There is a new Harry Potter release in town, and fans of the magic franchise might want to check out this exciting project on HBO Max ahead of the reboot series. The Harry Potter movies were universally acclaimed, landing well with moviegoers and critics alike, and set to go down in history as one of the best movie franchises of all time.
Due to that, it was never expected that a reboot would be on the way so soon. Sure, the last film with Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint as Harry, Hermione, and Ron was Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2, which was released in theaters back in 2011. However, despite 15 years having passed, the original iteration of the franchise remains just as iconic.
For that reason, it felt like a version of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, the sequel play/book set in the franchise, sounded like a bigger possibility than a full-on new series on HBO. That said, it was not the plan for the magic franchise, with HBO moving forward with the Harry Potter reboot series and multiple projects to prepare fans for season 1’s, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, release this December.
Ministry of Magic · O.W.L. Examinations Test Your Wizarding Knowledge “It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.”
🦁GryffindorBravery
🐍SlytherinAmbition
🦅RavenclawWisdom
🦡HufflepuffLoyalty
🏰HogwartsMagic
01
What spell is used to disarm an opponent, famously becoming Harry Potter’s signature move throughout the series?
✓ Correct! Expelliarmus is the Disarming Charm. Harry used it so often that it became his trademark spell — even using it in his final duel against Voldemort in the Battle of Hogwarts.
✗ Not quite! The answer is Expelliarmus. Stupefy is a Stunning Spell, Protego is a Shield Charm, and Petrificus Totalus is the Full Body-Bind Curse. Expelliarmus forces an opponent’s wand out of their hand.
02
In “The Prisoner of Azkaban,” Hagrid introduces his Care of Magical Creatures class to a proud hippogriff. What is the creature’s name?
✓ Correct! Buckbeak the hippogriff became a key part of the story when Draco Malfoy insulted him and got injured. Harry and Hermione later saved Buckbeak from execution using the Time-Turner.
✗ Not quite! The answer is Buckbeak. Fang is Hagrid’s boarhound, Norbert is his baby dragon from the first book, and Aragog is the giant Acromantula in the Forbidden Forest.
03
What potion allows the drinker to assume the physical appearance of another person, and plays a major role in “The Chamber of Secrets” and “The Goblet of Fire”?
✓ Correct! Polyjuice Potion transforms the drinker into someone else for about an hour. Hermione brewed it in their second year to infiltrate the Slytherin common room, and Barty Crouch Jr. used it to impersonate Mad-Eye Moody.
✗ Not quite! The answer is Polyjuice Potion. Felix Felicis is liquid luck, Veritaserum is a truth serum, and Amortentia is a powerful love potion. Polyjuice Potion is the one that changes your appearance.
04
How many Horcruxes did Lord Voldemort intentionally create to split his soul and achieve immortality?
✓ Correct! Voldemort intentionally created six Horcruxes: the diary, the ring, the locket, the cup, the diadem, and Nagini. Harry became an accidental seventh Horcrux, making the total number of soul fragments seven — the most magically powerful number.
✗ Not quite! The answer is six. Voldemort deliberately created six Horcruxes: Tom Riddle’s diary, Marvolo Gaunt’s ring, Slytherin’s locket, Hufflepuff’s cup, Ravenclaw’s diadem, and Nagini. Harry was an unintentional seventh piece.
05
How many points is the Golden Snitch worth when caught by a Seeker during a Quidditch match?
✓ Correct! Catching the Golden Snitch awards 150 points and ends the match. This is why the Seeker position is so crucial — catching the Snitch almost always wins the game, though famously at the Quidditch World Cup, Viktor Krum caught it but Bulgaria still lost.
✗ Not quite! The answer is 150 points. The Golden Snitch is worth 150 points and also ends the match. At the 1994 Quidditch World Cup, Krum caught the Snitch for Bulgaria but Ireland still won because they were more than 150 points ahead.
06
What form does Severus Snape’s Patronus take — revealing his lifelong love for Harry’s mother, Lily?
