Harry Potter shares some similarities with other ficional characters. Tell us which one shares the most with Harry Potter:

Posted by Tim Haddock at 11:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Harry Potter is unique in his own right. His character is self-less, sacrificial, heroic and tragic. He is part Greek god and part peasant; part prince and part pauper.
But who before in fiction best compares to Harry Potter?
Author J.K. Rowling has been compared to Roald Dahl in her style and storytelling. Dahl’s “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and “The Great Glass Elevator” combine legend and contemporary tales much like Rowling weaves existing myths with modern influences. But how similar are Charlie and Harry?
For that matter, how similar is Harry to some other fictional characters: Frodo Baggins, Huckleberry Finn, Alice in Wonderland and Winnie-the-Pooh.
Here’s a look at how Harry Potter compares to some of the more popular characters in fiction.

Harry vs. Charlie
Charlie is poor, lives with his parents and both sets of grandparents and rarely has any means of acquiring material goods, not that they are of much importance to him. He eats cabbage soup when he eats anything at all. But he loves his family and has learned to accept his existence. Because of his life of poverty, Charlie has an overdeveloped set of values. He is forthright, honest to a fault and has a respect for order and authority that is foreign to other children, specifically the ones who win the Chocolate Factory tour contest with Charlie.
Harry shares Charlie’s courage and values, but unlike Charlie, those qualities land Harry in trouble more than it sets him apart from other children.
Harry has no parents. Anyone who wants to play the part of Harry’s father figure usually ends up dead. Harry is also far from impoverished, even though his fortune does little to affect his values. In that regard, Harry and Charlie are philosophically opposed. Charlie’s values are molded through his poverty. Harry’s values are unaffected by his wealth.
Both seem to arrive at the same place despite their economic status. Harry and Charlie share similar values in their makeup, but that’s about where their similarities end.

Harry vs. Frodo Baggins
Frodo from “The Lord of the Rings” is the reluctant hero given an impossible task. He must destroy the ring, the one ring that grants its wearer unimaginable power, but also leads the bearer on a path of self-destruction and obsession. Frodo succeeds, although loses a piece of himself, both figuratively and literally, in the process.
Harry is given a similar task. But unlike Frodo, Harry willingly accepts his mission, find the Horcruxes and destroy them. He does so bravely, without question and to a degree blindly.
Both accomplish their tasks. Both learn that trust, friendship and love are the greatest powers to possess. No ring or Hallow can replace the treasures found in family and friends.
But they both achieve their goals by very different means. Frodo must struggle with his fears and doubts to arrive at his destination. Then he almost self-destructs in the process.
Harry has been manipulated through his journey almost from the very beginning. Dumbledore, Harry’s most trusted, most influential companion along the way turns out to be his greatest manipulator. It is only by chance that Harry survives the final attack by Voldemort. And unlike Frodo, Harry is given a choice between life and death, with death presented as the more pleasant option. It is certainly the most peaceful and holds a greater promise.
Frodo fights for his life, and for the life of all to follow. For Frodo, death means failure. His final battle, with Gollum, ends in pain and suffering, even though the ring is destroyed and Middle Earth is saved. Frodo survives his final encounter with the ring and Gollum, but a part of him dies as well.

Harry vs. Alice in Wonderland
Alice asks to find a world of nonsense and finds it. Then she embarks on a frustrating journey trying to makes sense of her nonsensical world.
Harry finds a similar world of nonsense in his magical settings. The Ministry, Hogwarts, Diagon Alley, all the places Harry’s visits in his magical world are unfamiliar and sometimes unsettling. But unlike Alice, Harry adapts to his new surroundings. Alice makes the mistake of trying to have her surroundings adapt to her.
Part of Harry’s character is that he is an adolescent boy trying to find acceptance. This is true of any boy Harry’s age. That he is looking for acceptance in a wizard world is of little significance. It could happen anywhere for a 11, 12, 13 year old boy who is trying to find himself.
Alice has no such struggle. Her adventure starts as a cure for boredom and ends with the moral: Be careful what you ask for.
Alice asks for trouble and gets it. Harry makes no such requests. Yet trouble often seems to find him. Alice and Harry are placed in similar settings, strange and foreign. But each navigates through their settings quite differently. Harry desperately wants to fit in and to a degree disappear. Alice wants a world free of sense and design. But when she sees it and experiences it, she has a quick change of heart.

Harry vs. Huck Finn
Huck and Harry share a number of similarities. “The Deathly Hallows” and “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” read similarly as well. It probably wasn’t by design. It would be hard to accept that Rowling modeled her British boy wonder after an icon of Americana, and one that is so deeply rooted in simpleness. Huck and Harry share the same sense of bravery and courage. Their journeys are eerily similar. Rowling’s use of dialect is a similar tool used by Mark Twain. The major difference is that Rowling had to create some of her own dialects, parseltongue for example, whereas Twain had existing ones to utilize.
Huck’s trip up the Mississippi River is much like the hopscotch camping trips Harry, Ron and Hermione make through “The Deathly Hallows.” The only thing missing in “The Deathly Hallows” was Dobby playing the role of Jim, although Hermione does an adequate job of filling that gap.
Huck’s journey begins aimlessly and ends at a destination of self-discovery. Harry’s journey at least begins with a purpose and goal. But his route starts as aimlessly as Huck’s. Harry and his friends are left wandering in search of Horcruxes and Hallows through a cloud of confusion and frustration.
Huck wanders along the Mississippi River searching for an escape, but ends up battling his own beliefs and fears that create confusion and conflict in his conscious.
Harry and Huck are both pawns in their journeys. Harry is different in that he never expects that he is the pawn. Huck has little trouble accepting his place in society, be it pawn, bishop or king. And Huck gets a chance to play every role genuinely. Harry is under the illusion that he controls his own destiny, but in the end, it is revealed he never had control of his own fate.
Huck may never have been in control of his fate either, but it didn’t bother him. Pawn or king, it was all the same to Huck. That is their major difference. Harry struggles to control his fate. Huck has no such desire, to the degree that he cares more about the fate of Jim than his own.
But through their struggles, Huck and Harry become the same self-less character. When Harry realizes his fate, he accepts it. By luck, he survives his impending doom. Huck has no sense of self-lessness, but the way he treats Jim turns Huck into one of the most self-less characters of his time. Both are fighting for the greater good. Harry just has a better sense of his purpose. Huck doesn’t care and doesn’t want his existence to have any purpose.

Harry vs. Winnie-the-Pooh
This is a stretch, but Harry and Winnie-the-Pooh have one thing in common that cannot go unnoticed. Both are the tabla rasa, the clean slate. Winnie-the-Pooh only had to pull this off through two books. Harry had to do it through seven. And in the seventh book, the reader sees how much of a blank slate Harry really is.
Winnie-the-Pooh has no desire to discover his identity. It not something a bear of very small brain dwells on. Keeping Winnie-the-Pooh pure and unaffected is not much of a challenge.
But Rowling was able to keep Harry pure and unaffected through seven books, through challenges of emotions, trust, desire and survival. In the end, Harry remains true to his heart and overcomes his greatest threats. It is a quality that he reveals to goblins, the Malfoys, even Voldemort. Harry is not influenced by greed or power. They have little value to him, much like Winnie-the-Pooh has little need for those things. Good friends and a pot of honey are all anyone needs to be happy.
Harry knows that from the start and never loses sight of it.

Posted by Tim Haddock at 11:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Leaky Cauldron has published the full text of JK Rowling's Bloombury web chat where fans could ask her their burning questions about the books, the characters and the end. She answers with abandon. This is a new JKR -- there is a sense of liberation in her tone. No question goes unanswered. HURRAH!!

Click here for a link to the transcript.

Posted by Sharon Kaplan at 11:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Scholastic, the U.S. publisher of the Harry Potter series, announced that it will launch its Open Book Tour Sweepstakes starting July 30. Scholastic will select 1,000 winners who will receive a pair of tickets to an evening with author J.K. Rowling at Carnegie Hall in New York on Oct. 19. Rowling will read from "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," answer questions about the series and sign copies of the book.
For more details, go to http://www.scholastic.com/aboutscholastic/news/press_07272007_CP.htm
The J.K. Rowling Open Book Tour will include three events to be held for school children in Los Angeles, New Orleans and New York City, in addition to the event at Carnegie Hall for sweepstakes winners. School districts in the host cities will select which schools and which children will participate. There are no public tickets available for these school events.

Posted by Tim Haddock at 10:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

J.K. Rowling answered a lot of questions in The Deathly Hallows. Namely, is Snape good or evil and is Harry a Horcrux.
But she left a number of questions unanswered. Why did Percy have a sudden change of heart? How did Hagrid end up with Sirius's motorcycle? When did Harry become so self-less? And why would any wizard ever need to wear glasses?
But there is one question in particular I am still looking for an answer to. Maybe I missed it. Or maybe it's one of those unimportant details Rowling decided to gloss over, like how Hagrid got the motorcycle.
I want to know why Voldemort killed James and Lily. Maybe I missed it, but all I can discern is that James and Lily were in hiding, Voldemort found them and killed them. The answer couldn't be as easy as James and Lily were in the Order of the Phoenix. There were lots of people in the Order and Voldemort didn't hunt them down and kill them personally.
In fact, he only personally attacked select wizards and witches, those he felt his death eaters were unqualified or unable to kill themselves.
Was it that simple: James and Lily were too powerful for his death eaters to kill. Nothing suggests that James or Lily had extraordinary talents. They were skilled and brave, but not in the same league as Dumbledore or Moody or even among the aurors of the time. The Longbottoms probably had more impressive skills than the Potters given the fact that the Longbottoms were aurors and the Potters weren't.
That was one question I wish Harry would have asked Dumbledore when Harry was in limbo. It would have been simple too: Why did Voldemort kill my parents?
It would not have been easy for Dumbledore to answer, but it's an answer the readers deserve to know.

Posted by Tim Haddock at 01:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

I am a big fan of lists.
I have one for snack foods; one for hamburgers; one for newspaper movies. You get the picture.
The New York Times has a thing for lists too. Their best sellers list is one of the most prestigious in the world. And "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" won't be on it.
Apparently, the book is too immature to be included with more serious works of literature.
What a bunch of hooey.
Michael Glitz, if that is his real name, has more about it on the huffingtonpost.com web site. I for one could care less if Harry Potter makes the NYT's stupid list. It won't take away from its popularity or place in literary history. But Glitz makes a good point about the NYT's policy about keeping children's books off the best seller list. It's a stupid policy because it keeps some well-written, entertaining books out of the public eye. Being on the NYT best seller list has its benefits, even if it is flawed in its compilation.
To read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-giltz/why-harry-potter_b_57099.html

Posted by Tim Haddock at 12:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Two things are bugging me about "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows."
Don't get me wrong, the Harry Potter series is wonderful in its entirety. J.K.Rowling has created one of the most complex villains, antagonists, whatever you want to call him, in literary history. Severus Snape is a character of misguided impressions who ended up being one of the most nobly focused figures ever presented in literature. She had me fooled. Not since Long John Silver in "Treasure Island" has a character with such a sinister foundation been able to avoid the consequence of his actions. Snape does pay for his duplicity with his life, but he does so by giving Harry the truth of his destiny. Snape's last act in life is to free Harry of his doubts. It was truly heroic, and finally gave the reader a chance to see Snape in a sympathetic light, the same light Dumbledore saw throughout the series.
That was the highlight of the book.

The lowlight came three times. Four if you count the whole Harry is sort of, kind of dead, chapter.
As horrible as it might seem, I wanted Hagrid to die. And Rowling kept teasing me. Hagrid fell of his flying motorcycle -- and survived. He jumped into a pool of bloodthirsty giant spiders -- and survived. He pounced on a group of death eaters bent on killing Harry Potter -- and survived yet again. At one point, it was hard to decipher if he actually survived the spider attack -- and to be honest, I didn't want him to -- but it became clear that he was still alive when he showed to try and save Harry from the death eaters.
It seemed to me Rowling has been trying to kill off Hagrid for the past three books. It almost appears that she starts the process, then thinks twice about it and brings Hagrid back from certain death. He is a very likable character, but I would have rather seen him die than Lupin or Tonks. That was tough. And now there is another orphan wizard running around, who may or may not be a werewolf and has the ability to change his appearance at will. Can you say Teddy Lupin and the Silver Lining?
But the thing that bothered me most about the Deathly Hallows was the death of Harry Potter. That was a little cheap. Either kill Harry or let him live. There were a number of different ways Rowling could have presented that little discussion between Dumbledore and Harry. Even the conversation with the portrait at the end would have sufficed. But having Harry linger between death and life, I expected more from Rowling. It wasn't very imaginative and far from necessary. Although it did create great tension when he came back from "the dead" to face Voldemort for the final time.
It's funny how Harry turned out to be a pawn in all this -- unwittingly manipulatied by Dumbledore and Snape all this time. It was a very unusual way to tell the story, but an incredibly effective way.

Posted by Tim Haddock at 10:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

AP reports that a few hundred books were sold with missing pages.

NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

ATLANTA (AP) _ It was a nasty vanishing act that would have made Lord Voldemort proud.

Harry Potter charmed millions of readers this weekend, but the spell was broken at least briefly for some fans when they found pages missing from their precious copies of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows."

The book's publisher, Scholastic Inc., says a few hundred of the 12 million copies of the book are reported to have pages missing. The gaps have left hardcore Potterphiles rushing to stores to exchange them _ or filing them away as mementos of the book's epic release.

Leanne Greer, 36, had gone on "lock down" _ no television, radio or Internet _ after buying her copy of "Deathly Hallows" at about 7 a.m. on Saturday. She said she finished reading page 306, then discovered the next 33 pages of the book were missing.

"I just kind of freaked out," said Greer, a Purdue University graduate with degrees in elementary education and English. "My husband said, 'Why are you screaming?' He said 'I thought one of the kids was hurt.'"

Luckily for Greer, she had a backup for her store-bought copy; she had ordered another copy online.

"I'm just that psychotic about it," she said.

She tore open the package that arrived in the mail and kept reading.

Officials at Scholastic said that with such a massive printing _ 8.3 million copies of the final installment of J.K. Rowling's fantasy series sold in the first 24 hours _ a handful of problems was probably unavoidable.

"Printing and distributing 12 million copies of a book is a Herculean task, and it is not surprising that some books would have printing errors," Scholastic spokeswoman Sara Sinek said in a statement.

