Last month, we told you that the Harry Potter Alliance was organizing a petition against genocide Darfur. Their original goal was 1,000 signatures, then with the help of MuggleNet they reached 3,000. Now they have a goal of 5,000 signatures and they need to reach it by tomorrow, June 1st!

If you haven't signed the petition already, go here to read what the campaign is all about and then sign the petition.

For the past few weeks there have been several new Half-Blood Prince pictures appearing online (1, 2, and 3), and today there's another one. It's a nicely framed photo of Harry in one of Hogwarts' corridors, looking lonely and worried over something.

Thanks to Oclumencia and Ultimate Harry for the tip!

Jim Dale, the narrator of the U.S. Harry Potter audio books, was the recipient of an Audie Award last night in Los Angeles for his work on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Dale was the winner in the category of "Solo Narration-Male" and was also nominated for "Audiobook of the Year" for his voicing of the final installment of the Potter series.

Don't forget that Mr. Dale will be a guest speaker this July at Portus 2008 in Dallas, Texas. You can hear our interview with him from Episode 137 back on March 16th, where he discusses this summer as well as his career, Potter and much more!

Many of you in the United Kingdom will know of Lizo, CBBC's news correspondent who covers lots of hot movies in the entertainment world. We here at MuggleNet know him from all of his great work relating to Potter, and the stars recognize him for that too.

In CBBC's goodbye video to Lizo, there are two nice messages from JK Rowling and Dan Radcliffe. MuggleNet staff member Nick captured the video for us, and you can watch it here on YouTube.

Good luck to Lizo in his future BBC endeavors!

Another Friday, another leaked photo from Half-Blood Prince! This time, it's of Snape, Draco, and Filch at Slughorn's party. It looks like they're deep in thought, perhaps pondering how the photo appeared online. Thanks to Potterish and Oclumenciafor this one!

TIME Magazine has a new interview online with US Potter illustrator Mary GrandPre. In it, she talks about illustrating the new Sorcerer's Stone Special Edition cover (announced last week):

It was really a nice opportunity. As Harry grew, I always wished I could go back and make a new piece for each book. So when the anniversary cover idea came up, I was really excited to do that. It's like getting to do a new portrait of this old soul you really know.

Thanks to everyone who e-mailed with the tip!

Alivan's, one of our longtime sponsors, will be donating five dollars from every Redwood wand sold to the American Red Cross. The money will be used for the purchase of phone cards for our military and their families. All you have to do to contribute is to purchase either Redwood wand versions (petite - regular) and Alivan's will handle the rest.

These phone cards are a huge need right now and they are extremely important to all of these families. 100 percent of the money raised goes directly to this cause and helps keep military families in touch!

UPDATE: There has been some confusion in the comments about shipping costs to the United States. Here is what Waterstones has told us:

Standard overseas surface mail is 7.98gbp for the first book and 2.99gbp for each additional book for USA, Australia, Japan etc. Europe is 4.98gbp and 99p per additional book again for surface mail. They only have to pay large amounts of money if they want it couriered (which would be 30 odd quid) - so hopefully that makes it less painful if you live outside the UK. And of course, reading it online or in a window will be free.

We have spoken with Waterstones this morning about JK Rowling's recently announced 800-word Potter prequel, and we hope to have answered more of your burning questions!

- As of today, Waterstones is now accepting preorders for the book at this link. The books will be a one off print run and limited to two per customer because of expected demand. They hope the book will be available in early August.

- Jo's story will be available for viewing online on June 11th. You'll also be able to view it in their store windows the same day (Waterstones is a UK bookstore chain).

- A representative tells us that the prequel was a "complete surprise". They simply asked authors to tell a story and awaited their response. Their official press release, with a quote from Waterstones can be viewed here.

- Lastly, Waterstones has provided us with the final line on JK Rowling's story card. VIEW IT HERE! It reads: "From the prequel I am not working on – but that was fun!"

