While some fans were quick to jump to say Hermione was always a white character - she's played by Emma Watson in the film franchise - others said Rowling never specified the actresses' skin colour but instead only describe her hair and teeth, and otherwise steered clear of physical descriptions.

As one reader pointed out “They were there, both of them, sitting outside Florean Fortescue’s Ice Cream Parlor — Ron looking incredibly freckly, Hermione very brown, both waving frantically at him.”

Rowling took to Twitter herself this morning to clear the debate once and for all, writing: "Brown eyes, frizzy hair and very clever. White skin was never specified. Rowling loves black Hermione."

Harry Potter’s Hermione will be played by black actress Noma Dumezweni in new play