J.K. Rowling’s Original Sketches Added to Pottermore
By Katie Majka
A recent addition to Pottermore is a collection of original sketches by J.K. Rowling, whose signature style shines in these brand-new illustrations.
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Since its beta launch in 2012, Pottermore has been a haven for Harry Potter intel. Fans flocked to the site for their Hogwarts house sorting and wand assignments, but perhaps the biggest draw was new content from J.K. Rowling. The series had ended with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows five years prior and Potterheads were hungry for more details that only Pottermore could provide. From character backstories to the more recent Ilvermorny history, Rowling has kept the Potterverse alive with new information and fresh perspectives.
Now, along with Rowling’s original writing, Pottermore has included her original artwork as well. There are seven pieces in total, three of which have never been seen before by fans. Despite this novelty, the sketches were uploaded without a fuss, but included rather surreptitiously to appropriate sections of the website. This might indicate that Rowling’s sketches will become commonplace throughout the site, but only time will tell.
For the time being, we have a small taste of the visions in the mind’s eye of JKR herself:
The first sketch provides a cursory explanation of Quidditch. The players and balls are labelled accordingly, although the finer points of the game are lost in the simplicity of the drawing. Quidditch is, after all, a complex game that’s probably best seen in action rather than stagnation.
This illustrations depicts a disgruntled Harry and Ron, neither of whom were ever inclined to the magic mixology of Potions. It also serves as a reminder that Hogwarts students are required to wear hats (a fact that I, personally, tend to forget). Rowling’s Snape, meanwhile, is precisely as I’ve imagined him all these years–slick-haired, sweeping, and oddly reminiscent of Jafar from Disney’s Aladdin.
Ah, Peeves–movie-watchers hardly knew ya. Although actor Rik Mayall was cast as the poltergeist, his scenes were ultimately cut from Sorcerer’s Stone and the character was never revisited on-screen. As such, fans have had few official resources for Peeves’ physicality until this sketch appeared on Pottermore. This looks as though it may have been inspired by a scene from the first book: “There was a pop and a little man with wicked dark eyes and a wide mouth appeared, floating cross-legged in the air, clutching the walking sticks.”
By the way… is it just me, or does Peeves look a little like Burgermeister Meisterburger here?
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That’s a wrap for the new original illustrations. Perhaps this means we’ll see more of Rowling’s artwork on Pottermore from here on out? It would be interesting to see what the author herself envisions while writing certain characters and scenes. The possibility of more is something for fans to speculate on. For now, whether these or any new sketches will be included in Pottermore’s new e-books is uncertain. We’ll find out with their release on September 6.