Emerson Spartz, MuggleNet (ES): Who do you discuss Harry Potter with?

JKR: When I'm working on it, you mean? Virtually no one, which is, for me, it's a necessary condition of work. I have this reputation for being reclusive. Now, that came, I'm not sure that it holds so true in America, but in Britain you really can't read an article on me - and I read probably a hundredth of what's out there so I know it must be happening more - without the world reclusive being attached to my name. I'm not reclusive in the slightest. What they mean is that I'm secretive and I don't do a lot of - I'm secretive because that for me is necessary condition of work. It's got nothing to do with the franchise; it's got nothing to do with trying to protect "the property." I hate it being called "the property," but other people call it "the property." It's because I think if you discuss the work while you're doing it you tend to dissipate the energy you need to do it.

You will meet, we've all met, a hell of a lot of people who stand in bars and discuss the novels they are writing. If they were writing, they'd be at home actually writing it. Very occasionally I might tell Neil that, I say, I've had a good day, or I've, you know, I wrote a good joke - it made me laugh - whatever, but I would never discuss in details. And then once I've handed in the manuscript to my editors, and that's Emma, who is my UK editor, and Arthur, who is my American editor, they would both see the manuscript at the same time. They collaborate on what they both think about it, and then they come back to me and suggest things. Of course, it's very liberating once someone's read it to be able to then discuss it, so you know I've kept it quiet for 18 months while I've been working and then you get this explosion, because you really want to talk to someone about it now, so Emma and Arthur are the ones who get my first effusions and then it's wonderful to hear what they think. They were both very positive about this book; they really liked it. And then we have arguments as well, obviously.

ES: This is kind of a strange question but how many times have you read your own story?

JKR: That is not a strange question; it's a very valid question because once the book is published, I rarely re-read. A funny thing is when I do pick up a book to check a fact - which I obviously do a lot - if I start reading, then I do get kind of sucked in myself and I may read several pages and then I put it away and go back to what I'm doing, but I would never, if for example I was heading to the bath, and I wanted to pick up something to read, I'd never pick up one of my own books. Therefore there are thousands of fans who know the books much better than I do. My one advantage is I know what's going to happen, and I've got a lot of backstory.

Melissa Anelli, The Leaky Cauldron (MA): How many boxes is it now of backstory?

JKR: It really is hard to say because I'm so disorganized, but yeah, there's boxes. It's mainly in notebooks because the backstory is so valuable, so I mainly need that in a format I can retrieve because I lose stuff. So, it's harder to lose a book than it is a bit of paper.

ES: When Book 7 is out, will you keep the website open to keep answering questions?

JKR: Yeah, I don't see the Web site closing, like on the stroke of midnight when the seventh book's finished. No, definitely not. My feeling is, I couldn't possibly answer all the questions, because the novel is the wrong form in which to, for example, present a catalog of your characters' favorite colors. But people actually want to know - it's that kind of detail, isn't it? So, I'm never going to answer everything that an obsessive fan would want to know in the novels, and the website is another way of doing that.

Also I think people will continue to theorize about the characters even at the end of Book 7 because some people are very interested in certain characters whose past lives are not germane to the plot - they're not central to the story - so there is big leeway there still for fan fiction, just as there is, I mean - Jane Austen, I'm a huge Jane Austen fan and you wonder about the characters lives at the end of the story. They still exist, they still live; you're bound to wonder, aren't you? But I am as sure as I can be currently that 7 will be the final novel, even though I get a lot of really big puppy dog eyes. "Just one more!" Yeah, I think it will be seven.

ES: Seven books is a long series.

JKR: Yeah, exactly, I don't think they're going to say you wimped out, come on!

MA: If you were to write anything else on the Harry Potter series, would it be about Harry Potter himself or another character or a reference book?

JKR: The most likely thing I've said this a few times before, would be an encyclopedia in which I could have fun with the minor characters and I could give the definitive biography of all the characters.

MA: Okay, big, big, big Book 6 question. Is Snape evil?

JKR: [Almost laughing] Well, you've read the book, what do you think?

ES: She's trying to make you say it categorically.

MA: Well, there are conspiracy theorists, and there are people who will claim -

JKR: Cling to some desperate hope [laughter] -

ES: Yes!

MA: Yes!

ES: Like certain shippers we know!

[All laugh]

JKR: Well, okay, I'm obviously - Harry-Snape is now as personal, if not more so, than Harry-Voldemort. I can't answer that question because it's a spoiler, isn't it? Whatever I say, and obviously it has such a huge impact on what will happen when they meet again that I can't. And let's face it, it's going to launch 10,000 theories, and I'm going to get a big kick out of reading them so [laughs] I'm evil but I just like the theories. I love the theories.

ES: I know Dumbledore likes to see the good in people but he seems trusting almost to the point of recklessness sometimes.

[Laughter]

JKR: Yes, I would agree. I would agree.

ES: How can someone so -

JKR: Intelligent -

ES: - be so blind with regard to certain things?

JKR: Well, there is information on that to come, in seven. But I would say that 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. In fact, I would tend to think that being very, very intelligent might create some problems and it has done for Dumbledore, because his wisdom has isolated him, and I think you can see that in the books, because where is his equal; where is his confidante; where is his partner? He has none of those things. He's always the one who gives; he's always the one who has the insight and has the knowledge. So I think that, while I ask the reader to accept that McGonagall is a very worthy second-in-command, she is not an equal. You have a slightly circuitous answer, but I can't get much closer than that.