Please remember that, while all very exciting, the stories from all 13 authors are to benefit the English PEN and Dyslexia Action charities. Take a minute to look at each charity's purpose and how you can help!

Yesterday we told you about the 800-word Harry Potter prequel that JK Rowing was writing for charity. Today, new details have emerged!

First, Jo updated her official website this morning with news that the plot takes place 3 years before Harry is born. She also revealed her intentions in writing it:

Although I did feel a bit like a relapsing addict as I sat down to write - the words poured from my pen with frightening ease - I am NOT working on a prequel. Indeed, I've written that clearly at the bottom of the card itself. I just thought that this was the best way to make money for two extremely worthwhile charities.

Second, an article by The Guardian reveals that the story will include a plot around the Marauders - specifically James and Sirius.

A post to follow this one will include information we've received from Waterstone's, including a high res pic of the final line.

A group from Northwestern University is doing research on web communities, and they've chosen to study MuggleNet as an example community. They've asked us to put up a super short, 10 question survey to collect information on how people use MuggleNet. You don't need to type any personal information - don't worry! It'll take about 2 minutes, so help out - fill it out! Click here to take the survey.

Reuters is reporting this evening that Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling has written an 800-word outline of a prequel to the series that will be auctioned off for charity on June 10 in London by Waterstones. This is the charity we told you about a few weeks ago.

The article goes to say that:

"The outline, which ends with the line 'From the prequel I am not working on -- but that was fun!' is one of 13 story outlines written for the auction by famed authors including new Bond writer Sebastian Faulks and Nobel laureate Doris Lessing."

The money raised will go to charities English PEN and Dyslexia Action.

It's a wrap! MuggleNet fans have watched and voted on all the super-creative Harry Potter themed videos submitted. After more than 33,000 votes we have our winners: First Place goes to Rouge, of Surrey, BC, Canada; The Second Place winner is Llemsu, submitted by Nicole, Zoe, Christina, Genny, and Sara of Dresher, Pennsylvania; and Third Place goes to Wallballpro58, submitted by Alex, Anjalie, Remy, Hanna, Elyssa, Alisha, Nadia, Tory, Sophia, and Natania of Broomall, Pennsylvania. The great prizes from our friends at Magical Tours and Alivan's will be on the way soon. Check out their fantastic websites for a touch of Harry's magical world. Master Wandmaker, Alivan, noticed that a number of the wands used in the videos seem to have been crafted by lesser wandmakers...

In addition to the three top winners, we would like to add a Staff Favorite Award. Kudos to Jason Eshraghian of Perth, Western Australia for a great video! Magical Tours will be awarding a special prize to Jason, too.

To every one of our great video contestants: Job well done!

SuperCon 2008 was held over the weekend in Weston, Florida. Potter actors Natalia Tena (Tonks), Devon Murray (Seamus), Hugh Mitchell (Colin Creevey), and Danielle Tabor (Angelina Johnson in SS through POA) were all present during the event and participated in a panel discussion.

Snitch Seeker has video of their talk right here. In it, they talk about their favorite Potter characters, fan experiences, and whether or not they've read Deathly Hallows (they all say no).

We are saddened to report that BBC News announced earlier this morning that the actor who plays the role of Marcus Belby in Half-Blood Prince was tragically killed late last night in London. Robert Knox was stabbed to death while intervening on behalf of his younger brother just outside Metro Bar on Station Road in Sidcup.

Belby is known to Potter fans as the Ravenclaw student who aspires to be a part of the Slug Club. According to The Telegraph, Warner Bros. has released the following statement:

"We are all shocked and saddened by this news and at this time our sympathies are with his family."

Similarly, all of our thoughts and prayers are with his family.

This alleged teaser poster made its way online today, having been posted by the same person who revealed the two Half-Blood Prince pics we told you about this morning.

This poster is a FAKE, as confirmed to us by Warner Brothers.

Last week, we showed you a small new photo from Half-Blood Prince that surfaced online.

