First off, how did you become a Harry Potter fan?
11 years old: Without having heard of anything about Harry Potter I saw a book in the library called Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone that caught my eye, read the blurb at the back and thought it would be awesome to read this! There are witches and wizards! After finishing it I thought ‘wow that was nice but we don’t know why that giant wizard was kicked out of school when he was 12’ – being 11 years old at the time it was unimaginable that a kid around my age would be kicked out! How bad would you have to be? So that preoccupied most of my worries. Also ‘we still don’t know about the scar!’ and then I thought ‘I guess I’ll never know’... Not knowing it was a series I didn’t realise back then that it was going to be central for my happiness and excitement in years to come. I didn’t get really into the series until I turned 15 with the release of Order of the Phoenix. To me it was a challenge, to read the biggest book I’ve ever seen! I also wondered about the hype, I was curious. I was 15 when I became properly acquainted with Harry Potter who was also 15 at the time. I felt I found a new friend.

How are you feeling now that the series is over?
That’s hard to say, I feel like the golden years are behind me when it comes to Potter and I am now cherishing the memories of being a big fan of the biggest thing to happen to literature since Lord of the Rings, to have LIVED through this moment in history, I feel sorry for those who are born after Potter and I’m aghast in realising some people didn’t get to be a part of it when they could have. I count down along with Mugglenet for the HBP movie and I’m very excited about the upcoming movies and possible encyclopaedia. I still talk about Harry Potter everyday with great passion and enthusiasm as everyone around me can heave a sigh and agree. I find little connections around my life to Harry Potter, for example, going past Neville Street always plasters a large grin on my face that’s hard to wear off! I’ve ventured on and read other fantasy books and books of other genres since then and I can’t help but compare everything to the Potter series. Nothing comes close. Not for wording, imagination, and most importantly the feelings it evoked in me and impact on my outlook in life. Everyone I know is categorised into Hogwarts houses (for I am the sorting hat), and related to HP characters.

If you could rewrite any part of the series, what would you change?
At first it would have been for Remus Lupin to have survived the series. I have said it before Deathly Hallows came out that if Lupin dies I will rip that chapter out of every HP book! But I don’t have the heart to harm my own book (besides the inevitable harm that comes from obsessive rereading) let alone repeat the criminal act millions of times but since I think he died the most honourable way by being paralleled to Lily and James’ death I think I must say I would rewrite what happened in Voldemort’s memory of the night he killed the potters. I was highly anticipating finding out that missing piece of information including the whole next day which should’ve been included. I think it was a miscalculation on Jo’s part but everything between the night Hagrid takes Harry from Godric’s Hollow and the night he arrives at the Dursleys’ is missing. Hagrid didn’t take Harry straight to the Dursleys’ because there was a whole day of excited wizard in their robes and ‘shooting stars’ noticed by muggles at the defeat of Voldemort until Harry arrived at the Dursleys’. I fully supported Brendan Ford’s editorials on The Lost Day found in The Underground Lake. I think Wormtail should’ve been there (even if under the disillusionment charm) that night, and he gave Voldemort back his wand when he got a new body. Because it makes no sense that a piece of wood in the middle of a burning building survived and retrieved unscathed when its owner was too much of a vapour to be able to pick it up? I still demand this to be accounted for. Flame freezing charm perhaps? Anything just to know for sure what happened!

In your opinion, who is the most over-rated character?
Voldemort. Because there was once this award for the biggest, bad villain EVER or something and he won! Honestly in my opinion, I think he was just an ignorant, hypocritical show-off who was menacing to those who put a dent in his dragon sized ego.

Who is the most under-rated?
Gosh, this is hard because if they are under-rated then I under-rate them and might not realise they’re under-rated. After much thought, Arthur Weasley is my choice. He’s not just a blood-traitor who’s there to ask about the function of rubber ducks. He is kind hearted to everyone and is the glue to the family who depends on him so much. He is respectful to his wife and fun with his children, giving them as much attention as there is possible in his day. But there’s more, he’s very hard working it’s not easy to bring up 7 children healthily and with good morals and goals and with a poor income. He can withstand many years of Mrs. Weasley’s nagging and scowling yet he doesn’t charge back at her, he makes her blush like a teenager. He was hurt more than imaginable when his son declared not wanting to be a Weasley but was able to accept him back because of the love he has for his family, he did not become stubborn and decide to hurt Percy the way he was hurt by rejecting his son. He is also brave and not a door-mat, he stands up for what he believes in against the powerful opposition and when being put down and trodden on he keeps going, working hard with a smile on his face and that same kind heart. I am delighted he was reprieved.

Keeping in mind the encyclopedia that Jo plans to write, besides a main character, whose back story are you most interested in reading about and why?
Dean Thomas because I have always thought there was something about him. He’s been shown in a little bad light as the guy not good enough for Ginny or the jealous ex boyfriend type but that’s just from Harry’s biased perspective. He’s been my favourite unknown background character (as in never had a chapter, page or even a decent paragraph all to himself) since I found out he was an artist in Stone. Jo mentioned there’s more to Dean’s story that she will specifically include in her encyclopaedia and I can’t wait to know more about him!

Please describe something in your life (besides your life as a whole) that has been directly affected by Harry Potter, Jo, or both.
It’s simple; I’ve become a fan of reading. Thank you Harry Potter, and thank you Jo. Before Order came out, and with the exception of Stone when I was 11 (a foreshadowing in my own life story I’d imagine), my idea of reading consisted of magazines and novels prescribed for my English class. My reading and spelling level was poor compared to my class mates. Once I realised the magic of reading I improved considerably and have since made it my hobby to read novels.

Anything else you would like to add?
This was long but I’ve been a huge fan for a long time and I’m very thankful to have this honour. Thank you to the people of Mugglenet, if it wasn’t for you I’d never have gotten all the latest Harry Potter news to scream it to anyone who would listen and I wouldn’t have known half as much as I do about the Potter world if it wasn’t for your extensive, easy to navigate information. Thanks to my friends and family, this is turning into an Oscars speech. I must say THANK YOU JO! Words cannot express my thanks for this amazing world she has shared with the world. And now for my usual parting words: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!

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