ES: No, that was a good answer.

MA: It's interesting about Dumbledore being lonely.

JKR: I see him as isolated, and a few people have said to me rightly I think, that he is detached. My sister said to me in a moment of frustration - it was when Hagrid was shut up in his house after Rita Skeeter had published that he was a half-breed - and my sister said to me, "Why didn't Dumbledore go down earlier, why didn't Dumbledore go down earlier?" I said he really had to let Hagrid stew for a while and see if he was going to come out of this on his own because if he had come out on his own, he really would have been better. "Well he's too detached, he's too cold, it's like you," she said! [Laughter] By which she meant that where she would immediately rush in and I would maybe stand back a little bit and say, "Let's wait and see if he can work this out." I wouldn't leave him a week. I'd leave him maybe an afternoon. But she would chase him into the hut.

ES: This is one of my burning questions since the third book - why did Voldemort offer Lily so many chances to live? Would he actually have let her live?

JKR: Mhm.

ES: Why?

JKR: [silence] Can't tell you. But he did offer; you're absolutely right. Don't you want to ask me why James's death didn't protect Lily and Harry? There's your answer - you've just answered your own question - because she could have lived - and chose to die. James was going to be killed anyway. Do you see what I mean? I'm not saying James wasn't ready to; he died trying to protect his family, but he was going to be murdered anyway. He had no - he wasn't given a choice, so he rushed into it in a kind of animal way. I think there are distinctions in courage. James was immensely brave. But the caliber of Lily's bravery was, I think in this instance, higher because she could have saved herself. Now any mother, any normal mother would have done what Lily did. So in that sense, her courage too was of an animal quality but she was given time to choose. James wasn't. It's like an intruder entering your house, isn't it? You would instinctively rush them. But if in cold blood you were told, "Get out of the way," you know, what would you do? I mean, I don't think any mother would stand aside from their child. But does that answer it? She did very consciously lay down her life. She had a clear choice. -

ES: And James didn't.

JKR: Did he clearly die to try and protect Harry specifically given a clear choice? No. It's a subtle distinction and there's slightly more to it than that but that's most of the answer.

MA: Did she know anything about the possible effect of standing in front of Harry?

JKR: No - because as I've tried to make clear in the series, it never happened before. No one ever survived before. And no one, therefore, knew that could happen.

MA: So no one - Voldemort or anyone using Avada Kedavra - ever gave someone a choice and then they took that option [to die] -

Ronald Weasley

Ronald Bilius "Ron" Weasley is a fictional character in the Harry Potter book series written by J. K. Rowling. He first appeared in the bestseller Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (1997) as the best friend of the protagonist, Harry Potter and Hermione Granger. Along with Harry and Hermione, he is a member of Gryffindor. He usually receives little recognition, while Harry's fame almost always puts him at the centre of attention. This sometimes creates a rift between the two friends. Ron is present in most of the action throughout the series due to his friendship with Harry.

Ron was born on 1 March 1980 to Arthur and Molly Weasley, the sixth of their seven children, and the youngest son. Rowling introduces Ron as "tall, thin and gangling, with freckles, big hands and feet, and a long nose." Ron has the trademark red hair of the Weasleys and is indeed one of Harry's tallest schoolmates, even outgrowing some of his older brothers. J.K. Rowling states in the novels that Ron has freckles, but Rupert Grint, the actor who plays Ron, has none. Rowling has also stated that Ron has blue eyes.

Generally speaking, Ron fits many of the stereotypes expected of the sidekick: He's a comical character often called upon to lighten the mood, is immensely loyal to the hero, and lacks much of the talent Harry possesses, at least in terms of magical power. Although smart (as evidenced by his innate chess-playing ability and considerable wit) he is a fairly average student, and is often too lazy to bother with his studies, a habit enabled by Hermione's perfectionist need to do even other people's work for them. He is sarcastic, passionate, hot-headed and often wears his heart on his sleeve (excepting in manners of romance.) With Harry and Hermione, Ron tends to use his sarcasm to bring his friends back to reality when they are formulating far-fetched concepts; for example, when Harry and Hermione hypothesize over Tom Riddle's motives for naming Hagrid as the culprit who opened the titular chamber and attempt to find elaborate reasons for the latter's innocence, Ron comments, "how many monsters do you think this place can hold?" [36]

There is a highly ambitious side to Ron, and he wants dearly to be popular and successful, due mainly to feelings of being overshadowed by his older brothers and best friend. Despite great loyalty to his family, he occasionally shows signs of being ashamed of their economic situation. This has occasionally manifested itself into fights with Harry out of jealousy, but these issues tend to pass quickly.

Like many of the boisterous Weasley family, Ron has a tendency to argue. This trait is never so present as it is in his relationship with Hermione Granger where bickering is a staple of their relationship, and is often how they best communicate. He seems to show surprise when some, such as Harry, express annoyance at their arguing as neither he nor Hermione appear to think it's a big deal. In their arguments, while Hermione's tone tends to be patronizing, Ron is more often than not bitingly sarcastic.

