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Not up on your Potter lingo? The Star's Christopher Hutsul interprets in words and pictures...

HARRY POTTER: Before going to study magic and wizardry at Hogwarts, Harry lived with the Dursleys: his cruel aunt, uncle and cousin. His parents died in a mysterious battle with dark wizard Lord Voldemort when Harry was a baby. Amazingly, he survived, emerging from the confrontation with only a lightning-shaped scar on his forehead. On his 11th birthday, he discovered that his parents had been wizards and that he had magical powers. To the shock and horror of the Dursleys, Harry was whisked off to Hogwarts. There, his adventures unfold with his friends Ron and Hermione.

DURSLEY FAMILY: Harry grew up with his Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia and cousin Dudley at 4 Privet Dr. The Dursleys are the epitome of what the wizarding community calls "Muggles," that is, non-magic folk. Uncle Vernon, the manager of Grunnings Drilling Company, has a very short fuse and no tolerance for magic and other mystical nonsense. Aunt Petunia, who compulsively scrubs the house, forced poor Harry to sleep in a cupboard for the first 10 years of his life while he was tormented by his spoiled cousin.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WIZARDRY AND WITCHCRAFT: Hogwarts, a magnificent millennium-old castle, is a boarding school for gifted young sorcerers aged 11 to 17. The four towers at Hogwarts, which are invisible to Muggles, house the school's residencies: Slytherin, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Gryffindor (Harry Potter's house). To the west of Hogwarts is the monster-filled Forbidden Forest. Courses at Hogwarts include: Transfiguration, Defence Against Dark Arts, Herbology, Charms and Care For Magical Creatures. The Hogwarts motto is "Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus" - never tickle a sleeping dragon.

LORD VOLDEMORT: The bad guy. Lord Voldemort is a powerful, evil wizard who practises the dark arts. He killed Harry's parents, but somehow lost his power when he tried to kill Harry. Since then, no one really knows where he is, and the wizard community gossips nervously about whether or not he is alive. Folks are so afraid of him they can't bear to utter his real name, referring to him as "You Know Who" and "He Who Must Not Be Named." His original name is Tom Marvolo Riddle, an anagram for "I am Lord Voldemort."

ALBUS DUMBLEDORE: Dumbledore is the headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He is a gentle and kind old man and is considered the greatest wizard of modern times. He is so great, in fact, that the evil "You Know Who" is afraid of him. The 150 year old enjoys chamber music, 10-pin bowling and owns a phoenix called Fawkes.

DRACO MALFOY: Draco is Harry's nemesis at Hogwarts. Quite simply, he's a cruel, bitter little bully who struts around with Crabbe and Goyle, his hefty henchmen. Draco's rich parents once followed Voldemort but switched back to the good side when he lost his power, claiming they were brainwashed.

NEARLY HEADLESS NICK: Nearly Headless Nick is Gryffindor House's resident ghost. He was known as Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington until his head was almost severed in a clumsy but successful murder attempt. He gets a tremendous kick out of shocking the first-year students by dangling his head sideways on the ghastly hinge of skin that remains. Although he died 501 years ago, he still misses food terribly. The kind old ghost is helpful to Harry and his friends.

PROFESSOR FLITWICK: This tiny professor of charms must stand on of a pile of books to see over his desk. He was so excited when he discovered that Harry Potter was in his class, he toppled off the stack, disappearing behind his desk.

HEDWIG: Hedwig is Harry's snowy owl - rare in England. In the world of magic and wizardry, owls are used as airborne postal workers. The feathered messengers carry mail in their beaks and packages in their claws, and somehow always seem to know where to find the mail's recipient. Owls belonging to the students of Hogwarts live in the Owlery, at the top of the West Tower.

PEEVES: Peeves is an excitable and cunning poltergeist. He stirs up trouble and wreaks havoc as he drifts through Hogwarts. Peeves makes a career out of hassling and playing tricks on the unsuspecting students. Though cocky and irreverent, Peeves cowers at the mention of the Slytherin House ghost, the mysterious Bloody Baron.

QUIDDITCH: Quidditch is to wizards what hockey is to Canadians. This complicated game, played on flying broomsticks, is an obsession for the magic community, with leagues and teams through Europe and Africa. At Hogwarts, the four houses compete for the coveted Hogwarts championship.

There are seven players a side, three Chasers (who zip around passing a ball called the Quaffle, trying to score in one of the other team's three hoops, which are perched atop tall poles), a Keeper (who blocks Quaffle shots like a goalie), two Beaters (who bash the dangerous Bludgers back and forth with the opposition) and one Seeker (who chases the elusive Golden Snitch). Quaffle scores are worth 10 points and a captured Golden Snitch is worth 150. That's why Harry Potter, Gryffindor's Seeker, is so important to his team.

SEVERUS SNAPE: Professor Snape, 35, is the head of Slytherin House and teaches Potions at Hogwarts. He's a strict, unforgiving teacher who is extra hard on young Harry. It's an inter-generational grudge: Harry's father, James Potter, and Snape were enemies during their time as students at Hogwarts. Snape has been known to referee the odd Quidditch match.

HERMIONE GRANGER: Hermione arrived at Hogwarts having memorized her textbooks, which thoroughly annoyed her classmates. But her skills in spells and charms helped Harry and his friends get out of some sticky situations, earning their respect and friendship. She has a cat named Crookshanks.

