Warner Bros.
"Harry Potter" fans were thrilled to learn they could finally take a quiz and discover their Patronus on Pottermore - but that bubble of excitement quickly burst. Some people were disappointed by their assigned Patronus, especially when given a type of rodent or bird.
Since the Patronus quiz premiered on September 22, the official Pottermore account (and now J.K. Rowling herself) have started replying to tweets from upset Patronus owners. The message is often the same: "Your Patronus is rarely what you expect."
@lisettedeartola Your Patronus represents an aspect of your personality, Lisette. They are rarely what we expect!
@cemercevik Patronus are rarely what we expect them to be!
- Pottermore (@pottermore) September 26, 2016
@michielhuismann Patronus are rarely what we expect them to be!
- Pottermore (@pottermore) September 26, 2016
@rebeccavanwyk8 Your Patronus is rarely what you expect… even J.K. Rowling said so! We hope you'll come to love yours.
- Pottermore (@pottermore) September 26, 2016
@mediahaze Oh dear. If it helps, your Patronus is rarely what you expect, Rachel! We hope they learn to live together in perfect harmony.
- Pottermore (@pottermore) September 26, 2016
Pottermore even addressed the concerns about size when people expressed doubt that a small Patronus can truly battle Dementors.
@maruquiroga99 Appearances can be deceptive! Pine Martens may be little, but they can be exceptionally fierce.
- Pottermore (@pottermore) September 26, 2016
@mariafer_gue Magpies are remarkably intelligent and risk-taking animals. We hope you come to love your Patronus, María!
- Pottermore (@pottermore) September 26, 2016
J.K. Rowling has addressed two fans directly about their Patronuses.
"I literally got a rat for a patronus ... I don't know how you can make me feel better about that haha," Twitter user @DerrellPayne wrote to the "Harry Potter" author.
"Clever, resourceful and (according to the Chinese) lucky!" Rowling quoted back to the fan.
Clever, resourceful and (according to the Chinese) lucky! https://t.co/RalpiPYo18
- J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) September 24, 2016
When another disappointed fan was told their Patronus was a mole, and expressed hope that it was secretly awesome, Rowling replied: "You got the Lord of the underworld who brings light to darkness. Of course it's awesome."
You got the Lord of the underworld who brings light to darkness. Of course it's awesome. https://t.co/qEUkH0R6Fq
- J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) September 24, 2016
Those in charge of the Pottermore Twitter account seem to have realized that people really wanted an explanation for each Patronus animal. The question on nearly everyone's mind after taking the quiz was simple - "What does that say about me?"
Though repeating the response of "your Patronus is rarely what you expect" stops short of truly explaining each animal's qualities and how they relate to their "owner," it might help people accept animals they find less than exciting.