　

Hermione Granger

  Hermione is the best friend of Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley. She is also one of the main protagonists of the series. Hermione, born on 19 September 1979, a muggle-born, has brown eyes, bushy brown hair and, in the beginning, rather large front teeth. Many at the school have ridiculed her looks, including, on one occasion, her teacher Severus Snape, Pansy Parkinson, a Slytherin girl, and, more subtly in her fourth year, Rita Skeeter, who described her as "a plain but ambitious girl". However, in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Hermione attracts the eye of Quidditch star Viktor Krum, and, when she shows up at the Yule Ball with her hair sleek and pulled into a bun, her posture improved, and wearing floaty periwinkle-coloured dress robes, Harry thought she looked "pretty." Hermione also had her teeth shrunk to a normal size by Madam Pomfrey in Goblet of Fire. This was after being hit in the teeth with a hex by Draco Malfoy, which caused them to grow far past her collar. When Madam Pomfrey was fixing them, Hermione simply let her "carry on a bit" until her teeth were smaller than they originally were.

Hermione's position as one of the most intelligent students in her year, which she works hard to maintain, has also led to frequent teasing, although Harry and Ron do depend on her for academic help, and her knowledge and common sense prove valuable in overcoming the trio's challenges. Hermione's logical abilities manifest themselves in her playing Devil's Advocate during discussions between herself, Harry and Ron, often pointing out aspects that the boys will ignore, usually for emotional reasons; when Harry is angry about Rita Skeeter eavesdropping on Hagrid and Madame Maxime at the Yule Ball, Hermione points out that he and Ron were doing the same thing.

Hermione is brave and loyal and has a fierce political conscience, though in her first year she was confused in crisis situations (when asked to light a fire when trapped in the Devil's Snare, she said "But there's no wood!"). Later she became the one to solve those situations (manages to fool Umbridge into going to the Forbidden Forest; marking the doors at the Department of Mysteries).

Although compassionate, she can be a bit awkward when dealing with people, despite her position as the "social soother" in the trio. A good example is her ham-handed attempt to comfort Lavender Brown over the death of her rabbit. Screenwriter Steve Kloves has said that Hermione often shows "a complete lack of understanding of how she affects people". However, her tendency towards awkwardness and pompousness seems to fade the longer she associates with the always popular Harry and Ron. By Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, she no longer seems to have the social difficulties she experienced earlier and in a reversal of fortune, tends to become impatient and exasperated regarding the Harry and Ron's own social ineptitude, especially towards other girls. According to Rowling, Hermione is deeply insecure and sometimes feels utterly inadequate. To compensate, she tries to be the best at everything at school, projecting a false confidence that can irritate people. Hermione also tends to irritate people with her apparent sense of moral superiority, which she has tried to force upon others in the past. Despite this she has also been proven to be very adept at understanding emotion and relationships, which often puts her at odds with Ron who is initially completely oblivious when it comes to such matters (she likens his emotional sensitivities to that of a "teaspoon."). Harry has consulted Hermione for advice regarding his relationships with Cho Chang and Ginny Weasley. Rowling admits that Hermione is in many ways based upon herself. Hermione's Patronus is an otter, Rowling's favorite animal.

*Excerpted from the Wikipedia encyclopedia (www.wikipedia.org). *

 
Click here for Harry Potter Books and Analysis

This is excerpted from the Mugglenet. This is only a small portion of the names. More will be posted soon. So don't forget to come back soon for more! Arranged in alphabetical order.

•  #Abraxas (Malfoy) - The supreme Gnostic Deity. Had the body of a man, the head of a cock, and serpents for feet. This image depicts him holding a shield and whip. In some stories, he is referred to as a demon. It is believed "Abra-cadabra" originated from his name.

• # Accio (Summoning Charm) - Latin for "I summon."
  
  # Alastor - Similar to Alistair or Alisdair. It is the Scottish (Gaelic) form of Alexander. It means "defender of mankind." It is an appropriate name for an Auror and a character responsible for protecting the magical world by apprehending evil wizards.
  
  # Albus - In Latin, it means "white" (maybe for white beard). Wisdom. Albinus was Governor of Britain at the death of the Emperor Pertinax. Decimus Clodius Albinus attempted to seize the throne but ended up in alliance with another imperial contender, Septimius Severus. After Severus defeated two other rivals (Voldemort and... maybe Slytherin?), the now expendable Albinus was forced into another attempt at usurpation, an attempt that came to an end at the bloody battle of Lyon.
  
  # Alecto - One of the Death Eaters who broke into Hogwarts. In Greek mythology, Alecto was one of the Furies. Her name is derived from the Greek "alektos," meaning "unceasing in anger."
  
  # Alohomora (Spell that opens locks) - Derived from the Hawaiian "Aloha" meaning "goodbye," and the Latin word "mora," meaning "obstacle."

• # Andromeda (Tonks) - In Greek mythology, Andromeda should be married to her uncle Phineus but marries Perseus, the famous hero, instead. (Andromeda Black marries Ted Tonks, a Muggle, and is erased from the family tree). Phineus sounds like Phineas Nigellus, Sirius' great-great-grandfather. In the Old Testament, Phineas kills an Israelite man for being in love with a woman who belongs to another ethnical group. As our Phineas was a Slytherin teacher, this can't be coincidence!
  
  # Animagus - Combination of the Latin words "animal" and "magus," meaning "animal wizard."

• # Aragog - "Arachnid" means spider and "Gog" was the name of a legendary giant. Combined, the name means "giant spider." Also possibly derived from the Greek word "agog," meaning "leader."
  
  # Argus - In Greek mythology, Argus was a monster that had a hundred eyes and was ever-so-watchful. The name "Argus" means "bright and watchful." Sounds like Filch.
  
