Seven

"Wouldn't it be better, make you stronger, to have your soul in more pieces, I mean, for instance, isn't seven the most powerfully magical number, wouldn't seven--?"

— Tom Riddle discusses the power of the number seven

Bridget Wenlock

Seven was the most powerful magical number, based on centuries of mythology, science, and mathematics, and therefore had a very important role in the wizarding world. Arithmancer Bridget Wenlock was the first to note this through a theorem which exposed the magical properties of the number seven.

History

The Arithmancer, Bridget Wenlock (1202–1285) was the first witch to establish the magical properties of the number seven. She wrote her ground-breaking theorem on the back of a sugar packet, using her usual invisible ink. She then proceeded to send her cousin a letter, forgot where she wrote the theorem, and thought it was on the envelope. She hunted down the envelope and intercepted it at her cousin's house, where she learned her mistake.

Seven was the age by which most experts believed that magic would reveal itself in a wizard or witch.

Seven seen in the wizarding world

Names

• The word "Horcrux" itself contained seven letters in its name.
• "Weasley" contained seven letters.
• "Granger" contained seven letters.
• "Marvolo" contained seven letters.
• The following people had seven syllables in their full names:
  • Ronald Bilius Weasley
  • Hermione Jean Granger
  • Ginevra Molly Weasley
  • William Arthur Weasley
  • Percy Ignatius Weasley
  • Albus Severus Potter
  • Regulus Arcturus Black
  • Minerva McGonagall
• The names Lily Evans and James Potter had seven syllables altogether.
• The Arithmancy professor of Hogwarts was named Septima Vector. Her first name means "seventh" in Latin and was also seven letters long.
• Septimus Malfoy and Septimus Weasley had a shared first name that translated to "seventh" in Latin.
• If the letters of the alphabet were turned into numbers (A=1, B=2, etc...), the letters in the name Harry would add up to 70. (8+1+18+18+25=70)
• If the letters of the alphabet were turned into numbers (A=1, B=2, etc...), and added together until a single number was found, as done in Arithmancy, the letters in the name Harry would add up to the number 7. (8+1+18+18+25=70, 7+0=7)
• "Bridget" and "Wenlock", the first and last names of the person who established the magical properties of seven, both contained seven letters.

Birth

• Molly and Arthur Weasley had seven children.
• Thaddeus Thurkell had seven children, all Squibs.
• Walter Parkin had seven children.
• Violet Tillyman and Myron Otherhaus had seven children.

Pricing

• Harry Potter paid seven Galleons for his wand at Ollivanders.
• There were seven letters in both 'Sickles' and 'Galleon'.

Hogwarts

• Children went to school at Hogwarts for seven years.
• There were seven floors at Hogwarts.
• There were seven core classes, which were taught at Hogwarts:
  1. Astronomy
  2. Charms
  3. Defence Against the Dark Arts
  4. Herbology
  5. History of Magic
  6. Potions
  7. Transfiguration
• The Marauder's Map showed seven secret passageways out of the school (the map did not show the Room of Requirement).

Quidditch

• There were seven hundred fouls in Quidditch.
• There were seven players on a Quidditch team.
• There was a broomstick named the Cleansweep Seven.
• Harry caught seven Golden Snitches during his time as Seeker on the Gryffindor Quidditch team:
  • First year: Gryffindor vs. Slytherin and Gryffindor vs. Hufflepuff
  • Second year: Gryffindor vs. Slytherin
  • Third year: Gryffindor vs. Ravenclaw and Gryffindor vs. Slytherin
  • Fifth year: Gryffindor vs. Slytherin
  • Sixth year: Gryffindor vs. Slytherin

Potions

• The Wolfsbane Potion had to be drunk every seven days before full moon.
• Harry followed the alternate instructions in the Half-Blood Prince's copy of Advanced Potion-Making by stirring his potion once clockwise after every seventh stir anti-clockwise. This helped him achieve much better results than the standard instructions and earn Horace Slughorn's praise.
• There were seven ingredients of Polyjuice Potion.
  1. Fluxweed
  2. Knotgrass
  3. Lacewing flies
  4. Leeches
  5. Powdered Bicorn Horn
  6. Shredded Boomslang Skin
  7. A piece of the person that one wanted to turn into (usually hair).
• The Wizarding Schools Potions Championship was held every seven years on years divisible by seven.

