Latest news with #HarryPotter
Irish Daily Mirror
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
The Chase's Darragh Ennis challenges Harry Potter fans to ace 'impossible' quiz
Think you're a wizard at Harry Potter trivia? The Chase's very own Darragh Ennis, aka The Menace, has conjured up a quiz to put your fandom to the ultimate test. When he's not on ITV stumping contestants with his encyclopaedic knowledge, The Menace is dishing out challenges on TikTok for muggles and wizards alike. Recently, Dublin-native Darragh whipped up a batch of fiendishly difficult Harry Potter questions, claiming they'd be "impossible" to nail for all but the most devoted fans. Darragh's latest TikTok teaser throws down the gauntlet with five Potter-centric posers, each more bewitching than the last. He's thrown down the gauntlet, asserting that "most" won't crack all five, while allowing that hardcore "mega-fans" might just flaunt their magical prowess by smashing the challenge, reports the Mirror. The five questions Darragh posed are:. For the first question, Darragh said won't be accepting vague answers; he expects both the street name and house number for full marks He even slipped in a clue for the fourth question, reminding us that A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration pops up on Harry's first-year book list, something he would've snagged during his Diagon Alley spree with Hagrid. Think you've sussed out all five brain-teasers? Hold on if you're still mulling them over, because we're about to reveal the answers. Revealing the solutions in his latest video, Darragh shared: The Chase star highlighted that figuring out Emeric Switch as the correct response for the book author question was notably "tough" and tipped his hat to those who got it right. He further explained that Professor Snape's non-Hogwarts abode is on Spinners End, which he described as a particularly obscure detail. The reactions to the quiz were mixed among viewers, with some flexing their trivia muscles, claiming the challenge was "so easy", while others admitted defeat, finding themselves flummoxed by the trickier queries. One viewer boasted: "I got 4/5. Who remembers the authors of random textbooks?" Meanwhile, another proud Potterhead revealed: "Every time I reread the books, I make sure I know who wrote every one of Harry's set books, just in case they come up in trivia, and it finally did!".
The Advertiser
14 hours ago
- Sport
- The Advertiser
Battered Tommo needs Harry Potter magic at Wimbledon
Injury-smashed Jordan Thompson is pondering whether to quit tennis for the season after Wimbledon - and admits he could do with a bit of Harry Potter-style magic to carry his battered body through his favourite event. Australia's No.3 men's player was keeping up a brave face on Friday as he admitted he would make a late decision on whether to compete in his opening-round match against Czech Vit Kopriva on Monday because he's suffering a back injury. But as he revealed how he'd recently been keeping his spirits up by reading through the complete series of Harry Potter books while sitting injured in hotel rooms around the world, the 31-year-old battler smiled wryly: "If he could weave a little bit of magic, and just take away the back pain, that would be great ..." The season after his career-best 2024 has been no laughing matter for the 31-year-old, as Thompson reflected: "Ruptured plantar fascia right foot - thought someone shot me - came back two months later, then a little groin tear, oblique tear, herniated disc, and now problems with the sacroiliac joint in the back. Good times..." It's become so bad, with his recent retirement during Queen's suggesting the problem was only worsening, that he admitted on Friday: "I'll make a late decision over competing here. I'm going to practice today, see how it goes, hopefully it warms up, and then give my all and play on some pain meds on Monday. "But If it wasn't Wimbledon, there's no way I'd play - I'd have been on QF1 back home." What happens after Wimbledon is clearly preoccupying him, as he even ponders taking the rest of the year off from the brutal treadmill of the ATP Tour that left him slamming the crowded schedule as "shit" after his French Open exit in May. Asked if he would consider taking six months out and get a protected ranking, the world No.45 said: "It's definitely not ruled out at this at this point, but hopefully that's not the case. "But after Wimbledon, I'll have to have at least a month or two off. It could be on the cards, but hopefully not. "If it's not improving - six months through the year and I've barely played any tennis - so maybe it's my body telling me that it might be the right way to go. "Let's just see what the back does, and if it's okay to get going, otherwise I'll have to seriously consider coming back next season. I don't want to be playing in pain any more - it's getting too frustrating." Still, Thompson will also be battling it out in the men's doubles, hoping to go one better than his agonising final loss when he and Max Purcell lost after holding three championship points in the final. This year, he'll be playing alongside Pierre-Hugues Herbert, the French five-time grand slam winner who US Open doubles winner Thompson describes as "a better doubles player than me". As for his new passion for going through the