Hogwarts Herald

Ok, so that title may be a bit misleading. No, I am not doing an interview with the world renowned author that we all love so much. Nor do I even hope to have something like that on the horizon. She’s just too big for that. However, I was thinking to myself today, what if I could interview JK Rowling? What if I had the chance to ask only 5 questions? What would those questions be?

Today, I’m doing just that. I’m writing out my 5 questions to Rowling, and the reasons behind them. And maybe even what I would answer if I were her. I’d like to know, also, what you would ask. Please leave a question or two in the comments, and the reasons behind that particular question…

OK, lets begin…

1) Something I’ve wondered since reading Deathly Hallows, and then re-reading Sorcerer’s (Philosopher’s)Stone… There were several tidbits left throughout Chapter One of SS. The Deluminator, Sirius Black etc… Was that intentional foreshadowing or did the ideas come later?

Mostly, readers, my interest in the question lies in particular with the deluminator. It becomes such an important tool in Deathly Hallows, but before that it’s entirely inconsequential. It’s just another bit of magic. Just another tool that the wizards have that we do not. So I wonder, pretty regularly, was this meant to become so important when she wrote the first words about it so long ago?

2) We find out in Order of the Phoenix that James was kind of a jerk. At least when it came to Severus. Since we all saw James through Harry’s eyes and he thought James was a saint, was it a difficult decision to burst his, and our, bubble like that?

Now I realize that James being a jerk to Severus was a necessary plot device. It’s explains everything. Why was Snape so mean to Harry? Payback. Why did Snape still do everything to keep Harry alive? True love. It just makes sense. Still, I was crushed when I found out that James Potter was one of “those” guys…

3) What age do you think is appropriate to begin, and finish, reading the Harry Potter series?

The first couple books are very much for children, in my opinion, but when it comes to the final books it kind of disturbs me to see 6 & 7 year olds reading them. I don’t know when I will let my son start them, but he will be at least 8, and I may very well be a mean mommy and start him at 11 with a new one each year on his birthday…

4) If you were to give any one of the characters that died in the series a free pass, who would it have been?

This is such a hard question for me to ask, as I’m sure it would be a very difficult question for her to answer. Especially since we know she did give one character a second chance at life. When Arthur Weasley was bitten by Nagini in Order of the Phoenix, he was supposed to die. Rowling changed her mind at the last minute, saying that it would have affected Ron too deeply for the remainder of the series. Still of the one’s that did die, if I were her, I would choose Dobby. I think his death was just so unnecessary. And not in the way that she shouldn’t have written it, but like so many deaths in wars are unnecessary. He was an innocent, not a warrior. His death affected me more deeply than any other in the books.

5) What is one interview question that you always wish would be asked, but never has been?

Of course the reasoning behind this is clear, what do you want to say that you never get the chance to?

I have so many more questions, but that is the point, if I could only ask her 5 things, what would they be. These are mine readers, what are yours?

Tiny Treasury has posted an open thread for readers to post their opinions and thoughts on HPatDH.

The seventh and final Harry Potter Book was released this past weekend. My copy arrived Saturday morning (before 10am - I was impressed) - I read a little during the day (under 50 pages) and then really settled in for a “read” around 5pm - well, next thing I knew it was 5am and I had about 50 pages to go. I decided that I needed some sleep - and dozed off for about 3 hours, after which I resumed my reading and finished the book. It made for a very sleepy Sunday - but it was worth it.

The book was good - an indulgent (for Harry Potter fans) conclusion - just about every question (even if we didn’t know such questions had existed) was answered and every secret was revealed. Much of the plot had been expected, or guessed - but it was a clever twisting of circumstance.

It was a quick and easy read (for the most part) - I really wasn’t tempted to skip ahead or bored - a little frustrated here and there - but entertained, all the same.

I don’t know if it was because I was so sleepy by the end of the book - but I was pretty teary at the end - and I was a little sad to finish the final page.

We’re planning a chapter by chapter “read along” - and we’ll soon post a “recap” of the Potter Party!.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Book 7, Harry Potter

One couple is taking their love of Harry Potter books to a new level - by attending the book release at their local bookstore after they say “I do”.

As reported on Yahoo!, the Oregon couple will hold their wedding ceremony (and reception) on Friday evening (I wonder if their wedding planner has checked out ourmenu?) and then the couple will head to the book store for the release.

The bookstore is planning a wedding gift for the bride, a teacher, and groom - first place in line!

