A witch who we've all come to know is featured this month (it's May in the UK) at JK Rowling's official website:

Helga Hufflepuff

(Medieval, precise dates unknown)
One of the four celebrated Founders of Hogwarts, Hufflepuff was particularly famous for her dexterity at food-related Charms. Many recipes traditionally served at Hogwarts feasts originated with Hufflepuff.

The fifth Harry Potter movie has received a nomination for the 2007 MTV Movie Awards in the "Best Summer Movie You Haven't Seen" category. Other nominees include Rush Hour 3 and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. The movie with the most votes will be revealed in the live ceremony on June 8th. Vote here!

Our weekly Harry Potter podcast is back after taking a week off! Today Ben, Eric, Laura, and I spend the whole episode focused on the latest Order of the Phoenix developments. Plus:

- We're proud to announce the Pickle Pack! Join for exclusive videos, blogs, photos, and more!
- The announcement about Jamie that launched a thousand fangirls' anguished cries.
- We chat about certain changes made to the dementors and Voldemort's facial features.
- What is with the Priori Incantatem going on between Dumbledore and Voldemort?
- Ben has a problem with Emma!
- In addition, we give the new site, movie poster, and game trailer a review.

To download, we recommend subscribing (for free) in iTunes to automatically receive each show as it is released. You can also find complete shownotes and more download links on the MuggleCast website. Enjoy!

The Sunday Times has released its annual Rich List, ranking the wealthiest people in Britain and Ireland. This year, Jo Rowling came in at #136 on the list.

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the seventh and final book in the series, will be published in July. Her royalties add up to 365m (sterling) while merchandising and film income take Rowling, 41, to 545m. The final book and the next three films guarantee her income stream. Last year she helped set up a new children's charity."

Thanks to those who emailed.

Our friends at MillionairePlayboy.com have posted a review of the brand new Hogwarts LEGO set as part of their new OOTP collection (due out in May). You can watch a video review and see some great pictures of the set right here.

Warner Brothers has sent us some great new pictures of Order of the Phoenix director David Yates working with various cast members on set. Check them out here in our galleries!

JK Rowling has been honored with a 2007 Rave Award. The award, given to 22 distinguished people, recognizes those who "before changing the game in technology, business, or culture, they first changed themselves."

The award ceremony will take place in San Francisco this evening, but JK unfortunately will not attend.

Attached to the write-up on Jo is a brand new photo of the author.

Congratulations, Jo!

Time Magazine has a new article discussing the villains of this summer's movies. Dolores Umbridge is, of course, one of those listed, with the following being said:

"As Dolores Umbridge, the bureaucrat from the Ministry of Magic in this summer's Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Imelda Staunton is a little bit priestess, a little bit villainous. Staunton, the latest in a line of top British thespians to visit Hogwarts, found it a tough balancing act: 'The character has to be ridiculous and yet real and frightening. She has to be silly and yet not cartoony. It's difficult to gauge.' The performance and the couture established an ostensibly soft side to Dolores. 'She wears cardigans and pinks. She threatens, but if you don't listen to the words it's just a pleasant sound. She's gentle and pleasing. If she seemed hard, there would be no surprises.'"

The official site of the UK Potter publisher has been been given a makeover, featuring some of the British Deathly Hallows cover art.

Because of high demand, we are now translating our news into Portuguese. You can check out our Portuguese page here (also accessible via the flag above).

We hope to introduce new languages in the coming weeks.

WB has released a new Dumbledore's Army-themed site. Check it out here.

The Odeon cinema (the venue of all previous Potter premieres) recently said that the UK premiere of the Order of the Phoenix will take place on July 3rd.

UPDATE: We've now been informed that July 3rd is the confirmed date for the UK premiere!

UPDATE 2: The US premiere will take place on July 8th. The venue is rumored to be LA. Furthermore, it's alleged that a premiere is scheduled for June 28th in Japan.

We will update you as soon as we hear some official information.