Harry Potter canon, Thompson explained: "I'm not a reader at all, but I've seen all the films and I thought it was about time I read the books. "For sure, he's kept me going - from hotel to hotel room, and not hitting many tennis balls, I thought I'd have to turn the telly off at some point." Asked who his favaourite character was, the famously hirsute 'Tommo' mused: "Jeez, early days ... Neville Longbottom? I'm a big fan of Dumbledore, so maybe a young Dumbledore, actually. He's very wise... "Unfortunately, I'm not as smart as him, though..." Injury-smashed Jordan Thompson is pondering whether to quit tennis for the season after Wimbledon - and admits he could do with a bit of Harry Potter-style magic to carry his battered body through his favourite event. Australia's No.3 men's player was keeping up a brave face on Friday as he admitted he would make a late decision on whether to compete in his opening-round match against Czech Vit Kopriva on Monday because he's suffering a back injury. But as he revealed how he'd recently been keeping his spirits up by reading through the complete series of Harry Potter books while sitting injured in hotel rooms around the world, the 31-year-old battler smiled wryly: "If he could weave a little bit of magic, and just take away the back pain, that would be great ..." The season after his career-best 2024 has been no laughing matter for the 31-year-old, as Thompson reflected: "Ruptured plantar fascia right foot - thought someone shot me - came back two months later, then a little groin tear, oblique tear, herniated disc, and now problems with the sacroiliac joint in the back. Good times..." It's become so bad, with his recent retirement during Queen's suggesting the problem was only worsening, that he admitted on Friday: "I'll make a late decision over competing here. I'm going to practice today, see how it goes, hopefully it warms up, and then give my all and play on some pain meds on Monday. "But If it wasn't Wimbledon, there's no way I'd play - I'd have been on QF1 back home." What happens after Wimbledon is clearly preoccupying him, as he even ponders taking the rest of the year off from the brutal treadmill of the ATP Tour that left him slamming the crowded schedule as "shit" after his French Open exit in May. Asked if he would consider taking six months out and get a protected ranking, the world No.45 said: "It's definitely not ruled out at this at this point, but hopefully that's not the case. "But after Wimbledon, I'll have to have at least a month or two off. It could be on the cards, but hopefully not. "If it's not improving - six months through the year and I've barely played any tennis - so maybe it's my body telling me that it might be the right way to go. "Let's just see what the back does, and if it's okay to get going, otherwise I'll have to seriously consider coming back next season. I don't want to be playing in pain any more - it's getting too frustrating." Still, Thompson will also be battling it out in the men's doubles, hoping to go one better than his agonising final loss when he and Max Purcell lost after holding three championship points in the final. This year, he'll be playing alongside Pierre-Hugues Herbert, the French five-time grand slam winner who US Open doubles winner Thompson describes as "a better doubles player than me". As for his new passion for going through the Harry Potter canon, Thompson explained: "I'm not a reader at all, but I've seen all the films and I thought it was about time I read the books. "For sure, he's kept me going - from hotel to hotel room, and not hitting many tennis balls, I thought I'd have to turn the telly off at some point." Asked who his favaourite character was, the famously hirsute 'Tommo' mused: "Jeez, early days ... Neville Longbottom? I'm a big fan of Dumbledore, so maybe a young Dumbledore, actually. He's very wise... "Unfortunately, I'm not as smart as him, though..." Injury-smashed Jordan Thompson is pondering whether to quit tennis for the season after Wimbledon - and admits he could do with a bit of Harry Potter-style magic to carry his battered body through his favourite event. Australia's No.3 men's player was keeping up a brave face on Friday as he admitted he would make a late decision on whether to compete in his opening-round match against Czech Vit Kopriva on Monday because he's suffering a back injury. But as he revealed how he'd recently been keeping his spirits up by reading through the complete series of Harry Potter books while sitting injured in hotel rooms around the world, the 31-year-old battler smiled wryly: "If he could weave a little bit of magic, and just take away the back pain, that would be great ..." The season after his career-best 2024 has been no laughing matter for the 31-year-old, as Thompson reflected: "Ruptured plantar fascia right foot - thought someone shot me - came back two months later, then a little groin tear, oblique tear, herniated disc, and now problems with the sacroiliac joint in the back. Good times..." It's become so bad, with his recent retirement during Queen's suggesting the problem was only worsening, that he admitted on Friday: "I'll make a late decision over competing here. I'm going to practice today, see how it goes, hopefully it warms up, and then give my all and play on some pain meds on Monday. "But If it