Rounding up the Hogwarts founders, a new wizard is featured at JKR's official website:

Rowena Ravenclaw

Medieval (precise dates unknown).
One of the four famous Founders of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Rowena Ravenclaw was the most brilliant witch of her time, though legend has it that a broken heart - cause unknown - contributed to her early demise.

Joanne Kathleen Rowling and her fictional character Harry Potter both celebrate their birthday today! Jo is now 42 (not looking a day over 20), and Harry turns 27.

We hope Jo has a fantastic day with Neil and her family!

Earlier today, JK Rowling hosted a live web chat on Bloomsbury's official website where she answered several questions about Deathly Hallows:

Michael: Why didnt fawkes come back to help harry I would have thought that since harry was so loyal to dumbledore, fawkes would have been harrys new pet
J.K. Rowling: Something had to leave the school for good when Dumbledore died, and I decided that would be Fawkes. Dumbledore was a very great and irreplacable man, and the loss of Fawkes (and the fact that he was 'non-transferable'!) expresses this symbolically

Read the entire transcript at the link below! Thank you to everyone who sent it in.

Recently, the entire interview that Meredith Vieira of the Today Show conducted with JK Rowling aired on Dateline. In this exclusive one-on-one, Jo discusses everything about Book 7--deaths, the reprieve, and Snape. She also goes off topic to talk about the franchise including the movies and theme park.

If you missed this interview, the entire transcript can be read here, but be cautious if you have not read Deathly Hallows because it does contain SPOILERS.

JK Rowling has updated her site wishing one of our favorite Dumbledore's Army member a happy birthday. Happy birthday, Neville Longbottom!

In a new interview with Rotten Tomatoes, Prisoner of Azkaban director Alfonso Cuaron says that he would be "very tempted" to direct Deathly Hallows:

I feel a little bit like I have to try to do the films that are not going to exist without me. On the same token, I would be really tempted because it was really beautiful. I just started reading the last book and something I respect is the care the producers have put in the film franchise. It would have been so easy after the success of the series just to take the cynical approach of knowing that no matter what people are going to see those movies. Actually they've been taking a lot of care from beginning to end, so yeah I would be really tempted.

Read the full interview at this link. Thanks to everyone who e-mailed with the tip!

Hello from Detroit! We've gotten word from fans in San Diego that Comic-Con has been promoting that MuggleNet was supposed to host a Harry Potter debate at the convention on Friday, and hundreds of fans waited hours only to be disappointed when no one showed up to represent the site. We were never contacted about attending by Comic-Con, who claims no responsibility for the occurrence, so we can only assume a breakdown in communication somewhere. We are deeply sorry for any inconvenience this caused.

The JKR's Army contest we told you about earlier will end on Tuesday, July 31st. More than 7,000 fans have already entered, and you can be among these people for a chance to win great prizes. You can find out more about this contest on their webpage.

In addition, as always after a book signing, there are loads of forgeries on eBay. Please be aware that legitimate signed copies of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows all have holographic stickers in them. These stickers are now being used by J.K. Rowling's camp to help us all be able to identify authentic signed books. Remember to keep safe when purchasing items off internet auction sites.

The latest episode of our weekly Harry Potter podcast is now online! And if you haven't heard the news, it's the #1 most popular podcast on iTunes this week.

In this episode, we combine two live shows in one. First, listen to our live event from Tulsa, Oklahoma, where over 200 fans came to discuss Deathly Hallows. Afterwards, hear our live show from St. Louis, Missouri, where another 260 fans showed up for even more Deathly Hallows discussion!

If you're craving to hear some great talk about DH, MuggleCast is the show for you. To download, we recommend subscribing (for free) within iTunes so each new episode is automatically sent to your computer. You can also download the show directly through the MuggleCast website where you'll find shownotes and an alternate download for dial-up users. Enjoy!

SUMMER TOUR UPDATE: MuggleCast is also in the middle of its summer road tour. With only four stops left, make sure you check out our tour page to see if we're stopping in an area near you. We hope you can come out to participate!