✓ Correct! Snape’s Patronus is a doe — the same as Lily Potter’s. When Dumbledore asked “After all this time?” Snape famously replied, “Always.” It’s one of the most emotional reveals in the entire series.
✗ Not quite! The answer is a doe. Snape’s Patronus matches Lily Potter’s because of his deep, enduring love for her. James Potter’s Patronus was a stag — the male counterpart. The doe is what led Harry to the Sword of Gryffindor in the frozen lake.
07
What magical object must you look into to see the Mirror of Erised’s true purpose — and what does it show the viewer?
✓ Correct! The Mirror of Erised (“desire” spelled backward) shows the deepest desire of whoever looks into it. Harry saw his parents, Ron saw himself as Head Boy and Quidditch captain, and Dumbledore claimed he saw himself holding a pair of thick, woolen socks.
✗ Not quite! The answer is their deepest, most desperate desire. “Erised” is “desire” spelled backward. The inscription reads: “I show not your face but your heart’s desire.” Dumbledore warned Harry that the mirror gives neither knowledge nor truth, and men have wasted away before it.
08
The three Deathly Hallows are the Elder Wand, the Resurrection Stone, and which third object that Harry himself possessed?
✓ Correct! The Cloak of Invisibility was passed down through Harry’s family — he inherited it from his father, James. Unlike ordinary invisibility cloaks, this Hallow never fades or weakens, making it a true relic of Death from “The Tale of the Three Brothers.”
✗ Not quite! The answer is the Cloak of Invisibility. Harry inherited it from his father on his first Christmas at Hogwarts. Together with the Elder Wand and the Resurrection Stone, these three objects make up the Deathly Hallows from “The Tale of the Three Brothers.”
O.W.L. Examination Complete Your Wizarding Score
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Ahead of the first season of the show, fans can now watch Harry Potter: The Official Film Podcast, which debuted on HBO Max worldwide on Tuesday, May 19. There will be 16 episodes in the series, with two dedicated to each of the eight movies in the Harry Potter franchise. For now, the first two, which are centered on Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, are out.
Harry Potter: The Official Film Podcast Is Worth Watching On HBO Max
While it is not a project focused on new footage, Harry Potter: The Official Film Podcast is still very much worth watching on HBO Max for fans of the franchise. The podcast series, hosted by Rhianna Dhillon, features special guests for each episode and in-depth discussion of exciting moments from every movie in the franchise. It stands as the perfect excuse to plan a weekly Harry Potter movie rewatch to go through all the eight entries in the series and then make the most out of the discussions in the podcast. New hour-long episodes will be released every week.
The new Harry Potter release on HBO Max is a fun project to check out if you are a fan of the franchise looking for details that you might have missed, hidden meanings to classic events, and more. It is a Harry Potter release made for fans of the franchise by Harry Potter fans. Viewers will also get the chance of learning new behind-the-scenes stories and details from all eight Harry Potter movies in the “Magic Makers” section of the show, where special guests drop in with exciting tidbits that will enhance the films 25 years after the first movie.
HBO’s Plan To Prepare Audiences For The Harry Potter Reboot Series Is Interesting
Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter in Finding Harry The Craft Behind the Magic
Harry Potter: The Official Film Podcast is one of two releases that help set the stage for the arrival of this new chapter of the hit franchise. Before it, HBO released Finding Harry: The Craft Behind the Magic. The idea of releasing a behind-the-scenes special for a TV show that only releases in December was quite interesting, and it worked out perfectly. Finding Harry: The Craft Behind the Magic went on to lead HBO Max’s global charts, with fans all over the world getting to know key details about the casting, sets, costumes, story, and more from the reboot series.
It sure raised interest in the project. Now, it is time for Harry Potter: The Official Film Podcast to serve to refresh viewers on the events of the magic franchise and leave the past behind to prepare for the new iteration. By the end of its run, the new 16-episode Harry Potter release on HBO Max will have explored every movie in the franchise in two hours filled with in-depth analysis. If that does not prepare fans for a new Harry Potter adventure, I don’t know what will.