The couple made their wedding plans before learning of the release date, they have, however, postponed their wedding trip by a week…

Also, check out Veritaserum.com for a cool reaction to recent Potter Plot Ploys (yes, New York Times, we’re looking at you!) - and some sound tips for surviving the next 32 (or so) hours….

Let the wackiness begin!

The spoilers are beginning to be posted on the internet. A site originating in California had posted photographs of the entire Deathly Hallows book (my goodness that must have taken some time) - It would appear that Scholastic has secured an injunction (or such) as (according to Mugglenet.com) the content has been removed from the site and the user temporarily banned.

Wizardnews.com posts an article about fans (strangely enough, again in California) who are already in line for the 7/21 release. Maybe we should have scheduled our release party for last weekend!

Communities around the (world) US are getting “Harry” -

Just one example: in Arlington, TX they’ve planned parties at local bookstores AND the public library!

How, and where, will you read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows?

WIll you read it, leisurely, at your own pace, over time, ignoring or embracing any clues or spoilers around you?

Will you lock yourself in your house/room/apartment for the weekend (you have asked to take off Monday, right?), and read right through - breaking only for bathroom emergencies and lightening quick cat naps?

Will you read feverishly though the beginning of the work, and then either lose interest or give in to the temptation and flip to the ending chapters?

or, will you just go directly to the last pages, and walk around smugly for the next few days, periodically mentioning to complete strangers…”________ dies, you know”?

I’ll be in for the weekend come Saturday - I hope to read as much as possible by Monday morning - I read HPatHBP in a weekend - OotP took a little longer (but then, it was a longer book ).

Some of the other sites have pointed out that books go on sale at 12am 07/21 in the UK hours before the boxes will open in the US - regardless of what your plan is regarding spoilers - I hope that everyone is considerate of their fellow fans and keeps the information to themselves. If you go looking for spoilers, that’s one thing - but unsolicited revelations are just rude.

We’ve been getting a lot of responses on a topic that was posted back in December. click here to read the original post - and below is the text of the last few comments…

Emil Says:
July 1st, 2007 at 3:59 pm e
We now for a fact that 2 characters will die, i think that one will be the Wesleys (anyone of the family) and of course Hagrid. Voldermort has always killed anyway that was like family to Harry, so they are the two most likely to die.
R.A.B. is the only clue to who killed the horcrux!I think that the person is Regulus Black. Sirius brother. It is said that He worked for Voldermort…so maybe he found out some stuff and relized that Voldermort should not survive, so he kills the horucrux. Voldermort prrobaly found out and killed him, or sent one of his followers to do it. Also, Serius didnt know his brother very sell..so we dont know to much about Regulous.
Draco we know joined Voldermort, but he didnt kill Dumbledore, perhaps he doesnt want to be evil once he saw it, but he should know that once there, he cant go back alive.
Harry and Ginny of course know that they have feelings for each other. But he says that he has to go alone to ffight, and soent want to bring ehr in. But there is still the wedding….when they go will the feelings spark?
We know that at Sirius’s house there is a misterious locket that cant be opened…could it be the locket thatholds a horocrux????
Is Harry a horucrux? we know there is six, but do u think he had the time to make a horucrux before killing the Potters( or trying to)

Emily Says:
July 1st, 2007 at 4:00 pm e
emily….i ment emily not emil!

Emily Says:
July 1st, 2007 at 4:03 pm e
also, i think that either Hrry will die, with Voldermort.
Harry loses his magic.
Or Harry , Ron, and Herminoe go to fight Voldermort, Harry and Voldermort do a showdown….Voldermort kills Harry. Ron and Hermione are than angrey and kill Voldermort.

Jace Says:
July 9th, 2007 at 11:39 pm e
Here’s my opinion on Harry/Neville relationship with LV and the horcruxes.
The way the prophesy is worded, everyone is pretty sure that either Harry will have to kill LV, or he’ll kill Harry. Dumbledore said that in order to kill Voldemort, all of his horcruxes would have to be killed first. If Harry was a Horcrux, than he would have to die before Voldemort could. Since Voldemort is pretty much the most powerful wizard around since Dumbledore is gone, if Harry, the only one with a chance to kill him now, dies, Voldemort would be free to go about killing. He can’t be a horcrux.
As for Neville, as much as he has been associated with Harry b/c he was born at the same time, parents…. etc., he wasn’t the one chosen. Voldemort heard the prophesy and picked Harry, not Neville. As cool as it would be to have Neville just kick down the door and punch Voldemort in the face, it won’t happen. He’s a side character, a friend of Harry’s, and nothing else.

