Lexicon redesign preview

I posted today over on the Harry Potter Lexicon's blog some screen shots of the redesign we've been working on. So far the readers have been kind, even enthusiastic (which is a relief).

Basically this new design is also a reorganization. Instead of dividing the Lexicon into Muggle World and Wizarding World it is organized by the type of resource and how it relates to Potter "canon."

It will also give us much stronger site management tools so that we can react quickly to links that need to be updated.

Post your bouquets or brickbats over on the Lexicon blog.

Six new articles

I added six articles today dating from 1998-2000, however only 1 (the Newsweek) is really an interview.
1998: Publishers Weekly | Autobiography
1999: Publishers Weekly | Publishers Weekly
2000: Sunday Herald | Newsweek

4 interview videos discovered!

Happy Valentines Day! We have a video present for you: I found video recordings for four Rowling interviews, including what is arguably the best ever, the 2001 BBC/A&E production of "Harry Potter and Me!" Links are all up on our list of videos.

Search Accio Quote and the Harry Potter Lexicon from anywhere!

Do you use Internet Explorer 7 or Firefox 2? Then you can now add Accio Quote and the Lexicon to the search box in the upper right hand corner of your internet browser and search them without having to surf to the site first.

Accio Quote!
Firefox: Go to Accio Quote! and the icon will appear in your drop down menu. You can move it up in the list by clicking on "Manage Search Engines."
Internet Explorer: Go to Accio Quote! and choose "Add Search Providers..." from the drop down menu then select Accio Quote.

Harry Potter Lexicon
Firefox: Click here and follow the instructions
Internet Explorer: Go to the Lexicon and choose "Find More Providers..." from the drop down menu and follow the simple instructions.

A new video of JKR, source unknown

Dissendium has posted an old video (from 1999? 2000?) of an interview of J.K. Rowling. We are trying to figure out what the source is -- it appears to be entirely new! If you have any information about this please let us know.

Highlights: Jo tells the audience that Harry will attend Hogwarts in his seventh year (we knew this already) and that Dudley had better watch out once Harry reaches his majority and can practice magic outside of Hogwarts (also not new canon).

Although Jo has told us that she feels uneasy speaking to crowds, the film clip is a delightful example of how funny and open Jo can be when she is relaxed and comfortable.

Transcript now posted.

Edit: AQ staffer Jules has researched this video and discovered that it dates to October 1999 when she was in the Boston area on tour. There is a related report here.

Updates to Jo's website

Jo has posted a new diary entry as well as two new FAQs ("Won't!") and a Rumour. She knows well how bittersweet it will be for us to have the final book in our hands. She says it's her favourite!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows out July 21st!

The publication date for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is to be Saturday, July 21st! Joyous news, to be sure, but all I can think of is OMG, that is the last day of Summer Reading Club, the most stressful day of the year at work, and just 2 days before our branch's week-long 30th anniversary party! This is going to be an interesting summer.

Yikes, my library has 502 copies of Book 7 on order!

My library has 502 copies of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows on order! Way to go, Ann!

We should have them on the release date (whenever that is) because they will be drop shipped already processed directly from our distributor.

Deathly Hallows meme

A meme copied from Moste Excellente Potter Fanartist Makani:

1. Are you going to look at every possible spoiler you can before the book comes out? Did you with HBP and how accurate were the ones you saw?
Only the ones that seem harmless, and none the last week. I didn't get spoiled for book 6 and I'm really really glad.

2. What will you do if Amazon (or whoever;) don’t deliver your copy on time, and everyone is reading it except you?
I will try to do what I did for book 6: go to the largest bookstore party I know of and then at 11:45 move on to my fave independent bookstore (Kids' Center in Tucson) to actually buy the book. I was first in line and home reading by 12:15. Last year 2 friends were hired by Barnes and Noble to play Hagrid and Dumbledore [photo here from my party] so people could get pictures taken with them.

3. Will you read the last chapter before anything else? Are you planning to read the book all in one go or are you a slow reader?
It depends on the book. Normally I read in one gulp but I had to take book 6 in small bites. It took me a day-and-a-half to read it.

4. What’s your theory on the meaning of “Deathly Hallows?”
Oy. I still hold by my earlier post (here).

5. What’s the craziest Harry Potter theory you’ve got, which you could only share with your trusted f-list?
That Harry will take a journey into death (like in the Aeneid) through the veil. I'm not sure what protects him, except for the fact that his wand wood is supposed to have properties that protect one on journeys. But that is probably nutz-o because it mixes Jo-magic with woo-woo stuff I found on the web.