She said that as of Tuesday, the company had only heard of "a few hundred" instances of books with missing pages.

Sinek said Scholastic is happy to replace any book with a defect and advised customers to take defective books back to the place where they were purchased.

Not going to happen, said Mary Hunt, a mother of two from upstate New York who was vacationing in Philadelphia when she found the book she bought at midnight Friday was missing pages 19-50.

"Oh, no way!" she said. "I have it and I've got it safely in its dust jacket inside one of those cloth book covers.

"It's too cool _ it's fun to have something people are talking about."

At least some would-be Potter entrepreneurs agree.

By Tuesday morning, several copies of the misprinted books were being offered for sale on the online auction site eBay, with opening bids as high as $30. The book has a list price of $34.99, but many retailers offered discounts of 40 percent or more.

Keeping the book was a luxury for Hunt. She'd gotten three copies and was able to swap with her fast-reading daughter early Saturday morning.

"If I had been sitting there alone with only one copy, I would have gone back to the store and screamed," she said.

Greer is keeping hers as well.

"I don't know who would buy it, but maybe when some of these crazy kids grow up, they'll want to have something like that," she said.

Posted by Sharon Kaplan at 05:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It’s apparent J.K. Rowling felt it necessary to tear Harry Potter apart to make him whole as a hero. Like snapping his wand in half, Rowling snapped Harry into pieces with the death of Dobby the house elf. Why she took so long to kill Dobby is anyone’s guess. She could have killed him much earlier and saved about 300 pages.
Why Dobby had to die to make Harry whole is another mystery. Dobby’s death led to Harry using a muggle’s means to bury the free house-elf. He uses a spade, not a shovel, to dig Dobby’s grave. His choice of tool is as curious as his method. No magic is used in the digging; but magic is used in the burial. Could this be symbolic of Harry’s journey through the seven books? No magic in the beginning, but a magical burial in the end? Was Harry burying his muggle self by digging the grave?

It seems after the burial of Dobby, Harry becomes as powerful as he has ever been. He becomes smarter, braver, bolder. At one point, Harry notices that the place he chose to bury Dobby was perhaps the most beautiful place on the site – that one day flowers would sprout up over his gravesite. Could Rowling be saying at this point that the only way to find true peace is through the course of nature, not by means of magic or human interference?
It is a struggle Harry has faced since he learned he was a wizard: choose between using magic or his wits to solve his problems. At Hogwarts, magic was an option, although not always the most advisable. But with the Durselys, use of magic led to punishment and discipline. Harry, unlike other wizards his age, had to find means other than magic to solve some of his problems.
The death of Dobby made that more clear than ever. Harry became bold enough to strike a deal with a goblin to steal one of the Horcruxes. Harry became brave enough to sneak in and rob Gringotts. He became smart enough to question Ollivander about the Elder Wand. He became patient enough to change his focus from Hallows to Horcruxes after Dobby died.
Dobby’s death tore Harry up inside more than any other character’s death. That includes Dumbledore, Sirius and his parents. The death of Dumbledore led Harry to confusion and frustration. The death of Sirius led him to rage and vengeance. The death of his parents led to hope and despair. But Dobby’s death led to someplace unexpected. It led to courage and foolhardiness. Harry exhibited cleverness and caution. He dared the impossible and ignored the obvious. Dobby’s death made Harry’s character gain great depth, even though it tore Harry apart to get there.
Dobby’s death appears to be the catalyst for this transformation. But why? Dobby, aside from being a fan of Harry Potter, had few ties to Harry. Why would his death lead to Harry’s evolution into a complete and powerful wizard? It seems an odd choice. Seeing Ginny or Ron die would have been a greater motivator in the transformation. Even Luna would have made more sense.
Dobby was more irritating than helpful to Harry throughout the books. Granted, without Dobby, Harry, Ron, Hermione, et al., would have died in Malfoy Manor, but Dobby was an unusual choice to shatter Harry’s inner wizard. Unlike his wand and the Horcruxes, Harry was able to put the pieces of his soul back together. It made him a stronger wizard, but not necessarily a better wizard. Having Dobby die was a strange choice – unexpected and unlikely.

Posted by Tim Haddock at 09:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Leaky Cauldron reports that J.K. Rowling, during an interview on today's Today show, revealed the name of the character to whom she gave a reprieve from death, and she said she plans on writing a Harry Potter encyclopedia. We won't name names here for those who haven't read the book.

Click here for transcript of the show.

JKR's discusses Deathly Hallows and the hereafter ...

Posted by Sharon Kaplan at 03:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Mistakes, lies, love, regret, forgiveness, duplicity, humor, deception, manipulation, loyalty, trust and wands -- it's all here. But for me, I still wanted more. Don't get me wrong. I loved the book from beginning to end. It took me on a journey I could never have imagined from the books that came before it. The story became something singular and like nothing else that might have been written by any other author of fantasy novels.

There were parts of this book I truly adored, parts where I cried and parts where my shock was made manifest by audible gasps, parts where I read with pride how characters came into their own. But I still found myself wanting more from the book, more of everything, every character. It zipped along so quickly and then zagged toward places I never expected. That's what made it GREAT and at the same time infuriating. I almost felt myself thinking that some fan fiction writers and those who posted their theories daily about the fates of characters had it righter than Rowling did, and that fandom had far more complex ideas about the storylines and archs, nature versus nurture, or the need for tidy endings.

I can't emphasize enough how much I love J.K. Rowling's writing, her dialog, her humor, the morality risks she's willing to take that are really so brave. She goes down some really ugly and flawed roads. And I love the fact that I feel like I'm magically entering and enchanted diary, if you will; her scenes are all around me when I read her books. I feel as though I am there, right in it. Nothing holds my interest quite like Harry's story. I never feel like Rowling takes me out of a scene with stilted language or wording that doesn't belong or changing the world she's created. I never get distracted when I read her books -- unlike many other modern authors. She has an old-fashioned, classic quality about her writing. She's completely invested in her story and nothing really breaks you out of any given scene. She understands suspense and mystery and leads you only as far as she wants to take you.

But I did have some issues. I thought some character subplots, like Percy's story or even Lily's back story, were written without much substance like a college student rushing to finish a paper they left till the last minute. Lily's story remained thin, to me. Her much ballyhooed eyes, well, you don't find out why they're so special after all that buildup. It turns out there's nothing magical about them.

Even though I was happy Percy's storyline was resolved, I thought it was too quick. I was happy that Rowling didn't see fit to kill him or make him pay for being young and foolish and that instead, he was welcomed back openly. That's what I hoped for and that's what I got -- but I wanted more. It was just ... too simple. There was no consequence.

Neville came in to his own, yes, but I wanted him to be far more heroic than he ended up being.

The search for the Deathly Hallows, seemed to me at first to be a distraction. Harry came to that conclusion too, at one point, and I found myself relieved that he picked another direction to go in. The search for the Hallows moved the story away from what I thought we'd learn about the founders and moved on to highlight Dumbledore's indiscretions. I liked that because it took you deeper into secrets and lies that formed Harry unknowingly. I didn't expect that. It wasn't until the end that I realized that it lead to explaining what happened the night Dumbledore was killed, and Voldemort's true quest -- and his incredible mistakes that lead to his downfall.

There were always "Dumbledore is evil" theories out there following the fourth book, and I always brushed them aside feeling that he was kindly, but had secrets he had to keep close to the chest that would eventually lead Harry to defeat Voldemort. And that's what happened, except I could never have expected to find out that DD was not only keeping secrets, but he was actually kind of a terrible person -- basically knowingly leading a child to slaughter for the greater good. Think of what Harry could have done and how many lives could have been spared had he known the whole truth.

Dumbledore's brother, Aberforth, seemingly only a comic anecdote through six books, turns out to have been the better man, the man Dumbledore should have been. Dumbledore is not only manipulative and secretive, he is vain and self-important -- even in death. And so we come to Snape. Dumbledore did something simliar to Snape, the only consolation was that Snape knew the full extent of what his job was and was able to take it on effectively and economically. He did it with all the information he needed even though Dumbledore ruthlessly manipulated Snape's own self-loathing to get him to do his bidding -- twisting Snape's love for Lily and his own lifelong regrets. Snape's storyline was hard to read because you couldn't get away from feeling his was a character to be pitied in the end. I wish Snape didn't have to die to for Harry to find out what kind of man he was. I thought it was a bit cheap that he had to find out through Snape's memories (I had hoped for a confrontation -- it could have been SO JUICY!), but it appeared it was the only way Rowling could find to tell the story of Harry's mother's history -- and for that matter, his Aunt Petunia's. Oh, and James pretty much remained kind of a schmuck.

Overall, I thought this book tied up neatly all the storylines of a rather unwieldy cast of characters. While, I'm not sure I can say I was completely satisfied with some character archs, I can say that I truly admire Rowling's bravery in writing from dealing with lies and deception to including a TON of morally ambiguity. Remember, folks, this is a children's book that is now dealing with mercy killing, killing for the greater good, and senseless lies, death and destruction. It didn't bother me, but I can see how this could upset some younger (and older readers). She doesn't shy away from taking her characters to some ugly conclusions. She takes what should be the epitome of good in Dumbledore and makes him almost eviler than the villain -- he just didn't kill people with his own hand -- no, he let others do it either knowingly or unknowingly. Yes, he sacrified himself, but his job wasn't finished. It had to be finished by others.

Rowling's need for treacly conclusions bothered me a little and so I found the last epilogue a bit too Disney for my taste. Harry survives to name one child Albus Severus Potter. (that's just too sugary for me, sorry). But Harry survives to become a man with a family and a life and that is a happy, good ending no matter how you slice it.

Posted by Sharon Kaplan at 05:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

And I'm finally done.

I won't spoil it for you yet, but I'm satisfied, sad that it's over and wondering what book, what author will be the next to capture the hearts and minds of readers in the future in the same way this did?

Posted by Sharon Kaplan at 05:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"I am too old to be acting a damn fool, but I don't care" -- this from a Christina Woody, 25, who was maybe the 10th person in line at the Barnes and Noble at The Grove in Los Angeles waiting to buy "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," the last installment with characters she's grown to love. As she was lead into the store, she screamed, jumped and pumped her fists as though she'd just won the lottery, and perhaps she did. Woody said she was excited to find out how it all ends. "Have you ever experienced reading a book where you just identify so much with the characters?" Yes. I have. She said she identified with Ron. Clearly, hundreds of others identified with the books as all of them were clamoring to get inside.

But it was Liz Kohl who was first in line and the first to get her book, which she waved triumphantly into the air. Kohl was surrounded by reporters and photographers who were feverishly snapping photos as she paid for her book and held in her arms as though she would never let it go. Kohl received congratulatory pats on the back and choruses of "all rights!" and "yay for yous" that feted her as she walked out of the store. Had this been a Jewish wedding, Kohl would have been lifted up and paraded around the bookstore. Camaraderie was the story of this night. Everyone was just happy to be here celebrating what was pop culture history being created in real time, as my friend Nataly described it. Just as I was leaving the store, a very perky gal waved her book in the air, pointed at the others still waiting in line and screamed, "YOU'RE NEXT." No, there was no gloating here tonight. Everyone was too happy for the wait to be over.

There were hundreds of people at the Grove tonight, some dressed up in elaborate costumes. Parents were taking pictures of their children in front of the stacks of boxes containing the books (guarded by a few surly looking security officers) as though they were posing for a picture with Mickey Mouse at Disneyland. A rock band, called The Remus Lupins, decked out in Gryffindor colors, played loud Harry Potter-themed music to an absolutely adoring crowd -- who apparently all knew the lyrics, which included a chorus of "Snape Sucks."

As midnight approached, the chanting began. "Harry! Harry! Harry!" Some fans were reading the old books while waiting in line to get the new one. This night was all about Harry. Everyone had his name on their lips. There were people talking about their predictions. One teenage girl related a story about how she was nearly going to commit suicide when the last book came out because her summer camp didn't organize an outing to get the book, and this time she was determined NOT to miss the book release.

"This is the last one," a man behind me said. "This will never happen again."

Earlier in the evening, Big Sugar bakery (a store no bigger than my living room) was packed with people buying cauldron cakes, chocolate frogs, pumpkin juice, butterbeer and other assorted Potter-themed goodies. Actress Quinn Cummings ("Goodbye Girl," "Family"), in line in front of me waiting to buy some yummies (and who probably didn't realize I knew who she was), had a smile from ear to ear. "Isn't this great?" she asked me quite unsolicited. She said, the last time there was a book that had this much hype was more than a hundred years ago ... and it was Charles Dickens. She said it was so exciting to see this much enthusiasm over a book. The kids, the parents, the teens, the young adults, the grownups -- all enjoying good clean fun. It was like Halloween in July. One parent said to his son, "We'll get one of everything." The boy, probably about 12, flew into his father's arms and hugged him. "YOU'RE AWESOME!" The father turned to me and my friend and said, "That's the best $1.25 I ever spent."

The Grove was a scene and a celebration as fans waited for the stroke of midnight. The store staff made a big deal counting down the last minute before midnight, then teasingly opening the box for the press, grabbing the first copy raising it up like a first-born child to a crowd of adoring family members.

And then it was all business after that as a steady stream of readers filed in one by one, proudly wearing a wrist band, to begin what is sure to be a journey to the end of this wonderful story. My sister, who lives in Seattle, called me after she bought her copy of the book tonight with my niece (who SQUEALED in my ear "I GOT IT!!!") My sister's description of the night was much like what I experienced. She said, it wasn't as intimate as it was for the last book. "This was about crowd control," she added. But when she stood in line earlier today to get her wristband, she heard people talk about their own predictions and how much they loved the book, and she thought there was a wonderful sense of community about the whole experience.

I now have my copy, which, incidentally, I bought at Ralphs about an hour after my trip to the Grove. No hoopla, no celebration, no scene. I put my book on the conveyor used my club card and got 40% off. Still, I will likely be up all night reading until my eyes bleed, barely wanting it to end.

Posted by Sharon Kaplan at 01:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Of the 250 copies of The Deathly Hallows Storyopolis ordered, more than half were sold in less than half an hour.
By 12:40, the store was nearly empty. The party is supposed to go on until 2 a.m., but it looks like it's going to end early.
Storyopolis will have another Harry Potter party Saturday starting at 11 a.m. There are still plenty of copies available. The store is at 12348 Ventura Blvd. in Studio City.
Sharon and I will be taking some time to read The Deathly Hallows now, We probably won't be posting anything until we're done with the book. Hopefully it won't take us long and we can begin discussing what happened in the final book.
See you again as soon as we can.

Posted by Tim Haddock at 12:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Simona Zappas, a 14-year-old from Sherman Oaks, was the first to buy The Deathly Hallows at Storyopolis. In New Year's Eve celebration, the store counted down the final seconds until midnight when the store could start selling the books.

Posted by Tim Haddock at 12:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Bertie Botts Every Flavor Bean testing

Impressively knowledgable Slytherins

Harry Potter trivia by Stephanie Neel

Posted by Tim Haddock at 11:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Here are some of the books at Storyopolis. Little more than an hour until they can sell them.

Posted by Tim Haddock at 10:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It's small, But here's a look at a shipment of books at The Grove. Almost midnight.

Posted by Tim Haddock at 10:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Some fans are lining up at one of London's largest booksellers. I think, when you start incorporating actual fire in your Deathly Hallows celebration ... you might be taking this a little too seriously. And Harry looks like he's about 45.

Posted by Sharon Kaplan at 02:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

No games, no puzzles, just an open door with a lovely note sitting on a clean desk, acknowledgments and heartfelt thanks from Ms. Rowling herself to her publishers, her editors and myriad others who brought this book to us, the fans.

Go to www.jkrowling.com and click on the eraser, click on the doorknob, click on the note to be able to read it.

Posted by Sharon Kaplan at 10:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

My brain is seizing. I have so many thoughts, I can barely commit them to the datastream (isn't that what the Internet version of "paper" is?)

I tried coming up with predictions all day for this blog and all I could do was stare up at the ceiling whilst drool sprang from my lips.

But I came up with the predictions that follow, and I'm most certaintly wrong about all of them except this one: The book will have an ending.

Hogwarts is the Deathly Hallows and the final battle will happen there most likely in the Chamber of Secrets where Harry defeated a young Tom Riddle. (My reasoning: "hallows" is a word often used to describe schools, as in "hallowed halls." It's thin logic, I know. But I can live with that.)

Snape is good, but probably toast.

Hermione is put in mortal peril by her own doing. Throughout the books, she's broken more and more rules and gotten more and more reckless. She will do something she believes she can handle and gets in over her head. She is rescued by Ron and Harry, or the Order swoops in and saves her.

Harry won't die. I've changed my mind, however he will have a virtual death. I think he loses his magical powers in the process of defeating Voldemort and so we get the best of both worlds, a death and a new life.

Harry and Ron will finally read "Hogwarts, a History."

Dobby actually gets the Horcrux from Kreachur. We need some example of that powerful elfin magic we keep hearing about and I personally would love to see an elf-on-elf smackdown.

Harry does talk to Sirius through the mirror.

Bill's injuries might possibly help cure Lupin of his werewolfishness? Maybe? I don't know.

McGonagall kicks some butt. I want that woman to ROCK IT against some death eaters. YEAH!!!!

Percy breaks some rules, saves the Twins and is welcomed back into the family.

Charlie or Molly dies.

Ron and Hermione finally kiss. It has to happen or fans might storm her Scottish fortress.

Snape and R.A.B are connected somehow.

Lucius or Narcissa (or both) are killed and Draco flips out causing him to possibly provide some kind of leg up to the Order. Is that too romantic? I just don't see him dying or ending up going over the Dark edge.

I would love to have a prediction about Lily and James, but we know such precious little about them, it is the one aspect of this story I can barely wrap my head around. Harry's eyes, Lily's eyes, I can only suspect they act as either a shield or a way to see into someone's good soul. I really just can't commit to anything.

I also have no clue why DD was in possession of the cloak BEFORE James died ... I can't seem to come up with anything. And I can't see what they gain from going to Goderick's Hollow except perhaps to find a clue, but what clue, I couldn't venture a guess.

Posted by Sharon Kaplan at 12:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

JK Rowling has said she is going to kill two characters. You can pick more than one if you like from this list of candidates.

Posted by Tim Haddock at 12:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Hours away from finding out what J.K. Rowling has in store for her Hogwarts heroes and their enemies, here is a look at what could happen in "The Deathly Hallows":
Neville kills Bellatrix Lestrange: Neville Longbottom needs to kill someone. Who better than Bellatrix Lestrange? She is the one who tortured his parents. She is the one who killed Sirius Black. She is the new Wicked Witch of the West. But if Neville kills her, that doesn't make him the new Dorothy.
Harry saves Draco: While Neville has it in him to kill, Harry doesn't. He is more likely to want to save his enemies than kill them. Draco is no different. If anything, Harry will be put in a position in which he feels sorry for Draco and will be more likely to save him from death than kill him.
Snape is still a death eater: He is evil and deserves to die. Not that it will play out like that, but like Sirius said, once a death eater, always a death eater.
Fred and George are accused of being death eaters: Of course they're not. But the harmless magical items they're selling in their joke shop will end up in the wrong hands. Most likely death eater hands. And they will be accused of aiding death eaters. Arthur Weasley better have enough pull in the Ministry to keep Fred and George out of Azkaban.
Ron and Hermione get together: Finally. And just before one of them dies. Roneo, Roneo, where for art thou, Roneo?
Mr. and Mrs. Weasley nearly die: Being a father figure to Harry Potter is dangerous business. Let's get real, it's a death sentence. No one who tries to fill James Potter's shoes lives very long. Not even James. Arthur is toast. Molly at least has a fighting chance.
Luna Lovegood helps Harry meet his parents: There's something special about Luna. She looks at everything from a unique perspective. Perhaps that perspective has given her an ability to communicate with the dead on a level even wizards and witches find extraordinary. Harry's parents can't come back to life, but Luna knows a way to get close.
Professor McGonagall captures Snape: Snape is going to do something worse than kill Dumbledore. Not sure what, but McGonagall will catch him in the act, and make him pay for killing Dumbledore.
Harry lives: Perhaps not as a wizard, but Harry will survive The Deathly Hallows. Voldemort will as well. Each will be sentenced to their own prisons. Harry in the muggle world of London and Voldemort in Azkaban -- with Buckbeak as his personal guard.

Posted by Tim Haddock at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

J.K. Rowling did an interview with the Associated Press. Here are some of the highlights from that interview:
On her young fans:“I have signed for thousands of children and I can honestly say I have met one badly behaved child. She sticks in my mind because she was the only one, ever. Adults are a different story, but kids — amazing.”

On criticism of the books from Christians in Britain and the United States:“I had one letter from a vicar in England — this is the difference — saying would I please not put Christmas trees at Hogwarts as it was clearly a pagan society. Meanwhile, I’m having death threats when I’m on tour in America.”

On Harry Potter fan Web sites:“Isn’t it amazing and wonderful that people are that excited about it? But when people start fire-bombing each other in cyberspace over the romantic relationship of two fictional characters, then it starts getting a little bit weird and scary.”

On fan-written fiction about Harry Potter:“I never read fan fiction, because you do feel slightly as though they’ve come into your house and started moving your furniture around. And I don’t want to feel that way. So in principle it’s fine and it’s creative and it stimulates literacy — but I just don’t want to know what they’re doing in my house.”

On Harry Potter movie merchandise:“Warner Bros. have been really rather wonderful in asking me, ‘Do you hate this?’ And I’ve said a couple of times, ‘Yeah, I hate that.’ The funniest one ever — it was a product proposal that was sent to them — was a Moaning Myrtle lavatory seat. We’ve got the plans for it framed in the office loo.”

On security surrounding the final chapter of the last book, written years ago:“I allowed everyone to believe it was in a safe, but I’ve been losing that on and off for years. I lose notebooks left, right and center, I’ve left things in cafes. I’ve been quite careless with everything, looking back.”

Posted by Tim Haddock at 05:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Beware, things-that-can-be-construed-as spoilerish are found in the New York Times review, but it's really nothing that would ruin the book for you. No names are mentioned, no plots outlined in any great detail.

By MICHIKO KAKUTANI New York Times News Service

So, here it is at last: the final confrontation between Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, the Chosen One, the “symbol of hope” for both the Wizard and Muggle worlds and Lord Voldemort, He Who Must Not Be Named, the nefarious leader of the Death Eaters and would-be ruler of all. Good versus Evil. Love versus Hate. The Seeker versus the Dark Lord.

J.K. Rowling’s monumental, spell-binding epic, 10 years in the making, is deeply rooted in traditional literature and Hollywood sagas — from the Greek myths to Dickens and Tolkien to Star Wars — and true to its roots, it ends not with modernist, Soprano-esque equivocation, but with good old-fashioned closure: a big screen, heart-racing, bone-chilling confrontation and an epilogue that clearly lays out people’s fates.

Posted by Sharon Kaplan at 12:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The BBC reports on how the Israels are coping with the Sabbath release date of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows"

The worldwide launch of the latest Harry Potter is provoking religious controversy in Israel. Bookstores will be opening on the Sabbath, the Jewish holy day, to sell the final instalment to eager fans.

Most shops are normally closed for trade on the Jewish Sabbath, which runs from sunset Friday to sunset Saturday.

Religious politicians are accusing the bookstores of putting profits ahead of religious sensitivities for agreeing to open their shops.

The Israeli Industry and Trade Minister, Eli Yishai, has threatened to fine any store that opens on Saturday.

Israeli law forbids businesses to force their employees to work on the Sabbath.

Advance orders

"I think it's a little chutzpah [audacious] of them to open the stores just to make money," Associated Press news agency quoted Israeli member of parliament Avraham Ravitz as saying.

But the booksellers remain unrepentant.

Steimatzky, part of Israel's biggest bookstore chain, is hosting a gala event in Tel Aviv to launch the book.

The chain says that it has received ten of thousands of advance orders for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and has no plans to cancel or postpone its event.

"We are required by the publishers to start selling the books at this time," said store buyer Nancy Ayalon.

The Harry Potter books have sold more than 325 million copies worldwide and have been translated into at least 64 languages, including Hebrew.

Posted by Sharon Kaplan at 10:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Posted by Tim Haddock at 08:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

One of Harry Potter's goals in "The Deathly Hallows" will be to find and destroy the remaining horcruxes, the magical objects Lord Voldemort created to store the pieces of his soul so that he could never die.
A couple of horcruxes have been discovered already. Dumbledore destroyed them on his own. But now that Dumbledore is dead, Harry has to be the one to uncover the remaining horcruxes and destroy them so Voldemort can never return to life.
One theory is that Harry himself is a horcrux -- that Voldemort either accidentally or mistakenly created it when he tried to kill Harry and his mother. This is unlikely. Aside from that accidentally creating a horcrux is about as easy as accidentally creating an atomic bomb, it makes no sense that Voldemort would create a horcrux in Harry then want to kill him. Accidental or not, if Harry is a horcrux, Voldemort would want him to live and preserve the tiny piece of his soul for as long as he could.
Another theory is that the scar on Harry's forehead is a horcrux, again mistakenly created when Voldemort tried to kill Harry and his mom. Not buying it, although, it would create a scenario in which the horcrux could be destroyed without actually destroying Harry in the process. That would be good news to those who want Harry to survive "The Deathly Hallows."
Then there's the theory that Harry's invisibility cloak is a horcrux. This makes a little more sense. It could be the lost relic of Godric Gryffindor that Dumbledore was unsuccessfully seeking. Although it makes little sense that Dumbledore would give it to Harry, if in fact he is the one who gave it to Harry, and not realize where it came from or how dangerous it really is.
Then again, for as brilliant as Dumbledore is supposed to be, he makes an awful lot of poor decisions. Letting Dementors on the grounds of Hogwarts, hiring Professor Quirrell and trusting Severus Snape come to mind as examples.
The invisibility cloak could very well be a horcrux and giving it to Harry might have been the safest place to keep it.
Most likely the Marauder's Map is a horcrux. It is an enchanted item of unknown origin and carries the most mystery. It has too many similarities to Tom Riddle's diary in "The Chamber of Secrets." Never trust strange magic was the lesson poor Ginny Weasley learned from that episode. Harry and his friends are about to learn that lesson again.

Posted by Tim Haddock at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

OK, I know that in my bio, I say that I don't think Harry will survive the books. My gut is telling me he won't, but my head ... well ... it's all conflicted.

Honestly, I don't see how Harry can survive a series where "neither can live while the other survives" -- it's that infernal word "neither" that always confuzzles me -- and the speculation that he might be a horcrux only adds fuel to my gut feeling that he's toast because the horcruxes ultimately have to be destroyed.

The idea that Harry is a horcrux stems from the connection that was forged between he and Lord Voldemort the night he attacked Baby Harry. But sometimes, a cigar is just a cigar and while a connection is definitely there, it doesn't necessarily mean that Harry has to be one.

What I will say is this: Harry being a horcrux is certainly more than possible. In fact, I'll admit it's probable. And I'm beginning to feel OK if it's true.

One idea I've secretly harbored (until now) was that Harry would survive to the end, but have to sacrifice his magical abilities and become a muggle for all intents and purposes. Apparently, I'm not alone. Keith Olbermann came to this conclusion, too, and he's a lot smarter than I am. Several others have, too. The horcrux Dumbledore destroyed in the last book, Slytherin's ring, was still a ring even after it was destroyed. It was damaged, but it was still wearable jewelry -- if a little unfashionable. Same with Tom Riddle's diary, which was destroyed in "Chamber of Secrets." Perhaps Harry, as a horcrux, could survive being "destroyed" but his magical abilities would be compromised -- and thus give us the metaphorical death/sacrifice that is typical of this genre of literature.

It's possible Harry was accidently made into a horcrux on that fateful night when his parents were killed, but the book is slim on the details of how one is made. What we do know is this: When you kill someone, it splits your soul and prevents you from dying. It makes you immortal. The piece that's been ripped off can be stored in any object -- a locket, a ring, a frying pan, an old shoe ... But how? Is murdering someone the only requirement? Must the murderer recite some kind of an incantation or swallow some kind of potion? I'm not a brain surgeon or bazillionairess author, but I think this was a deliberate omission in the storytelling to maintain the suspence. (Ya think, Sharon? Why, yes I do.)