Another photo appeared around the web yesterday that followed the same guidelines as the one last week: It's small, it's from a scene we've already seen a pic of, and it may not be the whole photo. Check it out here! Hopefully we'll see a high res version soon.

Thanks to EvannaLynchFans.com for the tip!

Amazon has revealed the one lucky Potter fan who'll fly to London and read JK Rowling's Tales of Beedle the Bard: Rhiannon D of Australia! She spoke to Amazon about her big win:

"I am so thankful and honored for all the votes I received from Amazon customers in this contest. I'm flattered that they felt my entry was worthy enough to win this fantastic prize, said Rhiannon. "I can’t believe I get to read this special book, and can't wait to spend a weekend with Beedle the Bard!"

You can view Rhiannon's winning ballad right here on Amazon's site. Congrats to her!

John Hurt, who had a fantastic portrayal of wandmaker Ollivander in Sorcerer's Stone, recently spoke with The Sun, who asked him about returning for any more Potter films:

Having played Mr Ollivander in the first film, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s, it seems he may be returning for the final instalment, which has been split into two for the cinema.

“I didn’t spend a lot of time on the Harry Potter film but I might be spending more time there next time,” he smiled. “We’ll see.”

Ollivander of course does play a role in Deathly Hallows. We'll update you when we hear more, although casting and script writing is probably very early in the planning stages.

Emma Watson's official website has been updated to tell her fans Half-Blood Prince principal filming is now complete! The site also says they'll be posting trailers and photos that include Emma once WB releases them.

Thanks to everyone who e-mailed with the tip!

The MuggleNet, Magical Tours, and Alivan's video contest is now in full swing. All the amazing entries have been previewed and are ready for your votes to determine the winner. Voting for the best entry goes until midnight Saturday night, May 24th. Watch all the awesome videos using the links to the right side of this post to decide who you think the winner should be!

To Experience the Magic visit the contest sponsors: Magical Tours and Alivan's. There are still just a few places left on some of the great 2008 tours offered by Magical Tours. On behalf of everyone, good Luck to all our super-talented writers and film makers.

MuggleNet visitor Christine, who works at a movie theater and checked their copy of the new Indiana Jones, informs us that there is no Half-Blood Prince trailer attached. We weren't expecting the trailer to come this Friday, but it's definitely worth noting.

Once we hear about the Half-Blood Prince teaser trailer's official release, we'll let you know!

Last week we told you about several new photos that have surfaced online from Order of the Phoenix.

Now, one more cool photo has appeared via Oclumencia. It's Lucius Malfoy sitting at home looking quite relaxed with a drink and two dogs at his feet. Tipsters noted that this shot appeared in the Hidden Secrets of Harry Potter special this past summer. Thanks to Oclumencia and everyone who e-mailed for the tip!

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This September marks the 10th anniversary of when Sorcerer's Stone was first released in the United States, and Scholastic is ready to celebrate! This morning they announced the Special Anniversary Edition which features a beautiful new cover illustrated by Mary GrandPre and "exclusive bonus material from J.K. Rowling."

There is a great quote from GrandPre in the press release as well:
“It's a real treat for me to get another chance to visually bring Harry back to his fans in not only a new scene, but in a new light. Going back to draw the first cover for the anniversary edition was an opportunity for me to show another side of Harry... a vulnerable side. Having come to know and love Harry the way we all have, after experiencing the whole series, I think we can appreciate him even more on an emotional level.”

The book will be released on September 23rd and will cost $30. Read the full press release at the link below!

UPDATE: Check out the back cover art right here on Scholastic's site. It depicts Hagrid making his way up to Hogwarts Castle via boat.

Normally, when we make posts here keeping you guys informed of MuggleNet events, the events aren't held terribly far from our staff's respective homes - or at least, not usually outside the US and UK. That's why I'm extremely excited to let you know that I've been invited to participate in a tour involving college football coaches visiting military bases in the Middle East from May 20-26.

