Website

• Type: Muggle Information System
• Owners: The Daily Prophet; J.K. Rowling (jkrowling.com) (Official supplementary website); The Blair Partnership (Pottermore/WizardingWorld.com) (Official supplementary website)
• Maker: Muggles

A website is a collection of related digital pages of information, typically containing text and images, accessed via the Muggle invention known as the Internet. It is viewed on an electronic device called a computer. Within the wizarding world, this technology is almost entirely unused and unknown, with the notable exception of the Daily Prophet, which maintains a website. The appearance of this specific website is not described, but it functions as a digital version of their newspaper.

Websites possess no inherent magical properties, being a product of Muggle technology. In fact, most advanced Muggle technology is known to malfunction in areas with high concentrations of magic, such as Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The primary usage of a website is the dissemination of information to a wide audience. The Daily Prophet's website was used during the Second Wizarding War to publish news and propaganda from the Voldemort-controlled Ministry of Magic. Specifically, Ron Weasley noted that the newspaper was using its website to ask readers to report any information on the whereabouts of Harry Potter.

The concept of a website is a late 20th-century Muggle invention. Its only appearance in the original series occurs in 1997 during the hunt for Voldemort's Horcruxes. While hiding, Ron Weasley mentions the Daily Prophet's website to Harry Potter and Hermione Granger. This reveals that at least one major wizarding institution had adopted this Muggle technology, likely to extend the reach of its messaging. This mention is the sole canonical reference to a website existing within the wizarding world's sphere of influence during the events of the books.

The mention of the Daily Prophet's website serves a minor but significant world-building role. It accomplishes two things:

• It demonstrates the lengths to which the Ministry of Magic, under Voldemort's control, would go to hunt Harry Potter, even leveraging Muggle technology to spread its message.
• It highlights that some members of the wizarding community, particularly those with an interest in the Muggle world like Ron Weasley (influenced by his father, Arthur Weasley), are aware of and can access modern technology like the Internet.

• In the real world, websites have been an integral part of the *Harry Potter* fandom and franchise. J.K. Rowling's personal website was, for many years, a primary source for new canon information, clarifications, and news directly from the author. It featured interactive elements, such as a “What a load of Rubbish” section to debunk rumors and a “Wizard of the Month” award (J.K. Rowling interview).
• In 2011, the Pottermore website was launched, providing an interactive reading experience for the seven books, along with extensive new writing from J.K. Rowling about the wizarding world. This site later evolved into WizardingWorld.com, which continues to serve as the official digital hub for the franchise (Pottermore).
• The film adaptation of *Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1*, expands on the brief mention in the book. A scene shows a Muggle café worker reading an article about Harry Potter on the Daily Prophet website on his computer screen (film).