Top Harry Potter Websites

Recently I did a google search for the keywords Harry Potter. The engine returned about 89,100,000 hits- that's about 89 million. A yahoo search does even better, returning 283 million hits. The Potter-related topics range from the official release site for the Order of the Phoenix movie, to HP fanfics, to a role-playing game, to sites dedicated to unraveling the intricacies of the Harry Potter books and predicting the course of book #7. With so many choices and such variety, which Harry Potter websites are worth your time? Here are a few to check out.

Of course, J.K. Rowling's official website has to be at the top of any HP list. The interactive site includes the author's biography, news, and rumors that Rowling either confirms or denies. There are "clues" hidden throughout the website that will take the reader to various "hidden" areas. There is also a "trash can" area for some of the more outlandish things that have been printed about Rowling and her works.

If you're looking for thorough analysis of all of the Harry Potter books, including Quiddich Through the Ages and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, then look no further than The Harry Potter Lexicon. Clicking on the cover of any book will bring up a chapter-by-chapter reading guide, a day by day calendar of events in the book, and comparisons between the British and English editions. You can also use the Canon Portkey to search the entire collection of books for specific themes, scenes, locations, key words, or characters. All in all, this site is an exhaustive examination of the text of all of the HP books.

This is the website for the Harry Potter role-playing game mentioned earlier. Upon registering you can be sorted into a house and interact or socialize with the other players. The registration process includes a verification of age (players must state that they are over 13 years old), and e-mail address. The news page mentions upcoming inter-house competitions and inter-house debates.

For something a little bit different, check out TheSnitch, which bills itself as "The Ultimate British Harry Potter Movie Site". If that wasn't self-explanatory enough, the site dedicates itself to discussing HP, specifically the movies. Clicking on the jacket for any movie brings up sections for a cast list, release dates, statistics, gallery photos (some taken while the actors were on set), videos, and trailers. The website also contains information about the books, albeit much less detailed than hp-lexicon.

If you're looking for a gift for that Harry Potter fan who has absolutely everything, then fly on over to Alivan's for a wand or broom. Yes, that's right, $45 will buy you a magic wand, $29 will buy a broom, $24.95 will get you a stuffed Crookshanks, and for those with richer tastes, $109 will get you a school robe in your choice of colors. Alivan's also sells character action figures, t-shirts, and candy. Anyone for a Jelly Belly Pet Rat?

Obviously this is only an overview of some of the more interesting and noteworthy Harry Potter websites. Keeping track of every HP website out there would be impossible. Feel free to do your own searching and let me know what other gems you turn up. All in all, there's plenty in cyberspace to keep you occupied until Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is released. Happy surfing!