Scholastic, the US publisher of the books, today announced the launch of the J.K. Rowling and the Open Book Tour Sweepstakes on July 30th. One thousand lucky fans will be selected in a sweepstakes and will receive a pair of tickets to Jo's reading at Carnegie Hall on Friday, October 19th.

To enter: Print out and complete an entry form available at www.scholastic.com/harrypotter or by printing your name, home address, and phone number on a sheet of paper and mailing the entry to:

Scholastic
Attn: J.K. Rowling and the Open Book Tour Sweepstakes
557 Broadway
New York, NY 10012

Entries must be received by August 31st, 2007, and are limited to one each person.

Good luck!

In the second part of the Today Show interview, JK Rowling explains why she changed the last sentence of the book, where in the original ending the last word would have been "scar." In addition, Jo discusses what house she would be in if she had attended Hogwarts and what she would see in the Mirror of Erised.

"I would definitely see what Harry sees. I would have seen my mother. I would be able to have a conversation with my mother. [Her death] had a profound influence on the books...from that moment on, death became a central if not the central theme for the seven books. In many ways all of my characters are defined by their attitude to death or the possiblity of death."

EDIT: You can find this article and video here. Remember there are SPOILERS in this interview, so do not view it if you have not read Deathly Hallows.

On Sunday at 7:00 PM EST, Dateline will air a one-hour special on the Potter author.

Hey guys, I know this is really last minute, but for MuggleNetters in Northwest Indiana, I'm going to be at the Valparaiso Barnes & Noble at 7pm Friday night (that's tomorrow - 7/27). Hope you'll come out and say hello if you live in the area!

I will also be joining the MuggleCasters on their summer tour starting Saturday, July 28 in Chicago, and finishing the second half of the tour with the guys.

In an interview with USA Today, JK Rowling addresses life after Harry Potter, as well as her reaction to the numerous Deathly Hallows spoilers, which leaked only days before its release:

"I had been working toward that point [the epilogue] for a long time. I did have a sense-of-humor failure when the epilogue went up."

As always, proceed with caution if you have not yet finished the book, as this article contains SPOILERS.

Thanks to Marc for the scan.

This morning, JK Rowling appeared on The Today Show to answer questions some fans have been asking concerning her last Harry Potter book. In the interview, she addressed things left out of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, such as jobs some of the characters took on in the future. She also discussed the epilogue that many fans were not expecting to see.

Here is the article and please do not read the it if you have not read Deathly Hallows as is it does contain SPOILERS about the book. The second part of this interview will air tomorrow and a one-hour special will be shown on Dateline on Sunday.

EDIT: Video is now online at the link above.

Bloomsbury is hosting a live internet chat with J.K. Rowling that will take place from 2:00 - 3:00PM BST on Monday, July 30th. For Americans planning on tuning in, that's 9am EST, 8am CST, 7am MST, and 6am PST. You can submit your question to Jo for consideration at this link.

The Half-Blood Prince rumors that we told you about the other day have turned out to be false, according to MTV. Expect many more rumors surfacing and then being debunked to come as we get closer to the November 2008 movie release.

In an interview with the Today Show, JK Rowling revealed who the character is that received a reprieve in Deathly Hallows. Highlight between the arrows to read who it is! --> Arthur Weasley <--

Additionally, Jo announced that she "probably will" create a Harry Potter encyclopedia! From NBC's website:

The encyclopedia would include back stories of characters she has already written but had to cut for the sake of narrative arc (“I've said before that Dean Thomas had a much more interesting history than ever appeared in the books”), as well as details about the characters who survive “Deathly Hallows,” characters who continue to live on in Rowling’s mind in a clearly defined magical world.

Click here to read the full article, including full details on the character reprieve. BEWARE of spoilers if you haven't read Deathly Hallows yet!

For the first time since the show's premiere in August 2005, MuggleCast is the number one most subscribed to podcast on iTunes this week! We'd like to thank all of the listeners for their continued support as we discuss Deathly Hallows on the show.

If you haven't given MuggleCast a listen yet, there's never been a better time to download! Download Episode 101 featuring the world's first DH podcast discussion via iTunes (click "Subscribe" once iTunes loads) or direct download (right click and select "Save Target As...").