wasn't Wimbledon, there's no way I'd play - I'd have been on QF1 back home." What happens after Wimbledon is clearly preoccupying him, as he even ponders taking the rest of the year off from the brutal treadmill of the ATP Tour that left him slamming the crowded schedule as "shit" after his French Open exit in May. Asked if he would consider taking six months out and get a protected ranking, the world No.45 said: "It's definitely not ruled out at this at this point, but hopefully that's not the case. "But after Wimbledon, I'll have to have at least a month or two off. It could be on the cards, but hopefully not. "If it's not improving - six months through the year and I've barely played any tennis - so maybe it's my body telling me that it might be the right way to go. "Let's just see what the back does, and if it's okay to get going, otherwise I'll have to seriously consider coming back next season. I don't want to be playing in pain any more - it's getting too frustrating." Still, Thompson will also be battling it out in the men's doubles, hoping to go one better than his agonising final loss when he and Max Purcell lost after holding three championship points in the final. This year, he'll be playing alongside Pierre-Hugues Herbert, the French five-time grand slam winner who US Open doubles winner Thompson describes as "a better doubles player than me". As for his new passion for going through the Harry Potter canon, Thompson explained: "I'm not a reader at all, but I've seen all the films and I thought it was about time I read the books. "For sure, he's kept me going - from hotel to hotel room, and not hitting many tennis balls, I thought I'd have to turn the telly off at some point." Asked who his favaourite character was, the famously hirsute 'Tommo' mused: "Jeez, early days ... Neville Longbottom? I'm a big fan of Dumbledore, so maybe a young Dumbledore, actually. He's very wise... "Unfortunately, I'm not as smart as him, though..." Injury-smashed Jordan Thompson is pondering whether to quit tennis for the season after Wimbledon - and admits he could do with a bit of Harry Potter-style magic to carry his battered body through his favourite event. Australia's No.3 men's player was keeping up a brave face on Friday as he admitted he would make a late decision on whether to compete in his opening-round match against Czech Vit Kopriva on Monday because he's suffering a back injury. But as he revealed how he'd recently been keeping his spirits up by reading through the complete series of Harry Potter books while sitting injured in hotel rooms around the world, the 31-year-old battler smiled wryly: "If he could weave a little bit of magic, and just take away the back pain, that would be great ..." The season after his career-best 2024 has been no laughing matter for the 31-year-old, as Thompson reflected: "Ruptured plantar fascia right foot - thought someone shot me - came back two months later, then a little groin tear, oblique tear, herniated disc, and now problems with the sacroiliac joint in the back. Good times..." It's become so bad, with his recent retirement during Queen's suggesting the problem was only worsening, that he admitted on Friday: "I'll make a late decision over competing here. I'm going to practice today, see how it goes, hopefully it warms up, and then give my all and play on some pain meds on Monday. "But If it wasn't Wimbledon, there's no way I'd play - I'd have been on QF1 back home." What happens after Wimbledon is clearly preoccupying him, as he even ponders taking the rest of the year off from the brutal treadmill of the ATP Tour that left him slamming the crowded schedule as "shit" after his French Open exit in May. Asked if he would consider taking six months out and get a protected ranking, the world No.45 said: "It's definitely not ruled out at this at this point, but hopefully that's not the case. "But after Wimbledon, I'll have to have at least a month or two off. It could be on the cards, but hopefully not. "If it's not improving - six months through the year and I've barely played any tennis - so maybe it's my body telling me that it might be the right way to go. "Let's just see what the back does, and if it's okay to get going, otherwise I'll have to seriously consider coming back next season. I don't want to be playing in pain any more - it's getting too frustrating." Still, Thompson will also be battling it out in the men's doubles, hoping to go one better than his agonising final loss when he and Max Purcell lost after holding three championship points in the final. This year, he'll be playing alongside Pierre-Hugues Herbert, the French five-time grand slam winner who US Open doubles winner Thompson describes as "a better doubles player than me". As for his new passion for going through the Harry Potter canon, Thompson explained: "I'm not a reader at all, but I've seen all the films and I thought it was about time I read the books. "For sure, he's kept me going - from hotel to hotel room, and not hitting many tennis balls, I thought I'd have to turn the telly off at some point." Asked who his favaourite character was, the famously hirsute 'Tommo' mused: "Jeez, early days ... Neville Longbottom? I'm a big fan of Dumbledore, so maybe a young Dumbledore, actually. He's very wise... "Unfortunately, I'm not as smart as him, though..."