The one detail that puts the "Harry is a Horcrux" idea in question for me is that Voldemort keeps trying to kill him, which seems to defeat the purpose of having made him one in the first place. He'd want him around and out of harm's way as long as possible, no? Presumably, Voldemort knows that the destruction of a horcrux would weaken him otherwise he wouldn't have gone to such trouble to hide and protect the ones he's already made. Granted, Voldemort's made some wildly dumb miscalculations during the whole of the series and, in point of fact, might be the stupidest villain of all time, so it wouldn't be too far off the mark to say he might have slipped up here, too. Still, I think we have to assume he's done his homework on this one since his insane quest for immortality started this whole thing in the first place.

Then there's the not-so-small issue of Dumbledore's "gleam of triumph." In the fan community, this might be one of the most oft-debated moments in the books to date (other than the borderline hysterical "Is Snape good or evil" debate that will rage on long after this book begins gathering dust on someone's shelf). This one single sentence has confounded readers of this series since the book was published, and with any luck, the seventh book will finally clear it up.

In Goblet of Fire, Harry told his Headmaster that his blood was used in the ritual to bring Voldemort back from his state of partial life. This is when Dumbledore gives "the look." He knows something, and Rowling has noted that this moment in the books is of EXTREME importance to the end of the series. (Isn't everything?)

Voldemort says that it's use was vital in giving Harry's mother's protection that Harry lo those many years ago. That protection was her love for Harry. Lily also had a soul, whole and complete. So, I'm just guessing here, but if Harry WAS a horcrux, the fact that Voldemort has his blood in him cancels the whole thing out -- in which case they both have to die, or they both live happily ever after. Is that noncommital enough for everyone?

Posted by Sharon Kaplan at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

From a recent Leaky Cauldron podcast here in L.A., members of the band Harry and the Potters had a few words of advice for the would-be meanies who won't be content until they spoil the book for everyone:

Posted by Sharon Kaplan at 04:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The author herself updated her Web site with some words of wisdom for those who might be tempted to look at the spoilers.

My guess is, if she's taken the time to write something on her site, the spoilers must be authentic despite what she says.

We are almost there! As launch night looms, let's all, please, ignore the misinformation popping up on the web and in the press on the plot of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I'd like to ask everyone who calls themselves a Potter fan to help preserve the secrecy of the plot for all those who are looking forward to reading the book at the same time on publication day. In a very short time you will know EVERYTHING!

Posted by Sharon Kaplan at 11:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Can't these people wait until Saturday? GEEZ!!!

The Associated Press is reporting that several chapters and epilogue of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" have been leaked onto the Internet.

NEW YORK (AP) - In the final days before the world learns whether Harry Potter lives or dies, spoilers _ or those pretending to spoil _ are spreading on the Internet.

On Tuesday, digital images of what may be the entire text of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," including 36 chapters and a seven-page epilogue, were circulating among Web users. The book was apparently photographed as it lay on a carpet speckled with green and red, a hand at the bottom holding down the pages.

Click below for the rest of the story, but BEWARE!!!!! If you don't want to tempt yourself, go no further. There are links to the leaks. For the record, I haven't looked. My mother taught me how to be patient.

A separate link, www.zendurl.com/h/hallows, also displayed a seven-page epilogue and a 36-chapter table of contents from "Deathly Hallows," coming out July 21 under ultra-tight security.

Similar information appeared Monday on spoilerboy.googlepages.com/home.

Meanwhile, a resident of Vancouver, British Columbia, has said that he downloaded hundreds of pages from the 784-page book and U.S. publisher Scholastic, Inc., has been busy ordering would-be spoilers to remove their information from the Internet.

"I'm guessing we're in the double digits," says Scholastic spokeswoman Kyle Good, who added that requiring material to be pulled down did not mean it was authentic.

"There's so much out there that it's confusing for fans. Our lawyers are trying to keep down the amount of spoiler traffic that's out there and clear it from places where fans might be reading."

Anxious about keeping a lock on publishing's ultimate mystery, Scholastic has refused all along to say whether a spoiler has the real book or not. According to Good, there is more than one version of the full Potter text on the Internet. She said the different versions all "looked convincing" and all had different content from each other.

Leaked copies of other highly anticipated works have appeared online in recent years, from O.J. Simpson's canceled tale of murder, "If I Did It," to "Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith," which could be downloaded before the film's release with the help of a file-sharing program, BitTorrent, an apparent source of the full Potter book.

Author J.K. Rowling, who has said two major characters will die, has begged the public not to give away the ending to her seventh and final Potter book. Fan sites such as www.the-leaky-cauldron.org and www.mugglenet.com have vowed to keep spoilers away.

"A lot or our tips about spoilers are coming from fans," Good says. "There's a groundswell from fans who find these links and send them to us, saying, `I'm not going to look at this, but somebody told me about it.'"

"I just hope they find these people and punish them accordingly," said Leaky Cauldron Web master Melissa Anelli. "This is exceedingly wrong and mean-spirited. Let people enjoy their book, for Pete's sake."

Last month, a hacker who identified himself as "Gabriel" claimed to have broken into the computer system of British publisher Bloomsbury PLC and posted key plot points on seclists.org/misc/harrypotterspoilers.html.

Those plot points differ from what is revealed on www.zendurl.com/h/hallows/, which contradicts itself on the fate of Potter's buddy Ron.

"There is a lot of material on the Internet that claims to come from `Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,' but anyone can post anything on the Internet and you can't believe everything you see online," Good says.

"We all have our theories on how the series will end, but the only way we'll know for sure is to read the book ourselves at 12:01 a.m. on July 21."

Posted by Sharon Kaplan at 10:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The mysterious initials left on the taunting note to Voldemort hidden inside the fake locket Harry and Dumbledore found in the cave must belong to Regulus Black, younger brother of Harry's godfather, Sirius. Sirius tells Harry that Regulus was a death eater, but was killed after deserting Voldemort's ranks and that he lasted only a few days after leaving -- enough time to steal the real horcrux, replace it with a fake one and hide the real one somewhere (the trio saw a "heavy" locket while cleaning at the Order's headquarters -- the Black family home -- 12 Grimmauld Place). As Sirius explained to Harry, you don't just stop being a death eater, "It's a lifetime of service."

It's unlikely J.K. Rowling will be introducing anyone we haven't already met in some way -- not at this stage. There would be no point. Harry needs to understand the recent past in order to understand his present. A relative of Lavender Brown's or Katie Bell's are good guesses, but for the most part, JKR has structured her stories in such a way that the mystery is something that's generally right under our noses all the time or appear in one book only to make sense or become integral in another. The answers are right there, we just can't piece them together (or at least Harry can't). Rarely does she spring someone on us who we don't already know about in some way. Barty Crouch Jr. is a perfect example. In the beginning of Goblet of Fire, the story of Crouch Jr. was merely a cautionary tale told to Harry to illustrate a father's willingness to break rules for a son, and the terrible price it cost him. Then the dude ends up being the key to the whole freakin' plot. Regulus has been introduced to us in much the same way. I'm almost 100 percent sure he's totally dead, but I know that the information surrounding his life and death will be vital -- though maybe not quite as shocking as the Barty Crouch Jr. revelation. We might even meet him. I just don't know how. (I'm thinking time turner, maybe?)

While it's obvious that Bell and Brown have parents, we haven't heard about them in any specific detail or been led to believe that they are in any way important, unlike a few Slytherin children. JKR has been very explicit with the names of her death eaters, so we can clearly identify who among them are parents of Hogwarts students.

Galadriel Waters, author of the "Unofficial Guide to the Mysteries of Harry Potter" outlines basic rules for sleuthing the mysteries of the Harry Potter books, but this one is applies here:

Rule number 3: There's no such thing as coincidence.

JKR has given us a character with names that fit two out of the three initials. Why mention Regulus at all if he weren't integral to the plot in some way? JKR mentions very little in passing. Literally, everything is important, even when you think it isn't. Waters reiterates that the reader must excercise "constant vigilance!"

Posted by Sharon Kaplan at 05:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The initials inscribed on the locket Dumbledore believed to be holding one of Voldemort’s horcruxes is a point of speculation. Most believe it is the initials of a person, perhaps someone who figured out the secret of the locket before Dumbledore. Most believe the initials stand for Regulus Black, the brother of Sirius Black, thought to be dead, killed by Voldemort’s death eaters for betrayal years ago.
The mystery surrounding the letters is of great debate. It is assumed they are the initials of a person. However, most of the initials and anagrams JK Rowling uses in her books are not related to a person. DA, OWLs, NEWTs, SPEW are all initials for an organization or a level of achievement at Hogwarts. None, aside from the D in Dumbledore’s Army, represent a person. And even that may be a point of contention, because the D in DA represented many things.
RAB could very well be the initials for an evil organization started by Voldemort’s new army of death eaters. What it actually stands for is still a mystery, and probably of little significance.
However, if they are the initials of a person, there are several possibilities outside of Regulus Black.
First, there is Lavender Brown. Perhaps the RAB is related to Lavender, Hermione Granger’s roommate at Hogwarts and Ron Weasley’s romantic interest at one point.
She is also a pure-blood witch, meaning she has deep ties to the wizarding world. It’s also an indicator that her family may have sympathized with Voldemort’s cause and joined his dearth eaters. Perhaps one of them was trusted enough to retrieve the horcrux before Dumbledore could get to it.
Another is Cuthbert Binns, the ghost history of magic teacher. It’s a stretch that he has any ties to Voldemort or death eaters. But it’s not out of the realm of possibility that one of his descendents joined up with the death eaters and gained a level of trust with Voldemort that few have.
There is not much known about Katie Bell, except that she is a year older than Harry and plays on the Gryffindor quidditch team. Little is known abour her lineage or her allegiances. But she joins Dumbledore’s Army in an attempt to learn defense against the dark arts. Perhaps she is related to the mysterious RAB, but there is not enough information about her to make a legitimate argument.
If RAB is a person, it is most likely related to the Black family. There are a number of Blacks, as illustrated in the family tree at 12 Grimmauld Place, with loyalties to Voldemort and the Order of the Phoenix. It just seems too obvious that the initials stand for Regulus Black. He’s probably dead anyway.
My guess is that it stands for Resurrected Army of Blood, or something, and it represents a new legion of death eaters, much like DA represents a new Order of the Phoenix.

Posted by Tim Haddock at 05:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Posted by Tim Haddock at 05:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Posted by Tim Haddock at 10:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

This will be a gut check for all readers. But Hagrid is SO dead. Not only is he the one character who has the most inconsequential history, he is also the character who is the sidekick to so many other characters.
He is certainly Dumbledore's sidekick. Without Dumbledore, Hagrid wouldn't even be at Hogwarts, let alone given a teaching post.
He is a sidekick to the three kids, Harry, Ron and Hermione. Really if it wasn't for them, he would have no supporters among the students at Hogwarts.
He is Sirius Black's sidekick. Without Sirius, Hagrid wouldn't have a magical flying motorcycle to bring Harry to Dumbledore the night Harry's parents were killed.
It could be argued that Hagrid is the sidekick to Hogwarts. There was that time when Hagrid wasn't at Hogwarts during "The Order of the Phoenix" and things just weren't the same at the school. Not worse, just different.
According to my math, Hagrid will die four deaths at least. That should be some battle scene. It will probably take four death eaters to take Hagrid out, and he will probably take three of them with him. But make no mistake, Hagrid is going to die -- just like all sidekicks.

Posted by Tim Haddock at 10:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Even though I don't agree with Tim's sidekick logic (that should come as a surprise to no one), I agree that Hagrid's death is going to probably be the most sentimental gut-check for Harry. Hagrid was his first guide into the magical world. It was he who opened the door for him, almost literally. He's never wavered in his support of Harry. His death will be the final push for Harry, though admittedly, he hardly needs one.

But Hagrid's predilection for unmanageable beasts (like his brother, the full giant, Grawp) will likely get him in over his head. I don't think he's going to be killed by giants, but I do believe he will be killed trying to save Grawp and possibly the trio.

Posted by Sharon Kaplan at 10:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Here they are folks, hot off the presses and sitting in an Amazon.com warehouse. Try not to drool on your keyboards.

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Posted by Sharon Kaplan at 11:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Percy, let me go on record as saying, is a proverbial stick in the mud. Among his family, he is the rebel choosing a misguided loyalty to law, order and the ministry over what he deep down knows is the truth and that is that loyalty to Harry and Dumbledore must be protected at all costs.

I could go on for pages about Percy and his relationship with his siblings and the fact that all the teasing gets at the hands of his brothers contributed to his rule-following nature, but I'll just stick to the "Is he evil" topic. Debates rage in the fan community about him. But I have always thought he was good, just young and foolish. He's ambitious, yes, but evil? Hardly.

Percy has spent six books following rules to the letter and for his efforts he's been reward -- or so he thought. In fact, all of Percy's promotions have been a sham so that the Ministry can keep tabs on the Order and Harry Potter. Percy, unlike is father, is sadly easily manipulated because he desired to get ahead always gets in his way. His father as much as said that to him and it caused a rift in the family that may never heal. The ministry is not on the side of good or bad, it straddles both in a political game to keep order. Percy, poor kid, is too naive to see that.

The fact is, he's been used and manipulated by people in power and by the end of book five, when the ministry finally admits that Voldemort is back, well, that changes everything. By Book 6, we get a new minister, but Percy is promoted -- again. The description of Percy in the chapter titled "A Very Frosty Christmas" is one of shame and embarrassment mingled with anger and most notably, disappointment. He can clearly see that the only reason he's made it as far as he has is because the Ministry must still believe he's got an in with the Order, and in with people close to Harry, and they know for sure he has a relationship (however thin) with Potter himself.

The ministry believes it can use Percy in a feeble attempt to control Harry, but it backfires -- twice. I believe the old minister encouraged him to write the horrid letter to Ron in book 5 as a way to control Harry. The language is so over the top, it's hard to imagine even Percy buying it. Then the new minister, knowing Percy is on the outs with his family, concocts some stupid reuse to get him to attend his family's Christmas dinner. At this point, it's clear Percy realizes the only reason they went together was so the minister could get face time with Harry.

In book 6, we see a new Percy, one who's a beaten man, one who realizes he's being used the by ministry. What this means for the next book is hard to say, but a boy growing up in the household he did, knowing that his whole family has been affected by Voldemort (two of Molly's brothers were killed the first time around) well, I don't see him in allegiance with Voldemort ever.

