It’s been two decades since Harry Potter leaped out of J. K. Rowling’s imaginations into the pages of what would turn out to be a bestseller for an entire generation. And social media giant Facebook is celebrating the occasion by color coding different Harry Potter related keywords and sprinkling a bit of magic around.
The words Harry Potter along with the different house names Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin will be colored with their respective house colors when posted on Facebook status messages. Also, posting any of these keywords triggers a magic animation playing out over the Facebook page which also plays out when clicking any of these words previously posted by other people on their status messages.
Facebook displays magic on clicking any of the special Harry Potter keywords
The first book in the series that sparked a global phenomenon titled Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone came out on June 26, 1997 amidst a time of crisis in J. K. Rowling’s life. Already undergoing a lot of struggle, the book was rejected by several publishers before finally being given a shot by Bloomsburry. The book was an instant hit, staying at the top of The New York Times bestseller list for the next two years after its release in the US in 1998. Subsequent books have sold incredibly well with the final one in the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows raking up 11 million copies sold in the first 24 hours.
.@babymegs_ Loads! First publisher to turn down Harry also sent @RGalbraith his rudest rejection. They don't even want me in a beard.
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) March 23, 2015
The books have sold a combined 500 million copies worldwide and their immense popularity has led to an entire generation growing up with the books. The books have since spawned a series of high-grossing movies, some (not-so-well-received) games, lots and lots of merchandising and other companion books and series, the most recent of which was the movie (series) Fantastic Beasts and where to Find Them written by J. K. Rowling herself. Even though it may not involve Harry Potter himself, the legacy of the Harry Potter universe is bound to continue for a long time what with four more movies expected to be released in this series in the next few years.