6. If you could write in a sub-plot of your own choosing to the main Harry one, what would it be?
It would be torrid but funny goings on in Hogsmeade.

7. Who do you think will die in the book, and who would you be most upset to see die, even if you don’t think it’s likely?
Voldemort. And he's not coming back. Bellatrix too. I also can't see a future for Snape. Sadly, I think Hagrid, Arthur, Firenze, and the Sorting Hat are also goners.

8. Name three main (ish) characters who you think will definitely live and why. Is there a very minor character(s) you really want to have a happy ending?
Harry (I don't think this will have a Bartimaeus-like ending). Ginny and Neville too.

9. If you don’t like the book, or are bitterly disappointed by it, do you think you’ll still stay in the fandom?
It's going to be really, really hard to update the Lexicon if I'm crying.

10. One word (or concise) answers only!
- Snape: good, evil, own agenda? Um.
- Bill: will he help Remus or just be on permanent honeymoon? Help.
- Peter: a Gryffindor moment or not? Not.
- Harry: is he a Horcrux? No.
- The Weasleys: will they all survive? No.
- If no to the above: who won’t? Arthur.
- Did Snape love Lily: yay or nay! Aye.
- Hogwarts: will they go back to school or not? Yup.
- Remus and Tonks: will they get married in the book? Epilogue.
- Bellatrix: who will be her nemesis? Neville!
- The new leader of the OotP is …? Aberforth.
- Percy: will he see the error of his ways or not? Sorta.

11. If Harry could take just one adult Order of the Phoenix member with him on the search for Horcruxes, who should it be and why?
Snape. Oh, come on, who else would it be?

12. Will Remus and Greyback have a confrontation in human or werewolf form? Will Tonks be involved? Who will the other werewolves support?
Ooooh, yes. Wouldn't it be cool if Remus was taking Wolfsbane potion (because of Tonks) and Fenris wasn't but Lupin still beat him?

13. Who is the person from Harry’s class (and it isn’t him, Ron or Hermione), who will become a Hogwart’s teacher? What subject will they teach?
Neville, who went to live with Prof. Sprout after his gran died. Now, now, I know what you're thinking. I mean platonically.

14. Do you think Harry will observe Remus looking less lined and walking with a little more of a spring in his step? If so, do you think he'll attribute it to Tonks, and if he does, will he blush?
Yup.

15. Will Ginny use, "But Professor Lupin saw the futility of being a noble prat!" for one of her million arguments with Harry about why they should be together? Do you think they’ll get back together at all?
I hope so! I think Harry will go it alone in the beginning but eventually the trio +Ginny, Neville and Luna will be in on the action in the last part of the story.

16. Which house do you think Tonks is in, and why? Is she going to morph into someone important and who will it be?
Tonks is Gryffindor which is why Jo didn't mention it.

17. Who will be revealed to be the heir of Gryffindor?
Sue Upton suggested Neville and I think this is a good guess. I think few have shown more bravery than Neville.

18. As JKR has promised the final chapter will be like an epilogue; how do you think the final paragraph will read?
I want to know most what happens to Hogwarts after everything shakes out.

19. Which question from the books would it annoy you most not to have answered?
Hagrid's missing 24 hours on Nov. 1, 1981.

20. What do you think the last line of the book is?
Harry realized that he never found out the cause of Dumbledore's scar.

Decoy titles

Roonwit has been digging around the EU Trademark site and found a total of 24 titles that were registered by Stone Connect which we suspect is a stand-in for Warner Brothers:

Registered on December 5, 2006
HEART OF RAVENCLAW              005525191
DEATHLY HALLOWS                 005525167
DEADLY VEIL                     005525142
DEMON'S SWORD                   005525101
QUEST OF THE SERPENT            005525043

Registered on September 5, 2006
GREY LADY                       005293626
HEIR OF GRYFFINDOR              005293601
LOST SCEPTRE                    005293568
BROKEN WAND                     005293535
GRYFFINDOR QUEST                005293436
PEVERELL QUEST                  005293394

Registered on November 2, 2005
WAND OF GRYFFINDOR              004695755
RING OF DESTINY                 004695731
ELDER WAND                      004695615

Registered on October 25, 2005
REVENGE OF DUMBLEDORE           004674644
MARCH OF THE DEATH EATERS       004674602
RETURN OF THE DARK LORD         004674594

Registered on October 22, 2005
CURSE OF NAGINI                 004666211
LAST PROPHECY                   004666202
HALLOWS OF HOGWARTS             004666194
MUDBLOOD REVOLT                 004666129
SEVENTH HORCRUX                 004666111
WAND OF GRINDELWALD             004666103
FINAL CURSE                     004666079

Harry Potter and the March of the Death Eaters is just priceless. Thank you Roonwit!

