In case you missed it, Harry Potter‘s birthday was two days ago. According to writer J.K. Rowling, the Boy Who Lived was born on July 31st, 1980. If Harry were a real person, that means he would have turned forty years old. Just because he’s a fictional character, however, doesn’t make him any less real – at least, not where the fanbase is concerned.
In order to celebrate the anniversary of their favorite wizard, thousands of Harry Potter lovers have flocked to Twitter to congratulate him on his advancing age, while also reflecting on their own. For many who grew up on J.K. Rowling’s writing, forty years comes as quite the reminder that time flies.
Do you remember the day of his 11th Birthday? Hagrid gave him cake with misspelled HAPPY BIRTHDAY 😭 i was ready to die ❤️💞 #HarryPotter pic.twitter.com/CqRMeSzOOT
— an| (@lived0ntpretend) July 31, 2020
Happy birthday #HarryPotter – The boy who lived.
He's a fiction character but feels real to me. Thank you for making my childhood special pic.twitter.com/50rGNH3dKf— Prachi (@prachi_pareek_) July 31, 2020
happy birthday to harry potter aka the king of weird photoshoots pic.twitter.com/lBvcKgCrti
— mar (@gcldsrush) July 31, 2020
Happy Birthday, Harry! 🎉 Remember when you tried to save Buckbeak and Sirius using the timeturner? ⏳⌛️
Big thanks to @TheNugrawesome for hosting this challenge! Had so much fun painting this!🙈#artidn #ArtistofSEA #harrypotter #harrypotterredraw #harrypotterbirthday pic.twitter.com/Icc4MbhSfK
— ndeye 🎨 (@ndeyedraws) July 31, 2020
Today is this mf's birthday💯#HarryPotter pic.twitter.com/VPYazlgfR0
— Bilal (@Bilallazhar) July 31, 2020
31 July 1991: Hagrid: "You're a wizard, Harry!"
Harry: "I'm a what?"#HappyBirthdayHarryPotter pic.twitter.com/hLo66WD4Dq— Harry Potter World (@PotterWorldUK) July 31, 2020
40 years ago
31st July, 1980
The Boy Who Lived
The Chosen One
Harry Potter, was born.Happy Birthday Harry James Potter! #HappyBirthdayHarryPotter pic.twitter.com/inTxo4NINN
— Harry Potter Stuff ⚯͛ (@TheHPfacts) July 31, 2020
Happy Birthday to Harry Potter, the Chosen One ⚡ pic.twitter.com/7kAYx6yA3R
— Wizarding World (@wizardingworld) July 31, 2020
Harry’s birthday plays a particularly important role in the books as well as the films. Since the structure of his story is loosely serialized, each installment starts roughly the same way: with Harry waiting out the summer with the Dursleys in the realm of the muggles, waiting to return to Hogwarts while his extended family forgets about or plans around his birthday.
Of course, his age is also important considering J.K. Rowling’s additional expansions of the Wizarding World. Although none of her books mention this, the writer actually created a world which she maintains in real time. In order words, this database can tell you exactly what Harry and his friends are up to at this very moment. Harry himself, for instance, currently works as the Ministry’s Head Auror.
Although Harry’s real story ends by the time he finishes the magical high school, the character is by no means gone. For one, the last book in the series – Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – actually ends on a scene set way into the future when Harry, alongside Ron and Hermoine, is waving off his children as they depart to Hogwarts. And with reports of a new sequel currently brewing in development, he may be back on our screens before we know it.
