17 key 'Harry Potter' secrets J.K. Rowling has revealed since the books finished
LONDON — Harry Potter really is the gift that keeps on giving.
The final book in the J.K. Rowling's series may have been published back in 2007, but that hasn't stopped her from dropping a whole bunch of new revelations in the intervening years.
SEE ALSO: 24 times J.K. Rowling was a total badass on Twitter
With Harry Potter and the Cursed Child mere weeks away, now seems like a good time to re-visit some of the secrets Rowling has disclosed since the books finished...
1. Dumbledore's sexuality.
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Rowling revealed the sexuality of everyone's favourite magical headmaster during a book tour in 2007. When a fan asked about Dumbledore's love life, Rowling replied: "Dumbledore is gay."
She went on to confirm he'd been in love with Grindelwald, and was "horribly, terribly let down" by what Grindelwald ultimately became.
In March 2015, Rowling took to Twitter to respond to a fan who asked her about Dumbledore's sexuality, writing "I can't see him that way."
2. Dumbledore's feelings towards Newt Scamander.
3. What Dumbledore really saw in the Mirror of Erised.
In an online Q & A with readers after the release of the Deathly Hallows, Rowling responded to a fan's question about what Dumbledore saw in the Mirror of Erised.
"He saw his family alive, whole and happy," Rowling responded. "Ariana, Percival and Kendra all returned to him, and Aberforth reconciled to him."
4. James Potter and Teddy Lupin's Hogwarts Houses.
5. The complexities of wandless magic and broomless flight.
6. We've been pronouncing Voldemort wrong.
7. Harry, Ron and Hermione all went on to have key Ministry roles.
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Our heroic trio all went on to work at the Ministry in some capacity after leaving Hogwarts: Harry as an auror, Ron (briefly) as an auror and Hermione in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.
"Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny et al would of course play a significant part in the re-building of wizarding society through their future careers," Rowling said in a Bloomsbury Q & A back in 2007.
8. Her reasons for killing off Remus Lupin.
9. Hogwarts is free.
10. There are eleven wizarding schools world-wide.
In a post on Pottermore, J. K. Rowling revealed that there are, "eleven long-established and prestigious wizarding schools worldwide, all of which are registered with the International Confederation of Wizards."
She went on to release more details about individual schools in Japan, Africa, Brazil and North America.
11. North America has a dark magical history.
Rowling wrote about magical segregation in her four-part series of the history of North American magic.
12. Her favourite character.
13. Hagrid and the Patronus spell.
14. Why Harry named his son after Snape.
15. Why Snape died.
16. What she thinks about Snape as a character.
17. Finally (and perhaps most importantly), what Harry was hoping to achieve when he named his son after Snape.
We have a feeling that this will be key for the upcoming play — especially the final line. We know from the Cursed Child synopsis that the past will come back to haunt Harry. Maybe his guilt over what happened during his school years will be a theme in the Cursed Child.
