8 things we just learned about the 'Harry Potter' universe from J.K. Rowling's latest e-books
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Pottermore just released three new ebooks with new information about the "Harry Potter" universe.
Under the "Pottermore Presents" banner, these new books are mostly filled with entries and information that we've seen before on the site — but there are some interesting new nuggets.
Here are the most important things we learned about the "Harry Potter" universe from "Short Stories From Hogwarts of Heroism, Hardship and Dangerous Hobbies," "Short Stories From Hogwarts of Power, Politics and Pesky Poltergeists," and "Hogwarts: An Incomplete and Unreliable Guide."
McGonagall didn't join the Order of the Phoenix at first because she was spying for the Ministry of Magic.
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While we know in "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" that Minerva McGonagall was new to the Order, we didn't know why she didn't join during Voldemort's first rise to power.
"Short Stories From Hogwarts of Heroism, Hardship and Dangerous Hobbies" reveals that McGonagall was a spy for the Ministry of Magic during that time. Though she was a teacher at Hogwarts, she previously worked at the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and it looks like they called in a favor and had her use her Animagus powers to transform into a cat, collect information about Voldemort's followers, and bring that information to the Ministry's Aurors.
The Ministry saw the Order as a renegade outfit — ministers were still cagey about Dumbledore possibly wanting their job — so it wouldn't be possible for McGonagall to work for both the Ministry and the Order.
Death Eaters killed Professor McGonagall's first love.
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During Lord Voldemort's first attempt to take over the world, Death Eaters went on random anti-Muggle killing sprees. During one of these sprees, they killed McGonagall's first love, Dougal McGregor.
McGonagall never married him because she knew it would be difficult for them to have a life together: she was a witch, he was a muggle looking forward to inheriting his dad's farm. But after his death, she wondered if she could have saved him if she married him.
After the Battle of Hogwarts, McGonagall appeared on chocolate frog cards.
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Appearing on chocolate frog cards is a fairly big deal in the wizarding world. The cards are collectible items and show history's greatest wizards and their accomplishments.
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