J.K. Rowling has announced in new interviews with the Today show on NBC TV today (July 26) that the epilogue of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was vague on purpose.
She said it was her desire for it to be “nebulous,” something “poetic,” and that she wanted the readers to feel as if they were looking at Platform 9 3/4 through the mist, unable to make out exactly who was there and who was not.
She admitted her original epilogue was “a lot more detailed,” including the name of every child born to the Weasley clan in the past 19 years. For example, Victoire, who was snogging Teddy, Lupin and Tonks’ son, is Bill and Fleur’s eldest child.
“But it didn’t work very well as a piece of writing,” J.K. said. “It felt very much that I had crowbarred in every bit of information I could … In a novel you have to resist the urge to tell everything.”
But now that Book 7 is in our hands, J.K. no longer has to hold back any information about Harry Potter. With 14 fans crowded around her in Edinburgh Castle in Scotland earlier this week, J.K. has now told us the following exciting information:
In the book, Voldemort meets his end and Harry lives. But J.K. said Harry’s survival was not always a certainty.
“In the early days, everything was up for grabs,” she told USA Today. “But early on I knew I wanted Harry to believe he was walking toward his death, but would survive.”
The epilogue tells us that Harry marries Ginny and has three kids. J.K. explained that this created the family and the peace and calm that Harry never had as a child.
An often asked question is what are Harry, Ron and Herione doing now? J.K. said that Harry, along with Ron, is working at the Auror Department at the Ministry of Magic, and after all these years, Harry is now the department head.
“Harry and Ron utterly revolutionized the Auror Department,” Rowling said. “They are now the experts. It doesn’t matter how old they are or what else they’ve done.”
Meanwhile, J.K. said that Hermione, Ron’s wife, is “pretty high up” in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, despite the fact that she laughed at the idea of becoming a lawyer in the scene with Scrimgeour in Deathly Hallows.
“I would imagine that her brainpower and her knowledge of how the Dark Arts operate would really give her a sound grounding,” J.K. said.
An important point for J.K. was that Harry, Ron and Hermione don’t join the same Ministry of Magic they had been at odds with for years. In joining it, they revolutionize it and help evolve the Ministry into a “really good place to be.”
“They made a new world,” Rowling said.
Luna Lovegood, the eccentric Ravenclaw who was fascinated with Crumple-Horned Snorkacks and Umgubular Slashkilters, continues to march to the beat of her own drum after leaving Hogwarts.
“I think that Luna is now traveling the world looking for various mad creatures,” J.K. said. “She’s a naturalist, whatever the wizarding equivalent of that is.”
But she isn’t completely crazy. J.K. said that Luna comes to see the truth about her father, eventually acknowledging there are some creatures that don’t exist.
“But I do think that she’s so open-minded and just an incredible person that she probably would be uncovering things that no one’s ever seen before,” Rowling said.
When she was first asked about the possibility of Luna hooking up with Neville Longbottom several years ago, Rowling’s response was “Definitely not.” But as time passed and she watched her characters mature, Rowling started to “feel a bit of a pull” between the unlikely pair.
Ultimately, Rowling left the question of their relationship open at the end of the book because doing otherwise “felt too neat.”
J.K. told the fans that, sadly, there is no chance that Neville’s parents, who were tortured into madness by Bellatrix and Rudolphus Lestrange, will ever leave St. Mungo’s Hospital for Magical Maladies.
“I know people really wanted some hope for that, and I can quite see why because, in a way, what happens to Neville’s parents is even worse than what happened to Harry’s parents,” J.K. said. “The damage that is done, in some cases with very dark magic, is done permanently.”
However, she said Neville finds happiness in his grandmother’s acceptance of him as a gifted wizard and as the new herbology professor at Hogwarts.
In earlier interviews, J.K. had said that there were was a character she claims she had intended to kill in book 5, “The Order of the Phoenix,” but didn’t. She admits now that character was Ron’s dad, Arthur Weasley.
“He was the person who got a reprieve. When I sketched out the books, Mr. Weasley was due to die in Book Five. I swapped him for someone else, and I don’t want to say who for the people who haven’t read it. But I made a decision as I went into writing Phoenix that I was going to reprieve Mr. Weasley and I was going to kill someone else. And if you finish the book, I expect you probably know and someone else who is a father. I couldn’t bear to kill him,” J.K. said.