Telegraph
14 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Bookshop stops selling JK Rowling titles over trans views
JK Rowling 's books have been removed from shelves in a San Francisco shop after the author said she would fund her transgender critical advocacy with the profits from sales. Booksmith, which refers to itself as a 'group of queer book lovers', has stopped selling Rowling's titles in response to her new legal fund, created to support 'women's sex-based rights'. 'With this announcement, we've decided to stop carrying her books,' the San Francisco bookshop wrote on Instagram, encouraging fans of the Harry Potter series to buy second-hand copies instead. 'We don't know exactly what her new 'women's fund' will entail, but we know that we aren't going to be a part of it. As a group of queer book lovers, we also had our adolescences shaped by wizards and elves. Look at us, it's obvious,' the post read. 'If you or someone you love wants to dive into the world of Harry Potter, we suggest doing so by buying used copies of these books.' On Monday, Booksmith, which has operated in the city's Haight-Ashbury neighbourhood since 1976, published a list of fantasy books on its website similar to the Harry Potter series, under the heading: 'Wizards, but not That Wizard'. 'Please find below a list of bookseller-curated suggestions for books we genuinely love that also might fit the HP brief for you and yours,' the website read. The move sparked a censorship row on social media, with one person commenting: 'So you're going to curate your selections to only sell books by authors that you agree with politically. Good to know. I'll be shopping elsewhere.' Another accused Booksmith of 'choosing to silence someone you disagree politically with'. The shop responded by claiming the ban on Rowling's novels is 'not politics at all' and is 'no different' to encouraging readers to buy from independent book stores. 'There are plenty of books we carry that we don't 'agree' with, but in this case, it's not politics at all,' it said. 'When the author of a book states that all sales of those books will contribute to an anti-trans fund, the only way we can choose not to participate is by not selling the books any longer. it's no different than when we encourage you to buy your books in indies rather than purchase them on Amazon. 'It stands in direct opposition to everything we believe in and that we have tried to uphold in our nearly 50 years of selling books. 'If you want to read the HP books, we implore you to buy them used locally, where the money stays in the community you love.' The author in May announced that she would funnel her personal wealth into a JK Rowling Women's Fund, described as a legal endowment to support 'individuals organisations fighting to retain women's sex-based rights in the workplace, in public life, and in protected female spaces'. Although the fund does not mention the transgender community specifically, Rowling has been a vocal defender of women's spaces and sex-based rights. Booksmith is one of several US cultural institutions that have boycotted Rowling over her gender-critical views. In August 2023, the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle scrubbed its Harry Potter exhibits of all mention of the author, describing her as ' She Who Must Not Be Named '. Despite public backlash against Rowling for her views on transgender issues, there is little evidence of activism impacting on her book sales. The Harry Potter books have sold 230 million copies in the US and 600 million worldwide, making it the bestselling book series of all time, according to US publisher Scholastic. Forbes estimated Rowling has earned more than $80 million (£60 million) a year from book sales and Potterverse brand extensions including films, theme parks and theatre shows since she first began speaking out on women's rights in 2020.