A couple weeks ago, Emerson told you about the Harry Potter Alliance: a group of Harry Potter fans dedicated to saving Darfur.

For those of you interested in hearing more information, a free podcast is available for download. The show features interviews and insight from world leaders on the subject, including leading human rights activist John Prenderdergast, and retired diplomat Joseph C. Wilson (author of The Politics of Truth: Inside the Lies that Led to War and Betrayed My Wife’s CIA Identity: A Diplomat’s Memoir).

It features interviews, discussions, cameos, and humor bits from wizard rockers Harry and the Potters, Draco and the Malfoys, The Remus Lupins, and more. Matthew Vines of Veritaserum talks about his experiences fighting injustice in Sudan.

You can easily download the show by right clicking HERE and selecting "Save Target As..." Special thanks to PotterCast editor Matt for putting the entire hour-long show together. Enjoy!

Lizo from CBBC newsround had a chance to interview JKR at the midnight release party. Jo discussed the Harry Potter journey, her opinion on spoilers, and her writing future. This was filmed and can be viewed on the Newsround Player, under the Harry Potter Tab. You can read the full transcript here:

Naomi Watts, Joseph Fiennes (brother of Ralph Fiennes, who plays Voldemort), and Stuart Townsend are rumored to join the Half-Blood Prince cast when filming starts in September. Naomi Watts will play the mother of Draco, Narcissa Malfoy. It is still unknown what roles the other two actors might play.

Below are some pictures of Naomi Watts:

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Joseph Fiennes:

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Stuart Townsend:

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Later this week, NBC's Today Show will air an exclusive interview with JK Rowling and have now provided a clip and an accompanying article of this interview. Rowling describes her emotions after finishing Deathly Hallows and admits that after writing the final words, she "was hard to live with for about a week." This interview will show on The Today Show on Thursday and Friday and then on Dateline on Sunday.

Dan Radcliffe turns 18 today, and you know what that means, girls - Harry Potter is legal!

Happy Birthday, Dan, from everyone here at MuggleNet! It's been a pleasure watching you grow up.

Post your thoughts on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in the comments of this post, so we can try to keep the discussion more relevant in other news posts!

Go - spill!

In its first 24 hours on sale, Scholastic has announced that Deathly Hallows has sold 8.3 million copies in the United States. Half-Blood Prince had sold 6.9 million copies in its first day on sale back on July 16th, 2005.

It's a double dose of our Harry Potter podcast this week as we release two new episodes!

Episode 100: Our centennial show LIVE from Waterstones in London! Join Jamie, Laura, Eric, Kevin and me for our biggest live podcast ever with over 800 fans in attendance just a few hours before the release of Deathly Hallows. We discuss the movie, what will happen to the fandom after the book is released, take some last-minute DH theories, and much more.

Episode 101: RIGHT after we finished reading Deathly Hallows, we hosted a live show online where over 1,000 listeners tuned in to hear the very first talk on this subject! Join the same panel from Episode 100 as we take listener reviews, questions, and much more - all concerning what happened in Deathly Hallows.

Both shows promise to entertain and inform in two audio files. To download, we recommend subscribing for free within iTunes. That way, each new episode will automatically be sent to your computer. If you're already subscribed, load up iTunes and update your MuggleCast feed. You can also find full shownotes and alternate download links on the MuggleCast website. ENJOY!

REMINDER: MuggleCast will be hitting the road tomorrow (Wednesday) for the first stop on our post-Deathly Hallows summer tour in sunny Las Vegas, Nevada. Come out and see us at the Whitney Library at 7 PM!

Our very own Jerry Cooke was on hand for both the live MuggleCast podcast at Waterstones and JK Rowling's midnight release party. From his report, we've learned exactly what went on in Jo's media-less event:

As I continued round, surrounded by velvet drape and atmospheric lighting, I came across the next section of registration, where I received my goody-bag, which contained lots of little things like a commemorative poster, some balloons, a smoothy and some stickers. Most importantly though, the bag contained the second immaculate first edition copy of Deathly Hallows of the night, but this time with a holographic authenticity sticker on the same page as would later me signed.

You can see a photo of Jerry's signed Deathly Hallows book right here!