MuggleNet reader Lukullus sent us links to a better version of the international trailer that was released on Sunday. Check 'em out here:

- Quicktime (100)
- Quicktime (300)
- Quicktime (500)

You can also see the domestic trailer (released yesterday) at this link.

His scheduled appearance as part of Idol Gives Back will air tonight starting at 8 PM EST. This two-hour special will play host to several stars who are helping raise money for various charities.

Dan's speech is pre-recorded, and we do not know when in the two-hour time slot it will air. Thanks to everyone who e-mailed with the tip!

UPDATE: Many of you noticed that Dan did not appear on the show tonight. At one point during the program, producers told host Ryan Seacrest live on air that they were having technical problems. This may have been when Dan's video was scheduled to run. We will update you with more when we can!

On a positive note, Helena Carter (who will be playing Bellatrix in OOTP) DID make an appearance in a Staying Alive music video.

We now have a larger, high-resolution version of the OOTP poster that surfaced online recently. Check it out right here.

The British Harry Potter publisher has revealed some of their security measures to ensure the magic of Deathly Hallows is maintained until July 21st.

According to The Scotsman, the book will only be delivered to bookshops one day before the release and they will be sealed in crates bound by steel chains. Furthermore, security guards will be deployed to printing plants, and Amazon has agreed to store its copies in warehouses at secret locations.

Jo Rowling, patron of the MS Society Scotland, has donated a signed Sorcerer's Stone movie poster to the charity for auction. You can bid for it here on eBay.

Another new trailer has been released, but this time it is for the upcoming Order of the Phoenix video game! You can download a QuickTime version of it right here [5.1 MB, MOV] thanks to Electronic Arts. The game will be released on June 25th.

Warner Brothers has provided HPANA with an early look at the new Order of the Phoenix website due out sometime within the next week. View the preview here!

Digg this story | Share on Facebook

Check it out below:


Originally aired on Yahoo!. There is also a new poster on Yahoo! available here.

UPDATE: Direct links to Quicktime and Windows Media Player versions below, thanks to WB:

- QuickTime (56)
- QuickTime (100)
- QuickTime (300)
- QuickTime (500)
- Windows Media Player (56)
- Windows Media Player (100)
- Windows Media Player (300)
- Windows Media Player (500)
- Quicktime (High-def 480p)
- Quicktime (High-def 720p)
- Quicktime (High-def 1080p)

The brand new Order of the Phoenix trailer will debut online at Yahoo! at 9 AM EST. A sneak peak at the trailer is also expected to be airing (around about now) on The Today Show.

We will update you as soon as we have a link to it. Stay tuned!

They keep coming! 19 high-resolution images from the international Order of the Phoenix trailer have been released by Warner Brothers. Check them all out in our OOTP high-res image gallery!

TIME Magazine is currently running a poll asking who the most influential people are in the world. No one person will be selected, but the results are based on an overall vote influenced by site visitors.

JK Rowling is one of 202 nominees, and you can view her profile right here. Simply use the "Your Rating" box to select how influential she is and click the "Submit" button. Jo's ranking right now is at #23, but we expect it to rise after sending MuggleNet visitors over!

You can view the current rankings and a full list of nominees here. Thanks to Jansky for the tip!

UPDATE: Since making this post two hours ago, Jo has jumped up to the #2 position with 17,000 votes and an average rating of 91. Good work!

This photo from Order of the Phoenix has surfaced online. Signed by James Phelps who plays Fred Weasley, it depicts the Weasley twins holding items for their new business venture. Thanks to Christine and Remmy for the link!

Yes, there's another one coming. USA Today is reporting that a new Order of the Phoenix trailer will be released on May 4th before Spider-Man 3 in theaters. Accordingly, WB has published some astounding new images from the trailer:

- Umbridge running from a flaming dragon, conjured by the Weasley twins
- Harry teaching Cho a spell, as Ron watches
- A demented Bellatrix in Azkaban

UPDATE: There is also a new photo of Voldemort on the print edition of the paper, a scan of which can be seen here. Thanks, Suzanne!