Piers Says:
July 13th, 2007 at 9:13 am e
I think Emily and Jace both make good points. Harry cannot be a Horcrux, we know that it requires a spell to turn a something into a Horcrux but when LV’s AK curse backfired it left him virtually powerless and weak. He would not have been able to turn Harry into a Horcrux before he fled.
Jk has also just added a twist saying the end of the book is going to be a ‘blood bath’ (lovely) with two more characters dying than previously thought.
LV made the prophecy true by trying to kill Harry that night. Dumbledore says he creates his own worst enemy in Harry by trying to kill him, meaning it has to be Harry, and not Neville that has to kill LV.
R.A.B.. who knows? The only character that could fit at the moment is Regelus Black, but we know very little about him so it’s a hard road to go down! Also, a personal opinion, the letter found inside the locket felt to me like it was writted by a woman.
I believe Harry will go back to Godrics Hollow, as it is where the whole story started and is where Harry would probably need to start from if he is to go on a search to find the remaining Horcruxs.
I’m confused about Dumbledore, as to whether he is dead or not. He pleads with Snape at the end.. we know Dumbledore was not a coward, and it’s out of character for him to plead with anybody as he did. Was he pleading for Snape to ‘kill’ him? It would leave Snape free to work from the inside and continue in his work - which we know Dumbledore was extremely insistant with him about. We know Dumbledore is not a murderer and therefore cannot have a Horcrux, but maybe he knows of a different way to stay immortal.
There are so many questions and theories that it’s hard to come up with an answer. I think it would be very hard to end the series with Harry dead, and we know that LV cannot possibly still be alive at the end. We do know then that Harry must search for the Horcruxs and end up battling LV to the death.

Carly Says:
July 13th, 2007 at 10:59 pm e
Dumbledore was pleading with Snape because he wanted him to kill him in order to fulfill his unbreakable vow. snape is going to have a vital part in the 7th book most likely and dumbledore probably knew that snape will play a part in the killing of voldemort or else he wouldn’t have asked snape to kill him. and both Snape and Malfoy will not be evil by the end of book 7 anyway. I think Snape will die defending Harry or helping to destroy a horcrux or to defeat Voldemort just to give you a sign that he wasn’t truly on Voldemort’s side. i agree with emily about one of the weasleys or hagrid dying but I had also thought Lupin might bite the dust. However I do not think that these were the characters that JK was speaking of when she said at least two die. the locket at grimmlaud place is indeed the horcrux, i am positive otherwise it wouldn’t have been worth mentioning. however it may not be at grimmlaud place any longer. it could be in mundungus’ possesion since he was stealing so many things from grimmlaud place. and btw the locket is still a horcrux I am sure it will still need to be destroyed. Although RAB said they intended to destroy it soon I don’t think they ever got to it. Assuming RAB is Regulus, I believe that he eventually realized he didn’t want to be a death eater anymore whether he’d been under the imperius curse or just realized the error of his ways he will have been killed by voldemort or a death eater before he could destroy the locket. I don’t believe Harry is a horcrux. Neville will avenge his parents and kill Bellatrix Lestrange. I don’t believe there is a way around death for Harry in this book. Although good will triumph over evil, JK doesn’t want anyone else writing about Harry when she’s done so death is one of the only ways to do that. There are some things he could do to defeat Voldemort and not die (the veil perhaps) but I do not believe this will be the case. Just some of my thoughts.

Kyle Says:
July 15th, 2007 at 12:09 pm e
I also believe that Snape is on the good side, and Dumbledore had planned his death with Snape. Hence why he asked for Severus rather then Madam Pomfrey. Malfoy is a little bitch really, and theres no way he’ll stay evil, i don’t think he could handle it. I think theres definately got to be an attack at Bill & Fleurs wedding. And someone may well die, possibly Percy weasley? who knows. JK said that a muggle may use magic, and i’ve read alot of theories about Petunias nicer side about Lily coming out in the final book, and perhaps harry & petunia find peace finally. And maybe the muggle using magic will be Dudley, and this is why Vernon & Petunia were so determined to hate magic. You’ll have to read the theories to understand this. Also rumours of Sirius’s bike & two way mirror making repeat appearences. It IS possible that Harry’s scar is a horcrux. No idea if Dumbledore is actually dead or not. But he had a brother Aberforth, who might make an appearence. Theres alot of things ive sat and thought about while and after reading. Mainly concerning Snape. I think he was in love with Lily, which explains his hatred for James, whoevers side he’s on, he will never be able to kill Harry because ‘He has his mothers eyes’ well thats a couple of things to think about, ive got loads more though. Good to actually talk to some HP fans :).

