Expecto new website: Pottermore gets a dramatic makeover

It's time to pour out a Goblet of Fire in honor of the old Pottermore.

In 2012, J.K. Rowling and a team of supernerds launched Pottermore, a website dedicated to deeper exploration of the Harry Potter series. It was a fascinating mixture of Harry Potter encyclopedia and role-playing games; users were sorted into Hogwarts houses before going through each book, chapter by chapter, learning more about Rowling's expansive Wizarding World as they collected potion ingredients and gained the ability to engage other "students" in wizard duels.

Now, though, that version of Pottermore is... no more. As of Tuesday, it's been revamped to become a more traditional, text- and photo-based website, one that will focus on "features, articles and news from the Pottermore Team," as well as new bits and bobs from J.K. Rowling herself. Unlike the old Pottermore, you won't need a username and password to access the information it contains.

Perhaps more importantly: It's specifically designed to be mobile-friendly, and an app may be on the horizon as well.

A new menu splits the site's content into a series of distinct categories: Writing by J.K. Rowling is just what it sounds like. "Explore the Story" includes in-depth profiles of characters like Neville Longbottom (not this one) and Fred and George Weasley. Features, as of now, lean mostly toward lists like "15 times Harry Potter ruined the Dursleys' day," though there are also behind-the-scenes peeks at Potter films that appear to be excerpts from Harry Potter Page to Screen: The Complete Filmmaking Journey.

And then there's News, which will probably be of particular interest to Potter fans; considering Rowling's involvement with the site, this will likely become the best place to learn more about her upcoming Potter-related projects, including the Fantastic Beasts film series and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, the London-based stage play.

If you were invested in the old, RPG-esque Pottermore, don't lose hope. A lengthy Q&A about the new site indicates it "will bring the Sorting Hat back," will restore the ability to get a wand, and is working on something that reveals to users the form of their Patronus as well.

One thing it won't do? Spill any information about impending Potter stuff without Rowling's express permission.

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