SATELLITE DETAILS: For all those techies out there, Warner Brothers has just sent over satellite coordinates for news agencies to receive this Order of the Phoenix trailer tomorrow (Tuesday) at 8 PM EST:

GAL 25 (Formerly IA-5), Transponder 13, C-Band

Downlink frequency: 3960.000 V

Trouble number for feed: 310-287-3800

Feast your eyes! View tons of screenshots | Digg this story | Share on Facebook


Originally aired on AOL UK.

As we reported on Friday, the international Order of the Phoenix trailer will be making its online debut at 9 AM EST (2 PM GMT) today on AOL UK's website. We will provide a link to the trailer as soon as it is available, so hang tight!

An interesting article has been published by The Scotsman, which quotes several sources believing that a Harry Potter theme park in Universal Studios, Orlando is indeed in the works:

Peter Alexander, a former vice president of Universal Studios and founder of a theme park design consultancy, said: "People keep screeching that it's an entirely separate park, but according to Steve Spielberg, who we talked to about it, he says it's going to be a 'land' within the confines of the existing Islands of Adventure theme park. If it's a 'land' it will cost at the very least $500m."

The article goes on to say that Universal and JK Rowling "are agreed on the principle of the mini-park, but are still hammering out the details of a settlement." Once plans are finalized, The Scotsman says the park could be built within 18 months.

We'll keep you updated as more details emerge, but keep in mind that nothing has been confirmed yet.

WIRED magazine's upcoming May issue will reveal the 2007 winners for their annual Rave Awards, which recognize people in a wide range of categories for "changing your mind." Of them this year is Jo Rowling, and thanks to Jessica we have a scan that includes a new photo of Jo here in our gallery.

The write-up is hard to read off the scan, so you can follow the link below for what it says.

The New York Times has posted a new interview with Scholastic CEO Richard Robinson. In it, he addresses a few questions about the Potter series and its impact on the US book company:

Q. So where is Scholastic bound after the last Harry Potter book? Can we believe it's the last book?

A. We can believe this is the last book on Harry Potter. We look at Harry Potter as a wonderful icing on top of the cake, but we are essentially a children's book and media company, with our own distribution network and book clubs. There's no question that Harry Potter gave us a big boost. It brought us name recognition, but Harry Potter never exceeded 8 percent of our total revenue.

Thanks to Lori, Jacob, and Mischal for the tip!

A low-quality video of the upcoming Order of the Phoenix international trailer (due out Sunday) has been leaked onto popular video website YouTube. View here if you want, but you're probably better off waiting until tomorrow to see it in all its beauty.

Thanks to everyone who e-mailed with the tip!

This week's issue of US magazine Entertainment Weekly includes a special two-page article on Order of the Phoenix. Thanks to HPANA, we have two scans from it below:

- Page 1
- Page 2

UPDATE: High-res version of the new picture right here in our gallery.

The LeakyMug is back and this time it's with the announcement that most of you guys sorta, kinda, totally knew was coming. We'll be doing a live LeakyMug at the Prophecy Harry Potter convention in Toronto, Canada, on August 3rd, 2007! And this one's a pajama party, starting at midnight on Friday night. (So, technically Saturday. Yeah, you're confused, so are we. Don't worry, we'll find each other.)

We've recorded a special LeakyMug to talk about and celebrate this announcement, so click here to get it on iTunes, and click here for a direct download. Enjoy!

EDIT: This podcast was recorded back in early January before we knew the release date for Deathly Hallows. That is why we briefly discuss what we'll do if the book is out. Don't think we forgot!

According to AOL's website (and confirmed by Warner Brothers), the second Order of the Phoenix trailer will be online starting Sunday at 2 PM GMT (10 AM EST), after the broadcast debut on Channel 4 in the UK.

In other parts of the world, the trailer will be released on the 21st in Japan, the 24th in the United States, and early May in Latin America. Thanks to HarryLatino.com for this information.

We'll update with more as we know it. Stay tuned!

A new report claims that the stars of the hugely successful play, Dan Radcliffe and Richard Griffiths, will reprise their roles for a planned Broadway transfer in the summer of 2008. This has not yet been confirmed by official sources, but we will update you as we hear more.

"Equus" is scheduled to finish in London on June 9th. It will then embark on a 12-week UK tour with a new cast, led by Richard Fleeshman.

IMAX.com has unveiled a great new Order of the Phoenix poster, viewable here.

The first one shows Filch and Umbridge, and the second depicts Harry and Sirius.

Thanks to Galtvort via Noelle!

Warner Bros. has announced that the last 20 minutes of the Order of the Phoenix movie will be three-dimensional when it appears in IMAX theaters this July. This is exciting news for fans, as the closing scenes of the film will be of the thrilling Ministry of Magic battle.

WB says, "The last 20 minutes in IMAX 3D will add a new element of excitement to the Harry Potter experience, making this a must-see for fans of all ages. We're looking forward to a long and very successful run."

The IMAX Co-Chairmen mentioned, "We couldn't be happier to help bring this Harry Potter film to life in a new way. IMAX theatres are the only place to experience this year's most anticipated movies in the world's most immersive format, and we anticipate that moviegoers will want to enjoy Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix featuring scenes in IMAX 3D more than once."

The most recent issue of German movie magazine "Cinema" features a behind-the-scenes look at Order of the Phoenix filming. Evanna Lynch, Harry Melling, Michael Gambon, the Phelps twins, and the Trio can be seen throughout the scans, available here in our gallery. Thanks to Harry Potter Xperts.

In Warner Bros.' latest Reel News newsletter, the following is mentioned: "Join Dumbledore's Army. Check back for the new site this week!"

Thanks to those who emailed.

Check out this fantastic new picture of Hogwarts in the Order of the Phoenix video game. One of the exciting new features about this game is that you'll be able to explore the entire castle whenever you please. Thanks to UniversHarryPotter.com for this!

The Iceland Review has a short article detailing local Icelandic actor Jon Pall Eyjolfsson, who recently traveled to England to audition for a role in Half-Blood Prince:

"Everything is in a very sensitive stage but it is certainly exciting and it would be great if I get the role. I have met the people who are behind this film and I have read from the script. At this stage you only get to see parts of the script and there is a lot of secrecy about this whole thing."

Eyjolfsson has already been invited back for another audition round, and he will know in May whether or not he got the yet-to-be-revealed role (rumored to be Young Voldemort/Tom Riddle). Read more details here! Thanks to Romaina for the tip.

As part of its There Will Soon Be 7 Deathly Hallows marketing campaign, Scholastic has updated its site with new activities, downloads, bookmarks, posters, e-cards, and much more. Furthermore, the first of seven pressing questions has now been posted: "Who will live, Who will die?" You can vote here.

UPDATE: Scholastic now has a profile on YouTube that will play host to several promotional videos asking the seven aforementioned questions.

Jo Rowling has written a brief introduction to "Reading Round Edinburgh," where she says she took to walking Edinburgh's many galleries in a "miserable and desperate measure" of gaining some inspiration when experiencing writers' block (while penning Chamber of Secrets).

She writes that memories of Edinburgh "leap out of the pages of Harry Potter for me, the places I wrote particular chapters and passages; where I despaired of ever having another idea; where I experienced all the delights and the frustrations of living in a fictional world."

She also says that while the city has many "Potteresque vistas," she cannot point to particular buildings or streets featured in her books, and says Hogwarts wasn't based on a "certain public school" in the city.

We briefly interrupt our regular news to express our shock, disgust, and sorrow at the events that unfolded today at Virginia Tech. After fatally shooting 32 people in a senseless, murderous rampage, the lone gunman turned the gun on himself. This, for many, was the sole source of consolation from today's atrocities.