If you (think you) are - check out the “Deathy Hallow Madness” quiz at Mugglenet.com - they’ve put together a series of 65 questions/predictions for the plot of HPatDH - participants are asked to choose what they think will happen in each situation - And there are prizes! Which is always a good thing. You do have to register with the site to participate.

Mugglenet (which has a strict no spoilers policy) has reported that there are some spoilers floating around on the internet - so, if you “don’t want to know” - beware.

As July 21st is like, ONE WEEK AWAY (or so) - the chances to pre-order Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows so to receive it on the release date are dwindling…

According to Barnes and Noble , you have until July 16th to order to guarantee delivery.

At Amazon the deadline is July 17th at noon.

Many stores are still taking in-store pick-up orders - I would do it soon and, if you place your order online, be sure to check with your local store to make sure that they have your order.

Next week we’ll review the last minute planning for our release party - yeah!

Scholastic.com has posted it’s final Book 7 question:

“What are the Deathly Hallows?”

and the following answer choices…

“We’ll find out right away”

“We’ll find out in the middle”

“We’ll find out at the end”

Well, that doesn’t really shed any light on what exactly the Deathly Hallows are - it’s more of an idea as to what part of the book you need to flip to find out.

Which brings on a topic I’ve been pondering - and my own question…

When you read Book 7, will you read it:

word for word, one page at a time; or,

by skimming through the chapters to get the main idea and then go back later (or not) to read more closely; or,

backwards - conclusion first, details later; or,

by flipping to the back page, announcing to everyone around you what’s happened and then sell the book online?

Me, I’d like to say that I’ll go word by word, page by page - but I’m more likely to skim through some of the text -

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Scholastic.com, Book 7

Over at Tiny Treasury, Kelly has posted some of the cover art for the US edition of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Scholastic.com has posted Question #6 (in a series of 7):

Will Voldemort be defeated?

Your choices are: yes, and he will die; yes, but he will live; no way; and, there will be a truce.

I pick “yes, and he will die”. He’s got to go. Any sort of ending without the defeat of ‘you know who’ would be very disappointing - no matter what happens to the other characters - he must be destroyed.

Harry Potter and the Deadly Hallows, Scholastic.com, “You know who”

So, much of the news and speculation regarding the events and outcomes of the final Harry Potter book has focused on Harry’s life expectancy.

My personal opinion (hope) is that Harry will survive - I know that keeping Harry alive would open the door for (unauthorized) sequels - but J.K. Rowling has the chance to influence and guide how Harry’s future will pan out.

Harry could, at the conclusion of the book, be depicted as an older man, sitting, perhaps, in Professor Dumbledore’s office, having just finished putting a “memory” in the pensieve.

Many “epic” novelists (I’m specifically thinking of J.R.R. Tolkien) include epilogues at the end of their great tales - a sort of post script for those readers (such as I am) who really suffer over the “but what happens next?” questions.

It’s fun to guess what will happen - of course, we won’t know until July 21st (or as soon as we can read!). It will be interesting to see if people stay “in” to read that weekend.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

You’ve most likely heard that an internet hacker is claiming to have hacked into Bloomsbury’s computer system and the Harry Potter manuscript. There have been no confirmations of this and, so far, no leaks.

We here at the Herald are vehemently opposed to any spoilers, leaks, ill gotten pieces of information and we will not post anything regarding the (actual) plot(s) of the final book until it is available to the public (after July 21st, all bets are off and we plan to post often).

We are, however, very much in favor of speculation, opinions, gleanings and the like. We have hopes and theories regarding what will happen in the final chapter of Harry’s literary life - and we can’t wait to read about it - but not until July!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Question 5 (of 7) on Scholastic.com’s Shrieking Shack is…

Where are the Horcruxes?

The choices listed are:

Diagon Alley
Hogsmeade
Hogwarts
Only with the Death Eaters
Godric’s Hollows
Ministry of Magic
Azkaban
St. Mungo’s
Among Muggles
Elsewhere

Any of the choices above, or Elsewhere?

I think that the theory(ies) that they may be at Hogwarts or among Muggles are the most intriguing. The “right under your nose” idea (whether that nose be wizard or muggle).

One problem with anything being “among Muggles” is that we are such a disposable society - we’ve probably thrown away or torn down (or at least renovated) anything that might have been used.

What’s going to happen? How will it all end? We’ll just have to wait and read!

Scholastic.com, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Horcruxes