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?

Over on Tiny Treasury’s War of Words Wednesday, Kelly’s posted a question as to what JK Rowling should do in the future - Should she abandon the 7 book “promise” and continue to write about Harry Potter? or should she move on to another project?

Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling

you miserable boy.

According to J.K. Rowling’s website, today, June 5th, is Draco Malfoy’s birthday.

Draco has been Harry’s mini-nemisis since his first day at Hogwarts. He, Draco, embodies nearly every vile trait a wizard can possess; he is vain, arrogant, cowardly, bigoted, greedy and plain old mean. He compensates for his lack of wizardly talent with tricks and bullying (a little like you know who, I’d say).

It should be interesting to see what role he plays in the final book. Presently he does not have any redeeming qualities, except that he is still young -

Draco Malfoy, J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

The BBC reports that Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is the second most “unread” book in the UK. Meaning…it’s a book often not finished in whole by those who bought it.

According to this study 32% of people who bought Goblet of Fire admitted to not finishing it. Really, though, if you stop to think about it, this is just a matter of numbers. It has large “unread” numbers because it has astronomical sales numbers in the first place. Anytime you have a book as popular and hyped as the Harry Potter books are, you’re going to have people that buy them just to buy them. They see them in the book shop and say, “Oh, there’s the new Harry Potter…I should buy it.” But if they haven’t yet finished the second or third book…or are new to the Potter series, they may not get around to reading it.

Also working against Goblet of Fire is it’s length. Let’s face it…there are a lot of people who think they can make their way through a 700+ page book, but they end up just not having the stamina or attention span for it. Even though the pages may turn at lightning speed for fans of the series, if you’re not invested in the series 700 pages can be a little daunting.

Although Goblet of Fire ends up on this list of “unread” books, it’s hardly a strike against the book itself.

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An article on AssociatedContent.com reveals a few little known facts about J.K. Rowling. Knowing how smart and well-informed most Harry Potter fans are, you’ll probably know many/most of this already…but there may be a good nugget or two you have yet to come across.

Here’s a little taste to get you started:

Although J. K. Rowling will not be adding any more books to the Harry Potter series, she does intend to continue writing. In 2006, she revealed plans for another children’s book about a monster, aimed at a younger audience than those that enjoy Harry Potter’s adventures.

Thanks for passing along this story, Shelley!

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On her Web site J.K. Rowling has written a diary message about just how difficult it has been dealing with the completion of Harry Potter’s story.

…I always knew that Harry’s story would end with the seventh book, but saying goodbye has been just as hard as I always knew it would be. Even while I’m mourning, though, I feel an incredible sense of achievement. I can hardly believe that I’ve finally written the ending I’ve been planning for so many years. I’ve never felt such a mixture of extreme emotions in my life, never dreamed I could feel simultaneously heartbroken and euphoric.

Some of you have expressed a (much more muted!) mixture of happiness and sadness at the prospect of the last book being published, and that has meant more than I can tell you. If it comes as any consolation, I think that there will be plenty to continue arguing and speculating about, even after ‘Deathly Hallows’ comes out. So if you’re not yet reatdy to quit the message boards, do not dispair…

I’m almost scared to admit this, but one thin g has stopped me collapsing in a puddle of misery on the floor. While each of the previous Potter books has strong claims on my affections, ‘Deathly Hallows’ is my favourite, and that is the most wonderful way to finish the series.

Thank you, Jo.

We don’t want the series to end…but we can’t wait for the book. Bittersweet, indeed.

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As expected, J.K. Rowling will not allow Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows to become an e-book.

Rowling has cited two reasons over the years: concern about online piracy (which has never been a major problem for the Potter books), and the desire for readers to experience the books on paper. E-books, hyped as the future of publishing during the dot-com craze of the late 1990s, remain a tiny portion of the multibillion dollar industry.

File this under “If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it.” None of the other Potter books have been released as e-books, and piracy of have been a problem, so why invite trouble? With some people, if you give them an inch, will take a foot. So don’t give them an inch. Besides, if you really wanted to read Harry Potter for free, there are these wonderful places called “Libraries.” (Just be sure to put it on reserve early…the reserve lists can get really long in a hurry.)

Plus, who wants to curl up with a laptop and read it for read it for hours and hours on end…constantly scrolling?

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According to an article in The Sun J.K. Rowling finished writing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in Balmoral Hotel, a 5-star hotel in Edinburgh.

How do we know this?

Apparently J.K. Rowling signed the back of a marble bust in her room, Room 652, with the words:

“J.K. Rowling finished writing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in this room (652) on 11th Jan 2007.”