We wish to offer our deepest condolences to the friends and families of the victims. They will most certainly be in our thoughts and prayers.

Harry Potter fans are showing their muscle: MuggleNet.com's What Will Happen in Harry Potter 7 is receiving glowing reviews, and this week it jumped to #3 on the New York Times Children's Bestseller List. On top of that, it jumped to #46 on USA Today's list of the bestselling books in the nation - that includes everything from the Bible to the Da Vinci Code.

If you wish to buy the book, we hope you'll support the site and order it through our partner Alivan's as opposed to other retailers such as Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

Event Update: For those of you planning on attending Saturday's discussion/signing in Bloomingdale, Ill., the event will begin at 2 PM.

Mark your calendars: Our summer book tour schedule is complete! Ben and I will be hitting up bookstores all over California on our West Coast tour from May 25th to June 5th, and from June 7th to June 20th we'll start in Ohio and travel up and down the East Coast. We really hope you'll come out and see us if you live in any of the areas we're scheduled to attend!

Check out this new photo of Ron, Fred, George, and Ginny Weasley in Dumbledore's office after hearing the news that Mr. Weasley was attacked, and this one of Draco, Crabbe, Neville, and Hermione in Umbridge's office just after the DA members escaped from the Room of Requirement.

We hope to have larger versions of these photos later. Thanks to Mike!

UPDATE: Use the links above to view high-res images sent to us by Warner Brothers!

The Guardian has compiled a "definitive list" of the 50 most influential Britons who have not been elected to government. Jo Rowling is placed at #13, with the following blurb:

"You can't sell 375m books and not influence someone. Especially when those books lead to a multi-film movie franchise and all the concomitant gewgaws and plastic toys. But perhaps the most important contribution she's made is the way that she and Harry Potter have reached millions of children who'd previously not exhibited any enthusiasm for reading, leading not just to an enthusiasm for more reading but also to the creation of millions of words of fan-fiction and perhaps a revitalised generation of creative readers and writers."

Thanks to Kat.

This week's episode of our Harry Potter podcast has been released! Join Jamie, Kevin, Eric, Laura, and Micah for an hour of Deathly Hallows cover discussion and more, including:

- One listener sends in a prophecy theory that the co-hosts love.
- Main Discussion: What role could Gringotts play in Deathly Hallows?
- For what purpose would the trio be at Gringotts?
- If they're being sucked into a vault, whose is it?
- Could the vault on the cover be that of Hepzibah Smith's?
- Make the Connection makes a return with successful matches.
- Chicken Soup from across the Atlantic Ocean.

To get listening, we recommend subscribing (for free) in iTunes to have the show automatically downloaded to your computer. You can also visit the MuggleCast website for complete show notes and direct download links. Enjoy!

Today is the last day to submit entries for the Magical Tours t-shirt design contest. Click here to view the rules. Don't miss this opportunity to win an all expenses paid trip to visit the filming locations of the movies!

Good Luck!

The winners of our Deathly Hallows cover design contest have been chosen! Congratulations to first place winner, Alex, and second through fifth place winners Caesar, Alisha, Sean and Stacie. Alex will be receiving a wand and scarf of his choice from Alivan's, and the remaining winners will each take home a scarf of their choice.

Big thanks to staffers Becky, Ciaran, Kaitlin, Mandie, Nick, Rachel, Roni, Sarah and Tom for all of their help, and of course, our friends at Alivan's for supplying prizes!

Congrats to all who won, and thanks to all who entered!

A new ad for the Deathly Hallows marketing campaign by Scholastic, There Will Soon Be 7, appears in the most recent edition of Entertainment Weekly. Thanks to RG.net, you can view it here.

If you find further Book 7 advertisements, please let us know.

UPDATE: Click here and here for two more ads.

As Birth Day of the Emmas rolls along, Emma Thompson - Professor Trelawney in the Potter movies - turns 48 today.

Recently, Emma has also appeared brilliantly in movies such as Stranger than Fiction, and Nanny McPhee.