But there were also two characters that died who J.K. had not originally planned to kill in the finale. She said, “Fred, Lupin and Tonks really caused me a lot of pain. Lupin and Tonks were two who were killed who I had intended to keep alive. It’s like an exchange of hostages, isn’t it?”
J.K. said that “McGonagall was really getting on a bit,” and nineteen years after the Battle of Hogwarts, there is an entirely new headmaster. Also, there is a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, and that position is now as safe as the other teaching posts at Hogwarts, since Voldemort’s death broke the jinx that kept a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor from remaining for more than a year.
J.K. didn’t clarify whether Harry, Ron and Hermione ever return to school to finish their seventh year, but she did say she could see Harry making an appearance every now and again to give the “odd talk” on Defense Against the Dark Arts.
And for those readers who found chapter 34, when Harry enters the forrest to face Voldemort once and for all, difficult to read, J.K. said she understands. It was extremely difficult to write, she says — the most difficult of all the chapters in the seven books.
“I had this enormous explosion of emotion and I cried and cried and cried,” she said.
And while ending the series was also sad, it was also a bit of a relief. “It was this amazing cathartic moment � the end of 17 years’ work,” Rowling said of finishing the series, adding that Harry will “always be a presence in my life, really.”
J.K. again confirmed she may eventually reveal more details in a Harry Potter encyclopedia, but even then, it will never be enough to satisfy the most ardent of her fans.
“I’m dealing with a level of obsession in some of my fans that will not rest until they know the middle names of Harry’s great-great-grandparents,” she said. Not that she’s discouraging the Potter devotion!
“I love it,” she said. “I’m all for that.”
On Monday, July 30, J.K. Rowling gave a live on-line webcast interview, and she gave out more information as to what happens in the time of the epilogue in Book 7.
J.K. said the world was a sunnier, happier place after the seventh book and the death of Voldemort.
Harry Potter, who always voiced a desire to become an Auror, or someone who fights dark wizards, was named head of the Auror Department under the new wizarding government headed by his friend and ally, Kingsley Shacklebolt.
His wife, Ginny Weasley, stuck with her athletic career, playing for the Holyhead Harpies, the all-female Quidditch team. Eventually, Ginny left the team to raise their three children — James, Albus and Lily — while writing as the senior Quidditch correspondent for the wizarding newspaper, the Daily Prophet.
When asked “What child did harry give the marauders map to if any,” J.K. said, “I’ve got a feeling he didn’t give it to any of them, but that James sneaked it out of his father’s desk one day.”
Contrary to a quote in an earlier interview, J.K. says Ron Weasley joined his brother, George, as a partner at their successful joke shop, Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes. George named his first child and son Fred, and he goes on to have a very successful career, helped by Ron.
Hermione Granger, Ron’s wife, furthered the rights of subjugated creatures, such as house elves, in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures before joining the magical law enforcement squad. The couple had two children — Rose and Hugo.
Harry and his friends have their own history depicted on Chocolate Frogs cards. Ron will describe this as his finest hour.
A new, improved Percy ended up as a high-ranking official in the new Ministry of Magic under Kingsley. Dolores Umbridge was arrested, interrogated and imprisoned for crimes against Muggleborns.
Teddy Lupin grew up living with his grandmother Andromeda. However, unlike Neville, who was also raised by his grandmother, Teddy had his godfather, Harry, and all his father’s friends in the Order, to visit and stay with.
Luna Lovegood, Harry’s airily distracted friend with a love for imaginary animals who joins the fight against Voldemort in the Order of the Phoenix, becomes a famous wizarding naturalist who eventually marries the grandson of Newt Scamander, author of “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.”
Scorpius Malfoy has a lot going against him, not least that name. However, J.K. said she thinks Scorpius would be an improvement on his father.
Winky the House-Elf is still at Hogwarts, and she was one of the oncoming house-elves who attacked the Death Eaters in the final battle.
After the battle, Firenze was welcomed back into the herd. The rest of the herd was forced to acknowledge that Firenze’s pro-human leanings were not shameful, but honourable. And Mr. weasley did eventually get around to fixing Sirius’ motorbike. Of course, it ended up in Harry’s possession.
When asked would Lockhart ever recover, J.K. replied, “No. Nor would I want him to. He’s happy where he is, and I’m happier without him!”
So, now it’s your turn. How do you feel about this new chracter information? What about your favorite characters that J.K. hasn’t commented on yet? How do you think they turned out?
[info from various sources including MSNBC and USA Today]
Welcome to Beyond Hogwarts!
Beyond Hogwarts is a site primarily about the Wizarding World, including the Harry Potter franchise and Fantastic Beasts but also covers a wide variety of other series including The Lord of the Rings.
You can also find news, editorials, features, list, and reviews for other movies, TV shows, and books!
Our Communities
I’d like to find out more about Hogwarts and the like.
None the less, I appreciate this information a lot. I can’t wait for the encyclopedia.
I really hope J.K. Rowling makes another book for this series! At least a prequel or something. This entire story is so great and fantastic, I want to here more about it! Although, I also want to know what happened to George and his shop in the aftermath. Why did Jo have to kill Fred?!
I just finished reading the seventh book. I’m Dutch, but I couldn’t wait all to november to wait for the translation. I liked the final chapter, but I expected it to be a little more detailed. A Harry Potter encyclopedia sounds neat.
I hope we find out more about Harry and Ginny’s children, as well as all the other children born to the Weasley clan. Jo should definately write an encyclopedia about the books and say in it more about who married who and their families.
I think that this interview was the biggest spoiler of all, although most of it was more or less understood. I don’t like the fact that both Harry and Ron are Aurors. Not unless there was something different in MoM. JKR says there is since Harry and Ron joined. I would like to think of Hermione as Minister of Magic though. Brains, looks and an affection for reading and doing the right thing. Why not, after all who was all for house-elves, goblins and non wizards during the whole series? A new and even golden era would be possible for all.
Come on, Luna and Neville together? like there is no other for Neville? I’d prefer someone else outside Hogwarts, maybe Gabrielle, Fleur’s sister, the guy deserves a very pretty girl, he’s a hero and he could be the chosen one don’t forget. Anyway, all is possible.
Dave, thanks a lot for this… as you said, it’s not really enough for us, but it puts my mind at ease… a little. I really hope JK writes that encyclopedia, and I hope it is sold widely, so I can put my hands on it. This I say because, for example, I haven’t been able to find “Fantastic beasts and where to find them”, and I would absolutely love to read it.
We need to know loads more… Draco, George, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, what happened to the rest of the Death Eaters that didn’t die, etc. But well, in time we shall know. In due time.
This is great. I really wanted to know more about the story at the end, as I’m sure many, many other avid readers did too.
Thanks!
Someone should ask her why the story ended so quickly. Usually with all of her books there is some sort of calming period after the climax. It seemed as if Deathly Hallows ended on a climax. I think she owed it to Lupin, Tonks and Fred to give them a proper burial and mourning section just as she did for Dumbledore, Cedric Diggory and Dobby, all of whom’s deaths touched me far more than the former three.
I actually watched this, and thought I’d add, because this article didn’t mention it:
Somebody mentioned Snape being a hero, and she replied with, “Is he?” and went on to say that, even up to the end, he was a bully/nasty, and when someone asked if he would have cared about Harry if he wasn’t in love with Lily, she said no.
Perhaps this could help with some Snape grievers, to know what J.K. herself thought of the situation… but even if it doesn’t, now you know.
Why should she simply give us random bits of information at unexpected times, why shouldn’t she publish a small book with the middle name of Harry’s great-great-grandparents?
I thought the book was excellent- and I enjoyed reading the above paragraphs as well.
I too would be eager to read a preqel or sequel possibly about the next generation of witches and wizards? And I know everyone would go crazy over a book about Harry’s parents’ era at school and beyond.
The encyclopedia will be something to look forward too!
I loved the last harry potter book, like them all and i have read them many times. I agree with the person above about the encyclopedia and cant wait to see it. ive been reading this site for agges and though not many belived me when i told them the theory about dumbledore not being dead i thought it was true the whole time. it turns out it wasnt but all the snape clues were true and also i saw an articule somewhere on this site about dumbledores wand and i had no idea that it would come up in book 7. im hoping for another book in a few years time either on harry or his children. does anyone think that J.k will write one?
i also really thought that harry would become headmaster of hogwarts as it always says how much he loves the school.
thanks for the great articles on the site!