  # Arithmancy - A method of fortune-telling based on names, numbers, and mathematical calculations. From the Greek, "arithmo" meaning "number" and "mancy" meaning "prophecy." It is also known as numerology.

• # Auror - Perhaps derived from "aurora," meaning "the dawn." The Aurors may be seen as those who bring the light, vanquishing the darkness.
  
  # Avada Kedavra (Killing Curse) - Aramaic phrase that means "I will destroy as I speak." Also similar to "Abra-cadabra", which is an ancient spell (dates from the 2nd Century) used by conjurors to invoke spirits or supernatural powers for protection against disease or aid. "Kedavra" sounds like "cadaver," which means "corpse."
  
  # Avis (Spell that Ollivander used to make birds fly out of Krum's wand) - Latin for "bird."
  
  # Azkaban - Sounds very similar to and description is very much the same as the American prison known as Alcatraz, located on an island off the coast of California.

• # Bagman - A person who collects money, as for racketeers.
  
  # Bane - Means "nemesis," "bringer of ruin," "pernicious to well-being," "the agent or instrument of ruin or woe," or in Old English "slayer" or "murderer."
  
  # Basilisk - The history and evolution of the myth of the basilisk is detailed in this article. The Greek basiliskos means "little king" or "petty tyrant." Some myths describe the basilisk as a cockatrice, a giant bird with a serpent's tail that could breathe fire and kill with its stare. Others call it the king of all serpents and consider it as powerful as the gods.
  
  # Beauxbatons - French for "beautiful wands." While we do realize this actually translates as "beautiful sticks" in French, the actual term for "magic wands" being "baguettes magiques" sounds far less appealing.
  
  # Bellatrix - "Bella" is a construct of the word "bellum" meaning "war" and "trix" refers to "a woman in power." Bellatrix is therefore known as the "Female Warrior" and is also the pale yellow star indicating the left shoulder of the constellation Orion, the Great Hunter.
  
  # Bezoar - A bezoar is indeed "a ball of indigestable material that can be found in the stomach of certain animals," most notably the so-called bezoar goat (capra aegagrus). And indeed it was believed in ancient times that a bezoar could serve as an antidote for most poisons.
  
  # Blaise - Blaise was the teacher of Merlin. From the Roman name Blasius, which means "lisping." From the Latin "blaesus." A famous bearer was Blaise Pascal, a French mathematician and philosopher.
  
  # Binns, Professor - A "bin" is what the British call "a garbage can." Many students consider Professor Binns' information to be rubbish. In Northern England, "Binns" is a slang term for glasses, possibly referring to the professor's academic nature.
  
  # Bluebottle (Make of broomstick) - A type of annoying fly with a loud buzz and iridescent body. Also a small, blue jellyfish (also known as a Man-O-War). They appear on beaches after strong winds and their sting is very painful.
  
  # Bode - To be an omen. When things are said to not "bode" well for somebody, it usually implies dark times ahead. It also means "a stop or delay."
  
  # Boggart - From Wikipedia, in Celtic mythology, a boggart (or bogart, bogan, bogle or boggle) is a household spirit, sometimes mischievous, sometimes helpful. In Northern England, at least, there was the belief that the boggart should never be named, for when it was given a name, it would not be reasoned with or persuaded and would become uncontrollable and destructive.
  
  # Boomslang - One of the ingredients used in brewing Polyjuice Potion, a boomslang is actually a South African snake. Boomslangs live in trees and bushes and feed on small animals and bird eggs. They are greenish to brown or black in color and grow to about 1.5 m (about 5 feet) long. Most members of the family (Colubridae) to which the boomslang belongs are harmless, but the boomslang has a potent venom that it delivers through large, deeply grooved fangs that are located at the rear of the mouth. The bite of the boomslang can be fatal.
  
  # Brian - From Old Celtic "bre" meaning "hill" or by extension "high, noble." Brian Boru was an Irish king who thwarted Viking attempts to conquer Ireland in the 11th century. He was victorious in the Battle of Clontarf, but he himself was slain. People associate Brian as a last name but believe it's derived from Brian Boru.
  
  # Bubotuber pus - "Tuber" refers to the fact that the bubotuber is a plant, which extends perpendicularly into the soil. It's pus is dangerous to the skin. "Bubos" is an English word for an inflamed, tender swelling of a lymph node, especially in the area of the armpit or groin. It is characteristic of certain infections, such as Bubonic plague and syphilis.
  
  # Buckbeak - To "buck" is the "action of a horse when it leaps upward and arches its back." A "beak" is the "mouth of a bird." Very suiting considering Buckbeak is a Hippogriff.
  
  # Bullstrode - A "bull" is "an adult male bovine animal" and "strode" means to "be astride of" or "straddle."
  
  # Burke - Most likely named after the famous murderer and body snatcher William Burke. He used to operate in Edinburgh around 1740, and considering J.K. Rowling comes from Edinburgh, this is too much of a coincidence. Burke and his partner suffocated a bunch of people in their rooming house and sold the bodies to the local medical school. Following this, it became illegal to use cadavers in medical education. As a result, the process of killing someone to sell their body is known as "burking."

• Cadogan, Sir - Cadogan is a Welsh name meaning "terrible and fierce in battle." This name fits the fiesty knight whose portrait hangs on the seventh floor very close to the South Tower.

• # Cedric - Old English for "chief" or "warleader."
  