Happy birthday, Emma T.!

Special thanks to MuggleNet reader "Billwill" for pointing this out.

The actress who portrays Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter movies turns 17 today. Happy birthday, Emma!

Some random facts about Emma:
- Her favorite HP book is Prisoner of Azkaban.
- She was the youngest person to appear on the cover of Teen Vogue magazine, at age fifteen.
- She has two cats, named Bubbles and Domino.

Resident graphic designer Dylan has updated our Deathly Hallows/Order of the Phoenix countdown with a brand new design. If you've already added the countdown to your MySpace, LiveJournal, etc, the changes should be visible (refresh if they're not).

We have individual countdowns (new today) for both Order of the Phoenix and Deathly Hallows if you wish to only have one or the other. They are both available for your website at this link. Enjoy!

Tomorrow, April 15th, is the last day for entries in the Magical Tours T-shirt design contest. The winning entry will get a spot on Magical Tour's trip this summer, Illuminating Harry's Wondrous World - An Adventure for MuggleNet Fans, to visit the filming locations of the movies. Airfare to Europe is included for the grand prize winner. Click here to view the rules.

Second and third place will receive Alivan's prize packages.

If you are planning on registering for the MuggleNet tour or one of the other Harry Potter themed tours, check them out here. There are only a few spots left!

JK Rowling is set to be featured on "Britain's Rich List" next Thursday on ITV1 at 9 PM. According to Radio Times, "Every year the Sunday Times Rich List ranks Britain's top earners by their wealth. ITV gets an exclusive preview and meets the members of this exclusive club where the entry level is seventy million quid."

Thanks to Alice for the tip!

We have some new photos of Daniel Radcliffe from his appearance at the Theatre Research Book Prize Awards, which took place this morning in Covent Garden.

The Luna Lovegood actress recently did an interview where she spoke in detail about the past year where she won the role of the quirky Ravenclaw. On whether she and Luna share similarities, Evanna says this:

"Yes, quite a few. Our taste in clothes is very similar. I proudly and happily wore her clothes and I think she would wear mine too. I believe that almost anything is possible if you see the possibilities rather than the obstacles; Luna has some very unconventional beliefs that need no basis of fact and while I don't share them I think it shows us that she won't believe things are untrue until you have some very firm evidence. There is no evidence to suggest that The Crumple Horned Snorkack exists but there is no evidence to suggest that it doesn't exist, therefore she can believe in it. I think the main difference between us is that I am a lot more ambitious and that makes me serious. Luna is so free and seems to drift along with life, dealing with everything as it comes to her. I have more goals so I've more worries. I think that's why I love Luna so much. She doesn't have to have achievements or approval to feel satisfied and she's as wonderful and balanced a person as anyone could be. She knows worrying is pointless so she just floats and I really admire that in her."

You can read the entire interview here, though free registration is required.

We previously told you about a petition by JKR's Army (in conjunction with MuggleNet) which urged eBay to clamp down on the auction of illegal goods. JK Rowling is suing eBay since it has allowed unauthorized copies of her books to be sold, and a hearing is scheduled to take place on May 23rd.

The petition, which currently has over 13,000 signatures, will be forwarded to eBay on April 20th. However, we wish to gather as many signatures as we can before then. So if you haven't done so already, we encourage you to sign right here. Thank you.

Xbox360.com has received five great new screencaps from the Order of the Phoenix video game. They depict the trio throughout various parts of the school, Dumbledore and Voldemort in the final battle, and the grand staircase within Hogwarts.

Additionally, EA's French division has updated their website with the cover art for the French OOTP video game. You can see that right here in our gallery. Thanks to UniversHarryPotter.com for the tip!

A new article by the AP examines the rise of Harry Potter fan sites and includes a bunch of quotes from MuggleNet webmaster Emerson Spartz. The piece states, "Spartz and his many fellow Webmasters are looking back at their own place on this record-breaking ride. The story of Potter has all along been a story of its fans, and, like everything else about Potter, the fan sites are in a special class, for their size, and for their influence."

