September 1st is an auspicious day in the Harry Potter series. It marks the moment Harry can escape his abusive Muggle family and return to Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft And Wizardry, a magical safe haven that’s constantly infiltrated by his murderous enemies. Much as Star Wars fans have claimed May 4th as their own, September 1st is an unofficial Harry Potter celebration day for the series’ fandom. Right now the #BackToHogwarts hashtag is trending on Twitter to mark the fact that in the world of the series, the Hogwarts Express pulled out of King’s Cross Station Platform 9 ¾ at precisely 11 a.m.
But this year’s celebration is extra special because author J.K. Rowling joined in the fun. She tweeted out:
James Sirius is of course Harry and Ginny Weasley’s oldest son. And using the commonly agreed upon time line that the Harry Potter book series takes place during the early 1990s, James would be 11 this year and thus off to face the Sorting Hat on his first day. And while it’s previously been unknown which house he ends up in, Rowling finally gave fans an answer:
As Rowling indicates, it’s not really surprising that James wound up in Gryffindor, but it’s nice to see Teddy Lupin (the son of Remus and Tonks) take on the Cedric Diggory role of unexpectedly attractive/competent Hufflepuff.
James is followed to Hogwarts in two years by his brother Albus Severus (as seen in the Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows epilogue) and two years after that by his sister Lily Luna, so Rowling has a couple more Potter offspring (not to mention Ron and Hermione’s two kids) to see off to school before she’s truly an empty nester.
Fans can toast the series by pouring themselves a glass of Butterbeer and scrolling through the hashtag. Or just watch the opening number of A Very Potter Musical, which is appropriately titled “Goin’ Back To Hogwarts”: