VIDEO: J.K. Rowling Reveals Pottermore Secrets

British author J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series, launched a teaser website for Potter fans everywhere called Pottermore on Thursday.

Rowling originally trademarked the site, Pottermore.com, for everything from online games (a la World of Warcraft) to retail products, but the British author is only gradually letting us in on the true nature of Pottermore. While the site initially just said "coming soon," it now reveals a place to register your e-mail address, plus a 2-minute YouTube description from Rowling.

In response to the burning question, "What is Pottermore?" the site offers the brief blurb, "Pottermore is a free website that builds an exciting online experience around the reading of the Harry Potter books." Rowling goes into a bit more depth, emphasizing the new interactive way to "read" the series. The experience will be "the same story with a few crucial additions — the most important one is you." This will give "the digital generation" the opportunity "to enjoy a safe, unique online reading experience built around the Harry Potter books."

Pottermore will also be the exclusive place to buy e-books of the novels, available in the new format for the first time. It's not all old news, though. For fans thirsting for new material, Rowling will release "information I have been hoarding for years" — approximately 18,000 words of it — about the characters' backgrounds.

The site goes live on July 31, Harry Potter's birthday. On that date, one million registered users will gain access to the online, interactive world of Pottermore. It will open to the public everywhere in October.

Watch Rowling's Pottermore announcement here: