Master Froggy's
Encyclopaedia
Barnes and Noble Chat, 8 September,1999
bn.com
September 8 1999 ,
bn.com was welcomed J. K. Rowling to discuss HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN and her other bestselling Harry Potter books.
Michelle from Cambridge , England :
Jo, I want to say a big thank you for making me feel 12 again and bringing me so much joy when I read your books. I have a few questions: (1) How do you keep track of all the strange names in the world of Harry Potter that you created from scratch? Do you compile a list of characters as you go along, or did you already have a clear idea from Book 1? (2) Did you do any substantial research on wizardry and witchcraft when you were writing these books? You've quite convinced a lot of us that Hogwarts and the world of wizards and muggles do exist! Thanks again. Michelle, age 23.
JR: It is wonderful to hear that I've knocked 11 years off someone's age. I had nearly all of the characters worked out, including names, for all seven books by the time I finished Book 1, but I do change names sometimes. I like to play around with names, and I collect unusual ones from all sorts of sources, like maps, books of Saints, war memorials, and some names I just invent myself. And, yes, I have done research on witchcraft and wizardry, but I tend only to use things when they fit my plot, and most of the magic in the books is invented by me.
Jennifer from United States : You've said in interviews that there will be casualties in the Harry Potter series. Now, everyone at a web site I visit says someone (probably Hagrid) will die in Book 4. Will someone die or is this a terrible rumor? I love Hagrid!
JR: It is true that there will be deaths in Book 4 for the first time. It is likely that the reader will only care about one of the deaths. I can't say who it is, but I have certainly never told anyone that it's Hagrid -- hint, hint.
Molly Katz from Denver, CO:
In PRISONER OF AZKABAN, Professor Dumbledore mentions Professor Trelawney's "second true prediction." What was Professor Trelawney's first true prediction?
JR: I love a perceptive reader! Professor Trelawney's first prediction was a very important one. And you will find out in due course what it was, but I'm not going to reveal it at this stage. Sorry.
Wade from MI: What is Harry's middle name?
JR: James, after his father.
Molly Katz from Denver, CO: Without giving away any plot details, can you tell us if we might expect to hear any more from Crookshanks in future Harry Potter books? He seems to be a very smart cat!
JR: You're right. He is a very smart cat, and you will be hearing more from him.
Icicle from United States : You have such a phenomenal imagination! Is it a result of a very imaginative childhood?
JR: First of all, I will be using your name in a future book. To answer your question, yes, I lived a lot in a fantasy world when I was younger and spent a lot of time daydreaming -- to my parents frustration.
Mike from New York , NY : Dear Ms. Rowling , I'd like to ask if there would be a lot of romances between the characters in the upcoming books?
JR: Good question. I'm having so much fun writing Book 4 because for the first time Harry, Ron, and Hermoine are starting to recognize boys and girls as boys and girls. Everyone is in love with the wrong people. Let no one say my books lack realism.
Robin from New Jersey : Will Aragog appear in any later books?
JR: Yes. But I'm not telling you anymore than that!
Margaret from Michigan : Will we ever hear from Mr. Weasley's car again?
JR: Yes, you will hear from Mr. Weasley's car again, but yet again, I'm not telling you how.
Sally Haig from rhaig_99@yahoo.com: Is Hogwarts possibly located in Scotland ? I am an American and have never been to the United Kingdom , but from reading the first book and going by the train station Harry leaves from and how long the trip takes, I am guessing it may be Scotland ? Thank you.
JR: You are absolutely right. If you travel north from King's Cross, you do indeed arrive in Scotland .
Andi Morris from Normal , IL : With the huge success of the first three books and your seemingly endless imagination, do you think that you might (please, oh please) consider continuing the story past the originally planned seven books? Maybe continuing with Harry as an adult or books about his children?