I'll be travelling with Charlie Weis (Notre Dame), Tom Tuberville (Auburn), Jack Siedlecki (Yale), Randy Shannon (Miami), Mark Richt (Georgia), and Georgia State Senator Judson Hill. We'll be visiting troops stationed in Qatar, Germany, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates. Along with Ben and Dylan, I've helped put together the official website for the tour, which you can visit at CoachesTour2008.com. This is an incredible opportunity and I feel very privileged to be able to participate and contribute in any way that I can. Politics aside, our troops have some of the toughest jobs in the world and I feel honored to get to meet them.

Over the years we've gotten plenty of emails from Potter fans in this part of the world, including from members of our armed forces stationed overseas, so if you live near or are stationed in those areas, shoot me an email and we'll see if we can connect!

This week's new episode of our Harry Potter podcast is now online! Matt, Laura, Micah and I discuss the latest Potter news stories, analyze Chapter 30 of Deathly Hallows, and much more! Including:

- We discuss our trailer blues.
- With what movie will the Half-Blood Prince teaser trailer be released?
- A small new photo appears from HBP. Was it leaked on purpose?
- Come see us and have a blast at Portus 2008!
- Chapter 30 will be Maggie Smith's time to shine in the film.
- Voicemails address some general topics.
- This Week in MuggleCast, PO Box Update, and Chicken Soup.

All that and much more can be found on Episode 146! To download for free, we recommend subscribing through Apple iTunes. Just CLICK HERE and then press "Subscribe" to the right of our album art. (Already subscribed? Refresh your feed!) No iPod or MP3 player needed! You can also visit the MuggleCast website to listen right within your browser. Enjoy!

A new article released by The Boston Globe today talks about composer extraordinaire John Williams. Potter fans know him well for having composed the scores of Sorcerer's Stone, Chamber of Secrets, and Prisoner of Azkaban.

Besides interesting information about Williams performing some of his Potter scores in Boston later this week, the article notes that he is hard at work on several soundtracks including Half-Blood Prince. But as was revealed back in November, Nicholas Hooper is set to score the sixth film.

So what's the deal? The article cites "industry reports," and a quick check on IMDB reveals that Williams is credited for the Harry Potter theme in Half-Blood Prince. The theme was originally composed for Sorcerer's Stone and has been used for every film since.

The newspaper could have mistakenly assumed this meant he was actually involved. We'll let you know what Warner Brothers has to say!

Remember, entries for this exciting contest are due by midnight next Wednesday, May 21st. Voting will begin on MuggleNet on Thursday, May 22nd, and the winner will be announced next Sunday, May 25th.

Magical Tours and Alivan's are offering some great prizes for the best re-written scenes from any of the seven Harry Potter books, filmed on video and posted on YouTube. Go HERE for complete contest rules, prizes, and other details. Good luck to all our contestants!

Also, Magical Tours has places for a few last-minute guests for the MuggleNet Express Tour. Go to Magical Tours for more details. Also, to see a new video from the 2008 Magical Tours Intern, check this out.

For the past few weeks now, rumors have been circulating around the web that the Half-Blood Prince teaser trailer would be released with Prince Caspian tomorrow.

Warner Brothers never passed official word along, and today MuggleNet visitor Christine informed us that the Prince Caspian reel delivered to a movie theater she works for definitely does not include the trailer.

Additionally, this new picture of Harry was sent in by Potterish and Oclumencia, likely from Half-Blood Prince (what Harry is wearing can be compared to this picture). It depicts Harry looking into some sort of drawer. Any ideas? Leave 'em in the comments!

Thanks again to Christine, Potterish, and Oclumencia!

JKRowling.com has been updated to wish the Herbology professor and Head of Hufflepuff house a happy birthday. Have a good one, Pomona!

Thanks to Ashley for the tip.

UPDATE: Waterstone's has kicked off a new contest in relation to this news, that gives three lucky winners the opportunities to be published in the postcard book alongside Jo and the other authors. Find details right here!

Last week, it was announced that JK Rowling will be one of thirteen authors writing a "storycard" on one sheet of paper. Each author's story will then be auctioned off at "What's Your Story?" on June 10th. The money raised will go to the English PEN and Dyslexia Action charities.