The MuggleCasters have just finished reading Deathly Hallows and are now hosting a live discussion! If you've finished the book, click the link below and listen away!

UPDATE: The show has now concluded and we'll be releasing our hour long discussion as an episode of MuggleCast very soon! Thanks to everyone who listened live and participated.

Click here to watch a video of JK Rowling reading from the first chapter Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows at the Natural History Museum in London.

OBVIOUS SPOILER WARNING: She's reading from the beginning of the book.

Have you finished reading the book? Are you looking to spy in on some other people reading the book?

Laura, Kevin, Eric and I are all sitting in our London hotel room right now reading the book. You can watch us do so (live) at the link below. There's no audio on the feed so you won't hear any spoilers. Enjoy!

EDIT: We're done with the broadcast! Hope you enjoyed it.

After years, months, days, hours, minutes, and seconds of waiting, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows has now been officially released at the home of Harry Potter, the United Kingdom! It has also been released in all other English-speaking countries with the exception of the US and Canada. American and Canadian fans have just a few more hours of waiting for the final book of our favorite series.

The "JK Rowling and the Midnight Signing" event has concluded. For those who missed it, JKR read from the first chapter of DH.

Today on the BBC, JK Rowling appeared on the show Blue Peter, where 25 lucky fans had the privilege to interview the Potter author. She also received a gold Blue Peter badge, which she was very grateful for. She said, "You have no idea what that means...thank you very, very much." Thanks to staffer Nick, we have video of this interview.

In an op-ed piece from Clark Hoyt, the Public Editor of The New York Times, he responds to the outcry from fans surrounding the Times' early review of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows:

"If The Times had waited until Saturday, or even Sunday, to review the book, most readers would not have been able to finish its 759 pages by then....They would have had the choice, as they had today, of skipping the review and reading Harry at their leisure," said Hoyt.

"I think it’s important to remember that there was never a contract or an agreement between The Times and Rowling or her publisher. The publisher set the release date unilaterally as part of the brilliant marketing campaign that has propelled the entire Harry Potter phenomenon. Neither The Times nor any other newspaper had an obligation to help enforce the release date."

For the past two days, fans have been lining up outside Waterstones Piccadilly Circus where MuggleNet staffers/MuggleCast co-hosts Andrew Sims, Kevin Steck, Jamie Lawrence, Eric Scull, and Laura Thompson will be podcasting from tonight, as part of the many REALLY superb festivities in their massive Book Seven release party!

We've compiled a video with footage from so-far, including several burly Waterstones staffers loading boxes of the books in through the back door of the six-story shop! Set to the video is "The Final Countdown" by Europe. There are no spoilers in the clip.

...at 2:50PM EST to hear Emerson discuss his thoughts on the final book, and YouTube it for us if you can!

Just a reminder, Emerson and I will be hosting a discussion in Oak Park, IL beginning at 8:30CST tonight on the main stage in Scoville Park. We hope to see you there!

UPDATE: Thanks to Craig who captured the video for us!

This time, though, there is no hidden way of getting inside the Room of Requirement on JK Rowling's official website. Instead, simply clicking on the door and then clicking a note laying on Jo's desk reveals a letter of acknowledgments from the Harry Potter author. She also includes a note to fans:

Within hours you will know what happens to Harry, Ron, Hermione and the rest in their final adventure. All the secrets I have been carrying around for so long will be yours, too, and those who guessed correctly will be vindicated, and those who guessed wrongly will not, I hope, be too disappointed! As for me, I feel a heady mixture of excitement, nerves and relief. 'Deathly Hallows' remains my favourite of the series, even after several re-reads; I cannot wait to share it with the readers who have stuck with me through six previous books.

After reading Jo's list of acknowledgments, we would like to extend a huge "thank you" back to her on behalf of the visitors and staff of MuggleNet. THANK YOU, JO!

In a new interview, JK Rowling expresses her feelings on the final Potter book. She describes the writing of the final words as similar to "a bereavement." She also addresses the criticisms she has faced by putting death in this last book. Even though some critics think that it may be too intense for children in this book, she makes no apologies for exposing it.