Goff Morgan from Wales, UK-
The one JK mentioned who manages to do magic late in life was Dudley. Sure, he didn’t literally did magic. But he made “magic” by being suddenly sweet and appreciative to his cousin, Harry.
And I still couldn’t get over why and how Fred and Regulus Black died.. It’s just so sad..
I loved, the books.
All of them were great, the thing that appealed to me the most, was that when Snape died, he was looking into Lilly’s eyes (Harry’s eyes). I loved the epilogue, sure it sparked a lot of questions, but now fans are writing more to the epilogue. Just one question, who was the muggle that used magic?
loved the book, will be buying the Encyclopedia when it comes out.
No prequel. It will devalue the original series like the new Star Wars movies did to the original three. Sure it explained some things and Yoda had a lightsaber but, in the end, they took away from the mystique of the original movies.
Also… Hagrid for Headmaster!
I’d like to read more about Harry and Draco. I think they can forgive eachother, that even their children can get along, if Draco and Harry make it up to eachother. After all, Harry, Ron and Hermione saved Draco and Goyle’s lives and Draco’s mother sort of saved Harry’s. Does anybody else think that they can forgive eachother, and maybe even get “friends”.
I suspect the person who did magic later in life was Crabbe. In six previous books he can hardly even tie his shoes, but in this one, not only does he conjur up a huge fire, but it just happens to be the only kind of fire that can destroy a horcrux!
I’m glad that she hasnt given up on Harry Potter and that she hasnt just stopped point blank in awnsering the mysterys of Harry Potter. Thank you for the information, this is my official Harry Potter site!
I cant wait for the encyclopedia it should be really interesting.I would like to know if snape got a portrait in the headmasters office.I think george would keep the joke shop going.I would also like to know what hagrids up to.
Thanks for the site Dave
I can’t belive there are some people out there that don’t realise the significance of the epilogue!
I believe it was really to show that the main characters could get on with their lives despite the traumatic experiences they had been through, Malfoy being mentioned as well despite their sibling rivalry. I would have liked to know how George got on without Fred but you don’t get everything you wish for!
Also I can’t believe some people think Albus Severus is a bad name! He named him after Hogwarts greatest headmaster and Professor Snape as the memories he saw in the pensieve made Harry gain so much respect for Snape and all he had to put up with.
Snape only ever disliked Harry because he was so much like James but Harry always had Lily’s eyes so Snape looking into Harry’s eyes gave him peace I believe.
I really looked forward to JK telling everything in the ending. Must say I was a little disappointed. I want to know what happened to everyone! And by everyone I mean the Weasleys (like how George handled being the surviving twin), Lavender, Parvati, Ernie, Seamus, all of the Order members, the teachers (why couldn’t McGanagall be principal? she rocked!), the Malfoy family, Mafalda Hopkirk, Fudge… Everyone!
I wish j.k. would continue with potter or one of his kids fighting another dark wizard. j.k. is just the best!
Loved the last book! Can we have “Hogwarts: A History” now?
I think it’s best that we leave the book’s ending at that, considering that this is a CHILDREN’S BOOK!
I would like to keep guessing and
use my imagination.
Fantastic way to end the series if you ask me. Hats off to JK Rowling!
In the epologue JK said something about Teddy kissing someone? I think that that was kind of strange to randomly put that in. I mean, I guess she must have wanted to put SOMETHING in about Ted but I think she shoudl have put it somehting else. Like, why would Harry randomly announce that? Just stange she didn’t put in what happened to Teddy. (If you can’t tell, I really like the charater of Teddy.) So, if someone knows what happened to Ted, Please post!
What ever happend to the deatheaters? who did Malfoy marry? what happend to George? And why havent we heard anything about snapes family? And why does the series have to end?! And who is the new Minister of magic? ok im gonna stop now…
I loved each and every book. I would have preferred she keep the original epilogue she mentioned, the one she had instead was really too vague for my taste. Instead of a sequel, I would prefer books delineating the lives of some of the other characters. A fantastic author named Andre Norton had a huge series loved by many, the Witch World series, that worked well, so why is there a problem with Jo bringing life to the various characters we all love so much and have mentioned above? My favorites would be Dumbledore, his youth, Fawlkes ind the infamous wand; McGonagall, (my favorite character) – whom I hope became headmistress, and her tenure as such; the history of Snape, James, Remus, Sirius, and Lily; and others mentioned in other posts. In terms of future writings on Hogwarts and the wizarding world from this insightful woman, I would be interested in her writing the textbooks mentioned throughout the series as well as her encyclopedia, and sme sort of running geneology of the characters – I always thought that Harry’s use of Parceltongue would be more due to his own bloodline that him being a Horcrux. However it turned out otherwise. Nonetheless, I would read anything Jo writes, because I heartily admire her talent. I am fascinated by books and the worlds they take you. She is truly a master at her art!