Just yesterday, a blog on The Guardian's website revealed that the stories will go on sale to the public later this summer. They will be packaged as a book of postcards and proceeds will also be given to the two charities.

We'll let you know more as soon as we know it. Thanks to Pruneau for the tip!

Maxim Magazine has released their list of the 100 hottest women for 2008, and Emma Watson is included at #94. You can see Emma's page right here, and check out the whole list at this link.

Potter fansite SnitchSeeker.com caught up with the agency who represents Shirley Henderson, the actress who has played Moaning Myrtle in Chamber of Secrets and Goblet of Fire.

It was confirmed that Henderson will not be appearing in Half-Blood Prince, meaning Myrtle will not be there to console Draco before the sectumsempra scene. Thanks to everyone who e-mailed with the tip!

The Children's Choice Book Awards winners have been annouced with Jo Rowling earning the "Author of the Year" title, as voted by over 55,000 chilren.

According to this press release, the "program was created to provide young readers with an opportunity to voice their opinions about the books being written for them and to help develop a reading list that will motivate children to read. The program is a new component of Children's Book Week, the longest running literacy event in the country."

Congratulations, Jo! Thanks to everyone who wrote in.

Back in February, we told you that Order of the Phoenix was the first Potter movie available for purchase on iTunes. This month, not only did iTunes enable the option to rent OOTP, but Chamber of Secrets is now up for purchase.

You can buy the movie for $9.99 and play it back on your computer, iPod, iPhone, or Apple TV. We'll let you know when the other Potter films make their way onto iTunes. Thanks to John for the tip!

A short article released by The Scotsman this evening reveals that Deathly Hallows filming will commence later this year in the Scottish Highlands of Lochaber.

You may remember that David Heyman revealed in an interview that filming would begin in February 2009, which obviously conflicts with this new report. It is our thinking that filming in Lochaber will likely just be b-roll scenic shots.

There are three Draco Malfoy/Tom Felton-related news stories today, including a new interview with David Heyman on the Draco character, Tom Felton's music career, and a new photo of him from Half-Blood Prince.

- Movie Magic Magazine has released a new interview with David Heyman, who talks about Draco's character in Half-Blood Prince. The interview was conducted before the Deathly Hallows film split was announced, but it is still all new information. Read it at Tom Felton Daily.

- Outside of the Potter films, Tom Felton has kept busy with a music career and an upcoming album. He has posted three videos of himself performing his own acoustic songs. One video, seen here, is a medley of four songs to be released on an upcoming iTunes album of his. We'll let you know when the songs are available.

- A member of Leaky's online forums has posted a set report from a recent visit to the Half-Blood Prince set. Additionally, the person who visited the set received this signed photo of Draco from HBP.

Last month they kicked off the contest, last week they announced the semifinalists, and today Amazon has posted the two finalists from the 13 - 17 and 18+ categories. You can now vote for which contestant you believe should win the trip to London to read from JK Rowling's Tales of Beedle the Bard.

To vote, click here! As with voting for the semifinalists, you must have a free Amazon. The voting runs from today through May 19th, and the winner will be announced on May 22nd.

A couple days ago, Oclumenia got their hands on several new promotional photos from Order of the Phoenix. Of particular interest are one of Lucius in Azkaban and Harry, Dumbledore, Bellatrix and Voldemort all posing for a friendly photo.

Check 'em all out here in our gallery. Thanks to everyone who e-mailed in with the tip!

Last week we told you about several new minor casting announcements, including a Death Eater played by Lord Johnpaul Castrianni.

Today, Blog Hogwarts conducted a small interview with him, and The Portkey has translated it. The most interesting thing that came out of the interview was word that a few important casting announcements haven't been made yet.

