July 11th, 2005
What's new? Staff HBP predictions Spellbound schedule Lots of Editorials MuggleNet t-shirts Ask Jo contest winners   Trivia Question What is Harry Potter's middle name?   Calendar July 12th: - Jim Dale on "Today" July 16th: - Half-Blood Prince Nov. 18th: - Goblet of Fire   Did you know? Hermione is a name from Shakespeare chosen because Hermione needed to have an unusual name.   JK Rowling says: On choosing the surname of Harry: "Potter was the name of a brother and sister who I played with when I was very young. We were part of the same gang and I always liked that surname."   Popular pics This image of the trio at the Quidditch World Cup campsite was released, as well as two images becoming available from the upcoming GOF coloring book. You can see the images here and here.   Suggestions If you have an idea for the newsletter, e-mail us at: nlsuggest at staff dot mugglenet dot com!	Recent Headlines Spoiler Warning! Back cover of Half-Blood Prince revealed: After a long wait and much speculation, Scholastic released the back cover of the US edition of HBP. Check it out here! JK Rowling named top-selling author: In celebration of their 10th anniversary, Amazon.com announced that Jo is is their #1 selling author. Jim Dale to read Potter on Today show: The US audio Potter books will be appearing this Tuesday to read a passage from Harry Potter. However, NBC will not say which book he'll be reading from... hopefully HBP! Full version of UK cover: With Harry and Dumbledore surrounded by a huge line of fire, this extended picture gives us an interesting idea of what to expect in Half-Blood Prince. Full details on Edinburgh launch: Bloomsbury passed along new information detailing what to expect for the specially selected cub reporters set to meet JK Rowling. Also, The Sunday Times released more information talking about the feast taking the place the day afterward.   SPELLBOUND! 2005 Mount Prospect, Illinois will play host to more than 10,000 Harry Potter fans on the night of July 15th. Spellbound, which has been through various stages of planning and preparation for the past five months, is going to be the launch party for fans in the US. Not only will the event be a place for you to meet fellow fans, but there will also be special themed activities throughout the day - including the enormously popular "Wizard Chess" which took place for the launch of "Order of the Phoenix" in 2003. Admission to the event is totally free, however it is recommended that you register on the Spellbound website so we know how many people will be in attendance. Registration is also required if you wish to acquire an official t-shirt or other items which will be available at the event. What is sure to be a very memorable day, for both you, the fans, and also the staff of the participating websites, this is the best way to countdown the final hours before the release. For information on travel and lodging for the event, click here. Please note that the room blocks, which were specially held for Spellbound by the hotels listed on the website, were only done so until June 30th. Any remaining rooms are not now a part of the offer listed on the site, and rooms will be of a first come, first served basis. We look forward to seeing you all at the event if you can make it. We promise it is one event not to be missed! Tragedy in London Our thoughts and prayers are with those affected by the recent bombings in London.