Books/Publications

• Gilderoy Lockhart assigned seven books for his students in the 1992–1993 school year:
  1. Break with a Banshee
  2. Gadding with Ghouls
  3. Holidays with Hags
  4. Travels with Trolls
  5. Voyages with Vampires
  6. Wanderings with Werewolves
  7. Year with the Yeti
• Hermione Granger stated that 'Alohomora' was in chapter seven of The Standard Book of Spells.
• There were (most likely) seven Standard Book of Spells, one for each year.

Spells

• The Unforgivable Curses were first classified as Unforgivable in 1717.
• Many spells such as Protego, Reducto, Imperio, Expulso, Depulso, Anapneo, and Stupefy had seven letters in their incantations.
• There were seven known spell types:
  1. Transfiguration
  2. Charm
  3. Jinx
  4. Hex
  5. Curse
  6. Counter-spell
  7. Healing spell

Miscellaneous

• The prophecy about Harry Potter defeating Tom Riddle noted that: "The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches ... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies ... and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal...".
• In the wizarding world, wizards and witches came of age at the age of seventeen instead of eighteen.
• Seven people came out of the Shrieking Shack in 1994 after Sirius Black's innocence and Peter Pettigrew's crimes were revealed:
  1. Harry Potter
  2. Ronald Weasley
  3. Hermione Granger
  4. Peter Pettigrew
  5. Sirius Black
  6. Remus Lupin
  7. Severus Snape
• There were seven obstacles leading up to the Philosopher's Stone:
  1. Hagrid's pet, Fluffy
  2. Sprout's Devil's Snare
  3. Flitwick's Winged Keys
  4. McGonagall's giant chess set
  5. Quirrell's troll
  6. Snape's Potion riddle
  7. The Mirror of Erised
• The Philosopher's Stone was kept in Vault 713 in Gringotts Bank.
• Seven entities were attacked by Salazar Slytherin's Basilisk during the 1992–1993 school year:
  1. Mrs Norris
  2. Colin Creevey
  3. Justin Finch-Fletchley
  4. Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington
  5. Hermione Granger
  6. Penelope Clearwater
  7. Harry Potter (not petrified)
• There were seven snakes on the door of the Chamber of Secrets.
• There were seven locks on Professor Alastor Moody's trunk.
• There were seven potion bottles in the last task in the Philosopher's Stone chambers.
• Seven Muggles saw Ron and Harry in the Flying Ford Anglia.
• There were seven keepers for every dragon for the first task of the Triwizard Tournament.
• Arthur Weasley won seven hundred Galleons in the Daily Prophet Grand Prize Galleon Draw.
• From the Great Hall, Harry, Ron, and Hermione climbed seven staircases to reach the tower that housed Professor Sybill Trelawney's classroom at the top.
• The Battle of the Seven Potters occurred on 27 July 1997.
• Harry was introduced to the Order of the Phoenix when it had nine members, but he did not know who seven of them were beforehand.
• Blaise Zabini's mother had been married seven times as of 1996.
• Snape removed seventy points from Gryffindor when Harry showed up at Hogwarts late in 1996 (fifty for lateness and twenty for Harry's Muggle attire).
• Albus Dumbledore showed Harry seven memories about Voldemort's past (including both the fake and real Horcrux memory).
• Voldemort made seven Horcruxes. He deliberately created six Horcruxes to create a seven-fragment soul (including the piece of soul in his body). The singular noun of the word "Horcruxes" (Horcrux) is seven letters long.
  1. Tom Riddle's Diary
  2. Marvolo Gaunt's Ring
  3. Rowena Ravenclaw's Diadem
  4. Salazar Slytherin's Locket
  5. Helga Hufflepuff's Cup
  6. Harry Potter (unintentionally and unknown to Voldemort)
  7. Nagini
• There were seven "Potters" during the Battle of the Seven Potters:
