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Happy Birthday, J.K. Rowling and Harry Potter! Our 40 favorite photos from over the years

By Andrew Sims (@Sims) at 9:00 am, July 31, 2012

July 31 is a very special day in the Harry Potter fandom – it’s the birthday of fictional character Harry Potter and his creator, J.K. Rowling!

Rowling is turning 47 years old today while Harry turns 32.

We’ve rounded up 40 photos in the gallery below that are a mix of our favorite from over the years of Rowling and Dan Radcliffe/Harry.

Enjoy!

Leave your birthday messages in the comments by telling us what Harry and Jo mean to you.

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View the latest articles in: Harry Potter

The Maltese Fan

Happy Birthday J.K.Rowling – and a big thank you for all you’ve done for us by creating the wonderful world that is Harry Potter.
goldensnidget

I want to comment expressing how much both JK Rowling and Harry have inspired and motivated me for the past fifteen years. But I find it’s impossible to put all those emotions into a coherent post. So I’m just going to hope that they have the happiest birthdays imaginable, and hope to goodness that there are many more to come. Long live Potter!
WillaOakes22

love these pictures! I especially like the one from Order of the Phoenix with Dan and his stunt double laughing :P
Gary65

She looks so sad in that 4th one :( God I love this woman. Happy bday JK :D
AHaw

Happy Birthday!!!
DreamNox58

Amazing. I almost cried because it seems like it’s been so long and it brought back so many memories. I swear End of Era just played inside my head while going through the pictures. I guess it’s time for a Harry Potter marathon. I don’t know where I would be without these books and the films today. I’ve dealt with depression a lot of my life and when I was a few years younger, this is where I turned. Happy Birthday to JK Rowling and Harry Potter.

I also have to say, that one picture with Snape and he’s laughing almost, it made me think…..wth, is Snape sick that he’s smiling? lol.
http://hunyumstan.tumblr.com/ hunyum

Beautiful as always.
Happy Birthday Jo & Harry.

I guess all you can say is Thank You.
http://twitter.com/BrandiTiana Brandi Delhagen

Words cannot express the joy you have brought into my life Jo, along with your brilliant work. Thank you for being who you are and staying true to yourself. Happy Birthday to you and Harry today :)
VoldyBored

My beautiful Queen!

“Harry Potter is my childhood. Jo Rowling is my hero.”

Clichéd but inexplicably true.
BeaH_1317

I feel happy just seing them happy. Jo Rowling introduced me to the wonders of reading. Whenever I have bad times I just open a book and escape into a different world. If I never started reading I don’t think I would have known that I wanted to be a writer myself ^_^
https://twitter.com/#!/HP4eva121995 Ally

OMG so many memories. I dont think I can express my feelings in one comment. Happy Birthday to Jo and Harry. I can’t imagine my life without them. For one, I wouldn’t even be here right now.

Some of the pictures were so sweet while the others had me laughing out loud.
Ida

Happy birthday Jo and Harry!:D

The books mean the world to me, I really don’t know where I’d be without them, and Jo is such an inspiration not just artistically, but in so many other ways as well. She is a person to look up to.
Andrew_ww

Happy Birthday Jo! Thank you! I can honestly say Harry Potter has had one of the biggest impacts on where I am today.
http://twitter.com/brookesalmons brooke salmons

Happy Birthday! <3 Thank you!
WillowBlood

Happy birthday! Thank you for everything.
Debangana

Really…nobody remembers it’s Neville’s birthday too!!! Happy Birthday Neville!! You helped Harry win the fight!! :))
- Avarnon6
  
  Neville’s Bday was yesterday! (:
http://twitter.com/NatashaPeartree Natasha Pereira

Happy Birthday! THANK YOU!
HJP<3

Dear Jo,
I’d like to say thank you for everything you’ve given me over the past years. You’ve taught me the true meaning of friendship, loyalty, and courage within the Harry Potter books. Thank you for creating a world in which I can escape to when times are tough at home and in the muggle world. You’ve given me an amazing fan base I look forward to interacting with everyday and a hobby i LOVE. You are truly the greatest author I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading and will forever be my Queen. You’ve given me what has become and will forever be my childhood. I owe everything you you. Happy Birthday!

