(Thanks so much to my friend Suraya for doing a report of when she met JK Rowling in Canada during her 2007 open book tour!)

On the morning of October 23rd, I awoke more excited than ever, for that day was the day I was going to meet J.K. Rowling. My mom drove me downtown, and even though we were an hour early, I couldn’t get there fast enough. I had dressed up in my Gryffindor tank top, radish earrings (I even had my pair of Harry Potter glasses) and I was bubbling over from the intensity of my excitement. The event took place at the Winter Garden Theatre, which, in my opinion, was the perfect location. It has a nice, cozy feel to it, perfect for a book reading. Also, it’s not too large, so everyone in the theatre is relatively close to the stage, and the topmost priority of every fan in the room was to be as close to our hero as possible. It’s covered with realistic leaves, vines, mock fences and greenery, giving it a fairytale like feel.

The host of the event (coincidentally, a man named Seamus; he attributes the fact that everyone can now spell his name correctly to Ms. Rowling) held very little of the audience’s attention, though we were completely silent, all waiting with bated breath. When he announced her name, the excitement was palpable, and the clapping was deafening. She walked in looking amazing, and sat on the oversized armchair on the centre of the stage. She was wearing a chocolate brown, above knee length, khaki style dress, and knee length boots (also chocolate brown). J.K. immediately began her recital, starting from page 308, and going to the end of the chapter (the Silver Doe). The part of the story that she read is the part that details Ron’s return, and his reunion with Hermione.

It was amazing to hear her read the words that we all had read ourselves months before (possibly multiple times). For me, it was even better than seeing it performed in the movies (though I’ve never seen an interpretation of this scene) because she knows these characters better than anyone. She knows what they’re thinking, how they would say things. So, her tone, her expression, everything; it was all spot on. Within some of the first lines, she was forced to shout (as Hermione does) causing feedback on the microphone (needless to say, it both shocked the audience AND added to the dramatic value of the reading).

——————————————————————————–

Afterwards, she answered some questions. I’m sorry to say I don’t remember them all (it’s been a while, this review was written a little late) but I will detail those that I remember, which is 8 out of the 12. (All answers are paraphrased, no exact quotes are used):

Q: If you were an animagus, what form would you take?

A: I’d like to think I’d be an otter, because it’s my favorite animal. That’s why Hermione’s patronus is an otter. But, truly speaking, I think my animagus form would be a large, friendly dog. It suits my personality much more.

Q: Did Draco ever pay Harry back for saving his life?

A: Draco owes his life to Harry, but he never does pay him back. When I speak of life debts, I never meant to imply that there is some kind of magic that forces it to be repaid. Draco and Harry would share an awkward, reluctant politeness for the remainder of their lives (as shown in the Epilogue), both acknowledging all that happened, but both unable to be friends with the other.

Q: You have written a series that appeals to both girls and boys, what advice would you give to others trying to do the same?

A: When I was first being published, the publishers told me to use only my initials, because they thought my writing would appeal to boys as well, but they doubted they’d read it if it were written by a woman. I had never thought about who my books would appeal to, I wrote my story the way I came up with it. So, I used my initials (I created a middle name, using the name of my favorite Grandparent, Kathleen), and it turned out my books DID appeal to boys as well. As I say, for me, it happened completely by accident, so for others I’d say, get the boys interested in reading first, with other good books, and they’re likely to continue.

Q: Did Albus Severus ever get to speak with the portraits of his namesakes?

A: Yes, I imagine he would have spoken to them the first time he got in trouble. It would have been a big moment for him. Poor little Albus Severus, not only does he have a dreadful name, but he has to live up to the people after whom he’s named. I tried to make it clear in the Epilogue that we would be referred to as Al, to make his suffering a little less. ::laughs::

Q: Which death was the hardest for you to write?

