J.K. Rowling unveils Harry Potter family secrets at her redesigned site, Pottermore

J.K. Rowling poses for photographers during the unveiling of her book "The Casual Vacancy" at the Southbank Center in London on Sept. 27, 2012.

By Michael Schaub

Sept. 22, 2015 9:59 AM PT

Harry Potter has left the Gryffindor Boys’ Dormitory for a new home online.

Pottermore, the Internet home of all things Hogwarts, has undergone an extensive redesign, removed its registration requirements and will feature a host of new stories and articles about the “Harry Potter” world, some by author J.K. Rowling.

In an introductory message on the website, Rowling describes the reimagined site as “a place where you can explore my writing both familiar and new, and where you can read features, articles, and news from the Pottermore team.”

“New information will be revealed about the characters, places and magic you’re familiar with, as well as introductions to a few new characters, places and notions,” Rowling said. “If you need a little extra magic in your life, you’ve come to the right place.”

To start, there’s something new from Rowling about the boy wizard: Harry’s family tree. A new story by Rowling traces Harry’s ancestry back to the 12th century wizard Linfred of Stinchcombe, “a locally well-beloved and eccentric man, whose nickname, ‘the Potterer,’ became corrupted in time to ‘Potter.’”

The site also now features a “Pottermore correspondent,” who, according to a news release, will be “dedicated to reporting on all the latest updates going on in the Wizarding World,” including the upcoming Harry Potter stage play, and the film based on Rowling’s “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.”

An introductory “frequently asked questions” page informs users that the old site, introduced in 2011, has gone to “website heaven,” and promises to bring back the site’s popular “Sorting Hat” feature, with which users can learn which of the four Hogwarts houses they belong to.

One possible story for the new correspondent might be an auction set for Wednesday in London, in which Harry Potter’s Hogwarts acceptance letter from the film “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” will be up for sale. According to Prop Store, which is conducting the auction, the letter is expected to fetch more than $6,000.

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