J.K. Rowling Launches 'Harry Potter at Home' for Kids and Parents in Isolation

J.K Rowling is the genius behind the wizarding world of Harry Potter.

via: Getty

What started out as a mere musing while stuck on a delayed train in London, 1990, a young Joanne Rowling conjured up the magical story of Harry Potter.

The author has single-handedly built an empire.

via: Getty

Thirty years since it's creation, over 500 million copies of the book franchise have been sold worldwide in eighty different languages, making it one of the best-selling book series of all time.

But this success didn't come easily to the young author.

via: Getty

Rowling famously struggled with marriage and money issues in the 4 years she spent working on the first Harry Potter book and, in 1994, she found herself as a newly-divorced single mom living out of her sister's spare room in the Scottish city of Edinburgh.

And, unbelievably, her idea was turned down by several different publishers...

via: Getty

Who reportedly found the idea to be "too long-winded for children" Even her literary agent allegedly warned her, "You do realize, you will never make a fortune out of writing children's books?"

It was a dark and difficult time for the young woman.

via: Getty

But, regardless of her personal struggles, she continued working on her vision, frequently taking to small coffee shops across Edinburgh to complete her debut book.

And, in 1997, her hard work finally paid off.

via: Dan Finnen

500 copies of the debut Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone finally hit the shelves in bookstores across the United Kingdom.

The book was an instant success.

via: Getty

The adventures of Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger were quick to capture a vast and loyal fanbase, with children and adults alike being instantly captivated by the novel.

And, in the years following from The Philosopher's Stone...

via: Getty

Rowling went on to release 6 more books that detailed Harry's fight against the notorious Lord Voldemort, which only made her unique take on the fantasy world of magic even more known and loved across the world.

We became Harry Potter obsessed.

via: Getty

So, of course, it didn't take long for the movie adaptations to come along.

In 2001, Warner Brothers swooped in on the book series...

via: IMDB

And brought Rowling's words and imagination to life by transforming them into a series of blockbuster movies.

Many say that the 8 movies were the true start of the world's obsession with Harry Potter.

via: IMDB

The wizardry and witchcraft mania that was induced by the books was only exaggerated after the release of the on-screen adaptations which, collectively, grossed around $6.5 billion in total.

The final chapter of the Harry Potter franchise, The Deathly Hallows, was released back in 2007...

via: Getty

And fans were finally able to discover the fate of Harry Potter and the rest of the wizarding community, something which Rowling has claimed she knew from the very beginning.

Since the end of Harry Potter, the author has embarked upon a handful of sequel projects...

via: Getty

Including the collaboration on the 2-part play, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, and the hugely successful blockbuster, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

But, putting her world of Hogwarts aside...

via: Getty

The writer is also known for her charitable work.

Many of her recent Harry Potter side projects were done purely for charity...

via: Getty

3 of her later projects were in aid of charity - Quidditch Through the Ages and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them were both in aid of Comic Relief, and The Tales of Beedle the Bard was written in aid of her own children’s charity, Lumos.

The writer actually lost her billionaire status as a result of the money she has donated over the years...

via: Getty

And, though the exact figure is uncertain, it is commonly known that she has continuously given millions of pounds to various charities and foundations.

So, it has come as no surprise to hear that she has offered a helping hand during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

via: Getty

Rowling has come forward with an incredible new project that may help the millions of parents struggling with their children during the self-isolation period.

The world is currently in lockdown...

via: Getty

And, for parents in particular, it's proving to be a truly challenging time.

Keeping children occupied while being contained in the house all day can be a real task...

And many parents are becoming steadily more and more stressed with thinking of new ways to keep their kids entertained.

But J.K Rowling has come to the rescue.

via: Getty

The author has today announced her latest project, an interactive website that gives children a space to embark on a number of educational and stimulating Harry Potter-themed activities.

Introducing: Harry Potter At Home.

Taking to Twitter, Rowling revealed her latest work, "Parents, teachers, and carers working to keep children amused and interested while we’re on lockdown might need a bit of magic, so I’m delighted to launch harrypotterathome.com."

The website aims to "bring Hogwarts to you."

via: Harry Potter At Home

Having partnered with Audible, Bloomsbury, OverDrive, Pottermore Publishing, and Scholastic, the website includes Potter-themed word searches, quizzes, crosswords, and drawing guides among other activities.

Rowling aims to "cast a charm on boredom."

via: Harry Potter At Home

A statement on the website explained that Harry Potter at Home is “where you’ll find all the latest things to keep you occupied - from special activity kits from Bloomsbury to Scholastic, to nifty magical craft videos fun articles, quizzes, puzzles and more. We’re casting a Banishing Charm on boredom."

And she didn't stop there.

via: Getty

On top of launching the website, the author announced that the first book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, will be available for free in 6 different languages in audiobook form on Audible. It is also available for free in Ebook form for the full month.

She believes that all those working hard to keep children entertained and educated during the lockdown deserve their own bit of magic.

via: Getty

She explained:

The teachers, parents, and carers working to keep children’s lives as normal and happy as possible while we’re all on lockdown deserve a bit of magic. I hope these initiatives will give children and even adults a happy distraction during their enforced stay-at-home time."

What a truly magical woman.

via: Getty

For more on the enchanting world of Harry Potter, keep scrolling to read about the new wizarding store set to open in NYC...