BH: Have you already shot scenes of Half-Blood Prince? In which scenes are you present?
LJC: My scenes were filmed several months ago and I finished in February (2008). I was in the scenes regarding Alan Rickman, Dan, Michael (Dumbledore) Tom (Malfoy) and several other cast who I believe have not been officially published by Warner Brothers yet, so unfortunately I cannot comment on that yet.

This week's episode of our Harry Potter podcast is now online for your listening pleasure! Another great episode of Potter discussion, including Chapter by Chapter, Make the Music Connection, What If, This Week in MC History, Voicemails, and much more! Plus:

- Matt kicks off the show with his tale of being questioned by the FBI.
- News: BBC tracks Leavesden, Tonks talks, new HBP roles, and HBP yarn.
- We wonder when WB will finally start spoiling us with HBP teasers.
- Chapter by Chapter: Chapter 29, The Lost Diadem.
- "What if..." we could make one choice for DH?
- First Place winner of the Create Your Own MC Segment contest!

All that and much more can be found on Episode 145! To download for free, we recommend subscribing through Apple iTunes. Just click here and then press "Subscribe" to the right of our album art. (Already subscribed? Refresh your feed!) No iPod or MP3 player needed! You can also visit the MuggleCast website to listen right within your browser. Enjoy!

Scholastic's official Harry Potter website has been updated with a few new games, including a timely one for Mother's Day.

- Magnificent Moms - test your knowledge of mothers in the Potter series.

- Polyjuice Pairs and Magical Matches - two simple memory games. Find all of the card pairs on the board in under one minute!

- Potter Swap - match up sets of Potter books to eliminate them. Similar to the game Bejewled.

Thanks to The Portkey for the tip. And Happy Mother's Day to all of you Potter-crazy Mom's out there!

Thanks to Kaci for letting us know that a TV spot from Order of the Phoenix has won "Best Animation/Family TV Spot" at the 2008 Golden Trailer Awards, which were held yesterday in Los Angeles. The spot, titled "Great Wizards", can be viewed here in QuickTime format.

Whimsic Alley, a Potter merchandise store located in Santa Monica, California, is one of the coolest places to shop for Potter in the world. So cool, in fact, that they are asking fans ages 8 to 14 to come out on May 18th to be interviewed on their love for the Potter books.

The interviews are being recorded for a special project that cannot be announced yet, but they can say JK Rowling herself will be watching some of the interviews at a later date. For more information, check out their website! Best of luck to all you kids who participate.

RupertGrint.net has spotted these new spools of yarn from German yarn company Opal. They have a new Half-Blood Prince collection with 8 color themes to be released Fall 2008. Each of the themes represents one character from the sixth Potter film and includes a picture.

Those characters include Harry, Ron, Malfoy, Lupin, Tonks, Dumbledore, and Hedwig. Tonks most notably has a new, much shorter, haircut. Check 'em out in our gallery!

Casting Call Pro UK has several actors and actresses listed for roles in Half-Blood Prince, and one of them may suggest how the film opens up.

Teresa Mahoney, pictured left, has been cast as "Sofie" in "Boardroom - Opening Scene". This leads us to believe that Half-Blood Prince's opening may stay true to the book.

Other casting includes a Slytherin Student, a Death Eater, and a Slughorn Ball Graduate. Thanks to Ryan for the tip!

In celebration of the 100th anniversary of Mother's Day, Chief Parenting has announced its inaugural Chief Mommy Officer Hall of Fame inductees, women they feel have "achieved greatness in their respective careers, while simultaneously maintaining their roles as exemplary mothers."

Jo Rowling is, of course, among them: "Unemployed, suffering from depression and solely raising her infant daughter on state benefits, Rowling wrote a little book titled Harry Potter."

Thanks to Shane for the tip.

A brief new interview with Jessie Cave, Lavendar Brown in the sixth Potter film, has surfaced where she comments on the kiss between her and Rupert Grint for the film.

"It was a bit embarrassing. Our first screen kiss was on my third day of shooting. It's been an amazing experience though. I've been completely immersed in the Harry Potter world since filming started last year."

Thanks to JCF for the scan!

