5. People study the Potter universe at uni

The much talked-about module at Durham University was part of the programme offered by the Education department. Among other things it looks at the “social, cultural and educational context” of J.K. Rowling’s series and aims to “understand some of the reasons for its popularity”.

6. The religion ‘Snapeism’ exists now

Just one facet of the intense Potter fandom, Snapeism was examined in an academic article by the University of Sydney’s Zoe Alderton  In it she said: “the Snapists actually satisfy common a priori assumptions about what it is to be religious (based on Western Judeo-Christian understandings of this term), and use these same standard ideas in order to frame their beliefs.”

7. It made kids’ lives safer

An analysis in the British Medical Journal found that the release of Harry Potter books coincided with a dip in the number of A&E admissions of children aged between seven and fifteen, because rather than getting into scrapes, they were reading. The authors concluded: “There is a place for a committee of safety-conscious, talented writers who could produce high-quality books for the purpose of injury prevention.”

8. Edinburgh’s Elephant House café is always rammed

Along with the now defunct Nicholson’s Café, Elephant House is one of the Edinburgh eateries where J.K. Rowling composed her first few Potter books. Once it was a quiet spot where you could write a book; no longer.