Harry Potter

Harry Potter

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Published in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, Harry Potter was a series of novels by British author J.K. Rowling. The books were about a bespectacled wizard boy, Harry Potter, who lived with his aunt and uncle and attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He was often targeted by Lord Voldemort, an evil wizard bent on killing him.

By his tenth incarnation the Doctor had read the seventh Harry Potter novel (The Deathly Hallows), and cried upon reading the ending. (TV: The Shakespeare Code) A descendant of Rowling known as PQ Rowling wrote Harry Potter and the Half-Moon Dentist. (PROSE: Doctor Who and the Adaptation of Death) There were eleven novels. The Eighth Doctor had a complete set in his TARDIS. (PROSE: The Gallifrey Chronicles)

Martha Jones knew the books and suggested Potter's magic word "Expelliarmus" (the incantation for the Disarming Charm) to William Shakespeare to help defeat the Carrionites. The suggestion worked. (TV: The Shakespeare Code) Donna Noble jokingly referred to a centaur-like Aquabi she met as Firenze — the name of one of the centaurs in the Potter universe. (AUDIO: Pest Control) A copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (The Sorceror's Stone in America and the first Potter novel) was in a display case on Platform One. (TV: The End of the World)

Mark Whitaker owned first editions of some of the Harry Potter books. Amy Pond likened the TARDIS chasing Whitaker's train to a scene in Harry Potter, where Harry and his best friend Ron Weasley chased the Hogwarts Express in an enchanted Ford Anglia (from The Chamber Of Secrets.) (PROSE: Touched by an Angel)

Behind the scenes

• In real life, only seven Harry Potter novels (plus several shorter spin-off works) have been published.
• In 2005, Russell T Davies asked Harry Potter's creator J.K. Rowling if she would write for Doctor Who. She refused, saying that she was "amused by the suggestion but simply doesn't have the time." She was writing the sixth Harry Potter novel (Half-Blood Prince) at the time.
• In The Christmas Invasion, a Hogwarts-style uniform featuring wizard's robes briefly appears as the Doctor considers what clothes to wear in his new incarnation.
• The Shakespeare Code, in which the Doctor references reading the seventh book, was broadcast before The Deathly Hallows was published, during a period of intense anticipation of its release. The Doctor doesn't mention the book's title expressly, as it had not been revealed by the time the episode began filming.
• According to his 2008 autobiography A Writer's Tale, Russell T Davies also considered basing the 2008 Christmas special around an appearance by Rowling.
• Daniel Radcliffe, who portrayed Harry, was a name thrown out by Russell T. Davies to play the Eleventh Doctor.
• Other actors who have appeared in the Harry Potter films who have been considered for the role of the Doctor include Jim Broadbent, John Cleese, Robbie Coltrane, Richard Griffiths and Alan Rickman.
• When filming the 2005 series Russell T Davies commented upon the difficulty of finding little person actors for Doctor Who because Harry Potter and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory were filming at the same time.
• Harry Melling, who plays Dudley Dursley in the film series, is the grandson of Patrick Troughton. However he never met him, as Patrick died before he was born. David Troughton is his uncle.
• Alfie Enoch, who plays Harry’s friend and Gryffindor dorm-mate Dean Thomas, is the son of William Russell.
• David Tennant is, just like the Tenth Doctor, a huge fan of the Harry Potter series. David appeared in the Goblet of Fire film as Death Eater Barty Crouch Jr. Roger Lloyd-Pack appeared in the same movie as the father of David's character.
• Many fan works nominate Hermione Granger as a companion for the Doctor due to her intelligence. Her also using a Time-Turner to travel backwards in time to attend multiple classes at once in The Prisoner of Azkaban have even led some fans to suggest she has the makings of a Time Lord.

Footnotes