Dear Harry,
I’d also like to say thank you for everything you’ve taught me through the years. You’ve created so many memories for me to enjoy and I couldn’t have learned the values of Being Grateful, Courage, Honesty and so many more without your help. You’ve been the story I talk about everyday, every year, and have been there whenever I’ve needed a place to be myself in. I have enjoyed spending hours upon hours reading your story, making Harry Potter inspired recipes, and meeting new people due to you. Thank you for being my childhood<3 Happy 32nd Birthday!
http://twitter.com/ceilidh_brenzzz Ceilidh Brennan

Words cannot explain how much Jo and Harry mean to me
Luna

I can’t imagine my childhood without Harry Potter. I can’t wait to introduce my children to Jo’s world. Ms. Rowling, thank you for sparking my love of reading and giving me a lifetime friend. Hogwarts will always be my home. A very happy birthday to you :)
Steph

Happy birthday to my two biggest heroes! Love you both so much:)
WeasleyIsOurKing

JK Rowling gave me a world I could escape to when I was sad. That’s what she means to me.
Happy Birthday Jo and Harry!!!
http://twitter.com/eiVega eiVega

Yay! Happy birthday Harry Potter and JK Rowling! Today is seriously one of my favorite days of the year. Been wearing HP shirts all week. Going to brew some Butterbeer tonight and watch one of the movies. Always love celebrating Harry Potter Day in their honor!
http://www.facebook.com/InternationalHarryPotterDay
http://www.facebook.com/groups/131122890126/
HarryHungerAvatar12

Happy Birthday to my Number One Favorite Author, J.K. Rowling! And to one of my all time favorite fictional Characters Harry Potter. You both were a huge role in my life and I would like to thank you for that. For Jo I can’t ever stop thanking you for writing something that made me who I am, you will always be my number one role-model and Author. For Harry, You been through so much and you’re now having a peaceful life! Your one of my role-models, I can’t ever stop thanking you too, 32! Your so Old!!! Stop Growing you! Hope you have a very Happy Birthday with your children (Jo: Mackenzie Murray, David Murray, and Jessica Arantes. Harry: James Potter, Lily Potter, Albus Potter), Love ya both! : )
Dumbledore’sGirl

Harry is my best friend and has been there for me when no one else was. To Jo–thank you so much for giving me a gift that has shaped my very identity. Happy birthday to you both!
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1488158880 Patty Carlie Presley

Happy Birthday, J.K. Rowling! Your books are amazing and I have read them so many times! They always bring a bright spot to my day when I’m down. Thanks for sharing your amazing talent with us!
Sarah k.1

Happy Birthday!
Julie L

Both Jo and Harry have profoundly changed my life. Jo inspired me to love reading and taught me many important childhood lessons. While Harry kept me company on my greatest adventures and through the more difficult points of my life. Without either of them, I would not be the person I am today. I owe them so much. Happy Birthday Jo and Harry! I hope both your days are full of magic!
jon

Happy Birthday Jo. I Thank you for everything you have done for me and everyone who has read the potter series. I will always be a fan of everything you do. You are a hero, a genius, and a true inspiration.
SnitchSocks4Dobby

I couldn’t possibly put what I need to say in words. Let alone words that would fit in this post. Jo is my Queen. Happy birthday Jo. And Happy Birthday Harry :) <3 <3
Anna

Harry Potter means the world to me. I will be forever grateful to J.K.Rowling for giving us the a phenomenal, inspiring, and wonderful gift that is the HP-series. It has truly changed my life for the better.
Sapph

They two came from humble beginnings, and they two are so big now. These two persons mean a lot of things for the whole world, but everyone has his own travel with Harry, and this travel never ends. Thanks Jo, for all this years of joy, hope and happiness. You deserve a great life.
verity

Happy Birthday J.K. Rowling. Thank you so much for the gift of Harry.
Happy Birthday Harry.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_XKZIG7MXV2IMZZ3JDKGSNMJ2RE Chris

I can’t even put into words what Harry and Jo mean to me. I just can’t imagine what my life would have been like if I had never picked up Chamber of Secrets that day at the bookstore in 2001. Jo is like a role model to me and Harry has helped me through some difficult times in my life. I am just so lucky to be a part of the HP phenomenon, and it will never go away.
Cbear

Happy birthday to JKR and Harry! Even though I only just read Harry Potter a year ago, it has already changed my life for the better. I remember the first time I finished the first chapter, I knew that I was obsessed and that still hasn’t changed! Long live Harry Potter and our Queen! :)
- Cbear
  
  Oops, I mean the first time I finished the first chapter of Sorcerer’s Stone lol–I’m in a hurry!
http://eternalbookshelf.wordpress.com/ Ani Sharmin

Happy Birthday to J. K. Rowling and Harry! These stories mean so much to me, as they do to so many others as well. They’ve become a part of my life and help me to think about the real-life situations that we see in our own world. Plus, whenever I’m sad, Harry never fails to cheer me up.
http://www.facebook.com/evalynda Evalynda Cayton

Happy Birthday J.K Rowling, your books have changed my life in so many ways. Thank you for the childhood memories!
http://twitter.com/BeccaPhoenix16 Rebecca Feliciano

fav pic: Ron puking slugs
Ellen

My brain can’t process pictures of Snape laughing. #DontCallMeACoward

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