This post is going to be long. I’m not spoiling this experience for anyone by revealing new exclusive content (other than about my house). I’m sharing the questions I was asked during the wand selection and the sorting ceremony, so you can skip that part if you want.
I received an “owl” from Pottermore on Thursday, letting me know my account was ready to explore! I was so excited that anyone around me could just feel excitement radiating off me.
After exploring it for three days, I can tell you that I absolutely love it! There’s so much new exclusive content and a lot of fun activities to help enhance the Harry Potter experience. My favorite new exclusive content so far has been the back story about Professor McGonagall and the Mirror of Erised.
The two most exciting parts of the experience so far have been the wand selection and the sorting ceremony. Both are based on personality. The questions for the wand selection are the same for everyone. However, the sorting ceremony is a little different. Each “student” is asked seven questions, but they come from a pool of questions, so not everyone is asked the exact same questions.
Wand Selection
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My wand is made of pine, has unicorn hair as the core, is 10.75 in. long, and is brittle. I wanted a wand with a phoenix feather or dragon heartstring as the core, but after I read about the unicorn hair, I’m happy with my wand. After all, it did choose me.
Sorting Ceremony
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How do I feel about being sorted into Slytherin? After I read Deathly Hallows four years ago, I took a sorting quiz based on the Meyer-Briggs personality test. That quiz put me in Slytherin. Ever since then, I’ve figured I’m a Slytherin, so I’m happy that it’s finally official. Plus, the welcome message from JK Rowling, given by Prefect Gemma Farley, quells the myths/rumors regarding the Slytherin house:
Firstly, let’s dispel a few myths. You might have heard rumours about Slytherin house–that we’re all into the Dark Arts, and will only talk to you if your great-grandfather was a famous wizard, and rubbish like that. Well, you don’t want to believe everything you hear from competing houses. I’m not denying that we’ve produced our share of Dark wizards, but so have the other three houses–they just don’t like admitting it. And yes, we have traditionally tended to take students who come from long lines of witches and wizards, but nowadays you’ll find plenty of people in Slytherin house who have at least one Muggle parent.
Here’s a little-known fact that the other three houses don’t bring up much: Merlin was a Slytherin. Yes, Merlin himself, the most famous wizard in history! He learned all he knew in this very house! Do you want to follow in the footsteps of Merlin? Or would you rather sit at the old desk of that illustrious ex-Hufflepuff, Eglantine Puffett, inventor of the Self-Soaping Dishcloth?
There’s a lot more to the welcome message than what I’ve shared. I just wanted to give you a glimpse of how cool being a Slytherin is. I mean how cool is it that I’m with the likes of Merlin? The Merlin!
I’m really excited for everyone to get a chance to explore it in October, read the new exclusive content, explore the worlds, and of course get a wand and be sorted. I hope it’ll be a good experience for all Potter fans, especially the new generation, and that everyone will enjoy it just as much as I have.
About Jenni Elyse
I am STILL anxiously awaiting my owl. And my son is now on pins and needles awaiting his to, since I was telling him about the fun you’ve been having!
I hope you get your owl soon. A lot of my friends who found the quill on the second and third days haven’t received their owl yet. I wish it would come soon for you guys!
Very exciting! I’m still waiting on my owl too… I’m hoping it’s any MOMENT now. LOL!
I hope you get it any moment now too!
Okay so it’s clear to me that I am and will always be a Ravenclaw but um….I would have picked a lot of the same answers as you and um….crap!
I wasn’t interested in Pottermore but you are making it sound fun.
Maybe with the changes in some of the answers that’s what will make you a Ravenclaw. I know that some users have been hat stalls, where the Sorting Hat can’t decide after the questions and the user gets to decide their house. Cool, huh?
I wasn’t really all that excited about this when I first heard about it but now after reading your post, I’m feeling very excited!
It really is cool, just for the exclusive new content alone! You could forget about the fun and games, but all the new stuff is so fun to read and learn.
I am so excited for this. I can’t wait to be able to enter Pottermore.
Andrea @ Reading Lark
It’s a lot of fun! I hope you enjoy it!
Okay, so this seriously makes me want to join. In the beginning, I’d tried to add my email to the mailing list, and it wouldn’t let me
But now I’m feeling like I want to try again.
This is so interesting Jenni! Great post, and thanks for letting me in on what I’m missing. I love Harry Potter!
Ninja Girl
I had troubles adding my email to the list to when it asked. It took me a few days to do it. I think they need to beef up their servers a bit to handle all the traffic they’re gonna be getting. Even now, it kicks you off every now and then. But, I guess that’s why they’re doing beta.
I’ve been trying really hard not be jealous, since it’s frowned upon, but I AM! October can’t come fast enough for me and the kiddos.
I’ll be interested to see which house you and the kids get sorted into.
I’m Slytherin as well! I had always thought I’d be Ravenclaw, but you’re right, the welcoming text does a good job of convincing me, especially the part about helping each other instead of stomping on each for top marks, since that has always been something important to me in my RL education.
I’m so glad that you’re okay with being in Slytherin.
And, the welcoming text is great, isn’t it? 