  # Charlie - A diminutive of Charles, which means "manly" and "strong."
  
  # Cho Chang - Cho is Japanese for "butterfly" and in Chinese means "autumn." Chang is Chinese for "free" or "unhindered." In Chinese, "chou chang" means "melancholy."
  
  # Colin - Means "youth, child, or victor." Also means "young dog," which fits his devotion to Harry.
  
  # Colloportus (Spell used to lock doors) - "Coller" means "to stick together" in French, and "portus" means "door" in Latin.
  
  # Cormac (McLaggan) - Cormac is of Irish (Gaelic) origin meaning "charioteer." Also means "son of defilement." Cormac was the son of a King in Celtic legend. He was on a mission when he was put under a spell by a jealous lover of one of his competitors. Funny how Hermione puts Cormac under a spell during Quidditch tryouts so Ron can get on the team.
  
  # Cornelius - See Lucius.
  
  # Crucio (Cruciatus Curse) - "Crucio" is Latin for "I torture."
  
  # Cole, Mrs. - Similar to role she plays as head of Tom Riddle's orphanage in Half-Blood Prince, in Jane Austen's Emma, there is a character named Mrs. Cole who serves much of the same role. We all know this is one of Jo's favorite books.
  
  # Conjunctivitus Curse (Spell that Krum used to "do something" to the eyes of the Chinese Fireball during the First Task of the Triwizard Tournament) - Conjunctivitis is the scientific name for pink-eye -- the illness that children often get that makes their eyelids crust together.
  
  # Crookshanks - "Crook" comes from "crooked," meaning "bent or not straight," and "shank" is a "leg or a leg-like part." J.K. Rowling said herself she gave Hermione's cat "bandy-legs" and Crookshanks is often described as being "bow-legged."

• # Diagon Alley - Play on words. "Diagonally" refers to "a straight line at a slanted angle."
  
  # Diffindo (Spell Harry used to cause Cedric's bag to split apart) - In Latin, "Diffindo" means "I split."
  
  # Diggory - Could be an allusion to Digory Kirke, a character from The Chronicles of Narnia, specifically The Magician's Nephew. He grew up to be the Professor in The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. This character had a strong sense of right and wrong, was loyal to his friends, kept his promises, and loved his mother.
  
  # Dobby - A fatuous or foolish person. Also, a weave of cloth that is durable and natural-looking. Finer stores still sell shirts made of "dobby" weave.
  
  # Dolohov - This Death Eater shares the name of a trouble-making character in Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace.
  
  # Dolores - Of Latin origin. Means "lady of sorrows or pain" (psychological or physical). In Greek, "doleros" means "deceitful." In Spanish, "dolor" means "to have pain."
  
  # Draco - Draco is a constellation that looks like a dragon but is a snake. In Latin, Draco means "dragon." There was also a Greek ruler named Draco who developed a system of severe punishments for the smallest of crimes. "Draconian" means "harsh or cruel." In Romanian, "drac" means "devil."
  
  # Dumbledore - Means "Bumblebee" in Old English. J.K. Rowling has said that she chose this name because she imagined Dumbledore walking around the castle, humming to himself.
  
  # Durmstrang - "Sturm und drang" is a German phrase meaning "storm" and "stress or urge." "Sturm und Drang" was a genre of German plays that were famous for their sense of foreboding and ill-fate. Their influence even reaches into modern musical theatre, as in the title song of Little Shop of Horrors.
  
  # Dudley - An aristocratic surname used as a first name since the 19th Century. Also, a town in one of England's largest cities - Birmingham.
  
  # Dursley - A town near J.K. Rowling's birthplace.

• # Errol - Means "wanderer" in Old English. This accurately describes the Weasley owl who always seems to get off track when delivering the post.
  
  # Evanesco (Vanishing Spell) - Means "I disappear" or "I vanish" in Latin.
  
  # Evans - A Celtic name that means "young warrior."
  
  # Expecto Patronum (Spell used to conjure a Patronus) - In Latin, "expecto" is to "await, desire, or hope for" and "patronus" is "protector." Hence, "to hope for a protector." A Patronus is used to protect against a Dementor.
  
  # Expelliarmus (Disarming Spell) - Latin combination of "expellere" meaning "to expel" and "arma" meaning "weapon or upper arm."

• # Fawkes (Dumbledore's phoenix) - Guy Fawkes was an English Catholic who, in 1605, tried to blow up the House of Parliament as an act of rebellion against the new Protestant government. In England, November 5th is now known as "Guy Fawkes Day" (or "Bonfire Night") where Guy Fawkes is burned in effigy. Every year he is resurrected to burn again. It can also be noted that he is known as one of the most infamous traitors in English history.
  
  # Felix Felicis (Luck Potion) - "Felix" is Latin for "lucky, fortunate, or happy." "Felicis" is derived from two Latin adjectives, one for "lucky" and one for "of the lucky." It translates as "lucky of the lucky," but seems more acceptable to write it as "luck of luck." Could haves ties to the word "felicity" which means "extreme happiness."
  
  # Fenrir - Fenrir or Fenris in Norse mythology is a gigantic and terrible monster in the shape of a wolf. He is the eldest child of Loki and the giantess Angrboda. The gods learned of a prophecy which stated that the wolf and his family would one day be responsible for the destruction of the world. They caught the wolf and locked him in a cage, bound in chains made by dwarves. Fenrir then requested that one of the gods put their hand in his mouth before he was chained as a sign of good faith. Tyr, the god of war and justice, did and his hand was bitten off (Pettigrew?). In the final battle, Fenrir will escape from his bindings and eat Odin (Lucius?), and Odin's son Vidar (Draco?) will kill him by stabbing him in the heart or ripping his jaws apart. Other stories claim Fenrir will be killed with Vidar's iron boot (Pettigrew?). Also, the evil wolf Captain serving the White Witch in C.S. Lewis' The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe was named Fenris Ulf.
  
