July 31 is an important date for the Harry Potter universe and its fans. Wizards and muggles alike recognise the date as Harry's birthday, which coincides with creator JK Rowling's birthday. Harry was born on July 31, 1980, to Lily and James Potter. So on this special day, here are some lesser-known facts about the magical world of Harry Potter, which introduced us to wizards, witches, elves, goblins, potions, friendship, sacrifice and more. Sony PIX celebrates Harry Potter and JK Rowling's birthdays on July 31 with a movie marathon on the channel.

Rowling says the idea for Harry Potter came to her during a four-hour train delay, when she was travelling back to London on her own from Manchester. It started as a simple thought: "Boy who doesn't know he's a wizard goes to wizarding school." She recalled, "I simply sat and thought, for four hours, while all the details bubbled up in my brain, and this scrawny, black-haired, bespectacled boy who didn't know he was a wizard became more and more real to me."