"I think children are very scared of this stuff even if they haven’t experienced it, and I think the way to meet that is head-on. I absolutely believe, as a writer and as a parent, that the solution is not to pretend things don’t happen but to examine them in a loving, safe way."

She also says that she "has no plans" for the future, but that she just wants to "fall in love with an idea again, and go with that."

Israel's ultra-Orthodox minister of trade and industry has threatened to sue any shop opening on the Jewish Sabbath to sell Book 7.

“We must put a limit on the desire to imitate other countries,” he told said. “It is inconceivable that numerous employees will be brought in to allow these events to take place and damage the spirit of Shabbat. I plan to file charges and fine anyone who violates the Hours of Work and Rest Law.”

In spite of this, most Israeli bookstores are willing to face the ire of the religious community and are opening up at 2:01am (12:01am BST) to sell the book.

After receiving an early copy of Deathly Hallows from an unnamed bookstore, the New York Times has posted a review of the book which also contains a few plot details.

UPDATE: In response, JK Rowling has spoken out about this New York Times review and numerous others:

"I am staggered that American newspapers have decided to publish purported spoilers in the form of reviews in complete disregard of the wishes of literally millions of readers, particularly children, who wanted to reach Harry’s final destination by themselves, in their own time. I am incredibly grateful to all those newspapers, booksellers and others who have chosen not to attempt to spoil Harry’s last adventure for fans."

Bloomsbury has also addressed this concern:

The release date and time embargo of 00.01AM BST on Saturday July 21st is being enforced unflinchingly and without exception by the publishers. We confirm that all Bloomsbury’s customers in 93 countries worldwide are robustly supporting this embargo time to ensure secrecy for the children and adult readers of Harry Potter.

Read the entire press release:

Our friends at Alivan's have told us that lots of their great merchandise will be featured on the TODAY show tomorrow morning in between 8 and 9:30 AM EST! There will be HP Trivia games, a book celebration, prize giveaways, and much more.

The US book publisher has issued a statement this morning which reveals where a leak of Deathly Hallows occurred:

We are taking immediate legal action against DeepDiscount.com and Levy Home Entertainment. The number of copies shipped is around one one-hundredth of one percent of the total U.S. copies to go on sale at 12:01 am on July 21st.

Read the full press release at the link below!

JK Rowling has made a small update to her official website asking everyone who "calls themselves a Potter fan" to help keep the plot of Deathly Hallows from being spoiled:

We are almost there! As launch night looms, let's all, please, ignore the misinformation popping up on the web and in the press on the plot of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I'd like to ask everyone who calls themselves a Potter fan to help preserve the secrecy of the plot for all those who are looking forward to reading the book at the same time on publication day. In a very short time you will know EVERYTHING!

We, of course, support Jo's statement and ask all of our visitors to avoid spreading information about Deathly Hallows in our comments. With the book release being less than three days away, there's no point in spoiling it now.

Instead, talk about the latest episode of SpongeBob or perhaps the upcoming Hairspray film. If you need any other topic ideas, please e-mail i need something better to do than spoil the book for everyone three days prior to the release@staff.mugglenet.com.

MuggleNet is offering an all expenses paid trip to its UK Deathly Hallows release party at Waterstones, Piccadilly Circus, London. This special prize includes accommodation at the 5 star Meridian Hotel opposite Waterstones, access to the live MuggleCast and entrance to the VIP party, along with a copy of the seventh book (the competition does NOT include travel). The prize is for two people, one of whom must be over the age of 18. As this contest has been announced relatively late, the winner will be chosen randomly.

Email dhgiveaway at staff dot mugglenet dot com if you would like to enter. The contest will be closed tonight at midnight (GMT). Please include your name, address and telephone number and remember that this contest is open to those residing in the UK only. Do not apply unless you can travel to London on July 20th. Check here for full details on the Waterstones party or, for our US visitors, information on MuggleNet's "Countdown to Midnight" taking place in Oak Park, Chicago

With the release of the seventh and final installment in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, mere days away, the MuggleNet staff is going on the record with their theories on some core issues. It'll be interesting to look back and see who was right - but knowing Jo, who surprises us in each book, most of us will be wrong!

