Pottermore: My First Weekend in Hogwarts Heaven

More than anything, I’m interested to see if anything has changed from my previous foray into the mysterious ‘Pottermore Beta’. My last article on Pottermore published various complaints from members about the site, mainly complaints of a lack of interaction between the members and also that of insufficient content to keep the site interesting. 

I move past the introductory purple bulletin (emblazoned with the motifs; ‘Explore’, ‘Discover’, ‘Experience’ and ‘Join In’) and am taken to the familiar purple gateway, the seven adorned circles representing each book. Again, and far more excited than I should be for the second time around, I click on the first circle for ‘Chapter 1’. 

Aesthetically, it is identical to ‘Pottermore Beta’, same Privet Drive graphics (though there is sound now, which compliments the graphics nicely), and the same hidden information. The difference lies in the comments from other members underneath the “exclusive content”, each one being posted less than a minute ago. For the first time it feels that there are other members, and it’s not just me exploring the magic alone. However, this sensation is fleeting as I move on to Chapter 2. Pottermore so far feels like being in a maze, running into another member every so often but quickly losing them again. This, I’m sure, will be remedied as soon as I’m “sorted”, and can begin to focus on the interactive aspects, such as getting House Points and dueling. 

I’m sure millions of fans will agree, the idea of being properly sorted on the official Harry Potter website is thrilling. The sorting takes place in Chapter 7, but I’m in no hurry to get there – there are too many other exciting moments, such as purchasing my pet (a tawny owl), and being given a wand (beech and phoenix, ten inches, bendy). Finally I reach the sorting, and taking it more seriously than any other quiz I’ve done, I answer each question slowly and truthfully. 

The results are in…and I’m a Gryffindor! After reading my celebratory letter from prefect Percy Weasley (one of the greatest sentences I’ve ever written), I do instantly feel more a part of the community. I can earn House Points, and duel with other witches and wizards. The dueling game was initially in Beta, but was later taken down for editing. On the side of the Gryffindor profile I can see the high house-point scoring members of Gryffindor. Already the interaction in the website feels a step up from ‘Beta’.

Have any of you visited the site? What did you think of it?

Image Source :  k-ideas / Kempton