The Harry Potter Alliance Raises Funds for Equality This Fall

Wizards and witches alike have the power to create change, and that's exactly what The Harry Potter Alliance has been inspiring in Harry Potter fans since 2005.

This October, the non-profit organization is launching Expecto Equality, a fundraiser supporting year round commitment to helping fans become engaged activists in their communities.

The HPA's goals will focus on fighting for climate change, supporting initiatives for immigrants, engaging voters with free training, specialized toolkits, resources and mobilization for events.

Contributions to their campaign includes perks such as signed books from Neil Gaiman and Jackson Bird, brand new art from Risa Rodil, unique perks from Emily Graslie, Preeti Chhibber, Sarah Sterling, Harry and the Potters, exclusive event opportunities from LeakyCon and a wellness guide from Heroine Training as well as exclusive merchandise like shirts, pins and a fanny pack.

The campaign will run until October 31st. Supporters can currently contribute through IndieGogo to help the HPA reach their goal. 

Check out the official website for more information on The Harry Potter Alliance.

From the official press release:

For 14 years, the HPA has proven the power of story to inspire and drive change. Today, dark forces tell stories designed to drive fear, hate, and hopelessness. The HPA will fight back around the world by helping fans reclaim the power of story and make a major impact in communities, in the streets, and at the ballot box throughout the rest of the year and into 2020.

“The stories that these campaigns and our chapters are able to tell through their activism is making positive change both locally and around the world,” Managing Director, Katie Bowers said. “Fundraisers like Expecto Equality support staff time, resource development, and our web and conference presences - and that allows us to do huge things! Donating to the HPA through Expecto Equality means you believe in a more just and magical future. This fall, in addition to supporting dozens of actions to show up for immigrants and to fight for the climate, we are on track to train over 1,000 young activists this year! That’s a thousand new heroes, hitting the ground running and working for change in their communities.”

As a fan-led nonprofit, the HPA relies almost entirely on donations. For every $1,500 raised, the HPA will be able to keep their world-class trainings and campaigns going for one week. Once the $20,000 goal is met, they will be able to commit to 13 weeks of meaningful action. To donate visit expectoequality.org and follow @thehpalliance to stay up to date on the HPA’s newest campaigns.

The Harry Potter Alliance (www.thehpalliance.org) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that turns fans into heroes. We’re changing the world by making activism accessible through the power of story. Since 2005, we’ve engaged millions of fans through our work for equality, human rights, and literacy.

Geek For The Win's Magical Harry Potter Illustrative Quotes

Over 1 million words fill the pages of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. When we read the books and watch the movies, we're transported to the wizarding world's magical landscape, winsome creatures, and bold characters. From finding light in the darkness to offering a good chuckle, Rowling's writing comforts and inspires readers every day.

Geek for the Win illustrated memorable moments for fans to enjoy, making some of the series's most underrated and beloved quotes come to life.

To highlight Rowling's wide range of characters, Geek for the Win celebrates Dumbledore's wisdom, Harry Potter's determination, Hermione's cleverness, and so much more.

Fans can relive the magic with fun new artwork that show's the courage, humor, and bravery the books instilled.

Geek for the Win strives to help you embrace your inner geek. Check out a brief selection of their artwork featured below and more on their official website. 

Which Harry Potter quotes inspire, comfort, or make you laugh? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Our Favorite Muggle Games with a Potter Twist

It's been 12 years since Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, signifying the end of Harry's journey on print. But his story, and J.K. Rowling's world, remain as relevant as ever, and we've seen a multitude of spinoffs since then, such as the Newt Scamander-led Fantastic Beasts film franchise. These explore the part of wizarding history that audiences and readers have yet to discover, but it doesn't end there. The high demand for more Potter material has also led to a new augmented reality game Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, which allows people to live out their Hogwarts fantasies in real life.

But for some, even this isn't enough. If you find yourself needing more Potter material, we've got you covered. Read on for some tips on how to add a little magic to your favorite muggle games!

Wizarding Cards

Ron and Harry were obsessed with the Wizarding Cards that came with Honeydukes Chocolate Frogs. The cards included historic wizards and witches on the front and back. You would come away not only with a hopping treat, but also a chance to score your favorite wizarding icon. If you're into that sort of thing, you'll be glad to know that Wizarding Cards do exist in real life. These come in the form of the Harry Potter Hogwarts Battle: Defence Against The Dark Arts strategy card game. This is a two-player game where you can simulate a wizarding duel just like in the books and movies.