Perth Now
16 hours ago
- Sport
- Perth Now
Battered Tommo needs Harry Potter magic at Wimbledon
Injury-smashed Jordan Thompson is pondering whether to quit tennis for the season after Wimbledon - and admits he could do with a bit of Harry Potter-style magic to carry his battered body through his favourite event. Australia's No.3 men's player was keeping up a brave face on Friday as he admitted he would make a late decision on whether to compete in his opening-round match against Czech Vit Kopriva on Monday because he's suffering a back injury. But as he revealed how he'd recently been keeping his spirits up by reading through the complete series of Harry Potter books while sitting injured in hotel rooms around the world, the 31-year-old battler smiled wryly: "If he could weave a little bit of magic, and just take away the back pain, that would be great ..." The season after his career-best 2024 has been no laughing matter for the 31-year-old, as Thompson reflected: "Ruptured plantar fascia right foot - thought someone shot me - came back two months later, then a little groin tear, oblique tear, herniated disc, and now problems with the sacroiliac joint in the back. Good times..." It's become so bad, with his recent retirement during Queen's suggesting the problem was only worsening, that he admitted on Friday: "I'll make a late decision over competing here. I'm going to practice today, see how it goes, hopefully it warms up, and then give my all and play on some pain meds on Monday. "But If it wasn't Wimbledon, there's no way I'd play - I'd have been on QF1 back home." What happens after Wimbledon is clearly preoccupying him, as he even ponders taking the rest of the year off from the brutal treadmill of the ATP Tour that left him slamming the crowded schedule as "shit" after his French Open exit in May. Asked if he would consider taking six months out and get a protected ranking, the world No.45 said: "It's definitely not ruled out at this at this point, but hopefully that's not the case. "But after Wimbledon, I'll have to have at least a month or two off. It could be on the cards, but hopefully not. "If it's not improving - six months through the year and I've barely played any tennis - so maybe it's my body telling me that it might be the right way to go. "Let's just see what the back does, and if it's okay to get going, otherwise I'll have to seriously consider coming back next season. I don't want to be playing in pain any more - it's getting too frustrating." Still, Thompson will also be battling it out in the men's doubles, hoping to go one better than his agonising final loss when he and Max Purcell lost after holding three championship points in the final. This year, he'll be playing alongside Pierre-Hugues Herbert, the French five-time grand slam winner who US Open doubles winner Thompson describes as "a better doubles player than me". As for his new passion for going through the Harry Potter canon, Thompson explained: "I'm not a reader at all, but I've seen all the films and I thought it was about time I read the books. "For sure, he's kept me going - from hotel to hotel room, and not hitting many tennis balls, I thought I'd have to turn the telly off at some point." Asked who his favaourite character was, the famously hirsute 'Tommo' mused: "Jeez, early days ... Neville Longbottom? I'm a big fan of Dumbledore, so maybe a young Dumbledore, actually. He's very wise... "Unfortunately, I'm not as smart as him, though..."
Mint
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Mint
Bombay HC or Hogwarts? Lawyers descend like wizards, Severus Snape vibes included
Is it a courtroom or a wizarding school? A video going viral on Instagram has the internet buzzing with Harry Potter nostalgia – and this time, it's the Bombay High Court taking centre stage. In the short clip, a group of lawyers dressed in their classic black robes is seen descending the iconic spiral staircase of the Bombay High Court. But what catches everyone's attention is not just the location or the attire - it's the resemblance to scenes straight out of Hogwarts. The caption on the video reads: 'Bombay High Court ❌ Hogwarts ✅ | Advocate ❌ Wizards ✅', instantly sparking a flood of Potterhead reactions online. Set against the backdrop of the High Court's gothic architecture -- complete with old stone walls, ornate railings, and tiled floors -- the video 'feels like a deleted scene from the wizarding world,' a social media user said. While the dim lighting and flowing robes of the lawyers have reminded many of 'Professor Snape' and the students of Slytherin making their way through the halls of Hogwarts. A user wrote: 'Feels like a deleted scene from the wizarding world'. Another said: 'Why does this give off 'Order of the Phoenix' vibes?' A third user: 'Snape will be proud of them for sure.' A fourth user wrote: When I went to the high court for the first time, I had the same feelings The Bombay High Court is one of the three original High Courts established in India's Presidency Towns under the Letters Patent granted by Queen Victoria. Its magnificent structure was designed by British engineer Colonel James A. Fuller, with the court holding its first session in the current building on January 10, 1879. Following independence, Justice M.C. Chagla became the first Indian to be appointed as the permanent Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court. Notably, the building features two striking octagonal towers flanking the western side of the central tower, crowned by statues symbolising Justice and Mercy.