  # Ferula (Spell that creates a splint or wooden rod) - From the Latin word "ferula," meaning a "rod to beat children with." In Spanish, the word "ferula" refers to an object used to immobilize a limb, like a broken leg. The object can be either a stick to tie to the limb or a cover of plaster.
  
  # Fidelius (Charm that makes someone a Secret-Keeper) - In Latin, "fidelis" is the comparative form of "fidelis." Thus, meaning "a person who is more faithful, devoted, loyal, earnest, true, trustworthy, dependable, reliable, constant or lasting."

• # Filch - Means to "steal."
  
  # Filius - In Latin, "filius" means "son." This could perhaps explain why Flitwick is such a short individual.
  
  # Finite Incantatem (Spell that cancels out other spells) - "Incantatem" could be related to the Latin "Incantationem," which means "incantation." Together the phrase translates as "Stop the incantation!"
  
  # Firenze - Italian name for the city of Florence. Florence was the same city that the famous astronomer Galileo lived in for most of his life. In fact, he died in his estate while serving out his life-long house-arrest sentence issued by the Inquisition, as they found him guilty of heresy.
  
  # Flitwick - A town in England. It could also be interpeted as the movement of a wand - flit (to move quickly from one spot to another) and wick (a stick shaped cord of woven fibres).
  
  # Fleur Delacour - Means "Flower of the Court" in French. It could also be a clever play on the similar French word "coeur" meaning "heart" (Veela's captivate men's hearts).
  
  # Florean Fortescue - "Florean" means "flower" in Latin. Adrian Fortescue was a martyr for the Catholic Church and cousin to Anne Boleyn. He was martyred for disagreeing with Henry VII's changes to church law.
  
  # Fluffy - Cerberus, the three-headed dog was the guardian of the underworld in Greek mythology. Orpheus got past Cerberus by lulling it to sleep with music. You get past Fluffy by lulling it to sleep with music. The name "Fluffy" itself, is just another way of J.K. Rowling showing how Hagrid does not view certain magical creatures and beasts as dangerous.
  
  # Fudge - "Fudge," besides being a delicious chocolate confection, can mean "nonsense." As a verb, it means to "evade" or to "falsify." In technological jargon, it means "to perform in an incomplete but marginally acceptable way." We've seen the former Minister "fudge" a story many times during the series.

• # Gaunt - To be very skinny especially because of hunger or disease or cold; to have a bony body.
  
  # Gilderoy - A highwayman known for being handsome. May also come from the word "gilded," which is defined as having a "pleasing, showy appearance, which covers something of little worth." This is very fitting considering Gilderoy's supposed good looks covered up the truth about his inability to function as a powerful wizard. The name "Roy" is Old French for "regal one" or "king."
  
  # Ginny - "Ginevra," an Italian female and woman of the people, her name means "Juniper" as in evergreen tree. There is an old myth about a bride named Ginevra, who playfully hid in a trunk on her wedding day. The lid fell, burying her alive; and eventually her skeleton was discovered. This could relate to Ginny being taken into the Chamber of Secrets where her "skeleton would lie forever." However, J.K. Rowling has also said that she picked the name because she wanted something different and special for the only Weasley girl!
  
  # Godric - Means "power of god." Derived from the Old English "god" combined with "ric," meaning "power" and "rule." Name became conmmonly used after the Norman conquest. - Godric of Finchale is an Anglo-Saxon saint.
  
  # Granger - Possibly from the Granger movement in the 1800s, a movement to improve the lives of farmers. Could be a connection to Hermione's desire to start SPEW, a movement to improve the lives of house-elves. A granger was also a very common person, just like Hermione's parents. Granger is the name of a character from the book Fahrenheit 451. He is the leader of a group of intellectuals known as "The Book People," whose goal is the preservation of liturature in the face of their government's efforts to burn and destroy all books. A possible reference to Hermione's fanatical love of books?
  
  # Greyback - Similar to the term "silverback" used for the dominant male in a band of gorillas. We all know Fenrir Greyback is the dominant werewolf in the wizarding world.
  
  # Grindelwald - Perhaps derived from the Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf character Grendel, the demon. (Many theories in which the Dark wizard Grindelwald is compared to Hitler have been explored by <i>Harry Potter</i> fans in the past, especially since the date of his demise, 1945, is the same as the end of WWII.) A beautiful village in the mountains of Bernese Oberaland, Switzerland. Also, a well-known hotel chain in Germany.
  
  # Grimmauld Place - "Grim Old Place" (play on words).
  
  # Gringotts - According to J.K. Rowling the famous bank comes from the word "ingot," as a reference to "an ingot of gold." She added the "Gr" to the beginning to make it sound more powerful.
  
  # Gryffindor - A "griffin" was "a creature in mythology with the body of a lion and the head of an eagle." Also known in Greek Mythology as the "gryphon," it was the protector of a god's gold from mortal men. In Greek, "gryphon" means "protector of wealth." In French "d'or" means "of gold," one of the Gryffindor House colors. The gryffin is fitting, considering lions are characterized as brave and courageous and eagles are desrcibed as being noble birds, all traits of the Gryffindor House.