Cheryl Klein, notable editor with Arthur K. Levine Books and Scholastic, has made a guest appearance on NPR's program "Talk of the Nation." Cheryl discusses her work as continuity editor of the Harry Potter books and even answers questions asked by various listeners of the show. To hear this brief conversation with Cheryl Klein, click here and be sure to click on the "Listen" button.

Thanks to everyone who emailed!

JKR's Army is sponsoring a contest this month to help heighten awareness of possible fraud and forgery in Harry Potter collectibles. It will run from July 16th through July 31st. Three winners will be chosen and each will receive a nice prize package which includes one or more GREAT items. One of the prizes is a copy of What Will Happen in Harry Potter 7 signed by Emerson and Ben for the contest.

Entrants have to answer one simple question (there is no wrong answer) and will have the option to enter a message for J.K. Rowling. At the conclusion of the contest, select messages will be assembled into a scrap book and sent to Jo as a "thank you" for giving us her wonderful stories.

You can find more information about this contest on their main page.

The LA Times is reporting that the US Harry Potter publisher obtained a subpoena to learn the identity of a user who allegedly posted copies of Deathly Hallows on a California website.

Scholastic said in a court filing Monday that "materials hosted on Photobucket.com's system" contain materials that infringe copyrights owned by Scholastic and J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter books. Photobucket.com, a News Corp. unit, is a website for sharing photos and videos on social networks such as MySpace.

The subpoena was sent to Gaia Interactive Inc. in San Jose seeking the identity of a user on gaiaonline.com, a social network, according to the filing in San Francisco federal court.

Gaia complied with the subpoena, removed the material and temporarily banned the user from the site, said Gaia spokesman Bill Danon.

Sky News has a new video covering the imminent release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and the drastic security measures surrounding it. The video shows an Amazon.co.uk factory and large crates holding the books, as well as some printing factories in the US.

So are the words of US audiobook narrator Jim Dale, in a new interview. A further extract:

“Deathly Hallows,” which runs to 784 pages in the ink-and-paper version, took about two and a half weeks, working six-and-a-half-hour days, recording about 18 to 20 pages an hour, to finish. As with the other books, Mr. Dale received the manuscript only two or three days before he was scheduled to begin recording.

“That makes it impossible for me to actually read it before recording it,” said Mr. Dale, who does not possess the 13-year-old megafan’s ability to inhale the book in a weekend.

So he read about 100 pages ahead, and noted all the different voices he needed for the first few days of recording. The benefit of reading in chunks, Mr. Dale said, is that: “I don’t ever know how the book is going to end so I can’t unconsciously lead you in the direction that the book is going. I don’t know who the villain is because I am just reading 100 pages at a time.”

Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Immelda Staunton, Bonnie Wright, Alan Rickman, and a bunch of other celebrities have spoken out about what they think will happen in Deathly Hallows.

Radcliffe: "One of my theories is stolen from someone else. He thought Snape is going to turn out to be the tragic hero, and I thought that was a really good idea. I think J.K. Rowling would have possibly gone down that route — but possibly he is pure evil, and we'll all just find out."

All 65 of JK Rowling's publishers will be distributing posters with information on Madeleine McCann (the missing UK four-year-old girl) when they deliver the seventh Harry Potter book. Booksellers are being asked to display these in their shops to help aid the search for Madeleine as well as many other missing children.

"I fervently hope that posters displayed prominently in shops all over the world when the new book comes out will help find Madeleine McCann and will raise the profile of the many other missing children in different countries."

It was previously reported that bookmarks, bearing Madeleine's face, would be placed in each copy of the books. This idea was dropped because Jo and her publishers "feel that they have a responsibility to protect younger readers and not to expose them to certain issues without their parents' compliance."

The US Harry Potter book publisher has announced plans for Harry Potter Place: a magical, interactive experience for kids and adults open to the public on July 20th from 5:00 PM – 11:00 PM

To be located on Mercer Street in New York City, Place will open during a press conference at 8 AM. At the same time, a countdown will commence for the book's midnight release. Harry Potter editor Arthur Levine and Illustrator Mary GrandPre will be in attendance alongside Scholastic President Dick Robinson.