In the midst of JK Rowling's US-based court trial, her court case in England (over a published photo of her son David taken in 2004) has gone in her favor. The BBC reports:

The agency photo - taken in November 2004 - showed Ms Rowling pushing David in a buggy on a street in Edinburgh.

The picture was published in the Sunday Express and the newspaper later settled the claim.

Judge Sir Anthony Clarke said: "If a child of parents who are not in the public eye could reasonably expect not to have photographs of him published in the media, so too should the child of a famous parent.

"In our opinion, it is at least arguable that a child of 'ordinary' parents could reasonably expect that the press would not target him and publish photographs of him."

Read the full story, including a statement from Jo and her husband Neil, right here. Thanks to everyone who e-mailed!

Nearly two months ago we told you about HP Quest, an online Potter scanvenger hunt brought to you by HP Fan Trips. Today, they announced the grand prize winner, who happens to have found out about the Quest through MuggleNet!

Lucy Adams of Australia has won a trip for two to the HP Fan Trips' School of Wizardry, July 23-27, 2008 at Ford’s Castle in England. Congrats to her! For a list of the weekly winners, click the Read More link below.

And lastly a reminder: HP Fan Trips' Equus and HP6 trip is selling out quick! For an all-in-one trip to see Equus on Broadway and Half-Blood Prince in the city, check out their site.

The kiss in Order of the Phoenix between Daniel Radcliffe and Katie Leung (Cho) has been nominated for this year's MTV Awards in the best kiss category.

You can vote at this link, until May 23rd. The site says "Juno may be super hip, but the hipster movie moment of the year was undoubtedly the kiss between nerdy Daniel 'Harry Potter' Radcliffe and foxy Katie 'Cho' Leung.

The Awards will air on June 1st. Thanks to everyone who emailed!

UPDATE: It looks like the video was removed from the BBC.

In lieu of Half-Blood Prince trailer news, BBC is feeding our craving by providing some interesting video shots of Leavesden Studios via helicopter. Leavesden has been used to film most interior and exterior Potter scenes since the beginning of the franchise.

The aerial shots provide a glimpse at several outdoor sets, including Privet Drive, Hagrid's Hut, the Hogwarts Express - Hogwarts station, an entrance to Hogwarts, and one end of a Quidditch pitch.

Additionally, there are several sets that cannot be identified from recognition in past Potter films. Possibilities include the Gaunt's House (CBBC's guess), a part of The Orphanage, and The Burrow.

Watch the video and sound off with your ideas in the comments! Thanks to everyone who e-mailed with the tip.

About a month ago, Amazon announced a new contest giving a lucky winner the chance to read Tales of Beedle the Bard themselves. The semifinalists were announced today and voting has commenced for the two different age groups.

Click here to vote in the 13 - 17 age group and click here to vote for 18 and above. You must have a free Amazon account. Each group's winner will receive a $1,000 Amazon gift certificate. They will also move on to the final round of voting to determine the grand prize winner, which begins May 13th.

Voting in the current semifinalists round wraps up May 11th, so make sure to get your vote in soon! Thanks to Becky and Tessa for the tip.

SnitchSeeker.com was at Collectormania 13 in England and spoke with Natalia Tena, who plays Tonks in Order of the Phoenix and Half-Blood Prince. Tena revealed that she has completed filming for HBP:

The only scene Natalia has filmed for the movie, isn't actually in the book at all. She was only on set for the part where Death Eaters attack the Burrow at Christmas (where Harry & the Weasleys are present). She said that none of the angst of her character is there - indeed, she and Lupin are just suddenly a couple when they meet there.

Read more at Snitch Seeker. Thanks to Trish for the tip!