I would like to know more of Draco Malfoy, about what happens to Georges’ shop, if Hermione lifted the Memory Lock from her parents, what ever happened to Charlie, he isn’t mentioned much, if they did there 7th year at Hogwarts, there N.E.W.T. grades, why Harry didn’t become teacher D.A.D.A, I always thought he would. And that’s just a bit I want to know.
I don’t believe the books were EVER written FOR children. Ms. Rowling has been quoted as saying IF people considered her work “for children”, she’d be ok with that. Personally, I think the last book was a total disconnect from the others. There was too much going on that had nothing to do with the end. Who were the MAIN characters that got killed? None, (other than Dumbledore). Why? The ones who did, I felt had little significance in the overall scheme of things. The epilogue, I thought, demeaned the entire series. We all knew who would wind-up together. And why would anyone name a child Severus? Can’t see Harry naming his child that…after all the meaness heaped on him by that man? And where was the much-awaited information about Lily and James? Other than Snape having “a thing” for Lily and she and Harry having the same color eyes…what? Nothing about James or how he came into all that money. How about Lily’s sister Petunia? She asked to go to Hogwarts and got turned down, so she mistreated Harry as payback? A vicious temper that one! In the end, I believe, Ms. Rowling wrote something OTHER than her original ending. Was it fan pressure?…I suspect so, but feel the “real” ending would have been more believable.
Well, its really nice of Jo to answer those last questions. I can understand how emotionless and colourless it would seem to her if she went on to say something like-“harry married ginny, had 3 kids and lived happily ever after”… and i want the encyclopedia too. harry’s world absolutely rocks. though i do feel very bad as she suddenly shot him up from being 17 to, what, 36? i mean, harry was sumone we couldd all identify with till now(except those who have already that age, i suppose)… and now thinking of him being our parents age’s a little disconcerting. neverthless his kids are cool. he seems really good even in the role of a parent. Long live Harry Potter!
Found the epilogue terribly weak – no matter how JKR is trying to justify its final state. Too vague, too much unexplained… Characters who played major roles in the previous books are given only cameo appearences in the last book (if any!) and the epilogue doesn’t tell us what happedned to them either… Unless there is an encyclopedia I think I’m quite disappointed at how the book series ended.
BTW before HP7 came out I guessed Ginny would die in book 7 (after they seemed to finally get together at the end of book 6 and taking JKR’s morbid fantasies in account) and Harry would get a shot at Cho Chang again. Obviously I was wrong – what happened to Cho anyways?
How many people made the connection between Lupin’s real name (Remus) and his code name on Potterwatch (Romulus)? Remus and Romulus were brothers who were raised by wolves who fought for control over Rome. I love that Jo doesn’t just make up names for her characters, their names almost always have historical meaning!
To Ashley from Baguio City, Philippines,
I came to the same conclusion about Dudley being the mysterious person who came to magic late in life. I have seen several of the post release interviews and specials, but I hadn’t heard her say exactly who the person was. Do you recall the source of her comment? (I’ve got a bet riding on the outcome!)