Additionally, the very first author-signed copy of the US edition of Deathly Hallows will be unveiled at the press conference.

Read the entire press release at the link below!

It has been announced that more than two million pre-orders for the final Harry Potter book have been made on Amazon, and that number is growing rapidly. Furthermore, other booksellers have also revealed large pre-orders. These vast pre-order figures far eclipse those of the previous books, indicating that this tome will be by far the biggest-selling in the series.

You can pre-order the book at Amazon right here.

Now that we're just five days from the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, plot spoilers that actually look legitimate are starting to leak online. For some people, it's been a ten-year wait for Book 7, and that could be so easily destroyed if we find out what will happen too early.

Therefore, be warned: there are few spoiler-safe sites on the net right now. However, MuggleNet guarantees you that spoilers will not appear on any of our pages.

On another note, today marks the two-year anniversary of Half-Blood Prince's release.

The fifth Harry Potter film proved the biggest earner this weekend, pulling in $77.4 million in the US alone, raising the movie's domestic earnings to $140 million. Since its Wednesday opening, domestically, Harry Potter 5 has earned nearly as much as Goblet of Fire made in its first week ($146 million).

OOTP also grossed $190.3 million in 44 other countries, bringing its international total to $330 million.

"We're in the middle of summer, and we just said why not, because kids are out of school," said Dan Fellman, head of distribution for Warner Bros. "It certainly turned out to be the right decision."

We apologize to those of you who tuned in to Fox News's At Large with Geraldo Rivera expecting to see Emerson tonight - his Potter segment ran at the beginning of the show, not the end. However, the show re-airs tonight at 11PM EST, so tune in then and record it for us if you can!

UPDATE: The clip is available here on YouTube.

This week's episode of our Harry Potter podcast is, in our opinion, our best live show ever. It's also one of our longest ever, clocking in at 105 minutes! In this show:

- MuggleCast is live from Enlightening 2007 in Philly!
- Ben's attempt to meet Emma at the OOTP after party.
- An interview with the Moaning Myrtles.
- Order of the Phoenix discussion.
- Make the Connection: LIVE!
- Spy on Spartz: LIVE!
- Several audience members ask us questions about the books and ourselves.

All that and much much more can be found by downloading the latest episode! To get it, we recommend subscribing (for free) in iTunes). That way, each episode will automatically be sent to your computer. You can also find alternate download links and full shownotes on the MuggleCast website. Note that the file size of this show is significantly larger as it is in stereo (meaning it sounds great). Enjoy!

To whet your taste buds, check out this photo depicting a few Deathly Hallows boxes sitting in a Charleston library.

According to this article, librarians received special permission to open the boxes early for cataloging. The books are not allowed to be placed on display until July 21st.

Thanks to Jeffrey for the tip!

With extreme caution for lack of authenticity, we bring you this article from The Guardian's online website. It holds, what they say, is the opening to Deathly Hallows dated October 23rd, 2006.

According to their site, this small portion can be seen in video from the upcoming JK Rowling documentary we told you about a few days ago.

We've posted it in the black area below in case it is removed from The Guardian's website. Highlight in between the arrows if you wish to read.

-->'Chapter One. The Dark Lord Ascending. The two men appeared out of nowhere, a few yards apart in the narrow, moonlit lane. For a second they stood quite still, wands pointing at each other's chests: then, recognising each other, they stowed their wands beneath their cloaks and set off, side by side, in the same direction.

"News?", asked the taller of the two.

"The best," replied Snape.'<--

Please remember that it is still unknown as to whether or not this is real. Interesting, nonetheless. Thanks to everyone who e-mailed with the tip!

Emily's edit: I emailed Andrew saying I didn't think the excerpt was real. Here's why: There is a mixture of British/English grammar - the British spelling of "recognise" and the American use of "a few yards." There are also odd punctuation errors - a colon after "chest" and then ?", when only a question mark before the quotation mark would be used. Would Jo really make these errors? We'll find out soon.

MuggleNet's Senior Systems Manager Damon Brangers turns 22 today! Damon is a recent graduate of the Louisville Institute of Technology, and nobody looks sharper in a suit and tie. He's been keeping MuggleNet from crashing since 2003. Happy birthday, Damon, we hope you got lots of waffles!