• # Hagrid - J.K. Rowling said: "Hagrid is also another old English word meaning if you were Hagrid, it¨s a dialect word meaning you¨d had a bad night. Hagrid¨s a big drinker. He has a lot of bad nights." Grid was a Norse giantess known for having a terrible temper. "Ha" is a variant of the Old West Norse name element "half." So, "Ha-Grid" may just mean "Half-Grid" or more notably "Half-Giant." " Haggard" can also mean "appearing worn and exhausted, gaunt; wild or distraught in appearance; a disheveled individual." From the Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy, the Old English term "hag-rid" means "indigestion" (not surprising considering all the weird things Hagrid eats). Found in the exact same paragraph as "Dumbledore." Coincidence?
  
  # Hannah (Abbott) - "Hannah" means "grace."
  
  # Harry - J.K. Rowling's favorite boy's name. The name Harry is of Anglo-Saxon origin and means "power." There was also a magician named Harry Houdini in the 1900s.
  
  # Hedwig - The Saint of Orphans that lived in Germany in the 13th and 14th Century. Means "refuge in battle." Mentioned in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

• # Hermione - Means "well-born," "earthy," or "stone." Refers to peony-type flowers. The feminine version of Hermes. In Greek mythology, was often known as the patron saint of high magic (no surprise our Hermione is so gifted). She was the daughter of Helen of Troy and King Menelaus of Sparta. In the Aeneid, Hermione was kidnapped by Pyrrhus, but her loving Orestes came and murdered Pyrrhus while he was praying. Hermione is also a character in Shakespeare's A Winter's Tale. The character is accused of adultery and dies before the intermission. At the end of the play she is brought out as a statue, and finally returns to life at the very end of the play. A possible connection to her petrification in Chamber of Secrets?
  
  # Hippogriff - Derived from the Greek word "hippos" meaning "horse" and the magical creature known as the griffin. In this case, it has the body of a horse as opposed to a lion, but keeps the head of an eagle.
  
  # Hog's Head - Pub in Hogsmeade. In Old English, a "hoggshead" was a medium-sized barrel holding fifty-four gallons of ale. Similar to the Boar's Head Tavern in Shakespeare's Henry IV.
  
  # Horace - English and French form of Horatius, a Roman family name possibly derived from Latin "hora," meaning "hour, time, and season." A famous bearer was Quintus Horatius Flaccus, a Roman lyric poet in the first Century B.C. Horace's poems often celebrated the pleasure found in good food, drink, and spending time with congenial companions - sounds like Slughorn.
  
  # Horcrux - "Horcrux" when broken down in many languages means "outside the cross." This is consistent with the very unholy nature of creating one, and why it is stricken from the pages in a lot of textbooks. "Crucis" means "pain or torture," and "hor" is a shortened form of the noun "horreum," which means "storehouse." Thus, "tormenting storehouse." A Horcrux is effectively a "storehouse" for the part of the soul that an individual destroys when killing someone. "Hor" can also remind readers of the words "horrible" and "horrid." The English meaning for "crux" is "the critical feature or essence," like the crux of an argument. Similar to the Latin translation, it then becomes understood as "essence storehouse." Many consider the soul to be the essence of an individual. A "crux" is also defined as a "difficult puzzle," so Horcruxes can then be seen as "horrible" or "tormenting puzzles." In Egyptian mythology, Horus was the son of the god Osiris, who became the God of the Dead. Crux is also Latin for "cross." If you combine these two words, you get the "cross of Horus," also known as the "ankh" (a cross with a loop at the top). The ankh was the symbol of life. Thus, a Horcrux would ensure life.

• # Impedimenta (Spell used to slow down attackers) - "Impedio" is Latin for "I hinder." In Latin, "Impedimenta" means "obstacle," as in creating an obstacle to impede one's path or goal.
  
  # Imperio (Imperius Curse) - "Imperio" is Latin for "I control" and "imperium" is Latin for "absolute control."
  
  # Incendio (Spell that sets things on fire) - In Latin, "incendere" means "to set fire to something." "Incendio" also means "great fire" in Spanish.
  
  # Incarcerous (Spell that makes ropes appear to wrap someone up) - In Latin, "carcer" means "prison." The word "incarcerate" means to "imprison."
  
  # Inferi - In Latin, means "those down below; the dead."

• # Lily - A flower symbolizing purity and innocence. It is the flower commonly used during the Easter holiday and symbolizes immortality. The bulb decays in the ground, and from it new life is released. It is Lily who gives her life so Harry can keep on living.
  
  # Little Whinging - The house on Privet Drive is in the suburb of Little Whinging. "Whinge" is a British word for "whining and complaining." That seems to be one of the Dursleys' favorite activities whether it is about Harry, the neighbors, or just the news in general.
  
  # Lockhart - As coincidental as the following information may be, J.K. Rowling stated in a radio interview with BBC 4 that she found the name Lockhart on a war memorial. Lockhart is a world renowned cognitive psychologist whose particular interest is in the study of memory and levels of processing. He did a lot of research in this area in the late 1970s. Town in Australia near Wagga Wagga ("Compose a poem about my defeat of the Wagga Wagga Werewolf"?). A possible play on words as he seems to have so many women's "heart locked" on him.
  
  # Longbottom - The name itself is considered quite humorous, but "bottom" is an old word for "staying power." This seems to accurately fit Neville's personality and overall devotion to Harry.
  
