The News in New Media

#ExpectoPatronum

If you’re a Harry Potter fan, you’ve been waiting for this for years.

tumblr_inline_nifhajiLA01rf9qoc

You can now get your Patronus on JK Rowling’s Harry Potter website, Pottermore.

The Magic Queen Herself’s patronus is a pine marten, according to her official Twitter page.

Most people are over the moon about this, understandably. Twitter is a magical menagerie of dolphins, dogs, birds, and even magical creatures.

https://twitter.com/jenwilsonca/status/778998118524125185

https://twitter.com/itsamandaross/status/778998135481786368

Some people, however, are less-than-thrilled.

https://twitter.com/magicrobins/status/778998114946461697

https://twitter.com/mariapaulan97/status/778998209410576384

https://twitter.com/HelenScottUK/status/778985613827706881

As someone who also got Salmon, I offer you this word of caution: do NOT jump into this quiz without taking a little forethought, especially not while excitedly calling to the rest of your colleagues in your office your extreme joy at this momentous occasion. This is a pivotal moment in your life, a defining instant in your fandom career, and it needs to be cherished.

Instead, approach the quiz calmly. It’s more than a quiz, it’s sort of a game. Think carefully of your happiest memory and go steadily through each question — if you take too long, it’ll skip to the next one.

Keep in mind, too, that this feature on Pottermore seems to be more random than, say, your house or your wand. Twitter’s animal choices are all over the board, including “black and white cat” as well as “tortoiseshell cat,” “black stallion” as well as “white stallion,” and at least three kinds of dog. Salmon is still the only fish I’ve found, even though I’ve seen a few dolphins.

The bottom line is, it might not be as big a deal as we think. Queen JK also Tweeted that your Patronus can change over time, too. So does this mean we can one day retake the quiz? That seems only fair.

Few of us are lucky enough to have a mystical creature, like, say, a dragon, although one Tweeter did. Also, this one:

https://twitter.com/typicalfeminist/status/778998096936202240

Whatever your Patronus, Queen JK does a brilliant job of keeping the magic alive with new content on a regular basis. I wish you the best of luck–remember, think of a happy memory!