thistlechaser | Book 5 Information

Tres interesting information here: http://www.bookmagazine.com/issue28/unfogging.shtml

A few things I noticed/reacted to:

Rowling said that the real Mad-Eye Moody, a character from Book Four, will make an appearance, but "we've obviously got a new Defense Against the Dark Arts [one of Harry's classes] teacher because Professor Moody wouldn't want the job again having been locked in a trunk for a year! It's a woman this time."

Aww. I was hoping the real Mad-Eye would do it this year. Oh well, at least he'll still be around.

She indicated that we'll "be seeing Mrs. [Arabella] Figg [who babysat for Harry] in Book Five, and you'll find out all about her."

Mmm. Can't wait on this one. I've been working her angle over in my mind a long time.

On Ron/Hermione: "Yes, something's 'going on,'" Rowling replied, "but Ron doesn't realize it yet. Typical boy."

Blech.

Rumors spread that Harry might have feelings for his best friend's younger sister when Rowling hinted that Ginny Weasley "will play more of a role in Book Five."

Double blech!

Now this is really interesting:
Rowling has said that Harry's villainous Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon Dursley have a role in The Order of the Phoenix, "and there's stuff coming with them that people might not expect." Also, fans should "keep an eye on [their son] Dudley. It's probably too late for Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon. I feel sorry for Dudley. I might joke about him, but I feel truly sorry for him because I see him as just as abused as Harry."

I love it when life imitates art... or rather, fanfics get the book's angles right before we hear anything official about them. I think it was in Clipped Wings that the writer went into the whole 'Dudley was abused at least as much if not more than Harry' idea. It really rang true in the fic, it's nice to see it'll be in the book as well.

Rowling has indicated ominously that "there are deaths, more deaths coming," including one that was "horrible to write."

Mmm. Ron? Hermione? I'd bet Dumbledore if this was book 6 or 7, but 5 is probably too early for him to be killed. Sirius would be an interesting one to kill off. Killing who would be "horrible" for her to write though? She projects herself into the story as Hermione, so maybe?

Though she's vowed that her boy wizard will never make the trip across the pond to the United States...

Snerk. And across the US, hundreds of fanfic writers let out a collective curse.

21 more days until the book comes out! Amazon is *supposed* to get me the books (two coming) on the date they're released, but I'm becoming more and more (and more and more) tempted to go out at midnight the night before and pick up a copy. Would it be so bad to have three copies of OoP?