Pottermore's Patronus feature: Discover yours today

Since the inception of Pottermore, one of the great joys of the website has been its Sorting Hat capabilities, the quizzes that tell users which Hogwarts House (and even which Ilvermorny House) they best fit into. But on Thursday, Pottermore rolled out a new feature that rivals the Sorting Hat: Now users can find their personal Patronus.

Originally introduced in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban as the main counter to dementors, a Patronus Charm uses a spellcaster’s happy memories to conjure an animal made of white light that can battle evil spirits, deliver messages, and perform a variety of other tasks. Everyone’s animal is unique and different, usually based on a personal connection. For instance, Harry’s stag Patronus invokes his father’s Animagus transformation, while Snape’s doe represents his undying love for Lily Potter.

In order to best capture that experience, Pottermore’s Patronus uses a 3D environment, full of original music and evocative sounds. Users summon a single happy memory and then respond to some quick multiple-choice questions, after which they are presented with their Patronus, calculated via J.K. Rowling’s secret algorithm. Most Patronuses are ordinary animals (below, see examples of fox and bear Patronuses) but in rare cases, they can also be magical creatures (Dumbledore’s, for instance, is a phoenix). The user’s Patronus then becomes a part of their Pottermore profile, like their House alignment.

“We are so delighted to be bringing J.K. Rowling’s most famous spell magically to life on Pottermore, for everyone to enjoy and discover their authentic Patronus, for free,” Pottermore CEO Susan L. Jurevics said in a statement. “It’s been fantastic working with J.K. Rowling and our creative and development teams to realise her vision, using the latest technology to create this little piece of magic for our site.”

Fans can take the test now, at Pottemore’s Patronus section.