It will be interesting to see where this bust ends up. It’s a fascinating piece of literary history now. I love it when stuff like this surfaces…turning a (somewhat) ordinary object into something unique and truly special.

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J.K. Rowling has released the date for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows on her web site…and it’s July 21st!!

Her statement reads as follows:

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows will be published on Saturday 21st July 2007 at 00:01 BST in the UK and at 00:01 in the USA. It will also be released at 00:01 BST on Saturday 21st July in other English speaking countries around the world.

Yay!! It’s official!!

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According to the BBC 3000 HP books written by J.K. Rowling for charity have been stolen.

Fantastic Beasts and Quidditch Through the Ages were written by JK Rowling to raise funds for the BBC Red Nose Day charity appeal.

They were contained in red-coloured plastic satchels which police believe may now be offered for sale.

Thieves forced open shutters to gain access to the premises over the weekend.

Forbes Mugglezine…err…Magazine…released their list of “The 20 Richest Women in Entertainment” and J.K. Rowling made the list all the way up at #2…one spot behind Oprah Winfrey.

The one-time single mom on welfare is the brains behind Harry Potter, one of the most successful book franchises in history. The sixth installment, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, was the fastest-selling book in history, according to Guiness World Records. The film series–from which Rowling enjoys a cut of royalties and merchandising–has also proven astoundingly successful, with the total gross for the four films already released topping $3.5 billion. Rowling is the only career author on Forbes’ Billionaires list.

J.K. Rowling’s web site has a birthday acknowledgment for Severus Snape today…I don’t think I can bring myself to say “Happy Birthday.” As Hogwart’s Herald discussed here, the jury is still out whether or not Snape is “good” or “bad,” but I’m going to go ahead and declare him guilty until proven innocent. I hope his character redeems himself, but I’m still bitter over the whole Dumbledore thing. How can you not be?

By the way, if you go to J.K. Rowling’s web site and then just keep the page up with howling winds, door bells, birds and barking dogs, eventually a funky beat starts playing. And then after a little bit longer the cell phone rings…click the green “on” button and a voice (J.K.’s?) comes on and says “Hello…hello…is anybody there.” It’s all kind of neat and random…if you’ve never hung around long enough for all of this to happen, be sure to give it a go.
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A few days ago The Observer had a really nice article about J.K. Rowling: “J.K. Rowling: The Mistress of All She Surveys.”

It’s a difficult article to summarize as it covers a lot of ground. Instead of trying to describe everything the article touches on, here are a couple of snippets to whet your appetite:

Rowling did not start out as a canny media operator, nor does she seem to relish the power she wields. She had a reputation early on ‘for being somewhat po-faced’ (her own admission). Of fame, she says: ‘I never wanted it and I never expected it and certainly didn’t work for it and I see it as something that I have to get through, really.’

Stephen King and John Irving would certainly concur. Both enthusiastic fans of the series, they implored Rowling during a charity event in New York last August to give the young hero a break. ‘My fingers are crossed for Harry,’ Irving said. Elsewhere, King has predicted that Potter ‘will indeed stand time’s test and wind up on a shelf where only the best are kept. I think Harry will take his place with Alice, Huck, Frodo and Dorothy and this is one series not just for the decade, but for the ages’.

Most articles that come out about Harry Potter and/or J.K. Rowling are sparse with any sort of interesting information or insight and are usually a bit boring…but this one, even if there isn’t any new information, is a well-written, interesting read.

Apart from her obvious talents as a writer, J.K. Rowling just seems like such a nice, well-adjusted person. The type of person you wish you were friends with…the type of person you’d like to invite over for dinner and a board game.

Which is much higher praise than I could give her critics (AS Byatt and Harold Bloom in this article)…their pretentiousness is unbearable.

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I’m not sure how old this interview is, but it’s well worth a look.

In this interview J.K. Rowling, Emma Thompson and Hagrid himself, Robbie Coltrane, discuss Hagrid and give you a little insight into the character and a little insight into the man who plays him. They really did a fantastic job in casting Robbie Coltrane to play Hagrid…there’s no way to imagine anyone else in the world playing that role and its complex contrast of lovability and intimidation.

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A week after taking the “Do Not Disturb” sign down from the “Magic Door” and revealing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows as the title for Book 7, J.K. Rowling has put the “Do Not Disturb” sign back in place.

What’s up next for the “Magic Door”? Let’s hope it’s the release date for Deathly Hallows, but that could still be a couple months down the road.

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