01of 09

WHY THE DURSLEYS HAD IT OUT FOR THE POTTERS

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You don’t have to be a Potter super-fan to know that the Dursleys weren’t big fans of the wizarding world. However, we never knew exactly why they hated all things magical – until now. In a post published on Pottermore, Rowling explained that back in the day, when Lily and Petunia introduced their respective partners to each other, James and Vernon (obviously) did not get along. After a series of passive-aggressive tiffs, the night ended with Vernon and Petunia leaving in huff, and the relationship between the two parties was irrevocably altered.

02of 09

WHICH HOUSE JAMES S. POTTER WAS SORTED INTO

In the last moments of Harry Potter, we see our favorite wizarding trio head to Platform 9¾ once again, but this time, it’s to drop off their children – second year James and first year Albus – who are headed to Hogwarts in 2016. When Sept, 1, 2015, rolled around, author J.K. Rowling was quick to remind fans that it was eldest Potter child James’s first day at Hogwarts – and to no one’s surprise, he was sorted into Gryffindor.

03of 09

WHAT HAPPENED TO REMUS AND TONKS’ SON

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Harry Potter books were known for their bulk and length, but on Twitter, Rowling keeps it brief. In the same tweet in which she announced that James Potter was a Gryffindor, she also revealed that Teddy Lupin, the son of Remus and Tonks, was a Hufflepuff – and head boy.

04of 09

HOW TO REALLY PRONOUNCE VOLDEMORT

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When it comes to he-who-must-not-be-named, turns out, we’ve all been doing it wrong. In a recent tweet, Rowling said that Voldemort is actually pronounced with a silent T. Why? The last syllable of his name, mort, is French for “dead,” which was intentional on Rowling’s part. The French pronounce mort with a silent T, as does Rowling – and as should we.

05of 09

THE COST OF TUITION AT HOGWARTS

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No FAFSA needed in the wizarding world. After a reader tweeted that she and her friends were having a “super intense debate” about what it would cost to attend Hogwarts, Rowling chimed in, saying that there are no tuition costs at the school. Cue college students everywhere filling out transfer applications.

06of 09

WHY THE HORCRUX IN HARRY WASN’T DESTROYED IN THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS

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The books may be long over, but that doesn’t stop Harry Potter fans from doing a daily deep dive into the series on Tumblr. One potential plot hole they found? In Chamber of Secrets, Harry is bitten by a Basilisk – a deadly serpent whose venom is used to destroy horcruxes. However, the bite doesn’t destroy the horcrux in Harry, because, as Rowling said, “The Horcrux-receptacle has to be destroyed BEYOND REPAIR, so Harry would need to have DIED.” She also added a hashtag to further elaborate her feelings on the topic: #pleaseneveraskmethatoneagain

07of 09

WHAT HAPPENED TO FLUFFY, THE THREE-HEADED DOG

Remember Fluffy, the three-headed pup that guarded the trap door that led to the sorcerer’s stone? Turns out, the music-loving animal had a happy ending. After the stone was destroyed, Hagrid released him into the Forbidden Forest – but he didn’t stay there for long. Dumbledore was quick to send him back to Greece, his home country. As Rowling said, “Dumbledore liked to put Hagrid’s more foolish acquisitions back where they belong.”

08of 09

WHY THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX HQ IS IN MUGGLE-LAND

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When the Order of the Phoenix needed a home base, they chose 12 Grimmauld Place, the Black family’s ancestral home in London. The house is in Islington, a Muggle (and real!) neighborhood in London. When asked why such an important wizarding locale would be situated smack dab in the middle of a Muggle neighborhood, Rowling had a simple answer: “A Black ancestor coveted the beautiful house, so ‘persuaded’ the Muggle occupant to leave.” Of course, he put spells on the house, too, so no Muggles would be able to see it. Sneaky.

09of 09

WHERE YOUR ‘MISSING’ HOGWARTS LETTER WENT

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Anyone who grew up with Harry Potter, mega-fan or not, had a twinge of hope that in their 11th year, they too, would receive a much-coveted Hogwarts letter. While many would argue that such wishes are in vain, Rowling believes otherwise. “All these people saying they never got their Hogwarts letter: you got the letter,” she tweeted. “You went to Hogwarts. We were all there together.” In another tweet, she admitted the experience didn’t happen IRL, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. “Of course it happened inside your head, but why on earth should that mean it wasn’t real?” You win, J.K. Rowling. You win.