Oh, I forgot something in my comment above! The Dursleys of course! Does anyone else wanna now what happened to Dudley, like if he and Harry made up at last and if Harry stopped by to see the Dursleys now and then? Wonder what profession Dudley will take up…
I’m totally against a prequel though, marvellous books usually don’t stay marvellous if there are 70,000 of them… It will be exciting to see what JK will write in the future, but I think she should leave the Potter books series as it is…
I liked the seventh book very much and i think it is the best one, but I think that J.k. should had been a bit more specific about what happened to the other characters like George, the Dursleys, what happened to Ginny other than marrying with Harry and I also think we should know more about Ron and Harry’s kids. I also am in favour of the Harry Potter’s encyclopedia
I really liked Lupin…
To Roy Dennis from Berwick,
She indeed uses a lot of historical elements. I like them. I’ve always liked the tale of Romulus and Remus in the first place, and when I first read the third book, I immediately connected the name Remus Lupin with a wolf, or werewolf, seeing as he appeared human. I mean, names tell pretty much in the world of Harry Potter, don’t they? They can be misleading, of course, but over the average… I was convinced of Remus being a werewolf when Snape let the students read the chapter on werewolves…
I must say I’m surprised by the amount of people being disappointed.. It’s an opinion, of course, but personally I look at it from Rowling’s point of view. It’s not easy, writing a book. Even a story isn’t easy, which I do. And especially with large books, 7 in total, plus all publicity and pressure – she can’t satisfy all her fans, obviously. She did what she thought was good, writing a epilogue which doesn’t tell all, allowing us to dream on…
I’d LOVE to have more info, though. So far my preach, for I am one of those I write about. I wasn’t disappointed by the book. It takes a lot to make me disappointed about a book.
However, I would really like to know more about it. I don’t really care about the children in the epilogue. I mean, good they’re there, nice, interesting perhaps, but I’d like much more about the characters we know already. Harry, Ron, Hermione, the other Weasleys, Ginny, Draco, everyone. Everyone who’s had a role in the 7 books and maybe the 2 extra books… They, after all, are the ones the books are about…. Therefore, I’d like to know more about the Marauders and their schooltime. I’d like to know more about what Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny did in those happy days after Voldemort’s dead. Were they worshipped, did they escape that, or embraced it? What about their family and friends? So many things…
I noticed that in the interview it says that Victoire is Bill and Fleur’s eldest child, meaning they’ve got more children…
I also noticed that everyone here, including myself and JK Rowling, discribes and talks about the books as if it’s something which as actually happened. Rowling has created a world very different from ours, thought sometimes intertwining, and yet made it so real that most feel very bad about this world ‘finishing’- closing. It’s like you could see through this little hole into Diagon Alley and the hole has closed now, and you can only re-see it in your memory.
Creating such a thing is an extraordinary thing. I don’t think many writers can do it(although I have it a lot of times that I just imagine to be the main person in a book), for 7 thrilling books and even after it.
I liked the epilogue, but did still have questions like everyone else. I’m looking forward to the encyclopedia in a few years, and in the meantime I love the additional information JKR is giving us in these interviews. The Bloomsbury webchat one (transcript online and summarized by Dave Haber when he updated this article — THANKS DAVE!) was particularly insightful.
I’m so glad George has Ron at his side!
Roy Dennis from Berwick, PA – Yes, I made that connection because of History and Goegraphy classes! A myth/legend has it that Romulus and Remus were raised by a she-wolf and basically, they founded Rome! I too love the way JK chooses to name her characters, they always have more meaning to them than just a randomly chosen name! Even Remus Lupin reminds you of werewolves and the moon!
I don’t get it. She gives different occupations in the two parts for both Ron and Hermione. Was Ron an Auror or a part-owner of the joke shop?
Are we still waiting for Harrys seventh year at Hogwarts?
I’m sure I read that JKR said there would be a book for each of HP seven years at school. Clearly he needs to complete the previous year (along with Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Dean, etc). Whilst HP fame may cut some slack – what about the less so characters. JRK herself has said that Marcus Flint had to do an extra year.
I dont think prequel would work (look at star wars) but a final book (say a comedy, JKR very good at this) would resolve many issues. Also I can see some form of syndicated work happening with all proceeds to charity. This would work well for 11 year olds using the new generation children (james, albus, rosie etc). Titles along the lines of “JK Rowlings Hogwarts: The Secret of…..” (Very like Nancy Drew and the hardy Boys – giving my age away) As stated for youngsters and very light, with good morals.
Maybe there is still some hope! Over to you David Haber.
I personally think that JK shouldn’t have gone on to give details about what happens later…Many authors are BRILLIANT on provoking your thoughts by not giving any details of what happens to their characters later on in their life. Telling what happens to the characters totally takes away from the essence of the book. It makes it too goody goody, and takes away from the soul of the book(s).
The REAL magic should have been what we can come up on our own and to imagine what would happen to the characters.
You don’t really see JRR Tolkien continuing stories of what happen when Frodo “sailed on”. Christopher did some of that, but not JRR himself. You don’t see the author of Narnia go on and on about what happens to the kids of Narnia.
