First-Ever Line Written of “Harry Potter” Series Revealed

by · August 26, 2024

Anyone who has ever considered writing a novel inevitably starts with the same question: How? The daunting process looks different depending on the author. The prolific Stephen King, for example, aims to crank out six pages every day. Maya Angelou kept a hotel room as a workspace to limit distractions. Jane Austen would take up her pen throughout the day and share her progress with her family in the evening.

When it comes to our beloved Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling’s daily writing routine is fairly well known, as is the fateful train ride she spent daydreaming about the boy wizard. What’s been more mysterious, until now, is what happened when she first found her pen.

 

 

Rowling sat down with The Times recently to discuss a bit of everything – most interestingly, to divulge a few pieces of information about the initial creation of the wizarding world. After a few initial questions about the first book she loved (Black Beauty) and the book that never fails to make her cry (A Tale of Two Cities), the interview turned to Harry Potter, with a question regarding the first line written of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Surprisingly, the answer cannot be found in the book at all.

The line in question was, “The Potter family lived in Darke’s Hollow.” Darke’s Hollow, of course, was later changed to Godric’s Hollow, which was home to not only the Potters but the Dumbledore family as well. The location ended up being mentioned within the first chapter by Professor McGonagall.

Rowling was also asked if she was happy with Philosopher’s Stone while in the writing process, and the answer was mixed. She mentioned that seven years elapsed between penning that first line and the book’s publication, along with several major life changes, and that she would frequently lose hope in the story and put it to the side. She recalled that after writing about Harry’s first Quidditch match, however, her confidence finally took, and there were very few revisions afterward.

Much has happened since Rowling first caught the idea that would soon take on a life of its own. One thing we can say for certain, however, is that we are glad it was written down.