Top Harry Potter Websites
This site has it all. Its main page features all the current news relating to Harry Potter. Mugglenet produces a weekly podcast called Mugglecast and also produces a podcast jointly with the Leaky Cauldron called the Leaky Mug. There is a photo gallery of all thing Harry Potter. The site’s section of :World Famous Editorials” is filled with insightful essays written by both regular columnist and one-time submitters. There are individual sections for each movie containing details about the cast and the filming. There is also a forum attached to Mugglenet called the Chamber of Secrets (www.cosforums.com).
The Leaky Cauldron (www.the-leaky-cauldron.org)
This site is very similar to Mugglenet in its offerings. The site produces its own podcast called Pottercast as well as the Leaky Mug with Mugglenet. The main page is full of news items concerning Harry Potter and this site seems to get most news faster than the other Harry Potter fan sites. A new section of the Leaky Cauldron that is very unique is the Harry Potter Crafts section. It is full of crafts that site users have submitted along with instruction guides on how to make them. The discussion forum connected to the Leaky Cauldron is the Leaky Lounge (www.leakylounge.com). The site also won the 2006 Webby People’s Voice award in the Celebrity/Fan category.
Harry Potter Lexicon (www.hp-lexicon.org)
This site is the definitive resource for details about the Harry Potter books. Even the most obscure facts about the world of Harry Potter can be found here. The Encyclopedia of Spells and Encyclopedia of Potions list every spell and potion mentioned in the books. There is a Wizard’s Atlas with details of locations found in the Harry Potter universe. The Beastiary is a resource about all of the magical creatures in JK Rowling’s world. There are Reader’s Guides for each of the books which contain a chapter by chapter guide with notes and commentary. The guides also detail the differences between the US and UK versions of the books.
JK Rowling’s Official Site (www.jkrowling.com)
JK Rowling’s site is a very fun place for a Harry Potter fan. She uses the site to give little hints about her books and to answer questions that fans may have. There are many fun sections to go to in the book. In the Daily News section she talks about upcoming events that are important to her. In the Rumors section she dispels rumors about the books and in the Rubbish Bin section she dispels rumors about herself. There are “Easter Eggs” on the site which give the site visitor a piece for their Scrapbook located at the top of the page.
The scrapbook items are usually rough drafts or artwork that Rowling has created in the writing of her books. There is a section that is marked only with a question mark which usually has a door behind it with a Do Not Disturb sign on it. Once in a while she gives site visitors a real treat when the sign comes off of the door. When this happens there is a puzzle to solve and information about the next book is revealed. She also gives more information about the books in the F.A.Q. and Extra Stuff sections.