Now, if there is a storyline to be had, it will be between him and the Twins. Those two sides are diametrically opposed: rule follower and rule breakers. This storyline can set up what some see as a redemption for Percy and a way for him to be accepted back into the fold by going against his nature and breaking rules WITH his family in order to defeat either the Ministry's attempts to do something dumb -- again -- or directly aiding in the fight against Voldemort. I'm not sure how this will happen, but that's the storyline I see with Percy, not one that touches the Dark Side any way.

I imagine there will be a very frosty return to the fold. The Twins, Ron and Harry may never fully accept him, but he will return to the family a hero. He deserves that much after how abominably he's been used. Just because Percy's a stick in the mud and a rule follower, doesn't mean he's a bad guy. He really believes what he's doing it the the right thing, but the as the saying goes, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. That will be the lesson Percy teaches us. He will see the error of that judgment and do the right thing.

Posted by Sharon Kaplan at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

He's been on this path for a while. If he's not a full-blown death eater by the beginning of "The Deathly Hallows," he will be by the end.
It's obvious he does not trust Harry Potter. It's more obvious he does not like Harry Potter either.
But that doesn't make him a death eater.
He has broken ties with his family, shown his allegiance to the Ministry and has displayed little interest in wanting to destroy Lord Voldemort.
If he all of a sudden changes his tune and returns to his family, it will only be as a spy. He is not to be trusted. He is working for Voldemort and will do anything he can to help destroy Harry Potter.
Don't trust him. He's a bad guy, been a bad guy for a while, and is unlikely to change.

Posted by Tim Haddock at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Big Sugar Bake Shop in Studio City will be hosting a delicious Harry Potter Party on Friday to celebrate the release of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows." The party starts at 8 p.m. and goes till midnight. Incidentally, Big Sugar is only a few blocks away from the Storyopolis bookshop and Bookstar, as well s other local book stores and fans could make quite a sweet night of it.

Big Sugar will supply an array of Harry Potter themed treats avid Harry Potter readers will recognize from the menu at Honeydukes, the Hogsmead sweet shop popular among Harry and his friends.

The treats will include:
* The Dark Mark Cupcake
* The Chocolate Cure Cupcake
* Cauldron Cake
* Pumpkin Pastries
* Sorting Hat Cookies
* Honeydukes' Famous Fudge
* Pretzel Wands
* Acid Pops
* Chocolate Frogs
* Jelly Slugs
* Cockroach Clusters
* Lemon Drops - a Dumbledore favorite
* Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans
* Fizzing Wizzbees
* Pumpkin Juice and Butterbeer

Big Sugar Bakeshop is located in Studio City at 12182 Ventura
Boulevard

Posted by Sharon Kaplan at 01:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" was the top movie at the box office this weekend, according to studio estimates. It made an estimated $77.4 million over the weekend and $140 million since opening Wednesday.
Technically, it had the lowest grossing weekend of the five Harry Potter movies. But its five-day gross was bigger than the weekend openings of the previous four.

By DAVID GERMAIN
The Associated Press
Harry Potter remains a box-office charmer.
The Warner Bros. fantasy sequel "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" conjured up a $77.4 million debut to lead the weekend box office, according to studio estimates Sunday.
That raised the movie's total domestic gross to $140 million since opening Wednesday.
"Order of the Phoenix" also has taken in an additional $190.3 million in 44 other countries where it began rolling out Wednesday.
"Order of the Phoenix" expanded overall business for Hollywood. The top 12 movies took in $171.1 million, up 14 percent from the same weekend last year, when "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" was No. 1 with $62.3 million.
The fifth chapter in the movie series based on J.K. Rowling's novels about the teen wizard, "Order of the Phoenix" has Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) leading a secret society of students to prepare for the coming showdown with the evil Lord Voldemort.
The previous four "Harry Potter" flicks all had bigger first weekends, ranging from $88.4 million to $102.7 million, but those all debuted Friday. "Order of the Phoenix" was the first to get a jump on the weekend with a Wednesday opening.
"We're in the middle of summer, and we just said why not, because kids are out of school," said Dan Fellman, head of distribution for Warner Bros. "It certainly turned out to be the right decision."

Posted by Tim Haddock at 01:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Associated Press has put together a collection of video reports on Harry Potter. It includes interviews with members of the cast, movie reviews from fans, expert analysis of the books and reports on premieres and appearances by the actors.
To view the AP video reports, go to http://video.syndication.msn.com/v/Legacy.aspx?partner=en-ap&t=m1184095017652&ns=&p=&f=cavan

Posted by Tim Haddock at 07:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Boston Globe is reporting a disturbing practice that may ruin Harry Potter parties across the country. Warner Bros. is apparently behind an effort to prevent some bookstores from holding midnight release parties of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows."
Parties at bookstores like Borders, Barnes & Noble and others have been planned for months. But The Boston Globe is reporting that Warner Bros., which has control over the movies, merchandise and anything else that is not book-related to Harry Potter, is sending e-mails to certain book sellers warning them not to use Harry Potter as theme for their parties.

By David Mehegan
c. 2007 The Boston Globe
Midnight launch parties at bookstores have become a tradition with Harry Potter novels. But with the approach of next Saturday’s publication of ”Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” the last book in the series, many of those throwing parties are being forced to revise their plans, including some intended to benefit charities.
The reason: Warner Bros. - which controls the movies, merchandise, and all nonbook aspects of the Harry Potter brand - is clamping down on the fun.
In the past few weeks, Warner’s London legal office has sent e-mails to booksellers and party organizers around the country, warning them against unauthorized celebrating, under the threat of legal action.
”((Your event)) appears to fall outside our guidelines,” said one e-mail. ”Therefore, HARRY POTTER cannot be used as a theme for your event."
Warner Bros. says it’s only trying to protect young Potter fans from inappropriate, non-family-friendly celebrating. But to many booksellers, it looks like an excessive effort to make sure no one benefits financially from its trademarks.
”It strikes everybody as heavy-handed,” said Steve Fischer, executive director of the New England Independent Booksellers Association. ”It seems to me they’re missing the good-faith piece of what bookstores are trying to do, which is to sell a lot of copies of a children’s book.”
The rules for the parties come from both Warner and Scholastic Inc. Scholastic has limited rights to publish the books, and use the artwork in them, in the United States. Warner Bros., part of the Time-Warner empire, owns worldwide rights to the Harry Potter trademarks, including characters, themes, and incidents for use in movies, DVDs, video games, and merchandise from clothing to mugs to toys.
Before they could receive their copies of ”Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” booksellers had to sign a contract with Scholastic. Besides agreeing to keep the books secure until 12:01 a.m. Saturday, they had to agree to a list of guidelines, mainly focused on keeping them from straying beyond the publisher’s rights.
One item says, ”Please ensure that you keep to our policy: that the book marketing campaign should be separate and distinct from the Warner Bros. film campaign and licensed merchandise programs” -- meaning neither images from the movies nor Harry Potter products can be used to promote the book.
It’s the section about parties that has booksellers grumbling. Most of the points are uncontroversial -- parties must be decent and safe, nonpolitical, held no earlier or later than 24 hours from the release hour. Other conditions have taken some booksellers by surprise: ”No fees are charged for admission or any activities at the event ... no third parties are associated with the event in any way ... the event is small-scale, local, noncommercial, not-for-profit.”
Some booksellers had planned to sell tickets to their events, mainly to cover the cost of keeping stores open until after midnight. And many events are being cosponsored or assisted by other stores and businesses -- all clearly third parties. Now some booksellers and community groups are having to revise their plans.
”We have to jump through 45 hoops in order to celebrate and sell their book,” said Elizabeth Bluemle, owner
of The Flying Pig Bookstore in Shelburne, Vt. ”It feels frustrating to a lot of booksellers. The independents were the ones who discovered Harry Potter, who got it in the eyes of the national market.”
In its e-mails to party organizers, Warner included its own list of conditions ”to help us make certain that the HARRY POTTER trade mark and other protected materials are not misused.” In one respect -- ticket sales -- Warner’s rules are more lenient than publisher Scholastic’s, and booksellers are trying to sort out the differences. Warner’s rules allow a $5 maximum admission charge, and allow fund-raising for local charities. But they prohibit any sponsorship or participation by ”commercial organizations or non-qualifying organizations,” as well as profit-making by participating businesses.
Organizers of Mugglefest in Portland, Maine, allied with local bookseller Books Etc., built a theater set in an old warehouse and had planned a party with 25 local retailers participating, each selling their own goods. Several corporate sponsors had planned to contribute, and their contributions, along with the fees from the stores in the warehouse, were to be donated to a preschool program for Somali and Sudanese refugees. But then came the e-mail from London.
”We couldn’t take money from anyone, which was the fund-raising part of this,” said organizer Kirsten Cappy of Curious City, an events producer. ”The other surprise was that no one else could profit, including local vendors. For example, the local comic-book store is the publisher on Diagon Alley ((a street of wizardry shops in the novels)), and a candy store is the Diagon candy store. We had to erase the fees for the retailers and ask them to make a voluntary donation. It means a lot less money for the school.”
Last week Jennifer Saphier, an event producer running ”Potterpalooza” in Brookline’s Coolidge Corner, got an e-mail from Warner Bros., objecting that the event was too big and too commercial. The event, a benefit for the Brookline Teen Center Fund, includes sponsorship and participation of 18 local businesses, including Brookline Booksmith. Saphier said the planning committee has discussed the e-mail, and she said the event will not defy the guidelines. She declined to specify the changes, if any.
A Warner Bros. statement, provided by spokeswoman Andrea Marozas, said the guidelines are intended ”to help
organizations run themed events in a way that avoids fans being exploited and helps everyone to enjoy the Harry Potter books, films, and events in the spirit in which they were created.” Marozas declined to explain what Warner means by ”exploited” but said the idea was to ensure that parties are family-centered. The statement does not mention protection of trademarks.
”We’re grumbling, but what can we do?” said Allan Schmid, owner of Books Etc. and president of the booksellers association. ”We don’t want to be exposed to the long arm of Warner Bros.”
Some booksellers did not want to complain on the record about the clampdown. Others are taking a ”don’t ask-don’t tell” approach, assuming the corporations can’t investigate every party in America. Still others are determined not to let the policing spoil the fun.
”We can’t get depressed about it,” said Betsey Detwiler, owner of Buttonwood Books & Toys in Cohasset. ”We will have 100 kids and parents, and they’ll have a great time. I told the staff to concentrate on that. The kids will go home happy, and read all night.”
David Mehegan can be reached at mehegan@globe.com.

Posted by Tim Haddock at 11:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Bloomsbury, UK publisher of "Harry Potter" will be posting a live webcast of JK Rowling reading from Deathly Hallows on July 21 from the Natural History Museum in London at the precise moment it is published: 12.01 a.m. London time (that's 4 p.m. on Friday for the West Coast).

From Bloomsbury:

Ten years after publication of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone the publication of this, the final book in the series, returns to where it all began: with a book, the author and her readers.

The Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows launch event is completely oversubscribed and no further tickets will be issued but Bloomsbury encourages fans to log on to the webstream to join in the experience. The streaming will be available for a further two weeks at www.bloomsbury.com

In addiition, Bloomsbury is hosting a live web chat with Rowling on July 30 at 2 p.m. London time (6 a.m. here). Questions may be submitted one week in advance or live on the 30th at www.bloomsbury.com.

Posted by Sharon Kaplan at 09:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The USA Today list of dead characters got me thinking. Their list wasn't too good. The only character that really had any similarities to Harry Potter was Sherlock Holmes. And Sherlock Holmes got a reprieve. He didn't really die.
There are several characters in literature and cinema who have died spectacularly, noblely and bravely. Some didn't even come back to life in one way or another.
Here's my five best dead characters:
1. Obi-Wan Kenobi. As soon as Star Wars fans got to know and care abou Obi-Wan, he was killed by Darth Vader in what is now an extremely tame light sabre duel. Little did Star Wars fans know that Obi-Wan Kenobi would truly become more powerful than Darth Vader could imagine. As a dead Jedi, he could be with Luke Skywalker whenever he wanted. Well almost whenever. There was that tiny technicality in "The Empire Strikes Back."
2. Gandalf. He died in "The Fellowship of the Ring" only to return in "The Two Towers" a more powerful wizard and with the ability to save Middle Earth. Not that there is any connection, because JK Rowling would never steal an idea from another author, but Dumbledore may be taking the same route as Gandalf. Dead from the physical world, but increasing his powers in an etheral afterworld and awating the right time to return.
3. Goose. Tom Cruise's wing man in "Top Gun" had to die for so many reasons. Least of all was to make Maverick a team player. Most of all was because he forced all of us to watch him play beach volleyball with Val Kilmer. Sweaty sailors playing in the sand is not very macho. But at least when Goose died, he really died. No cheap resurrections and ghostly figures returning help Maverick kill inept Muslim fighter pilots from Afghanistan.
4. Elizabeth. Victor Frankenstein's true love was the perfect victim for his monster. Not only did the monster kill his creator's only love, he pinned the crime on the innocent Justine. It was simple as it was brilliant and sent Dr. Frankenstein spiraling into madness.
5. Mufasa. The King of the Lion King is still the only Disney animated character to die on screen. It's one of the bravest and most sinister deaths put on screen. Of course Scar's plan all backfires when Simba decides to grow up and fight for what is rightfully his.

Posted by Tim Haddock at 10:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

AP reports that "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix has taken in the best single-day gross for a movie on a Wednesday at $44.8 million, which includes the $12 million it took in at midnight Tuesday screenings.

To read the whole story, click below.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The boy wizard still has a magic touch at the box office.
“Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” took in $44.8 million in its first day, the best single-day gross ever for a movie on a Wednesday.
That included $12 million from screenings that started at midnight Tuesday.
The sequel from Time Warner Inc. unit Warner Bros. topped the previous Wednesday record of $40.4 million for 2004’s “Spider-Man 2,” according to box-office tracker Media By Numbers.
“In terms of box office, the law of diminishing returns does not apply to ‘Harry Potter.’ It seems to be getting better with age,” said Paul Dergarabedian, Media By Numbers president, who noted that the July 21 publication of the seventh and final “Harry Potter” novel likely helped drive interest in the latest film.
“It has the effect of creating even more excitement for both properties,” Dergarabedian said. “It’s a synergistic match made in heaven to have the book and movie come out within a couple weeks of each other.”
“Order of the Phoenix,” the fifth installment of the movie franchise based on J.K. Rowling’s fantasy best-sellers, has teen wizard Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) teaching classmates magic spells to defend themselves against the coming battle with the forces of dark Lord Voldemort.
The cast includes Emma Watson and Rupert Grint as Harry’s closest school chums, plus Ralph Fiennes, Michael Gambon, Maggie Smith, Gary Oldman, Helena Bonham Carter, Emma Thompson and Imelda Staunton.