What do I think about the new title?

Last night Mel asked me to write a blurb about what I think of the new title Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Since I really have no idea, even after 3 days of research, this was difficult. Here's what I sent her:

I am still struggling with what it may signify and I suspect that like 'Spinners End' it is unguessable. The words are somber, archaic, poetic, even melodramatic -- and incomprehensible to me, even after reading many excellent theories. My best guess is that the Deathly Hallows is both an ancient, powerful place and an object or objects. If you press me I will say that the Department of Mysteries or the Forbidden Forest may hold the key. And I really want to know what her other two titles were.

Be careful what you ask for. This morning Pablo from Harry Potter Latino sent me a heads up that he had discovered three titles that had been registered on December 5th with the UK Patent Office! The registrations are legitimate, but are they really true alternatives, or are they smokescreen for wily researchers like Pablo? Heh. Just what I need, another imponderable before I've even had my coffee. The other two titles he found were "Heart of Ravenclaw" and "Deadly Veil." They are identical to the registration for "Deathly Hallows." Mil gracias, Pablo!

Interview statistics

In case you're curious, Accio Quote! has collected 247 interviews, articles, chat transcripts, and book reviews. An astounding 77 were conducted during the year 2000 alone. Here is the breakdown by year:
1997: 12
1998: 11
1999: 55
2000: 77
2001: 27
2002: 17
2003: 11
2004: 9
2005: 19
2006: 6

Something that becomes clear to anyone who reads all these interviews is how patient Jo is as she is asked the same questions over and over and over again.

Researching "Deathly Hallows"

So now everyone knows the title of book 7 is Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Although none of Jo's titles have been guessable before (Prisoner of Azkaban, for example), I can't help but ask: what can it mean?

From the Oxford English Dictionary
Deathly as an adverb: Resembling death ("deathly cold").
Hallows as a verb: To make holy or set aside for God ("Bring their candles to be blessed and hallowed").
My interpretation? a blessing ceremony that turns deadly or looks like it does -- which doesn't work because it is too overtly religious.

Deathly as an adjective: Causing death, resembling death or pertaining to death ("deathly mists," "deathly stillness" and "His wounds, many and deathly").
Hallows as a noun: A saint (All Hallows=All Saints), a saint's shrine or collection of relics (can also be pagan relics). Note: The noun is usually plural.
My interpretation? a powerful place or object that appears death-like or causes death.

So I suspect that this has something to do with graves (as others have noted, hallowed ground), either those of the founders, or of Harry's parents. It could also refer to a place where relics of the founders have been collected. I don't think the title was meant to be overtly religious.

Could "Deathly Hallows" refer to the veil? Jo told us last year that

"The veil's been there as long as the Ministry of Magic has been there, and the Ministry of Magic has been there, not as long as Hogwarts, but a long time. We’re talking hundreds of years. It's not particularly important to know exactly when, but centuries, definitely." (Source: Leaky Cauldron/Mugglenet interview, 2005)

We have never learned the official Ministry name for it, so it is possible it could be called the Deathly Hallows.

Why not use 'deadly?' 'Deathly' is more poetic and old-fashioned than 'deadly.' It could be that she thought 'deadly' was too melodramatic sounding, or the Hallows could be an old place with an old-fashioned name. I also think she was researching uses of the word 'death' when she chose the name for her October Wizard of the Month: Lorcan d'Eath.

Hallow? Hollow? Jo probably expects us to confuse hallow with hollow. They sound alike, and she has deliberately used sound-alikes before (Kreacher, Diagon Alley, etc.) to flavor our mental images. Remember, in her 10/31 diary entry she said "I've now got a third title. [...] Title three currently ahead by a short nose, or perhaps that should be a vowel and two consonants." I'll bet one of her earlier titles had hollow in it, not hallows. Etymologically, they *are* connected as old-fashioned ways to shout hello, especially while hunting. (Thanks to NanB, a Lexicon reader, for reminding me of the diary entry).

