On July 31, Harry’s birthday, Rowling gifted the world the eighth book in the series. This was preceded by a two-part play at the West End, London. It takes off from the epilogue of the Deathly Hallows: 19 years after his big victory over Voldemort, Harry is an overworked employee at the Ministry of Magic and father of three children. His son, Albus Severus, is off to Hogwarts, where he discovers a dark secret. Of course. You can bet on Dumbledore and Snape not being part of the action any longer (or can you?). But who else is expecting Rita Skeeter to still be nosing around?

For those of us muggles dying to live and breathe in the Potterverse, Universal Studios’ new theme park in Hollywood is just the place to be. The latest addition on a map that includes Japan, London and Florida steps things up with a fantastic ride called Harry Potter And The Forbidden Journey: You’ll fly around Hogwarts, fight off dementors and even play Quidditch, all while wearing 3D goggles. Drink the very real butter-beer, buy a wand off Ollivanders, get doused in Floo Powder by Hermione, run for your life from the Whomping Willow, cosplay your heart out. So what if a lot of it is simulated? This is the closest you’ll ever come to being an actual wizard.

In November, Newt Scamander, the author of a Hogwarts textbook, will come alive on the big screen in the first of a trilogy. Eddie Redmayne plays the magizoologist in 1929, on the trail of a bunch of fantastical beasts on the loose in New York, creatures that’d make King Kong look like a sweeter version of Aladdin’s Abu: There are grindylows and dragons, the Blob-like lethifold, monstrous manticores, and the most dreaded of them all: the niffler. Quick, Google America’s Hogwarts and start dropping the phrase “Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus” at every chance – unless you want your fan-cred dented.