Posted by Sharon Kaplan at 12:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Speculation is furious over whether Harry Potter will survive "The Deathly Hallows." If he dies, it wouldn't be unexpected. Author J.K. Rowling has killed a number of key characters, Harry Potter's parents among them before the stories even began.
The death of the main character is nothing new to literature either. A number of high profile fictional characters have bought the paperback farm. USA Today has put together a list of some of the more famous fictional deaths, in addition to a couple other stories speculating on Harry Potter's fate and the effect it might have on its readers.
But first, some highlights from the list.
Bambi's mom: Tragic, but necessary for the story to unfold. And the argument could be made that Bambi's mom is not the main character. After all, the movie wasn't titled: "Mother of Bambi." Although that might make for an interesting Godzilla sequel.
Sherlock Holmes: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle tried to kill him, then he was revived in later stories. Way to succumb to public pressure. There will be no turning back for Rowling though. This is going to be the last she ever writes about Harry Potter, or at least that's what she's been saying.
Charlotte: From Charlotte's Web. Spiders don't have long to live. She had to go. But she did a lot of living in her short time. Still, it would have been better if Wilbur got the axe too. Mmmmmm! bacon!
To read the whole list and the other stories go to: http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/news/2007-07-11-storied-deaths_N.htm

Posted by Tim Haddock at 11:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The AP reports that the latest installment in the film series about a boy wizard earned $12 million in midnight preview showings alone, according to Encino-based box office tracker Media By Numbers.
“Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” premiered on 2,311 screens around the country at midnight.
The $12 million take put the film second behind “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End” in preview-showing revenues, according to Media By Numbers. That film earned $13.2 million in preview showings on May 24. The “Pirates” film, however, was previewed on 3,100 screens.
But Harry Potter finished ahead of “Independence Day,” which earned $11.1 million in preview showings on 2,433 screens in 1996. It also beat out “Transformers,” which collected $8.8 million at 3,050 preview screenings on July 2.
The latest “Potter” film earned $453,000 at midnight IMAX screenings alone, besting IMAX’s own record by 10 percent, according to Media By Numbers.
CNS-07-11-2007 14:11

Posted by Sharon Kaplan at 02:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

and then we'll stop with the Sirius puns

Posted by Sharon Kaplan at 02:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Sirius Black, Harry's godfather, is definitely dead, but we haven't seen the last of him. Harry holds a secret that's right under his nose that may be the key to contacting him ... even in the GREAT BEYOND. It's the two-way mirror Sirius gives him as a present. Harry finds the mirror after the damage has already been done and Sirius is dead. But Harry, too distraught to think of using it, throws it in the heat of guilt and grief, and breaks it. Will it still work? Will it act as a portal to the "other side?" I think it will.

I hate to say this out loud for fear of being stoned for heresy, but Sirius was never one of my favorite characters. When he died, I was sad for Harry, but Sirius was far too reckless a character for my taste. Because he was forced to be cooped up in 12 Grimmauld Place, his family's depressing and oppressive ancestral home, he began vicariously living through Harry. He encouraged him to go on with the clandestine Defense Against the Dark Arts lessons even though he must have known it would be strictly against Dumbledore's wishes to keep him AND Harry safe at all costs. He was, in many ways, reliving his glorious Marauder years, so much so, that at one point he calls Harry by his father's name, James. Oooooh, not good.

But Sirius has much to tell Harry about his past, information I believe only Sirius can deliver. Why was Sirius at Godrick's Hollow that night when he met up with Hagrid and gave him his motorbike? Why would people believe HE was the spy who ratted out the Potters and not Pettigrew? What did he know and when did he know it? Sirius also knows more about Lily than he's letting on and I think he needs to get this information from him to be able to move along on his journey. Of course, Lupin's still alive and I suppose he could get the same info from him, but it would hardly be as satisfying or dramatic, would it?

JKR won't bring Sirius back just so Harry can have a father figure. Harry has many and I think the point of the story is that Harry will become whole in the knowledge that he's reaped the benefits of everyone he's met along his journey.

Posted by Sharon Kaplan at 11:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I've seen it in print. Sirius Black gets killed and falls behind the veil.
I've seen it on screen. Bellatrix Lestrange uses the Avada Kedevra curse to kill Sirius and he falls behind the veil.
She runs from scene, chanting "I killed Sirius Black" and escapes through the floo network.
And still I am not convinced Sirius is dead.
Part of me doesn't want to believe JK Rowling would kill of all of Harry Potter's father figures. First she kills off his real father, James Potter, quite famously and violently.
Then she kills of Sirius Black, best friend of James and godfather to Harry.
She kills Professor Dumbledore next.
It makes me think Arhur Weasley has little chance of surviving "The Deathly Hallows" if Rowling continues her pattern.
It also makes me wish Snape would become Harry's surrogate father just so he can be in line to die in a violent and painful manner.
The deaths of Harry's father figures is way too formulaic. For that reason I can't believe all of them are dead. I don't want to believe James is really dead. A part of me wants him to be an animagus, perhaps Crookshanks in disguise all this time.
That theory is unlikely. James is by all accounts dead. Sirius, he didn't exactly die convincingly. Something about slipping behind the veill makes his death a little suspect. It's almost like he was put in safekeeping, perhaps for his own good, by one of the aurors or even Dumbledore himself.
If I were a betting man, I would put my money on Sirius making a comeback in "The Deathly Hallows." Then again, it's a longshot and not a very smart bet.

Posted by Tim Haddock at 10:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

We want to know if you are having reading parties for the release of "The Deathly Hallows." We are looking for reading groups and clubs that are going to gather and read the final installment of the Harry Potter series together.
Mainly we want to participate. But we also want to let other people know too.
Email timothy.haddock@dailynews.com with any info or plans.

Posted by Tim Haddock at 06:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The BBC reports that Waterstones, a British bookseller, is hoping that a million signatures will force JK Rowling to continue writing Harry Potter novels.

Good luck with that!

Harry Potter fans are being urged to sign a petition set up by a book shop chain begging author JK Rowling to write further novels in the series. The last book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, comes out on 21 July. But Waterstone's is hoping to gather a million signatures for its Save Harry campaign to change the author's mind. "We're not asking JK Rowling to start work on another novel tomorrow, we're just asking that she doesn't rule it out," said the chain's Wayne Winstone.

Posted by Sharon Kaplan at 03:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Daniel Radcliffe will be on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" Wednesday night. It follows "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno."
Carlos Mencia and Art Brut are also scheduled to be on Late Night.
"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" opens in Los Angeles and New York on Wednedsay at midnight.

Posted by Tim Haddock at 01:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Posted by Sharon Kaplan at 04:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I am of two schools of thought on the Dumbledore: Dead or Alive issue.

On the one hand, I think he's probably completely dead, dead in the way most people would be after taking a swan dive off an astronomy tower after having a magic killing curse leveled at them. JKR is also fond of repeating the fact that once a wizard is dead, you can't bring him back. And if she repeats something, she means it. So, James ... he's dead. But it's that swan dive part that always makes me wonder if our beloved headmaster is just slightly less than dead, while not quite fully alive.

We have seen several instances of how the Avada Kedavra curse works in addition to it being explained in detail. Frank Bryce, Cedric Diggory, the Riddle Family and a rather unlucky spider in Professor Moody's DADA class were all victims of it: A wand was pointed at them, the words are spoken, a shot of green light comes out of someone's wand and they keeled over. Goodnight Irene. No balletic falls. No heart clutching. No death rigors and sputtering farewell speeches. They just died on the spot. Two other characters in the books have been victims of this curse, too, but whose response to it makes some readers (myself included) question just how dead they are and if they'll either come back or be heard from again. One is Sirius Black, who was struck by the curse and then fell back gracefully (practically floating) thru the mysterious veil, and Dumbledore who also did not just keel over, but tumbled -- also gracefully -- off the astronomy tower.

Dumbledore could come back as a ghost, but Nearly Headless Nick, the Gryffindor house ghost had this to say about becoming a ghost:

"Wizards can leave an imprint of themselves upon the earth, to walk palely where their living selves once trod ... I was afraid of death. I chose to remain behind. I sometimes wonder whether I oughtn't have ... Well, that is neither here nor there ... In fact, I am neither here nor there..

That doesn't sound like Dumbledore. He's not afraid of death and would never make such a choice. ("There are far worse things than death, Tom.")

I certainly don't believe we've seen the last of him. Will Harry think to consult Dumbledore's portrait? Did Sirius have his half of the magic two-way mirror on him the night he passed thru the veil? Will Batman and Robin escape the Riddler's trap? Oh, wait ... wrong series.

Tune in to the next episode, "Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows" on July 21 to find out what happens.

Posted by Sharon Kaplan at 03:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

The three stars of the "Harry Potter" films from left, Rupert Grint, Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson immortalize their hands, feet and wands during a ceremony in the forecourt of Hollywood's historic Grauman’s Chinese Theatre.

One ...

Two ...

Three ...

Posted by Sharon Kaplan at 01:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It's clear that Snape murdered Dumbledore with the Avada Kedavra curse.
But does that mean Dumbledore is actually dead?
Death is a dicey subject in Harry Potter. Ghosts play integral roles through the stories. Horcruxes can bring Lord Voldemort back to life. Theoretically, if Dumbledore is truly dead, someone could go back in time and change his fate.
If Hermione can use time travel to attend more than her fair share of classes, surely it can be used to bring back to life the greatest wizard of our time.
Even if Dumbledore is dead, it doesn't mean he's out of the picture. And it doesn't mean he's left Harry to fend for himself. Dumbledore could come back as a ghost to offer Harry advice and strategies on how to defeat Lord Voldemort. Dumbledore could come back in Harry's dreams with similar messages of wisdom and encouragement. Dumbledore has a number of means to communicate with the living if he is actually dead.
From that perspective, it doesn't matter if he is alive or dead.
What does matter is that Snape murdered Dumbledore. Snape performed the Avada Kedavra curse, mustered up all the hate and rage he had against Dumbledore, and used it to kill him.
The Avada Kedavra curse will not work unless the user has a true loathing and disdain for its intended target.
Snape would not have used the Avada Kedavra curse unless he truly hated Dumbledore. Harry needed to see that hate and Dumbledore sacrificed himself to strengthen Harry.
Dumbledore's death was a tremendous loss for Harry, the Order of the Phoenix, the students and teachers at Hogwarts. But his death was necessary.
It exposed Snape for what he is: an evil, backstabbing, death eater whose loyalty lies with Lord Voldemort.
More importantly, it freed Dumbledore to complete his task of stopping Lord Voldemort from returning to power.
A dead Dumbledore can influence the living -- Harry in particular -- better than a live Dumbledore.

Posted by Tim Haddock at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

As a matter of full disclosure, I should say that I am not a movie critic, not by profession and not even by wishful thinking. I am a fan. And with regard to Harry Potter books I am an unadulterated nerd ... er ... I mean really big fan. So, when I watch a Potter movie, my focus isn't on being entertained. I'm already invested. I just want to see the books come to life and eat a large bag of popcorn (extra butter, please!).

So here it is, for other fans like myself: The movie is good. And if you don't want any SPOILERS, read NO FURTHER.

Most critics have argued that all of the movies have been "too faithful" to the source material. I've never understood what's wrong with that myself. I've never understood a need for interpretation over adaptation, but as I said, I'm kind of a Philistine about that kind of thing.

Indeed, this movie was faithful to the extent that it could be. I mean, Rowling's books aren't for the impatient, they are long, they are detailed and complicated, but most of all, they are reeeeeeeally long. So, it goes without saying that wide swaths of the book were removed by the cruel mistress of moviemaking, but in my opinion, not to the detriment of the story. This movie was faithful to the book in ways that the previous four were not. Fans out there will know what I mean when I say there was no "Barty Crouch Effect." There was some bending and twisting to get an 870-page book that takes DAYS to read (it's the longest in the series) to clock in at a mere 138 minutes, but it was done in the spirit of the original source material and so it didn't feel like a travesty. The same cannot be said of Goblet of Fire, in my opinion, the fourth Harry Potter movie. To make the story move along, a character who appears at the end of the book (for maximum gasp effect) was placed in the beginning of the movie. I almost choked on a Goober when I saw it play out on the screen.

There were some key scenes missing in this flick involving Harry's Aunt and one of Ron's brothers, and a fair few other things were left out or shortened that really do mean a lot to the readers. Certain characters had to deliver key plot points belonging to other characters from the book ... no Marietta folks. Sorry. Cho takes the fall. But this is Hollywood and so the rabid fans will have to wait patiently for the day Masterpiece Theater does a year-long, unabridged "mini"-series of all seven books. Where is Alistair Cooke when you need him?

I think the biggest omission is that there is no Pensieve scene. "Snape's Worst Memory" is represented, but I don't believe it is what Snape fans and detractors alike would have hoped for. This is a wildly important scene for those in the fan community. First, it's over in the blink of an eye (would one more minute have killed you, David Yates?) and it makes James look about as maniacal as Voldemort, and Lily is nowhere to be found. But the filmmakers didn't stray too far from the way it happened in the book. It happens at roughly the same point as in the books and still drives home the same point: Harry's father wasn't perfect.

The ride is fast, the effects are masterful and the acting — surprisingly — wasn't awful. There was real pathos, and real emotion played out on the screen. This movie is dark and its success comes from the exceptional performances of its villains. Imelda Staunton's as Dolores Umbridge is a villainess for the ages and plays her character with sadistic glee. Helena Bonham Carter doesn't waste a second of her two minutes of screen time. Ralph Fiennes as Voldemort is inspired casting, at one point appearing in a black Armani-ish suit and in other as a reflection wearing Harry's own clothes. CREE-PY!!! And I now officially have a crush on Lucius Malfoy ... I mean Jason Isaacs.

