Pottermore, the official Harry Potter website, is closing its doors to move on to bigger and better things, or in this case, a rebranding of the site. Pottermore first opened its gates in 2011. Since then, it has become the go-to source for news, features and articles about the world of Harry Potter books and movies. Pottermore also features new and previously unreleased writing by J.K. Rowling and showcases fun activities for fans, such as an online sorting hat, wand picker and Patronus finder.
More importantly, though, Pottermore has become a place for fans to learn more about the Harry Potter universe, including Rowling's thoughts about her characters and the world she created. Rowling has also used the site to release e-books with new and original stories set in the Potterverse. Although the story of Harry Potter originally ended in 2011 with the release of the movie Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2, Jack Thorne revived the series with a theatrical play based on a story by Rowling, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, in 2016. The franchise continues to expand with the prequel film series Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. As a result, Pottermore keeps getting bigger, as it continues to add information and stories about the play and new films.
However, it seems that the online world of Harry Potter has outgrown its original site. An official post on Pottermore reveals that the website will soon close its doors as part of a rebranding effort. However, Pottermore users needn't worry as a new site, WizardingWorld.com, will take its place and will have much of the same content, plus new additional features, including a mobile app. The post reads:
It’s a bit like The Burrow; we're magically adding a few extra floors to our house and throwing in some Extension Charms, bringing over the content you know and love from Pottermore.com, and adding some new, enhanced surprises. A visit to Pottermore.com will redirect to WizardingWorld.com - but don't worry, you haven't made a mistake with your Floo Powder. It is still, very much, the online home of Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts.
We've been busy working on a variety of exciting projects to make your journey through the Wizarding World even better, requiring an even bigger and better website to show it all off.
Existing Pottermore users can now transfer their accounts over to the new site: They can log in to WizardingWorld.com using their existing details, although they will have to use an access code sent via email to change their passwords. After registering, though, users will see their information ported over from Pottermore, including their House, wand and Patronus. Although WizardingWorld.com doesn't have a lot of content yet, it does have a new feature allowing users to choose their favorite Quidditch team, characters, spells, places and food to share with other users.
Although there aren't a lot of new details given about WizardingWorld.com, Harry Potter fans are bound to get excited over the prospects of a new site with new features and the kind of content they love. The new website will give fans a little something to do while anxiously waiting for Fantastic Beasts 3, which won't release until 2021.
Source: Pottermore