  1. Harry Potter
  2. Ronald Weasley
  3. Hermione Granger
  4. Fred Weasley
  5. George Weasley
  6. Fleur Delacour
  7. Mundungus Fletcher
• There were also seven main conflicts, from Harry Potter's perspective, between 1997-1998, the latter part of the Second Wizarding War:
  1. The Battle of the Seven Potters
  2. The Infiltration of the Ministry of Magic
  3. The Attack at Godric's Hollow
  4. The Ambush at the Lovegood House
  5. The Skirmish at Malfoy Manor
  6. The 1998 Break-in of Gringotts Wizarding Bank
  7. The Battle of Hogwarts
• Seven prisoners (not including Dobby) escaped from Malfoy Manor:
  1. Garrick Ollivander
  2. Luna Lovegood
  3. Dean Thomas
  4. Griphook
  5. Harry Potter
  6. Hermione Granger
  7. Ronald Weasley
• Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley received seven O.W.Ls for their Ordinary Wizarding Level examinations. Hermione Granger continued with seven subjects during her sixth year.
• Harry helped Gryffindor beat Slytherin for the House Cup for the first time in seven years.
• Sybill Trelawney believed that the Seven of Spades meant an ill omen.
• When a wizard turned seven years old, they typically started showing magical properties.
• Frank Bryce was nearing his 77th birthday when he was murdered by Voldemort.
• The Triwizard Tournament in 1994 took place 7 centuries after the first one was held.
• On Christmas Day of 1994, after receiving socks as a present from Harry, Dobby told him that he now had seven pairs of socks.
• In 1996, Bellatrix Lestrange asked Severus Snape seven questions regarding to his loyalty to Lord Voldemort:
  1. Where was he when Voldemort fell?
  2. Why did he never make any attempt to find Voldemort?
  3. What has he been doing during the period between Voldemort's fall and rebirth?
  4. Why did he stop Voldemort from procuring the Philosopher's Stone?
  5. Why did he not return to Voldemort immediately when all Death Eaters were summoned?
  6. Where was he during the Battle of the Department of Mysteries?
  7. Why is Harry Potter still alive despite being under his mercy for five years?
• Harry Potter's Chocolate Frog Card stated that he was famous for seven reasons:
  1. Being the first and only known wizard to have survived the Killing Curse.
  2. Being the youngest Seeker in a century, having gained a spot on the Hogwarts Gryffindor Quidditch team in 1991 at only eleven years old.
  3. Finding and opening Salazar Slytherin's Chamber of Secrets in his second school year and defeating the monster within, which was a Basilisk.
  4. Being the youngest competitor of the Triwizard Tournament and the winner of said tournament in 1995.
  5. Being the only known Gryffindor student to be able to speak Parseltongue.
  6. Being the last Master of Death to have united the three Deathly Hallows.
  7. Defeating the most powerful and dangerous dark wizard of all time, Lord Voldemort, in 1998.
• Nicolas Flamel was seven years older than his wife.
• During Harry's hearing in the Ministry in 1995, Dumbledore stated that clause 7 of the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery allowed the use of magic in life-threatening situations.
• There was a total of seven known registered Animagi in the twentieth century.
• Minerva McGonagall became an Animagus by the age of seventeen.
• One of the ingredients for the Animagus potion was a silver teaspoon of dew that had not seen sunlight or been touched by human feet for seven days.
• Wendelin the Weird was captured and burnt at the stake forty-seven times.
• In Harry Potter's copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, he wrote in the Pixie section for the classification and put seven X's: "or XXXXXXX if you're Lockhart."