As for the goodies, the scene with Harry flying to London with members of the Order was exhilarating. The duel between Voldemort and Dumbledore wasn't as good as a CGI Yoda/Dooku face-off. But it had all the elements of the book battle, complete with a little fear in Voldemort's eyes against an utterly steely Dumbledore calling Voldemort by his given name, "Tom." It was exactly how I pictured it in the books. Evanna Lynch is just the embodiment of the loopy Luna Lovegood. All the kids have really grown into their roles. Oh yeah, and Harry kisses Cho Chang. (Yawn.) Bring on the Half-Blood Prince. Then you'll really see some kissin'!

Posted by Sharon Kaplan at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Ginny Weasley kicks ass.

Luna Lovegood is wise beyond her years.

Cho Chang, well let's just say she unfairly gets thrown under the Hogwarts Express in the movie version of "The Order of the Phoenix."

And Harry Potter REALLY kisses the wrong girl.

The literary version of the girls in Harry Potter all play important roles in "The Order of the Phoenix." Without Hermione Granger, there would be no Dumbledore's Army. Ginny Weasley, Luna Lovegood and Cho Chang all make the student band of rebels stronger than it would have been otherwise.

As unlikely as it may sound, the cinematic versions of the girls in "The Order of the Phoenix" overshadow their literary counterparts.
Ginny Weasley comes off more powerful than she does in the book.
Luna Lovegood still comes across as a very unique person. Not crazy, just different, and a vault of wisdom and encouragement.
Cho Chang deserved a better fate.
It's hard to believe Cho Chang was the object of Harry Potter's affection. Those who have not read the books will be shocked and outraged at how Cho Chang is depicted in the movie.
Regardless, Harry stil should not have kissed her. He should have kissed Luna Lovegood. After seeing the movie, it is clear she connects with Harry on a number of levels. She is the one Harry should be most attracted to. Not that Cho Chang isn't attractive herself, but it seems Luna and Harry share a closer bond in the movie version of their characters.
The movie version of "The Order of the Phoenix" has a bunch of holes. Namely there is no quidditch, no howler to Aunt Petunia and Hermione and Ron don't become prefects, all key points in the book.
But what it lacks in quidditch, prefects and letters, it makes up for in prophecies and the battles at the Department of Mysteries.
It looks like turning an 800-page book into a two-hour movie was a little more difficult than the screenwriter wanted to admit. But the important parts of the book are told in the movie. Harry learns to trust his friends. Dumbledore's Army is formed. And Lord Voldemort reveals himself to the Ministry and his doubters.
Now waiting for "The Deathly Hallows" to come out is going to be like writing with one of Dolores Umbridge's quills. Torture.

Posted by Tim Haddock at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Photos from the L.A. premiere of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix are trickling in." The stars and the fans look like they're sweltering in the Hollywood heat, but appear to be having a great time.

Photos by the Associated Press

This trio needs no introduction, but here they are, from left, Rupert Grint, Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson in Hollywood for the premiere at the historic Grauman's Chinese Theater.

Daniel Radcliffe looks dapper, and a bit flushed, in his polka-dot tie and suit.

Emma Watson smiles for the crowd.

Rupert Grint signs autographs for excited fans.

Chris Rankin, also known as Percy Weasley, at the U.S. premiere.

Oscar-nominated actress Imelda Staunton, who plays the truly awful Professor Umbridge, poses for photographers.

Melissa Joan Hart, no stranger to playing a witch, attends the U.S. premiere.

Masi Oka, Hiro of "Heroes" makes his way along the red carpet.

Posted by Sharon Kaplan at 07:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" will make its premiere in the U.S. Sunday at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.
The Leaky Cauldron is reporting that cast members Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Imelda Staunton and director David Yates will be attending the Los Angeles premiere.
The Leaky Cualdron also has a list of celebrity guests who are planning to attend the premiere. It includes Kobe Bryant, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Green, Neil Patrick Harris, Tara Reid and Melissa Joan Hart.
For more go to: http://the-leaky-cauldron.org/2007/7/7/official-list-of-order-of-the-phoenix-la-premiere-attendees

Posted by Tim Haddock at 07:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

ABC Family is showing the first three Harry Potter movies, starting tonight.
'The Chamber of Secrets" is on Saturday night at 7 p.m. and "The Prisoner of Azkaban" is on Sunday night at 8 p.m.
Througout the weekend, ABC Family will show 13 exclusive clips from the upcoming movie "The Order of the Phoenix."
For more go to the ABC Family web site: http://abcfamily.go.com/movies/harrypotter/index.html

Posted by Tim Haddock at 07:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Emma Watson, the actress who plays Hermione Granger, has launched her own web site. It was produced by the same company that put together J.K. Rowling's web site.
It includes a Harry Potter area with movie premieres and her press junket schedule. Looks like she will be in New York next week for three junkets.
It also has an area called Emma Messaging Service, where fans can write and chat with her online.
The site is: http://www.emmawatsonofficial.com/#

Posted by Tim Haddock at 05:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

For years, it's been known that the last word of the last Harry Potter book was "scar." Not anymore. The Beeb reports that J.K. Rowling said in an interview with British chat show host Johnathon Ross that changed her mind.

When asked about whether "scar" was the last word in the book as had been reported, she said: "Scar? It was so for ages, and now it's not. Scar is quite near the end, but it's not the last word."

The interview airs on BBC1 on Friday night. I'm sure we Yanks will be able to catch clips on youtube.com or The Leaky Cauldron shortly thereafter, so keep your eyes peeled.

For the full story, click here

Posted by Sharon Kaplan at 09:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Of all the reviews I have read on "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," only one is giving it any credit for being an entertaining movie.
I haven't read them all. Honestly, I am more concerned about how close it stays to the book.
Most reviews make the startling realization that these stories are no longer children stories. Anyone who's read the books knows this is Harry's first step into adulthood. If the movie comes across as a coming of age story, then the director and producers did their jobs.
The first four movies were as much about fitting in at school, finding dates for dances and trying out sports teams as it was about the fight of good against evil and all the grey areas that encompasses.
We are seeing the movie tonight. In one interview, screenwriter Michael Goldenberg was asked if it was difficult to make a 870-page novel into a two-hour movie.
He said it wasn't that daunting a task. There is a lot of things that happen to Harry in this book. A lot of things happen to a number of key charactrers. Harry is not the only student at Hogwarts who realizes his purpose and pursuits in life. Obviously Harry is the focal point of the development, but it's important to see if Hermione, Ron and the rest of Dumbledore's Army develop as well.
We'll give you more on Monday.

Posted by Tim Haddock at 05:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

At one point in filming the "Order of the Phoenix," JK Rowling discovered the filmmakers cut out a particular character. She suggested they put him back. It was later revealed that dircetor David Yates and producer David Heyman wanted to leave Kreacher, the Black family house elf, out of the final cut.
Apparently Rowling didn't like that idea and suggested they put him back if they want the last movie to make any sense.
Rowling doesn't have a tremendous amount of influence in making the movies, Heyman said, but she is available to smooth over some of the sticky points in the process. The Kreacher decision is one example.
Another was explaining the Black family tree.
It became one of the more difficult scenes to translate into film, Heyman said during a press conference in England.
"She's there when we need her," Heyman said. "I called Jo up and said, 'Help.' Fifteen minutes later, this drawing arrived which was a family tree."
Rowling put together an illustration that explained five generations and 75 members of the Black family. It included birth dates, death dates, marriage dates and all sorts of information that proved invaluable in filming that scene.
Listen to Yates, Heyman and Goldenberg talk about some of the decisions they made in making "The Order of the Phoenix."

Choosing Imelda Staunton to play Dolores Umbridge:
Download file

Deciding to keep one of the characters in the movie:
Download file

Making "The Order of the Phoenix" a darker Harry Potter movie:
Download file

Yates, Heyman and screenwriter Michael Goldenberg talked about some of the joys and hurdles they faced in filming the "Order of the Phoenix." They talked about making a scary movie for kids, choosing Imelda Staunton to play Dolores Umbridge and trying to tell the "Order of the Phoenix" as an emotional journey for Harry Potter.
Yates was asked if he was concerned about making a dark, scary movie that is supposed to appeal to young children. Yates responded with a question of his own.
"Did you never enjoy being scared when you were a kid?" Yates asked.
He said he loved being scared watching movies and TV shows when he was a child. And he thinks kids today like being scared too.
"It just makes them feel vital and alive," Yates said.
Heyman said kids are smarter than most want to believe.
"They like things that don't talk down to them," Heyman said.
He added that there is a literary tradition of writing scary stories for children. He pointed to Grimm fairy tales filled with children-earting witches and evil stepmothers. And he is not so convinced that the latest installment of Harry Potter is a dark story, as some suggest.
"The films are growing up. The books are growing up," Heyman said.
Choosing Staunton to play Dolores Umbridge, the Ministry appointed teacher of Defense Against the Dark Arts in the "Order of the Phoenix," was apparently a no-brainer. The conversation between Yates and Heyman lasted about two seconds in making that decision. It went something like:
Heyman: "How 'bout Staunton?"
Yates: "Great."
"It wasn't really a competition," Yates said. "We just knew."
Yates said he took particular pleasure in filming the scenes with Staunton, especially the ones in which Harry serves detention with Umbridge who "wants to cleanse him of his sins."
One of the challenges in making the "Order of the Phoenix" was what Yates described as "trying to provide a language for the end of the film because it's a very internal journey."
To make it more difficult, Goldenberg had to turn more than 800 pages of text into a two-hour movie to tell that journey.
"It wasn't as daunting as it might appear," Goldenberg said. "There's a lot of wonderful digressions, wonderful details, side journeys. It was a decision we made early on: the spine of it was going to be Harry's emotional journey."

Posted by Tim Haddock at 11:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It won't be as eagerly aniticpated as Harry Potter and Cho Chang's first kiss, but it will be inevitable.
Ron and Hermione will have their first kiss in the "Deathly Hallows." At some point, Tonks and Lupin will too, but that will be even more disappointing than Ron and Hermione.
It's been clear for a while that Ron and Hermione are crazy for each other. There have been subtle hints, hand-holding, hugs, tears, and attempts to make the other jealous. Ron and Hermione have been wanting to kiss each other since "The Chamber of Secrets." Finally, in the last installment of the Harry Potter books, they will kiss.
Whether either survive the "Deathly Hallows" is another question. In my estimation, Ron is going to die in the "Deathly Hallows." He has to for Harry to be able to complete his task of destroying Lord Voldemort.
This has all the elements of "Romeo and Juliet" only Hermione is not shallow enough to want to commit suicide because her boyfriend is dead. She might feel like dying, but she will live and fight on in his memory. It will make her stronger and one of Harry's most powerful allies. Not that she isn't already.

Posted by Tim Haddock at 10:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

By DAVID GRIMES
Herald-Tribune, Sarasota, Fla.
c.2007 New York Times News Service

The seventh and last installment of the Harry Potter series goes on sale in less than a month and, like many avid fans, I can hardly get out of bed due to the anticipation.
I’ve read all the Harry Potter books, including the last one, the name of which I can’t recall but seemed to run to about 3,000 pages. Because the series has run on so long, some of the details of the story are a little fuzzy to me now, but I’m pretty sure Harry is still alive and possibly filling out account ledgers for Ebenezer Scrooge, though I could be confusing that with another story.
Security surrounding the ending of the series has been extremely tight to the point that the White House and CIA may want to get some tips from publishing houses if they want to plug their leaks.
Author J.K. Rowling, needless to say, is not revealing much about the final book other than to say that two characters don’t come out of it alive. This has led to speculation that Harry will die (I doubt it) or possibly Hermione, which would be a shame because the young actress who played her in the movies was extremely cute.
Due to my poor memory, I am kind of spotty on some of the details of the series, but I’ve got some ideas as
to how this thing may end:
Harry and Lord Voldemort discover they’re both gay and decide to get married in Florida. The series ends rather unspectacularly as they wait for the Legislature to change its mind about that sort of thing.
Hermione runs off with Lord Voldemort who, despite looking like a corpse that has been buried for several hundred years, has lots of money that he made in the oil business. Shortly after their wedding, Voldemort, at the age of 283, dies. There is an ugly court battle between the heirs over the disposition of his estate. To fill her time, Hermione poses for Playboy and reveals that she may have a child, although she’s not quite sure where it is at the moment or what its name is. Hermione then overdoses on painkillers and DNA tests reveal that Ron is the real father. Rupert Murdoch continues his efforts to purchase The Wall Street Journal even though the paper has little or no interest in the story.
Ron and Harry finally acknowledge the fact that they’re both in love with Hermione and decide to duel to the death. This takes a long time because neither of them are very handy with their magic wands.
Unable to stand it any longer, Hermione, who has an IQ of 193, zaps them both, turning them into toads. She then runs off with Lord Voldemort, who is the president of Fox TV.
The scar on Harry’s forehead becomes infected and he dies. Lord Voldemort moves to the Middle East and raises the price of regular unleaded to $78 a gallon. A livid President Bush decides to invade Canada in retaliation.
Harry and Lord Voldemort decide that they’ve had enough of this nonsense. They shake hands, hug, and decide to retire to Florida, where they play golf and shuffleboard and attend early bird specials. Both are ticketed for driving too slowly on U.S. 41, which is where their nursing home is located. Both of them sign up for the low-impact aerobics class, during which they both keel over dead. Meanwhile, Ron and Hermione, through clever lawyering, have managed to get their mitts on Voldemort’s money, and are now in Europe, blowing through cash like drunken sailors. Ron considers posing for Playgirl magazine, but then thinks better of it. Hermione’s drug and alcohol problem is ignored by the media, which now consists solely of The Wall Street Journal.
(David Grimes is a columnist for the Herald-Tribune in Sarasota, Fla. Contact him at david.grimes@heraldtribune.com. The Herald-Tribune is a member of the New York Times Regional Media
Group.)

