Tuesday, July 10, 2007

JK Rowling's own clues


You may know what you think will happen, but J.K. Rowling knows. Here are some hints she has dropped that may shatter your illusions:

--Harry's grandparents are all dead, and they aren't important to the plot. Rowling calls that part of her backstory "mundane territory." She said she thought it was more interesting, plot-wise, if Harry was completely alone. James' parents, she said in an interview, "succumbed to a wizarding illness. That's as far as it goes. There's nothing serious or sinister about those deaths. I just needed them out of the way so I killed them."

--That means, she said, Harry is not the heir of Gryffindor.

--The gum wrappers that Alice Longbottom gives to her son, Neville, at St. Mungo's in Book 5 (Phoenix) are just gum wrappers, a sad depiction of how an insane mother tries to offer something to her son.

--Dumbledore's death was always planned to happen. (That has to mean it must be integral to the outcome.)-- More about Dumbledore: "I think it has been demonstrated, particularly in Books 5 and 6 that immense brainpower does not protect you from emotional mistakes, and I think Dumbledore really exemplifies that."

--Ron's eyes are blue. Hermione's are brown. Ron's Patronus is a small dog. (Those aren't necessarily clues, but just small details that haven't been revealed yet.)

--The color of Harry's eyes (green, like his mother) is significant and important.

--In Book 4 (Goblet) the "gleam of triumph" on Dumbledore's face when Harry tells him what happened with Voldemort is, Rowling said, "enormously significant." And, she points out, "I haven't told you that much is enormously significant, so you can let your imaginations run free there."

--Question: Why did Voldemort offer Lily so many chances to live? Would he actually have let her live? JKR: "Mhm. ... [silence] Can't tell you."

--Umbridge will reappear. Rowling: "She's a pretty evil character ... It's too much fun to torture her not to have another little bit more, before I finish."

--If Dumbledore looked in the mirror of Erised, what would he see? Rowling: "I can't answer that."

--What would Dumbledore's boggart be? JKR: "I can't answer that either, but for theories you should read Book 6 again."

--Bellatrix Lestrange will play a significant role. See the article in today's Observer about what JKR told actress Helena Bonham Carter, who plays Lestrange in the movie that opens today.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I like your Potterblog, Mary.

Much better to see you discuss the fiction in JKR's books than the fiction of how the UNCC light rail study wasn't designed by TPTB here in Charlotte to endorse light rail projects that will cost us billions of dollars for no good reason.

Anonymous said...

What color are Ron Tober's eyes, Mary?

Anonymous said...

Congrats, Mary. You've gone from an active blog with 90+ posts discussing important issues that affect those who live and love Charlotte to one of hundreds of blogs that blather on about a book.

Why?

Is this part of the 'dumbing down' that the Observer (and most of McClatchy media) is doing? You know, more articles on paris Hilton and big pictures of kids and puppies that readers send in rather than good reporting on stories that affect people?

The results on your blog speak volumes for McClatchy/Observer's approach. You used to get 50+ posts and now you get 10...maybe.

Just like the subscription volume at the Observer - dropping like a bomb!

Congrats, Mary...your editors must be so proud! Maybe you'll get a promotion with this! I don't mean any ill will, I just question all this - makes no sense.

Anonymous said...

Think of it like the scene in the Wizard Of Oz. But we'll call it the Great Train Scammer. The Great Train Scammer (...local leaders and Pro-Light Railers like Mary) are saying "...pay attention to a kiddie book blog drivel and pay no attention to the Light Rail skeleton behind the curtain....The Great Train Scammer Has Spoken...".

Anonymous said...

More fiction you should discuss:

How light rail is going to reduce traffic congestion.

Why it makes sense to spend 75% of our transportation money on something that will be used by only 2% of the population.

Why Ron Tober deserves to keep his job.

Why it makes sense to build even more light rail lines.

Oh, and how we won't have any more property tax increases to pay for mass transit just as long as we keep the .5 cent transit sales tax.

Best sellers all, as long as you're insane.

Anonymous said...

Results from Mary's 5 blog posts aboutharry Potter:
Not one post with 10 comments


Last two posts on issues of importance:

144 comments & 88 comments


Way to dodge the issue. Please go back to the issues that matter in Charlotte. If I want to read about harry Potter I will do so on a blog dwvoted to it.

Anonymous said...

Can't you people stop for a second and let us have our fun? People need to learn to have a little fun, take things (themselves) a little less seriously...MORE ABOUT HARRY!