Back in March, Scholastic announced their promotional plans for Deathly Hallows which included a Knight Bus tour. Scholastic has now released the dates and locations for their 37-stop tour along the East Coast of the United States. From the press release:

In each location where the bus stops, fans will be invited to board the Knight Bus and share on video their thoughts and feelings about the Harry Potter books. Select video clips from each location will be uploaded for viewing and sharing on http://www.scholastic.com/harrypotter. Additionally, each person will receive a unique username and password so that they can view their own video online.

You can find the tour dates right here on Scholastic's website.

In an interview conducted on the Order of the Phoenix set last fall, producer David Heyman discussed what cuts they made to the film, his take on the film's darkness and intensity, and director David Yates.

"You see a director with real strong point of view. A really idiosyncratic sensibility. He is someone who grounds things. He makes everything seem very real and authentic, and that's very important for this... This is a film which is grounded, I think, more in reality in the sense that it's about a revolution, in a way. War is upon us, or is getting closer, as Voldemort has returned. Just like the resistance movements, the French resistance movements of the 1940s, an underground movement is formed, Dumbledore's Army, to provide the kids with an opportunity to learn how to defend themselves. And it was important that that be treated with real verisimilitude, real truth, and I think David Yates brings that."

Only a few open spots are left on the Sorcerer Trip for MuggleNet.com fans, organized by HP Fan Trips. If you've been thinking about signing up for this trip that takes you to various Potter-themed locations across the United Kingdom, now is definitely the time to sign up.

Find more details at the link above!

Michael Goldenberg, the Order of the Phoenix screenwriter, has addressed in a new interview the post we made yesterday which listed several things we believed him to have said. Michael says it was a "little alarming to see that. Nothing could be further from the truth. Unless I have an evil twin out there that I don't know about." He also went on to discuss adapting the book, and how he - as a huge fan himself - believes he managed to capture the essence of the book, despite cutting some elements.

"[Director] David Yates and I worked from the beginning - we both like really dense films which are very generous in the same way the books are so generous, and looked for every opportunity to get everything we could in there. And where we couldn't, to sort of pay homage to it, to have it somewhere in the background or to feel like it could be taking place off-screen. Because we both grew up with those kinds of films where you can watch them again and again and see the details and we're both pretty hard-core geeks, ourselves."

Michael also mentioned that Jo "couldn't have been nicer or more supportive" during the process of writing the screenplay. However, he declined to comment on whether she spilled any details on Deathly Hallows to him.

Warner Brothers has passed along this new photo of Harry and Umbridge together in her office. Visitors may remember that yesterday Newsweek posted a small interview with the actress who plays Umbridge, Imelda Staunton.

We previously posted reader-submitted details about the fifth Harry Potter film and JK Rowling that we believed OOTP screenwriter Michael Goldenberg had revealed. We later learned that this information was not said by Michael and we are terribly sorry for the confusion. This kind of error on our part will not be happening again.

In celebration of USA Today's 25th Anniversary, several "Top 25" lists are being published online. The third one was released today, titled "25 Books That Leave a Legacy," and it puts Sorcerer's Stone on top:

Midnight book parties, all-night readathons, overnight deliveries: A boy wizard named Harry got kids (and adults) thinking that reading was cool. And mega sales of the magical series redefined what it meant to be a best seller.

The Deep End of the Ocean, The Da Vinci Code, The 9/11 Commission Report, and Chicken Soup for the Soul rounded out the Top 5. Thanks to Lori for the tip!

Several visitors have e-mailed about two humorous Potter references made on the most recent episode of Doctor Who. You can see both references at this link on YouTube.

Newsweek has posted a brief new interview with the Professor Umbridge actress:

A year before Staunton got the part, a friend suggested she would be perfect for it. "I read the book, and Umbridge is described as a short, ugly, toadlike woman," Staunton says. "I thought, 'Oh, thanks very much'." Staunton plays her as an apple-cheeked schoolmarm-drenched in pink angora-who is restricting freedoms (and free thought) to "protect" the students. "There can't be any mess or any individuality," Staunton says. "But, of course, that leads to brainwashed people."