Arthurian Hallows? There is so much speculation on the Leaky Lounge and the Lexicon about the 13 Arthurian Hallows that I have been reading scholarly articles about the Arthurian/Irish hallows all night. Maybe the articles have made me grumpy, but I think that though this may be the kernel of what gave Jo the idea for a Hallows, she isn't going to adhere slavishly to the Arthurian symbolism. What am I reading?
Loomis, R.S. "The Irish Origin of the Grail Legend," Speculum, Vol. 8, No. 4. (Oct., 1933), pp. 415-431.
and
Wood, Juliette. "The Celtic Tarot and the Secret Tradition: A Study in Modern Legend Making,"
Folklore. (1998).

A new puzzle reveals the title of Book 7!

ZOMG, the locked door is open again on JKRowling.com (click on the pink eraser), and she has told us the title of Book 7! I won't spoil it here in case you want to try to solve the puzzle. My friend Bel has puzzle hints over on the Lexicon.

Poignant diary entry on JKR's website

Jo tells us today on her website that she is hard at work writing Book 7, but that she is "alternately elated and overwrought" to be writing scenes she planned as much as 12 years ago.

I know as a reader I have mixed feelings too. Reading the last book will be wonderful, but also like forcing yourself to say goodbye to friends and a world you know you won't see again. Jo has been firm that the series ends with this one with the possible exception of an encyclopedia of her wizarding world for charity.

Jo also wrote about a dream she had that may or may not give clues to how one hunts for Horcruxes.

In her "Rumours" section, Jo squashed another theory, but it wasn't one that had big play on the forums. It was a theory that was probably based on the alchemical interpretations of the stories because it proposed that Harry and Voldemort would combine into one being.

Potter teasers galore (movie 5 and book 7)

All kinds of news, lately! I will assume you've watched the "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" trailer, seen the 10-minute HBO teaser, and the screenshots.

Today I read that the Guardian is having a contest for the most clever name for Book 7. I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours! The winner will get a bookplate autographed by JK Rowling. Aviso: You will have to register to submit your title.

And Lexicon Steve has posted his first report on his trip to Leavesden Studios this September. In case you hadn't heard, he got to tour the sets, watch filming and then interview Producer David Heyman and the movie's stars. Can you imagine? It must be torture to stay mum about it all.

Questions for Jo #4: Slytherin and monkeys

In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets chapter 17, the statue of Salazar Slytherin is described as being "ancient and monkey-like." Why? This is such an odd break from the usual snake symbolism that Jo has used for Slytherin and the house he founded at Hogwarts. Should we be looking at folklore about monkeys?

Questions for Jo #3: Jo and her research methods

As I try to research things like Jo's statement about snake folklore, I often have an conversation with myself that goes something like this; "You're digging too deep. Jo wrote this in a cafe without internet access." "Yes, but she didn't carry research books with her either." "Perhaps she studied this in college and just has a really good memory."

Jo has only mentioned a few books by title as sources for information: Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, Culpepper's Herbal, and the phonebook (for names). What else does she rely on for research? The library? Old books found in used bookstores? And does she research as she writes or is it already figured out? I'd love to know more about her research methods and how they feed her writing.

Information on Book 7 reorganized

The Accio Quote! page collecting JKR's statements about Book 7 was so long that I decided to organize it. Now it has sections for statements about characters, creatures, places, and Jo's comments about how the writing is going. I hope it is more useful now!

Delightful new interview with J.K. Rowling now available

I love it when people send me long lost interviews! My deepest thanks to Trish Drasnin, because she sent me not only the video clips, but also a beautifully executed transcript of the July 8, 2000 interview that Stephen Fry did while he and Rowling were aboard the Hogwarts Express. This exchange made me giggle:

SF: Is there…. And I’ve heard stories of signing queues where there are sort of 17 boys dressed as Harry Potter and so on. Does that sort of worry you? Do you….
JKR: Am I warping a generation?
SF: Oh yes, are you afraid of the almost obsessive nature of the subject?
JKR: The funny thing is that I did always think that, if it ever did get published, it was a book for obsessives. I’m quite an obsessive person. I think you can probably tell.
SF: Yes.
JKR: And I did think if people liked it they would probably like it obsessively. I just never…. but I thought that it would be an obsessive few – I never guessed it would be an obsessive many, as has happened.