodate him. But never fear, he has a flying motorbike instead!
Platform 9¾
The only way to get onto the Platform 9 ¾ is the run through the wall between Platforms 9 and 10 at Kings Cross Station. The reason this is such a cool element of Harry Potter, is that it exists in the REAL WORLD. At Kings Cross, between Platforms 9 and 10, there is a sign for the platform, and a trolley disappearing into the wall, and onto the secret platform!
Draco Malfoy’s Hair
Let’s face it, all baddies would be even more badass if they had platinum blonde hair!
Pensieve
Used to store memories which you can enter to view, this would be very useful when you just can’t remember where you left those house keys!
12 Grimmauld Place
Perfect for escaping from that friend you owe money, 12 Grimmauld Place is a magical house completely invisible to those who do not know it exists!
Boggart
A magical creature which takes the shape of what the viewer is afraid of, the only way to defeat this monster is to think of something funny. If only all scary problems could be defeated this way!
Wizard Chess
The ultimate game of chess for a super fan, in which the pieces bludgeon each other to death when they take their space on the board
Weasley’s Clock
Instead of telling time, the Weasley’s magical clock has a hand for each family member and points to where they are currently situated. Would be a great way to tell when people are lying about where they are!
Extendable Ears
Created by Fred and George Weasley, these allow you to hear conversations not normal within earshot. Perfect for catching up on any sneaky gossip.
Cool Pets
The world of Harry Potter means having a cool pet, no goldfish can compare to owls and frogs!
Metamorphmagus
Nymphadora Tonks is the resident Metamorphmagus in Harry Potter, able to change anything she likes about her appearance without a spell – hair colour, shape, size, anything!
Howlers
A howler is a letter with a difference – instead of a letter, once opened the envelope magnifies the sender’s voice and shouts at the recipient. If they decide not to open it, it blows up!
Argus Filch
Hogwarts resident caretaker, and also completely devoid of magic, Argus Filch skulks the corridors and wishes to bring back harsher punishments. Mad as a hatter and has a slightly disturbing relationship with his cat, but played brilliant by David Bradley.
The Sorting Hat
This clever piece of headgear can decide which student should be placed in which house! It’s also very chatty, so would always be appreciative of a good chin-wag!
The Monster Book of Monsters
The world of Harry Potter has some very interesting book, but this one is by far the best, it has teeth!!!
Classes
Let’s not forget that Hogwarts is a school, and students get to study amazing subjects to learn how to brew potions, fight the bad guys, and even levitate!
Felix Felicis (Liquid Luck)
This nifty potion gives the user unusually good luck for a short period of time. Always wanted to ask Emma Watson out on a date? Now’s your chance!
Quick Quotes Quill
Used by resident Potter journalist Rita Skeeter, the quick quotes quill helps her to spin the words said by interviewees to be more interesting or melodramatic. A must for bloggers!
Dragons
No explanation needed, dragons are evil, vicious, and very very COOL.
Nearly Headless Nick
One of the resident Hogwarts ghosts, Nearly Headless Nick is so named over he was improperly beheaded, gruesome. He’s pretty upbeat about it though!
Rememberall
Another one for those who can never find their house keys, a rememberall is a glass orb containing smoke that turns red when detecting that the user has forgotten something. Unfortunately it doesn’t tell you what, you’ll need to get a pensieve for that!
Deluminator
A nifty device which can used to remove and later return the light from a light source. Useful for when you are already in bed and you’ve forgotten to turn the light off!
Fawkes the Phoenix
Another creature for cool pet award, you can impress your friends with Fawkes power to heal wounds, and horrify them when he catches fire!
Portkeys
A portkey is a normal object which has been bewitched to transport those who touch it to a location instantly. Much better than public transport!
Fang
Hagrid’s faithful boarhound may look fierce, but he’s actually a real softie, and a bit of a coward!
Veritaserum (truth serum)
A magical version of truth serum, only three drops will force anyone to tell the truth on any question!
Accio (summoning charm)
This spell will summon any item over any distance. Perfect for when the tv remote is just out of reach.
Alohomora (unlocking spell)
Very useful spell for unlocking doors, not recommended on doors with three headed dogs behind them!
Wingardium Leviosa
Spell which levitates objects, useful when facing off against trolls and picking things up which you’ve dropped.
Arania Exumai
Will blast spiders out of your way. BEST SPELL EVER (coming from an arachnophobic!)
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So there you have it. 50(ish) of the Coolest Things from the Harry Potter Movies. What did we miss? Tell us in the comments below.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I is released in UK cinemas, 19th November.
