Pottermore is a website about all things Harry Potter in a digital format. Fans can download Harry Potter e-books there. There will be games. J.K. Rowling will spill some secrets she'd been hoarding for years about the world of Harry Potter.

Still, whatever information the author gave on Pottermore so far stimulates the imagination as much as it answers questions. Perhaps that's what Rowling wanted.

Rowling called Pottermore an online reading experience, which features the same Harry Potter materials with the crucial addition of input from readers themselves.

She said works of fiction require the imagination of the author and reader to work together to create the story.

As such, Pottermore will encourage readers to upload, display, and share their imagination with other Harry Potter fans.

Rowling mentioned comments, drawings, and other content as possible user-generated materials that could be shared. Users will interact in a safe environment under magic usernames, she said.

Pottermore will be fully operational in October. Before that, a lucky few can enter early and help shape the experience, Rowling said.

When the Pottermore news first erupted, some thought it would be an MMORPG or online forum. While there will likely be elements of both, Pottermore looks more to resemble a social networking website tied to the plot of Harry Potter.

If it's successful, it could conceivably change the way fictional narratives (e.g. books and movies) are consumed.

Rowling's Tolkien-esque Harry Potter series has inspired the imagination of millions of readers and has one of the most devoted followings of any modern works of fiction.

Judging by the fan art (below), fan fiction, and fan websites that already exist, Pottermore could tap into a groundswell of creative imagination from millions of people.

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