  # Lucius - A Latin male first name. A character in Shakespeare's play Julius Casesar, Lucius is the servant of Brutus, the leader of the conspirators who plot against and assassinate Caesar. Possible connection to the similar sounding "Lucifer" (the devil). Lucifer means "light-bearer." In Romanian, "lucios" means "shiny," a possible connection to his desire for the extravagant and valuable. A Roman General named Lucius Cornelius Sulla was usurped by the people of Rome, but defeated them and seized control as a dictator. After doing so, he removed most of the popular say in the government and returned it to the Senate of Rome, which controlled the people, and founded a firm Republic.
  
  # Ludo - Latin meaning "I play." Fitting, as Ludo Bagman likes to "play his luck" by betting on sports and is the former head of the Department of Games and Sports.
  
  # Lumos (Spell used to make a wand emit light) - "Lumen" is Latin for "light" and "luminous" means "emitting light" in English.
  
  # Luna - The Roman goddess of the moon. "Luna" means "moon" in Latin, Romanian and Italian. In Romanian, it also translates to "month." The word "lunatic" is also derived from the word "lunar," as it was believed in old times that strange or odd behavior was caused by the moon. "Luna" is a term for "silver" in alchemy.
  
  # Lupin - "Lupus" is the Latin derivative for "wolf." Canis Lupus is the scientific name for wolf. To be described as "lupine" means to "resemble a wolf."

• # Malfoy - In Latin, "malus" means "bad" and "mal" means "pale." "Mal foi" means "bad faith, an act with bad intentions, or a malicious act" in French. "Mal de foi" means a "loss of faith." The similar French phrase "Mal fait" can be interpeted as "badly made" or "evil deeds." In Portuguese, (J.K. Rowling taught English in Portugal for a few years) "Mal foi" means "was bad" or "is bad." In Arthurian legends, Lancelot (King Arthur's greatest knight and his betrayor) is sometimes called "Le Chevallier Mal Fait" (the "mal fait" knight). "Foy" means "a farewell feast, drink, or gift, as at a wedding."
  
  # Mandragora - In medieval times, Mandragora or mandrake root was though to have magical properties. It was thought to resemble the human figure and was known to cause sleepiness.

• # Minerva - The Roman counterpart to the Greek goddess named Athena. Both women in their respective mythologies represent war, handicraft and practical reason or wisdom.
  
  # Mirror of Erised - Erised backwards is desire (as in "you'll see what you desire"). The inscription around the top of the Mirror of Erised, if shown backwards with the spaces rearranged, says: "I show not your face, but your heart's desire." Oddly enough, Eris was the Greek goddess of strife.
  
  # Moody - In Hawthorne's The Blithedale Romance there is a character called Moodie who wears a patch over one of his eyes. There is of course, the traditional meaning of "moody," which simply means to "not be in a good mood."
  
  # Morfin (Gaunt) - Probably taken from Celtic myth. Morfan was the son of the Celtic Fertility God Ceridwen and was a fearsome warrior. Morfan fought with King Arthur in his last battle with Carlan. At first, none of Sir Mordred's men would fight against Morfan, because he was so ugly that they believed he might be the devil.

• # Morsmordre (Makes the Dark Mark appear in the sky) - Combination between "mors" (Latin for "death") and "mordere" (Latin for "to bite"). Death bite? No -- Death Eater.
  
  # Muggle - Comes from English slang. A "mug" is somebody who is easily fooled.
  
  # Mugwump - One who sits on both sides of an issue. Referring to the "Supreme Mugwump." Originally an Algonquian word "mugquomp," meaning "chief," it became the word for a political party who wouldn't make up their mind about something in the early to mid 1800s.
  
  # Mundungus - A stinking tobacco. Very similiar to the word "mondongo," which in Spanish is the word for a cow's "stomach," a disgusting part of the animal that is often eaten.
  
  # Myrtle, Moaning - A type of evergreen shrub that is often overlooked because of its plainness.

• *more are still coming! from M-Z! Stay tuned!*

  
  　

Quotes

◊ Lord Voldemort: "There is no good or evil, there is only power!"

◊ Albus Dumbledore: "Love can defeat anything, Harry, even the darkest magic."

◊ Albus Dumbledore: "Death is but another great adventure."

◊ Godric Gryffindor: "It is boldness that makes true great wizards."

◊ Rowena Ravenclaw: "Wit beyond measure is men's greatest treasure."

◊ Helga Hufflepuff: "Modesty. Honesty. Sincerety."

◊ Reubus Hagrid: "There are some things which happen - just happen. There's no point changing it."

◊ Harry Potter: "Even if I die, I'd make sure I'll take as many Death Eaters with me, and Voldemort himself if possible."

*Stay tuned for more!*

LI HONG YI ©COPYRIGHT"HOGWARTS OFFICIAL MUGGLE WEBSITE", "HARRY POTTER", "HARRY LI" AND "HOGWARTS" ARE REGISTERED NAMES AND TRADEMARKS. NO PART OF IT MAY BE COPIED OR REPRODUCED IN ANY FORM. © 1992-2093 © PATENT PROTECTED. FOR ADVERTISEMENTS, CLICK HERE.   Designer AND MAKER:LI HONG YI. FOR INFO, SEND BY OWL POST OR TO abudo7@yahoo.com . 曵埼吼 19921231 | li hongyi 31121992


HOGWARTSNET    HARRYPOTTERNET