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Wizarding World, the franchise consisting of the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts universe, announced on Twitter that a number of resources will be made available to fans of the series in response to the COVID-19 crisis. In a more detailed announcement on their website, Wizarding World wrote, “During the strange times we now find ourselves in, we want to welcome you back to Hogwarts, where you will find a friendly retreat for you, your family and those you care for. The program, called Harry Potter at Home, follows author J.K. Rowling’s announcement that teachers may read aloud from the seven books of the Harry Potter series and broadcast the content on schools’ “secure networks,” temporarily nixing the usual required copyright permissions.
Today we’re very pleased to be launching #HarryPotterAtHome, a campaign aimed at younger readers who might be meeting Harry for the first time: https://t.co/n9mZR4hwSJ [thread] pic.twitter.com/UERqfVCd7k
— Wizarding World (@wizardingworld) April 1, 2020
In addition to Rowling and her agents The Blair Partnership’s blanket permission regarding the original text, Wizarding World will also offer free access to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone on audiobook narrated by Stephen Fry via Audible; related tools including activities, videos, articles, puzzles, and more; and free access (with a library card) to the ebook of Sorcerer’s Stone via users’ OverDrive accounts. The ebook and audiobook will be available in a number of languages.
One page on WizardingWorld.com, Ten Words You Need to Know When Reading the First Harry Potter Book, mixes in standard vocabulary, such as poltergeist, with words generated for the series, like muggle, making the absorption of definitions fun for students.
Tools are currently limited, but Wizarding World promises more to come and recommends checking back at the Harry Potter at Home Hub frequently for new material.
The effort comes together with help from Bloomsbury, Scholastic, and a number of other organizations.
Fans interested in the service can also sign up for a Harry Potter at Home newsletter to get the latest updates, an option provided in the Wizarding World registration form. While registration does not appear to be required for access to existing material, an account allows for a more robust experience on the Wizarding World website, previously known as Pottermore.
Harry Potter at Home is available at the Wizarding World website.