Harry Potter Time

You have J.K. Rowling's permission to do so!

Rowling has given fans permission to write sequels to the Harry Potter books, as long as the material stays online only.

Rowling's lawyers confirmed she is happy for spin-offs to be published online as long as the publications are not sold and it is made clear she was not involved in the stories.

She also requested the follow-ups do not contain pornography or racism.

This is great news for those of us who write Harry Potter fan fiction! So get started already... and share it with the world in The Three Broomsticks!

Don't miss this video of Mary GrandPre (illustrator of the Harry Potter books) showing how she draws Harry:

Mary GrandPre Draws Harry Potter!

Now that it's all over in the Harry Potter saga, we'd like to know what you think? Were you satisfied with the ending?

Given the usual state of Potter-madness in these parts, we're pretty much "neither here nor there"- we loved Deathly Hallows, but still can't believe that there won't be another book to look forward to. We're just glad the films haven't all been made yet.

Want to talk about how you feel about the End? Visit our Deathly Hallows forum at The Three Broomsticks- and kick back with a butterbeer or two.

... and we're LOVING it so far!

Don't have your copy yet? Order Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Book 7)

In preparation for the coming of the final book, here's a primer on the first six Harry Potter books:
BOOK ONE:
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (aka Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone)

Major new characters: Harry Potter, a young wizard and an orphan; Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, Harry's best friends; Rubeus Hagrid, Hogwarts gamekeeper; Draco Malfoy, a fellow student and Harry's nemesis; Severus Snape, Potions master who dislikes Harry; Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts; Lord Voldemort, an evil wizard almost universally feared; Quirinus Quirrell, the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.

Major plot points:

On his 11th birthday, Harry learns he is a wizard. For most of his life, he's been living with his cruel relatives, the Dursleys, who have kept his magical past a secret.

Voldemort killed James and Lily Potter but was unable to kill their baby son, Harry. Harry is known throughout the wizarding world for surviving Voldemort's attack, which left a lightning bolt-shaped scar on the boy's forehead.

Harry attends his first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and is assigned to Gryffindor, one of four houses. He shows a natural talent for playing the wizard game Quidditch.

Harry learns that Voldemort is trying to steal the Sorcerer's Stone, which grants its owner wealth and immortality. He, Ron and Hermione fight to keep the stone away from Voldemort.

Memorable quote: "If there is one thing Voldemort cannot understand, it is love. He didn't realize that love as powerful as your mother's for you leaves its own mark. Not a scar, no visible sign ... to have been loved so deeply, even though the person who loved us is gone, will give us some protection forever." - Dumbledore to Harry

Continue reading "Remember, Remember : Books One to Six" »

Stephen King has written a lovely article in which he bids Harry Potter goodbye- and shares with us how he feels about the series coming to an end.

From the article:

My advice to families containing Harry Potter readers: Stock up on the Kleenex. You're gonna need it. It's all made worse by one unavoidable fact: It's not just Harry. It's time to say goodbye to the whole cast, from Moaning Myrtle to Scabbers the rat (a.k.a. Wormtail). Which leads to an interesting question — will the final volume satisfy Harry's longtime (and very devoted) readers?

We wonder the very same thing!

You can read the entire article on Entertainment Weekly.

The New Zealand Herald recently published a list of little known Harry Potter Trivia, which includes the following gems:

1. J. K. Rowling's manuscript for Harry Potter was turned down a staggering 15 times by book publishers. Makes aspiring writers like us feel better!


2. The Hogwarts motto, "Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus" means "never tickle a sleeping dragon". Awww.


3. Although we know that Harry has a scar on his forehead, it's never specified in the books where it's actually located. I didn't realize this until now. Interesting.


4. Daniel Radcliffe spent approximately 42 hours underwater during the course of filming The Goblet of Fire. Wow, that's a LOT of water.


5. Steven Spielberg reportedly wanted Haley Joel Osment ("I see dead people") for the part of Harry. Thank heavens for Dan Radcliffe!

"Before I did the scene everyone kept coming up to me and asking if I was looking forward to it. It got me really, really nervous and I was having sleepless nights over it. But when I actually did the scene it went very well and Dan was great. He said he was nervous as well."

Katie Leung, who plays Cho Chang in the Harry Potter movies, was recently interviewed. Here's what she says about the Number One Question On Everyone's Mind:

"I don't want anyone to die. I really don't know. If anyone, probably Harry. But I don't want him to die."

With the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Book 7) drawing near, there's a little bit of panic as to what we'll be turning our attentions to once the series is complete. Of course our hearts will always belong to Harry, but today we came upon this list of books labeled the 'next Harry Potter'. Worth a look, in any case.

Is it just us, or is Dan Radcliffe- who will always be Harry Potter to us- getting cuter?

Check out his latest interview with IESB.net (it's video, so not safe for work :-)). Isn't he absolutely darling?

Also not to be missed (this one's not a video): an interview with Dan and Rupert Grint over at Popcorn. Our favourite quote from this one:

Daniel Radcliffe turns up first, still smart in suit and tie. "You've got to make an effort," he says, though he reveals that the bottom of his tie is rammed into the top - "it slipped out during the press conference." He agrees that he presents a very different look to Rupert. "He's more casual - but I like to dress up. I am a suit man - and it makes you feel slightly taller. Plus -" and he nods to his waistcoat, "if you have three buttons on your waistcoat and only tie the top one, people's eyes go up there and it makes you look taller. But if you're small and you wear a baseball cap, it's actually easy to slip into a crowd and not get spotted."

We love that he makes an effort!