Read the entire article here. Thanks to everyone who e-mailed with the tip!

Right here.

It's another full episode of Deathly Hallows cover coverage on our weekly Harry Potter podcast! Join Kevin, Laura, Micah, Mikey and me for discussion on all three covers and your voicemails, including:

- We examine the possible meaning(s) of the rune-like symbol on the UK edition.
- Are the shadows necessarily ghosts?
- What is Voldemort shying away from?
- Things get physical as we all pose like Voldemort on the cover.
- What is with the emphasis on hands in these covers?
- Are the trio facing a dragon in the UK edition?

To download, we recommend subscribing (for free) via iTunes to have the show automatically delivered to your computer each week! You can also directly download the show for listening how you please on the MuggleCast website. A low-bandwidth version is also available for listeners with slower connections. Enjoy!

The US Potter publisher, Scholastic, has introduced unbending rules for libraries handling Deathly Hallows this summer. According to the contract which Scholastic is having the libraries sign, the number of employees handling the novel must be limited. Furthermore, those libraries that breach the contract could be blacklisted from future book releases.

"We acknowledge and agree that any such violation will cause irreparable harm to Scholastic and the author, J.K. Rowling, and that monetary damages will be inadequate to compensate for violations," says the contract.

Let's hope this step reduces the risk of spoilers!

Nickelodeon magazine is currently running a competition allowing the winner to attend a Warner Bros. movie premiere, including Order of the Phoenix. You are eligible for this contest if you are a US resident and between the ages of six and 14. To enter, simply send a postcard with your name, age, address, phone number, and date of birth to the following address:

Coming Attractions Sweepstakes c/o Nickelodeon Magazine
P.O. Box 4043
Grand Rapids, MN 55730-4043

Further details can be found in the April issue of Nick magazine.

The Harry Potter actor previously recorded a video to raise awareness and funds for children in extreme poverty in America and Africa. This video, along with those of Helena Bonham Carter (Bellatrix Lestrange) and a number of other celebrities, will be broadcast on "American Idol Gives Back" April 25th.

Bloomsbury has updated their 21 Great Reads for the 21st Century with news that over the next year, "two or three authors will feature each month, giving details of their careers, forthcoming books and events and suggestions of similar Bloomsbury authors you might be interested in." We are unsure when JK Rowling will feature but will keep you informed if we hear anything.

Thanks to everyone who emailed!

A new report states that Harry Potter is the most searched fan fiction on Yahoo!. You can check out MuggleNet's own fan fiction section right here.

The British Harry Potter publisher has released a snazzy new poster promoting Deathly Hallows. Download the PDF file here.

We have now posted the 20 finalists of our Book 7 cover contest. Click here to vote for your favorites, and we will announce the winners in one week. All five winners will receive a house scarf of their choice from Alivan's, with the first place winner also selecting a wand of his or her choice.

Thank you to everyone for the hard work!

We've got it all covered - no pun intended - as we scour every inch of the newly released Deathy Hallows art. Join Andrew, Jamie, Eric, Laura and me as we analyze everything from wandless magic on the U.S. cover to a free-riding house-elf on the British children's edition.

Also in this week's edition of our Harry Potter podcast:

-No time for jokes on this April 1st edition!
-We give our thoughts on the Deathly Hallows covers.
-What castle is that on the back of the UK Children's edition?
-Are they in the Department of Mystery's Death Chamber?
-What is around Harry's neck?
-We have a very special surprise for all of you...
-Snape and McGonagall...? (Oh, our poor minds!)

All that and a lot more can be found on this week's episode! To download, we recommend subscribing (for free) through iTunes. You can also find full shownotes and download links at the MuggleCast website. Don't forget a special Episode #84 is headed your way this Wednesday!