Just a few words. Fantastic site though.
I would like to say that i absolutely agree with Diantha about how shocking it was to find out people were disappointed. I think we all had high standards obviously but some…maybe too high up there. No book is going to be absolutely perfect but for jkr to write those 7 books and have all of them be brilliant especially under a ton of stress from millions of fans is just amazing to me.
THANK YOU SO MUCH JKR for putting harry in my life
So Ron has gone from Auror to joke shop owner in the space of a few days! I like the idea of him working alongside his brother a lot better than him being an Auror – it never felt right.
I know JK doesn’t see Snape as a hero because Snape would never had done what he did if it wasn’t for Lily – but give the man some credit. He watched over Harry for 7 years, he fought against Voldemort too for all that time. We see in the pensieve that in HBP Dumbledore informs Snape that Harry is doomed to death – but does Snape give in? Does he, after the ‘half truth’ that Dumbledore has fed him all these years decide to leave Dumbeldore to the mercy of the DE’s at the top of the astronomy tower? Snape releasing Dumbledore from a miserable fate is nothing to do with Lily Evans – it is to do with Snape’s compassion and loyalty to Albus Dumbledore.
I think we Harry Potter fans will never be satisfied with just these seven books.
I would like – a trilogy of books on Severus Snape,and I would like to see a set of books from when James, Lily, Sirius, Lupin, Snape, Pettigrew etc were young – they could end with either Hagrid removing Harry from the ruins, or Sirius being carted off to Azkaban.
I am happy to leave Albus Severus Potter at school living a happy life – but for everything else I want answers, and I feel that only JKR herself should answer.
Lots of us have been wondering who does magic later in life and this morning on Bloomsbury’s live web-chat with JKRowling she was asked that question. She said that she changed her mind by the time she had finished Book 3. So, who it might have been is a moot point.
On the continuing saga of the epilogue, I’ve found it really helpful to do three things: reread it; listen to/read Jo’s comments about it; reread it with those thoughts in the back of my mind.
I think on first read, it seems weak because it’s devoid of all the details we have grown accustomed to throughout the books. It lacks the passion of the books themselves. But, filtered through the author’s perspective, it does seem to take us back to Harry’s first encounter with the Hogwart’s Express and it does force us to let go. Maybe, a little bit too quickly, but we are told and reassured that after all the traumas, travails, and passions of adolescence, after the vanquishing of Lord Voldemort, now all was well. Life does go on.
I think it would be interesting if JKR took the HP series on a similar route as Star Wars, where she licensed and authorized historical stories, past, present and future. They could obliviously be small works, with alot of backstory of the characters that have appears in the HP Universe.
How about publishing a collection of the textbooks that were used within Hogwarts?
I personally would like to know more about the founders of Hogwarts; Godric Gryffindor, Rowena Ravenclaw, Helga Hufflepuff and Salazar Slytherin, and how they came to being. What were their life stories and how did they come together to form the school?
Another interesting thing to note for those of you talking about significance in the names JK chooses, Remus Lupin’s last name is close to “lupus” or wolf in latin.
Diantha from Noord-Holland:
Hmm… I didnt connect Remus that way. However, Lupine is the term used for wolves. Sort of like “wolfish”, a gramatically correct term, mind you.
And hagrid, what happened to him?
I think the worst thing KJR could do is allow others to publish “sequels”. Both Star Trek and Star Wars have done this with very poor results for the majority of the other author novels. A very few have really captured the characters and “feel” of the worlds they are writing about. I would be very sad to see Harry Potter’s world lessened like this. Also, someone mentioned Andre Norton’s Witch World series — they were all written by her. When others came in and “co-authored” stories set in her universe, they just weren’t as good. (All of this is my personal opinion of course. Tastes differ.) Just using characters’ names & the same or similar places does not mean a book based on a beloved world is really going to meet and satisfy those characteristics that make the world what it is. Use your own imagination to fill out the stories — you’ll do a much better job than anyone else.
I love that Rowling says little James has probably stolen the marauders map from Harry’s desk…that’s priceless!
I love the fact that even though she says she’s done writing these books she still thinks about every single character and it seems as though she’ll go through everyday with a little chuckle as to what one of them might be doing that particular day…then again, so will we!