It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities: Albus Dumbledore
It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities: Albus Dumbledore
A molecular biologist from Madurai, our quizmaster enjoys trivia and music, and is working on a rock ballad called ‘Coffee is a Drink, Kaapi is an Emotion’. @bertyashley
It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities: Albus Dumbledore
1.
July 31 is the birthday of Harry Potter, the fictional wizard whose life at his magic school took the world by storm. Harry shares his birthday with another person, who in 1993 was almost penniless and receiving welfare benefits from the government. She had offered her book to 12 publishers who all rejected it. Finally Bloomsbury took it and paid her £1500. In 2004 she became the first person to become a billionaire primarily through book writing. Who is this writer who gave us the Harry Potter Universe (Potterverse)?
2.
The editor in a certain country convinced J.K. Rowling that her book had to be translated for his audience. The biggest change was the title of the first book becoming Sorcerer’s Stone instead of the original Philosopher’s Stone. Some other changes were ‘mum’ to ‘mom’, ‘sweets’ to ‘candy’, ‘queue’ to ‘line’, ‘windscreen’ to ‘windshield’, and ‘changing room’ to ‘locker room’. What translation was this?
3.
‘Bubo scandiacus’ is a species of bird that is endangered because of climate change. Although in India this bird used to be regarded as a bad omen, and even associated with death, fans of Potterverse have started asking for them as pets. This has led to an illegal trade of this apex predator, which has caused a major disruption to the food chain. What is this bird that gets its name for its resemblance to the Arctic area where it is usually found?
4.
In order to shoot movies, producers had to go to the British Parliament to have a certain set of laws changed. These laws had been put in place during the days of stage plays and theatre. Though outdated, they were still enforced. This could have led to huge delays in production and mounting costs. After the laws were changed, the cast of 400 kids could take classes on set in between takes and even write exams. What laws were changed for the movies to be made?
5.
In the book ‘Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix’, we discover that the headquarters of the Ministry of Magic has a secret entrance. Although situated deep under the HM Treasury building in central London the entrance was through a broken-down red telephone box. Once you dialled 62442, and stated your business, the box will drop you into the atrium. Why this particular number?
6.
A mandrake is the root of the Mandragora plant, which has high concentrations of hallucinogenic tropane alkaloids. In Potterverse, when a mandrake is taken out of the pot its screams can kill a person. In actuality, if ingested, it could lead to asphyxiation and death by heart attack. In ancient times the juice from the roots in mild quantities was used for a more vital reason. How was a mandrake used to save lives then?
7.
In ‘Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets’, we meet a manifestation of the teenage Lord Voldemort. He resides in a magical diary and is known as Tom Marvolo Riddle. His name is translated in multiple ways in different languages. In Spanish, his name became Tom Sorvolo Ryddle, in French Tom Elvis Jedusor, and in German Tom Vorlost Riddle. What is the reason for these translations?
8.
In Potterverse, the Basilisk is a monstrous serpentine creature that has huge yellow eyes, immediately fatal to any creature that looks at them directly. In real life a basilisk is a small lizard that has a different super power. It uses its hind feet with scaly fringes to be able to run across water to escape predators, which earned it a nickname that refers to a person who did the same on the Sea of Galilee. What is the common name of the Basilisk?
9.
The Marauder’s map is a magical document that revealed every classroom, hallway, the grounds, all secret passages and the location of every person in the grounds. To give it its magical appearance in movies, it was designed as a folding map with many layers, each representing a different level of the Hogwarts Castle. It was printed on white paper and subsequently ‘aged’ using a commonly found item in order to give the appearance of old parchment. What was used to age it to give it a rich brown colour?
10.
Bertie Bott was a wizarding confectioner, who, while trying to create tasty sweets from food, accidentally included a pair of dirty socks in the experiment. Realising the potential of the product, he advertised his sweets as “a risk with every mouthful.” In real life they are available as multiple flavour jelly beans. Under what name did he sell his sweets?