Posted by Tim Haddock at 08:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Storyopolis and Barnes & Noble book stores are having midnight parties for the release of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" on July 20.
Two parties are planned at Storyopolis in Studio City, one at 11 a.m. and a second at 11 p.m. The 11 p.m. party will include the midnight release of the "Deathly Hallows."
Barnes & Noble stores throughout the Valley have special activities, from costumes contests to potion demonstrations planned for their midnight parties.
For more information on the Storyopolis partie, go to the store's website: http://www.storyopolis.com/index.html
For more on the Barnes & Noble parties and what each store is planning, go to MidnightMagic

Storyopolis in Studio City is having a couple Harry Potter parties with raffles, prizes, games and activities planned throughout the day before the release of "The Deathly Hallows," the final installment in the Harry Potter saga.
There will be a midnight party and a daytime party on July 20 at the store. The midnight party begins at 11 p.m. and will include the midnight release of the book. Anyone who preorders the book through the store will receive a 25 percernt discount and be entered in a raffle for either a framed Harry Potter print or a stuffed dragon. The midnight party will end at 2 a.m. on July 21.
The daytime party begins on July 20 at 11 a.m. when the store opens and ends at 2 p.m. There is another raffle for the daytime party for a bushel of books, which includes all seven Harry Potter novels, and a stuffed dragon.
In addition to the parties, there is a Harry Potter carnival in the store's very own Diagon Alley. There will be pretzel wand making, tea leaf readings, Harry Potter trivia contests, face painting and a snack table in Diagon Alley, which is located in the store's art gallery.
Partygoers will also be sorted into houses by the store's Sorting Hat.

Posted by Tim Haddock at 04:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The cast of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" attended the premiere in London. They were joined by JK Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter books, pop stars, cricket players and hordes of adoring fans.
The photos are provided by Getty Images.

Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, who play Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, arrive at Odeon Leicester Square on July 3, 2007 in London, England.

Author JK Rowling arrives at the premiere at the Odeon Leicester Square with Neil Murray.

Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson

Death Eaters

Tom Felton, who plays Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter movies

Helena Bonham Carter, who plays Bellatrix Lestrange

Imelda Staunton, who plays Professor Dolores Umbridge

Katie Leung, who plays Cho Chang, and Emma Watson

Rupert Grint is mob-hugged by his fans

Posted by Tim Haddock at 03:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Buy your book, run home, do not engage other people, do not stop for a bite to eat. Just get home and read your book or this could happen to you.

By BEN NUCKOLS Associated Press Writer

BALTIMORE (AP) _ Lisa Miller arrived later than she should have for the midnight release of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" on July 16, 2005 _ a slip-up she rues to this day.

It took about 20 minutes for Miller, 26, to get inside the London bookstore where she bought the sixth book in J.K. Rowling's juggernaut fantasy series. But before she had the novel in hand, a crucial plot point was ruined for her.

"Some 'lovely' person drove past where we were queuing and shouted the spoiler of who died in 'HBP,'" Miller wrote in an e-mail to The Associated Press. "It was so horrible to think of it being true that even when I read the book, I still held out hope that they were making it up!"

Pranksters pulled similar stunts worldwide. In Dallas, a drive-by spoilsport yelled "Snape kills Dumbledore!" to fans gathered outside a Barnes & Noble. A blurry, shaky video of the verbal assault can be found on YouTube.

Now, as the July 21 release of the seventh and final book in the series, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," approaches, fans who have waited the better part of a decade to find out the ultimate fate of Harry, his friends and his nemeses are taking no chances.

But how far do they have to go? Must they close their eyes, cover their ears and scream, "LALALALALALALA?"

Pretty much.

In fact, if you want to get in touch with a rabid Harry Potter fan on the weekend of July 21-22, you might be out of luck. Readers are planning media blackouts _ no computers, no cell phones, no TV, no radio. And if that's not enough, they're threatening to get physical.

"I'll beat the crap out of the person who spoils it for me," Pritthish Chakraborty wrote in an e-mail. Chakraborty, 17, who runs a fan Web site, Harry Potter Beyond, in his native Bangladesh, was spoiled two years ago when a "friend" sent a picture message to his cell phone of the page describing Dumbledore's death.

Many fans don't want to give up the excitement and camaraderie of a midnight release party, but they know they're putting themselves at risk.

"We advise people _ I know this is terrible _ to bring headphones to the book release and put them on as they leave the store so they're not subject to the idiot across the street screaming the end to them," said Melissa Anelli, webmaster of The Leaky Cauldron, a prominent Harry Potter fan site.

Miller learned her lesson. She's foregoing the conspicuous bookstore gathering in favor of home delivery and instant seclusion.

"I'm not going to go to a midnight store opening, entirely due to spoilers," Miller wrote. "I'm going to have my book delivered first thing on (the) 21st, head round to my fellow Potter nutter friend's flat, and we're going to avoid all media until we've finished reading it!"

But for many readers, contemplating the boy wizard's adventures is not a solitary experience but a communal one. Intent on maintaining that pleasure, the leading Potter fan sites are taking pains not to reveal key plot points until readers are ready to talk about them.

Anelli posted a manifesto outlining The Leaky Cauldron's strict no-spoilers policy that drew the praise of Rowling herself. Addressing those who might want to give away the ending, Anelli wrote: "We own pitchforks, hot wax and feathers. And we're not afraid to use them."

The Leaky Cauldron and Mugglenet, another high-profile fan site, will regulate everything that gets posted in the days leading up to and immediately following the release. When Mugglenet does start allowing discussion of the ending on its forums, readers will have to navigate through several warnings. The Leaky Cauldron might ban talk about the final chapters for as long as six months.

But other sites are more prone to attack. The Harry Potter Automated News Aggregator was besieged two years ago by new members, many of whom picked "Snape kills Dumbledore" as their username, said Jeff Guillaume, the site's editor-in-chief.

"They were just determined to spoil it for everybody else. We call them the worst kind of Muggles (non-magic folk). Most of them are not even Harry Potter fans," Guillaume said. "People do it for this perverted pleasure, I guess."

In June, HPANA began banning newly registered members from posting anything, and the site will shut down entirely the weekend the book comes out, Guillaume said. Still, he can't guarantee that his site will be spoiler-free.

"We thought we had it under control last time," he said. "I would advise everyone to keep off the Internet until you're done reading."

Scholastic Inc., the book's American publisher, has taken unprecedented security measures to make sure none of the 12 million copies from the initial printing leak out before the publication date. But the company's responsibility to protect people from finding out who lives and who dies essentially ends at 12:01 a.m. on July 21, said Kyle Good, Scholastic's director of communications.

From then on, it's up to readers, librarians and booksellers to keep themselves and others from being spoiled, and Good thinks they're doing a stellar job.

"It's much more intense than in the past," Good said. "Anyone who would want to come out and be a spoiler is really taking a big risk."

Clearly, the pressure to remain unspoiled has never been greater.

"It's really the big question about whether Harry will die," Guillaume said. "I really would prefer not to know that."

Posted by Sharon Kaplan at 11:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Associate Press reports that classic literature experts say offing Harry at the end of the series isn't necessarily wrong from a literary standpoint, of course.

By DEEPTI HAJELA
Associated Press Writer

NEW YORK (AP) _ Brace yourselves, Harry Potter fans. No matter how desperate you are for Harry to live, some experts in classic literature and mythology say that finishing off the young wizard would make sense _ in a literary kind of way.

J.K. Rowling has never shied from darkness in her phenomenally successful series _ it started with the murder of Harry's parents, continued through his discovery that an evil wizard was trying to destroy him, and has included pain and torture and the deaths of major characters.

She's already promised two deaths in the seventh and final book, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," coming out July 21, and has refused to commit to Harry surviving. But she couldn't kill Harry off, could she? She wouldn't do that, would she?

"If you look at the tradition of the epic hero ... there is this sort of pattern that the hero delivers people to the promised land but does not see it himself," said Lana Whited, professor of English at Ferrum College in Ferrum , Va., pointing out examples from King Arthur to Moses to Frodo.

Greek mythology has plenty of examples, like Hercules, who was killed at the height of his strength, said Mary Lefkowitz, a retired classics professor who taught at Wellesley College in Massachusetts.

"There's no long promise of happiness," she said. "You may have brief moments of glory and then the darkness comes."

And don't be fooled into thinking a happy ending is automatic just because the main characters are young, said Anne Collins Smith, assistant professor of philosophy and classical studies at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas.

"Just because it's children's literature doesn't mean it can't have very dark events in it," she said.

Others aren't convinced, saying that Rowling's story about Harry and his adventures is less influenced by classical mythology than it is by other storytelling traditions.

Philip Ray, an associate professor of English at Connecticut College, said Rowling was part of a tradition of British writers like Edith Nesbit, writing stories where children are the focus and have grand adventures.

Since Harry is about to finish his years at Hogwarts, Ray said, "I think it would be very unusual for a book like this to kill off the main character at a time when he's about to graduate from school."

The books are about Harry's development into a young man, Ray said.

"For Rowling to have put Harry Potter through all seven volumes just to kill him off, the point of all development would be wasted," Ray said. "Death strikes me as being the strangest ending of all."

And even though the series has a dark aspect to it, Rowling hasn't set it up in such a way that Harry paying the ultimate price would make sense, said Tim Morris, who teaches English at the University of Texas at Arlington.

"I don't get the sense that J.K. Rowling has set us up for that kind of sacrifice," he said. "The first six books haven't given a sense of that tragedy to me. It's generally hopeful."

Whited acknowledges that reader outrage would be high if Harry died, and that it might seem cruel to younger readers, who aren't familiar with classic literary story arcs.

"I'm sure J.K. Rowling would get some howlers if Harry Potter did not survive," she said.

But even if he lives, don't be surprised if it's a hard-fought victory, she said. Another aspect of the classic hero myth is that even if he wins, it's not without some loss.

"There are always sacrifices, compromises along the way," she said. "If Harry doesn't die, one of his friends will."

Posted by Sharon Kaplan at 10:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

JK Rowling and Daniel Radcliffe are expected to attend the European premier of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" today in London, the Telegraph reported on its website.
The premier is at the Odeon, Leicester Square, and the Empire Leicester Square, London. Emma Watson, who plays Hermione Granger, and Rupert Grint, Harry's best friend Ron Weasley, were also expected to attend the premier.
For more, go to telegraph.co.ok

Posted by Tim Haddock at 09:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Posted by Sharon Kaplan at 11:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Daniel Radcliffe has reportedly become the youngest actor to be included in Madame Tussauds of London collection of wax statues.
The Harry Potter Automatic News Aggregator, among others, are reporting that a statue of Radcliffe has been added to the museum's collection.
Radcliffe, the 17-year-old actor who plays Harry Potter, will be included in an exhibit with statues of Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts and Samuel L. Jackson.
For more, go to www.HPANA.com.

Posted by Tim Haddock at 10:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

For once, I agree with my esteemed colleague, Mr. Haddock. I too believe Hogwarts will reopen _ just not for Harry's seventh and final year. With Dumbledore gone and a war begun, Hogwarts isn't safe for anyone, let alone Harry. But never fear, Hogwarts will have a prominent role to play in the next book.

It is my belief that "The Deathly Hallows" is Hogwarts.

Schools are often referred to as hallowed, and In the last book, "The Half-Blood Prince" we were let in on the not-so-inconsequential fact that Tom Riddle/Voldemort had an somewhat unhealthy attachment to the school and its founders. Being an orphan with special gifts, a young Tom Riddle found his true home at Hogwarts; he found friends, mentors and a place to be himself. He loved it so much that upon graduating, he went back to try and become a teacher. Granted, Voldemort also had the special gift of being eeeeevil, and so it stands to reason that he'd want to make the school his home base of eeeeevil. His Death Eaters managed to penetrate the school that was said to be charmed and enchanted _ and unpenetrable. Indeed, when Dumbledore was killed, any enchantments he made to the castle were likely made null and void. So, I think we'll see a school under new management.

The founders, the sorting hat, the chamber, the history, the staff, the students are all a part of what makes Hogwarts such a special place. It accepts pureblood wizards, it accepts muggle-born wizards, it accepts squibs (feebly magical types) and even dangerous creatures, and thusly that quality of inclusiveness makes it ground zero for an ultimate lesson in tolerance and goodness.

J.K. Rowling once said in an interview that there is vitally valuable information in the second book, "Chamber of Secrets," that has huge implications for the end of the series. In that book, we learn about the founders. We learn about their desire to keep the school open to anyone -- regardless of pedigree. Well, everyone except Salazar Slytherin. I firmly believe that just as Harry destroyed Riddle's Diary (widely considered to be one of the six horcruxes), there will be a destruction in the last book, too -- the end of Voldemort and FINALLY, a destruction of the house system and an end to bigotry.

The school will reopen when all is said and done. I'm sure McGonagall will be the headmaster (that woman is formidable and could survive ANYTHING). But Hogwarts will reopen to become a symbol of tolerance to the wizarding world.

Posted by Sharon Kaplan at 10:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (1)

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" has surpassed 1.6 million copies in online sales for Amazon.com, making it the most pre-ordered product in the company's history, Reuters is reporting on its web site.
The previous record of 1.5 million copies was set by "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," the sixth book in the seven-book series.
Amazon.com expects several more hundreds of thousands of copies of "The Deathly Hallows" to be pre-ordered before the release of the book on July 21.
To read more go to here.

Posted by Tim Haddock at 10:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Predicting the future is a risky proposition, even in the world of Harry Potter. Divination is one of Harry and Ron's least favorite classes at Hogwarts. Understandable for Harry, because Trelawney, the divination professor, has a nasty habit of predicting Harry's demise on a regular basis. That would be enough to unnerve anyone.
But the future of Harry Potter has several possibilities. We will explore some of those avenues as a prelude to the release of the "The Deathly Hallows."
As the book release nears, we will be making predictions about what might happen to certain characters and how certain events will unfold.
Let's start with Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

At the end of the "Half-blood Prince," Hogwarts closes. And it looks like for good. The headmaster has been murdered. The wizarding world is in chaos. A war has erupted as the Order of the Phoenix and Dumbledore's Army lead an assault on Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters.
One big question surrounding the opening of "The Deathly Hallows" is will Hogwarts reopen?
Of course it will.
Hogwarts can't close. Professor McGonagall has already assumed the responsibilities as headmistress at Dumbledore's funeral. Plans to reopen the school were in place before the end of the "Half-Blood Prince."
Whether she has any students... That way be a better question. Some parents had their doubts about sending their children back to Hogwarts at the end of the "Goblet of Fire." It will probably be more prevelant after the way the "Half-Blood Prince" ended. No Dumbledore means no protection from Lord Voldemort in some people's eyes. Errr wizards' eyes.
McGonagall will most certainly reopen Hogwarts. It will be interesting to see how many students return.

Posted by Tim Haddock at 07:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)