A: I’m not sure I could pick a “hardest death”. They all meant quite a lot to me. I mean, Dobby, Fred, Mad-Eye, Hedwig-

(Audience): Awwwwwww…

(JK): Come on now! She’s an owl! I’ve noticed, in England especially, that people reacted worse at the death of Hedwig than that of Moody! She’s an owl, care more for the man!

But truly, the hardest part (relating to death) that I wrote was when Harry is preparing to sacrifice himself. This chapter had been a long time in the making, and when I began to write that one, I knew it truly was the end. In a way, that was Harry’s death for me, because I wouldn’t be writing about him anymore. But the saddest death overall for me, would most likely be Dobby.

Q: What is your favorite magical object that you’ve ever created?

A: My favorite magical object would be Dumbledore’s Pensieve. Not only do I love how it worked it my plot, as an amazing and convenient tool for reliving memories and going back in time, but I would like to have one of my own. What I wouldn’t give for a place to siphon off my thoughts now and then, and to be able to sift through them more clearly. Dumbledore explains this, and though Harry has no idea what he’s talking about at the time, I think we’ve all felt like that.

Q: How did you come up with the rules of Quidditch?

I had always thought that wizards would have their own sport, because a sport is, to me, the defining aspect of a culture. As if, once they have a sport, they truly are their own society. I also could never imagine wizards going to football games. So I had invented Quidditch, but hadn’t quite worked out the fine points for some time. It was after a rather large fight with my then boyfriend (I think that’s where Bludgers come from), that I sat down and worked out everything from the number of balls, to the shape of the pitch.

It was when WB came to me during the creation of the Quidditch scene in Philosopher’s Stone (on which they did an amazing job), that I realized Quidditch could only have been invented by a woman. They came to me saying that the game made no sense, and I had to laugh. In most male sports, there is one objective, one goal, one ball. In Quidditch, there are so many things to keep in mind and keep track of, that multi-tasking is essential; a task, we women, are very good at.

Q: How did George carry on without Fred?

A: Ah, poor George. He would eventually pick up and move on, but I don’t think he’d ever feel truly whole again. He would continue with the store, and have a family, but I must say he must have been very lonely. Ron, though he did spend a lot of time as an Auror, would eventually go and help George with the store. So, Ron gains a job and some quality time with his brother, and George gets the companionship he needs.

I hope to eventually write a Harry Potter Encyclopedia, which will give details on aspects of the characters that didn’t make it into the books, but it won’t be immediately. I need a break for now, but I will get to it. When I do, all proceeds will go to charity.

——————————————————————————–

Before the signing began, JK Rowling was presented with two extremely large books (each about 3 feet in height and 2 feet in width) filed with signatures and messages from many devoted fans, all written on the night of the Deathly Hallows release. Jo cried at that point, amidst many “aww”s from the crowd.

She then went backstage while the set up for the signing (Seamus remarked that he’d never heard such a loud, collective gasp than when he said we’d all have a chance to speak with her).

We were to go row by row, and as I was in the mezzanine, I hadn’t expected to be on stage any time soon. Surprisingly, the line moved very quickly (due to the efficiency of Jo’s helpers, opening the free copies of the books to the desired page and sticking on the authenticity sticker) so I was within 10 feet of her within the half hour. I had brought my own copy for her to sign, but I was still allowed a free signed copy. I was shaking before I got to her. When I did, we had a small conversation (which will forever be etched into my mind) where we discussed my clothing choice (I explained that though my tank top would suggest I was a Gryffindor, I’m actually a Ravenclaw) and she actually noticed my earrings (squee!)! She was polite, and courteous, and genuinely happy to be meeting all of her fans. The line moved quickly, so I hadn’t much time to thank her (although I did my best, and I believe I got my point across), but it will definitely be an experience I remember for the rest of my life.

As I left the theatre with my mom, I was trembling slightly, just staring at my signed copies, unable to believe what had just happened. On our way out, they handed us bags filled with posters, book marks, stickers and the like. I was barely aware of what was going on, but I registered what had just happened. I had met JK Rowling, the author of my all time favorite series ever. Nothing on earth could top this.