What is ‘Harry Potter and the Portrait of What Looked Like a Large Pile of Ash?’

Harry Potter fans are always desperate for new content, eagerly consuming everything from spin-offs to fan fiction and even fan musicals. Lovers of the boy wizard are always looking to spend a little more time in Hogwarts and the Wizarding World at large.

Potterheads who have spent a while scouring the internet might have recently come across a strange Harry Potter story called Harry Potter and the Portrait of What Looked Like a Large Pile of Ash. Just what is this curiously-titled tale all about?

What is Harry Potter and the Portrait of What Looked Like a Large Pile of Ash? 

Harry Potter and the Portrait of What Looked Like a Large Pile of Ash is presented as the 13th chapter of a new or lost Harry Potter novel. This 13th chapter, called “The Handsome One,” follows Harry, Ron, and Hermione as they climb Hogwarts castle to battle a group of Death Eaters. 

As you read the chapter, you’ll realize that something isn’t right, as the story features lines like: 

“The password was ‘BEEF WOMAN,'” Hermione cried.

Ron threw a wand at Voldemort, and everyone applauded. Ron smiled. Ron reached for his wand slowly. “Ron’s the handsome one,” muttered Harry as he reluctantly reached for his.

“I’m Harry Potter,” Harry began yelling. “The dark arts better be worried, oh boy!”

In fact, while the plot sort of makes sense, the descriptions and dialogue are very off-kilter and often feature random non-sequiturs and confusing outbursts. 

Where did Harry Potter and the Portrait of What Looked Like a Large Pile of Ash come from? 

Harry Potter and the Portrait of What Looked Like a Large Pile of Ash first hit the internet in 2017. It was not created by J.K. Rowling but was rather made by Botnik Studios. 

Botnik Studios is an entertainment community that created an AI-driven predictive text program that functions a lot like the keyboard on a cellphone. The team at Botnik trained the system by giving it the actual Harry Potter books. Then a small group of writers worked with the predictive text software to create the strange but weirdly readable chapter. 

What impact did Harry Potter and the Portrait of What Looked Like a Large Pile of Ash have?

The fake chapter quickly went viral. Many fans recorded readings of the chapter and many creators made YouTube videos performing the chapter or animating the surreal events. 

In fact, the trend became so popular that British newspaper The Guardian declared it to be the 4th best internet moment of 2017.