J K Rowling’s newest story from the world of Harry Potter centres around Celestina Warbeck (Picture: Ian West/PA Wire)

JK Rowling, the woman behind the Harry Potter stories (and the one with an imagination so vast it’s sure to produce an impressive patronus!) has returned to the world she created for an entertaining new story at Pottermore about one of her favourite ‘off-stage’ characters – a singer with the fantastic name of Celestina Warbeck.

Here are ten things we learned about the Wales-born Hogwarts alumni, Celestina, and the wizarding world we love:

1. Rowling really has a soft-spot for the Gryffindor house

Celestina Warbeck hails from house Gryffindor – as do all the best people.


2. Pushy mothers exist in all worlds



Celestina’s muggle mother, a failed actress, is said to have ‘bombarded the school [Hogwarts] with letters urging the creation of a choir, theatre club and dancing class to showcase her daughter’s talents’.

3. Celebrities exist in this world who have nothing to do with he-who-shall-not-be-named

Harry Potter might have been a celebrity because he was the boy who lived but Celestina Warbeck has eight homes and the ‘ability to drown out a chorus of banshees’. Now that’s celebrity.

4. Ticket touts also exist

Tickets to Celestina’s concerts often appear on the black market with inflated prices! There’s just no avoiding them.

5. Molly Weasley is a big fan

Molly Weasley is a fan (Picture: Warner Brothers)

Imagine Molly at a gig, singing along to her favourite ‘singing sorceress’. Just picture it! Sadly, due to the high prices, Molly has not yet managed to see Celestina live – though she’d really love to. Anyone fancy doing a whip-round?

6. There might be something even creepier out there than the dementors

Celestina’s parents met when a Lethifold (believed to be related in some way to the dementors) attacked her mother disguised as a stage curtain. Wikipedia says the Lethifold is also known as a ‘living shroud’ and the creatures are carnivorous and violent. Scary stuff!

7. Gossip columns are unavoidable

We already knew, thanks to Rita Skeeter, that celebrity news reporting exists in the world of Harry Potter just like it does in ours. It seems that ‘Celestina’s personal life has provided much fodder for the gossip columns of the Daily Prophet’.

8. Celestina’s music exists in our world too

The title song from the album You Stole My Cauldron But You Can’t Have My Heart can be heard in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley at Universal Orlando Resort.

9. Celestina is not as new as you might think

Struggling to imagine Celestina? Think Shirley Bassey (Picture: AP)

Rowling explains that Celestina ‘has been part of the Potter world ever since its inception’, going on to say that she pictures her as something of a ‘Shirley Bassey in both looks and style’.

10. The name is stolen

Though nobody can deny the immense imagination of JK Rowling and all the wonderful new names she concocted for the Harry Potter stories, the name of her singing star is actually stolen from a former colleague of hers at Amnesty International. According to Rowling, ‘Celestina was simply begging to be scooped up and attached to a glamorous witch.’

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