RON WEASLEY: Ron is Harry's roommate and best friend at Hogwarts. He is the sixth Weasley child to attend the school and feels pressure from the success of his older brothers. Draco Malfoy routinely taunts Ron for hailing from a poor family, but Ron is proud to have the famous Harry Potter at his side. The pink-cheeked redhead loves sweets, chess and his pet rat. Ron roots for the Chudley Cannons, his favourite Quidditch team.

SCABBERS: Scabbers is Ron's sleepy rat. Ron once attempted to spruce up his rat by turning it yellow with a magic spell, but the rat remained gray, with only the tips of his whiskers going slightly yellowish. Scabbers will bite when provoked.

RUBEUS HAGRID: Known simply as Hagrid, this hairy beast of a man is the groundskeeper at Hogwarts. The gigantic man carries out many general tasks at the school and is deeply trusted by Albus Dumbledore. Hagrid was sent to collect Harry from the Dursleys and to withdraw an important and mysterious package from Gringotts bank. Hagrid loves animals and is one of the only people who can safely enter the Forbidden Forest. He once owned a three-headed dog named Fluffy and hatched Norbert, a baby dragon. Hagrid was once a student at Hogwarts but was expelled for what he describes as "personal reasons."

CENTAURS: Ronan, Bane and Firenze are some of the mysterious centaurs who live in the Forbidden Forest. They watch the stars and respond to questions with cryptic answers. The centaurs are friendly with Hagrid, but generally, they avoid humans.

OLIVER WOOD: Oliver, a burly fifth-year student, is the captain of the Gryffindor House Quidditch team and hates the idea of losing the championship to Slytherin House.

TROLLS: Every once and a while, a troll sneaks out of the Forbidden Forest to lurk around Hogwarts. The huge, stupid creatures are known for their terrible odour. They don't speak and are capable only of grunting and pointing.

PROFESSOR MINERVA McGONAGALL: McGonagall is the deputy headmistress at Hogwarts and is famous for being stern and punitive - even toward students of her own house, Gryffindor. She teaches Transfiguration, the magic of transforming objects, and considers other forms of magic to be inferior. McGonagall is an Animagus, changing into a tabby cat at will.

BERTIE BOTT'S EVERY FLAVOUR BEANS: Bertie Bott's candies can be both delicious and horrid. Pop one in your mouth at the risk of tasting any flavour imaginable - or unimaginable. You'll enjoy flavours such as strawberry and coconut, but be prepared to gag on beans that taste like ear wax, liver, grass and vomit.

PROFESSOR QUIRRELL: A nervous, stuttering teacher who wears a turban, which he suspiciously claims was given to him by an African prince for getting rid of a troublesome zombie. He teaches Defense Against The Dark Arts in a classroom that reeks of garlic.

THE DAILY PROPHET: The newspaper for wizards. The late edition is called the Evening Prophet. Other publications include Witch Weekly and Transfiguration Today.

DIAGON ALLEY: Diagon Alley is a cobbled street full of shops and services for witches and wizards and other magical creatures. The alley is accessed by tapping on the right brick wall at the back of a shabby pub called the Leaky Cauldron, making a portal to the lane appear. There, and on Knockturn Alley, it's one-stop shopping for wizards like Harry - it's where Hagrid took him to buy his supplies. Some of Diagon Alley's most notable shops are Gringotts Wizarding Bank (staffed by goblins), Quality Quidditch Supplies, Eeylops Owl Emporium and Ollivanders - makers of fine wands since 382 B.C. (where instead of picking a wand, a wand picks you).

THE FORBIDDEN FOREST: To the west of Hogwarts School of Wizardry and Witchcraft is a dense forest filled with strange and terrifying creatures. The centaurs and unicorns that reside there are harmless, but watch out for murderous beasts like the eight-eyed Acromantula. Only Hagrid, friend to all animals, can walk safely in the Forbidden Forest.

NORBERT: Norbert is a baby Norwegian Ridgeback dragon. Hagrid tended the egg by keeping it in the coals of a fire, and after it hatched, fed it brandy and chicken blood to help it grow. Other species of dragons include: Common Welsh Greens, Hebridean Blacks, Hungarian Horntails, Swedish Short-Snouts and Chinese Fireballs.

HOGWARTS EXPRESS: Hogwarts Express is the magical train that transports students from King's Cross Station in London's Underground to Hogwarts School of Wizardry and Witchcraft.

KNUTS, SICKELS, GALLEONS: There are no dollars or pounds in the world of wizards and witches. Instead, they use bronze Knuts, silver Sickels and gold Galleons. (That's 29 Knuts to a Sickle, and 17 Sickles to a Galleon).

FLUFFY: Fluffy is Hagrid's three-headed dog. The vicious animal can be soothed only by the sound of music.

CHOCOLATE FROGS: Along with Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, Chocolate Frogs are a common treat for young wizards. There are no real frogs in the candies, but they do come with collectible trading cards of great wizards and witches. Ron Weasley has 500 cards but is missing Agrippa and Ptolemy.

NIMBUS 2000: The Nimbus 2000 was Harry's first flying broomstick for Quidditch. The Nimbus is a top-of-the-line broom with a mahogany handle and "a long tail of neat, straight twigs."

REMEMBRALL: A Remembrall is a marble-sized glass ball filled with white smoke. It glows red if you forget something but doesn't tell you what it is you forgot.

THE SORTING HAT: The Sorting Hat is a scruffy, centuries-old hat that plays an important role at Hogwarts. When first-year students arrive, they don the hat. It scans their minds and places them in the house that suits them best. The Sorting Hat placed best friends Harry, Ron and Hermione in Gryffindor, the house known for brave hearts.

Pictures, article, and editorial courtesy of The Toronto Star :: theStar.ca

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