But if that's not your speed, worry not as you can always just reinvent existing rules and terminologies for muggle games like poker to make it more magical. One way would be to go through the poker guides featured on PartyPoker and come up with fun alternatives based on spells, characters, or even places in the wizarding world. “Bullets,” or a pair of aces, can be “Fred and George,” while a “Straight Flush” can even be a “Weasley Family Tree!” Have fun, use your imagination, and remember that the use of Felix Felicis in any form of competition is considered cheating.

Bertie Botts Challenge

If you remember the Bertie Botts every flavor beans from the books and movies, you'll know that when they say every flavor, they mean every flavor. Ron even claims that George had gotten a booger-flavored one once. Well, luckily for you (or maybe not), USA Today reports that Jelly Belly has released a line of novelty jelly beans that come with flavors like Spoiled Milk and even Barf.

One game you can play with these beans is the classic guessing game, where you and your friends estimate how many jelly beans are in a jar. The twist here is you'll be mixing a batch of novelty beans with the regular ones and then try to guess how many novelty beans are in your container. You and your friends will write down your guesses and then try the beans out one at a time, taking note of when someone ingests a novelty bean. The person with the closest guess wins a prize — and considering that you may just ingest a booger bean, the prize better be worth it.

Rita Skeeter Rumors

Lastly, anyone who's ever read the books has an irreverent and enduring dislike for the infamous Rita Skeeter. Skeeter writes for The Daily Prophet and was the main source of wizarding gossip throughout the series. So what better way to pay tribute to Rita than a game of Telephone?

To play, have your players form two lines and have the first person in each line start a "rumor." You can even make this an obscure but special phrase from the book for added Potter points. That person then whispers the rumor into the ear of the player behind them. This goes on until the rumor reaches the last person who is then responsible to report the rumor. If the phrase is accurate, then the person and their team gets a point. To continue the game, simply have the last person move to the front and repeat the initial steps.

Pottery Barn Releases Harry Potter Collection Just In Time for the Holidays

The holidays are just around the corner, and Pottery Barn is about to make more muggle's dreams come true.

Dressing up your house like Hogwarts or your common room just became as easy as 'flick and swishing your wand with their latest holiday collection.

There's plenty of new decorations that will cast a spell over your house - glasses with Hogwarts house insignia, a string of Golden Snitch lights, Marauder's Map serving tray, and so much more.

Your Christmas tree may be in for an entire overhaul all on its own with new ornaments of plush ornaments of your favorite characters, flying keys from Sorcerer's Stone, the Deathly Hallows symbol, and Golden Snitch.

Some items are available for pre-order and available right now. You can shop the entire collection at Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Teens, and Pottery Barn Kids. A quick look can be viewed below.

Please note: This is not a sponsored post - no commission is made if the links are clicked or items are purchased through Pottery Barn's websites.

Wizarding World: The Official Harry Potter App Release

Witches and wizards in the wizarding may have only had word-of-mouth or the use of owls to share information, but in the muggle world, we have more than a few ways to stay connected.

Pottermore has created a spellbinding app where fans can experience new content and interactions. The Wizarding World app - the official Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts companion - is aimed for fans of all ages. The world of the films, theater, games, and theme parks now have a hub to call home.

Fans can log into the app using their Wizarding World Passport that they use on Pottermore or WizardingWorld.com.  From there, Hogwarts students can dive deeper into the stories, characters, and moments from J.K. Rowling's series with quizzes, features, and behind-the-scenes information.

Currently, fans can enjoy polls to interact with other fans and Hogwarts houses, unlock special codes to discover more mischief, video clips, trivia cards, and much more. The app's future features will include a weekly update of news from the wizarding world titled Wizarding Weekly.

As a relatively new app, the witches and wizards behind-the-scenes are looking to expand its use. Currently, it's only available to mobile users - not tablets. The app slowly started rolling out in New Zealand earlier this summer. It has since been released to Canada and Australia, and now the U.K., Ireland, and U.S.

The Wizarding World App is available on itunes and Google Play.