This week's episode of our Harry Potter podcast is now online, featuring Chapter by Chapter, This Week in MuggleCast, Sorting Hat, discussion on the latest news, and much more! Join Laura, Eric, Micah, Matt and I for:

- Potter leaves the NYT Bestseller list for first time in decade.
- Fans think this is the end? LOL!
- Hogsmeade is being built. We discuss, Micah tries to move on.
- Lots of MuggleMail based on last week's show and more.
- Chapter by Chapter covers Chapter 28 of DH: The Missing Mirror.
- Aberforth's fight with the Death Eaters, his story, and an actor to play him.
- We play Sorting Hat, This Week in MC History, HUH?!, and Chicken Soup.

All that and much more can be found on Episode 144! To download for free, we recommend subscribing through Apple iTunes. Just click here and then press "Subscribe" to the right of our album art. No iPod or MP3 player needed! You can also visit the MuggleCast website to listen right within your browser. Enjoy!

It's been a couple weeks since we've updated you on the JK Rowling VS RDR court trial. The trial itself occurred from April 14th - 16th, and at this point we are just waiting for the judge's final decision on the copyright infringement claims by JKR/WB.

The Chicago Tribune recently spoke to RDR owner Roger Rapoport, who sheds some new light on their decision to turn the HP Lexicon into a book:

The publisher did not know of Vander Ark's Lexicon Web site until he saw a newspaper profile of the Webmaster last July. A month later, Vander Ark agreed to put together a print version with the help of three of the site's other editors. The plan was to print 10,000 copies.

"I couldn't understand why this book hadn't been published yet," he said. After all, Rowling herself had endorsed the Web site in 2004, giving it an award as "a great site" which, while writing, she occasionally used to check facts from her earlier books. Little did Rapoport envision that, at the trial, Rowling would dismiss the manuscript of the printed Lexicon as "sloppy."

For the full interview, click here! Thanks to Jonathan for the tip!

AbeBooks.com, a site for finding new and used books of all types, analyzed sales data from 2007 and created a list of the top collectible authors. JK Rowling took the top spot followed by Roderick Gordon, Brian Williams, and Stephen King:

On-going demand for signed Harry Potter books means Rowling tops the index although few first editions of her debut book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, reach the market. An autographed Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows sold for $5,500 just after its release last July.

If you're in the market for a signed Potter novel, we recommend you check out our friends at JKR's Army. They'll tell you what to look out for when shopping for a genuine JK Rowling signature. Thanks to Ali for the tip!

BlogHogwarts.com has online an interview with Tony Coburn, who will be playing Young Lucius Malfoy in Half-Blood Prince. In the interview, he talks about what scenes he's filmed and who he's worked with:

BH: Have you filmed your scenes for Half-Blood Prince? In which scenes are you involved?
TC: The scenes have been shot and I was in a dinner scene with Professor Slughorn. I was also an extra in Dumbledore’s death scene which was a night shoot.

BH: Who did you work with? Who did you meet?
TC: I acted with Jim Broadbent and was in the death scene with Michael Gambon, Daniel Radcliffe, Maggie Smith and Robbie Coltrane.

To read more of what he has to say, including how he prepared for the role, check out this translation at The-Portkey.com. Thanks to them for the tip!

As revealed in ITV's JK Rowling Documentary which aired back in December, May 2nd, 1998 was the day Harry finally defeated Lord Voldemort within Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

A couple of visitors have asked us to post this wonderful anniversary. And why not? The Battle of Hogwarts within Deathly Hallows was one of the coolest scenes ever created by Jo. It held what we've been waiting to witness since closing Sorcerer's Stone. And who can forget Molly Weasley's infamous line to Bellatrix Lestrange: "NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH!"?

So here's to Harry and his triumphant win against He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Leave your thanks to Harry and Jo in the comments, and ask yourself: Do Wizards have a name for this anniversary?

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone originally appeared on the New York Times Bestseller list back in December of 1998. The impact of Potter's popularity led the NYT to creating two new lists so other titles could make the list other than Jo's stories.

Now, almost ten years later, the May 11th edition of The Sunday New York Times will be free of any Potter novel. Check out the NYT's Book Blog for more.

Once JK Rowling's Potter Encyclopedia is released, we're sure Potter will make a comeback. Thanks to Pruneau for the tip!