Behind the scenes

The author's last name

• J. K. Rowling's last name (Rowling) contains seven letters.

Dates

The significance of the number seven in the series

• The first book was released in 1997, and the final book was released in 2007.
• The epilogue itself is set in 2017.
• Many fans expected Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (the seventh book) to be released on 07/07/2007, which also happened to be a Saturday, the day upon which Harry Potter books had previously been released. However, it was released on July 21st of that year instead, two weeks later. It is thought that the more 'magical' date was rejected due to it also being the second anniversary of the 7/7 London Bombings in 2005. (21 is still a multiple of 7 though.)
• On 7 August, the Harry Potter series won seven awards at the 2011 Teen Choice Awards for Deathly Hallows: Part 1 and Part 2.
• The Battle of Hogwarts occurred on 2 May, the 2nd day of the 5th month. (2+5 = 7)
• The first film in the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them trilogy is set 70 years before the Harry Potter series.
• The launch livestream of Hogwarts Legacy occurred on 7th February, 2023. Its release year adds up to seven. (2+0+2+3 = 7)

Chapters

• There are seventeen chapters in the first book (Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone).
• Counting the epilogue, there are thirty-seven chapters in the seventh book (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows).
• The first years enter the Hogwarts Castle in the seventh chapter of the first book.
• Chapter four of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is entitled "The Seven Potters".
• There are seven books in the Harry Potter series.

Actors

• In the films, Voldemort is played by seven actors: Richard Bremmer, Ian Hart, Christian Coulson, Ralph Fiennes, Hero Fiennes-Tiffin, Frank Dillane and Michael Berendt although the latter's scenes were cut and never seen.
• J. K. Rowling stated in an interview that the "big seven" in the Harry Potter series are: Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), Hermione Granger (Emma Watson), Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint), Ginny Weasley (Bonnie Wright), Neville Longbottom (Matthew Lewis), Luna Lovegood (Evanna Lynch), and Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton).

Miscellaneous

• The number on the back of Harry Potter's Quidditch robes in the films is seven. This could be a reference to the fact that usually the best player/captain in a football team has the number 7 shirt.
• J. K. Rowling stated in an interview that she chose to write seven books in total because she spent seven years in secondary school. She also wanted Harry to come of age at seventeen because it "just seems a good number for a wizard to come of age."
• In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, J.K. Rowling split the dedication in seven parts.
• There were seven clues and seven opportunities to sign up and register for the Pottermore beta. The first clue was released on 31 July 2011 (Harry's birthday) and the final was released on 6 August 2011. A clue was released each day and each clue was from a book in the series corresponding to the day. For example, day one's clue was from Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and the final clue was from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
• There are seven chapters in The Harry Potter Wizarding Almanac, a companion book that was illustrated by seven illustrators.
• Seven is also a unique number, being the highest single-digit prime number.

Appearances

• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (First appearance)
• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)
• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film)
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film)
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
• Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (play)
• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay
• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (film)
• Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald - The Original Screenplay
• Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
• Quidditch Through the Ages
• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
• The Tales of Beedle the Bard
• Pottermore
• Wizarding World
• J. K. Rowling's official site
• Daily Prophet Newsletters
• Harry Potter Trading Card Game
• Harry Potter: The Character Vault
• Harry Potter: The Creature Vault
• LEGO Harry Potter: Building the Magical World
• LEGO Harry Potter
• LEGO Creator: Harry Potter
• Creator: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
• LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4
• LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7
• LEGO Dimensions
• LEGO Harry Potter
• Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup
• Wonderbook: Book of Spells
• Wonderbook: Book of Potions
• Harry Potter for Kinect
• Harry Potter: Spells
• Fantastic Beasts: Cases from the Wizarding World
• Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery
• Harry Potter: Wizards Unite
• Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells
• Harry Potter: Magic Awakened
• Hogwarts Legacy
• The Harry Potter Wizarding Almanac

External links

• Seven on Wikipedia