MuggleNet's Emerson Spartz will be appearing live on Fox News's At Large with Geraldo Rivera Sunday evening, sometime between 8:40-9 PM EST. If anyone can capture it and send it to us or put it up on YouTube, we would be very grateful! Emerson also filmed a segment for CBS Evening News, which will be airing this week. We'll keep you informed!

Entertainment Weekly has a new article on the fifth Potter movie. The article contains general information on the Harry Potter films as well as what Dan plans on doing once he is done with the Potter series. He also tells EW what he thinks about tabloid journalists:

"What everybody would love to see," he says, "is me having ditched school and then just going wild." He grins the sort of unalloyed grin you rarely see from poor, tormented Harry Potter these days. "That's what I'm determined not to give them."

Every year in March, millions of Americans sharpen their No. 2 pencils and fill out brackets picking the college basketball teams they think most likely to win the NCAA Tournament. Now, Harry Potter fans across the globe are all doing the same thing - but instead of predicting basketball game outcomes, we're making predictions about how the series will end. For us Potter prognosticators, we're not suffering from March Madness, but Deathly Hallows Madness.

Similar to how college hoops fans attempt to select the winner from a pool of 65 teams, we want MuggleNet visitors to choose their best answers to 65 Deathly Hallows-related questions! The fan whose predictions most closely match the events that unfold in Book 7 on the 21st wins the opportunity to be a guest host on MuggleNet's Award-Winning Harry Potter Podcast, MuggleCast! In addition, 1st - 5th places win a MuggleNet shirt and their choice of Alivan's wand.

Good luck!

Rupert Grint and Emma Watson made an appearance on today's edition of Yahoo!'s "The 9" show. Both of them discuss various things ranging from music festivals to the best way to make toast.

UPDATE: Rupert was also on NBC's Today Show and Fuse's The Sauce. You can watch both videos here.

JK Rowling will be reading from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows at London's Natural History Museum on July 21st, and Bloomsbury has announced that this will be streamed live at their website.

Furthermore, Jo is set to participate in a live web chat from 2-3:00 PM BST on July 30th. Questions may be submitted one week in advance or live on 30th July at Bloomsbury.com.

ITV is set to broadcast a documentary on JK Rowling this winter called "A Year in the Life...JK Rowling," and some excerpts from the special have been released.

The author JK Rowling is seen in a forthcoming TV documentary looking over the just-finished version of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows on her laptop. She declares: "Yeah, think I've finished."

As an off-camera film-maker offers his congratulations, Rowling, 41, says: "Thank you...yeah, you don't know, it might be rubbish. Some people will loathe it, they will absolutely loathe it. For some people to love it, other people must loathe it. That's just in the nature of the plot."

She adds, "I'm actually really, really happy with it", before bowing her head on the keyboard to exclaim: "Oh my God!"

Ciaran's opinion: When she says readers could potentially loathe the book, it would be because of deaths. And I don't think Jo believes killing off any character(s) other than Harry would spark hate among fans, which could mean... (Consider that she's never said this about a previous book even though very beloved characters have died.)

Emerson's opinion: This could be interpreted to mean anything. I still don't believe Harry will die.

It has emerged that some book stores in the UK are not required to keep a written agreement preventing them from selling Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows before its release next Friday.

"It's quite possible one will break the embargo," says Katherine Rushton from The Bookseller magazine. "They'd do it to be first, and for all the PR."

Bloomsbury replied saying that there is "no reason to believe anyone would want to ruin the excitement. If such a thing were to happen, we believe that the public would make their feelings known by not buying it from such a spoilsport retailer. [However] it is our intention to vigorously enforce the embargo if required."

We step away from our normal show format this week to give you all a panel discussion that was held earlier today at Enlightening 2007. Hosted by Emerson, Ben, Jamie, and myself, listen in for some great Deathly Hallows theories based on "MuggleNet.com's What Will Happen in Harry Potter 7?"

To download, we recommend subscribing (if you haven't already) to our feed in iTunes. That way, each show will automatically be downloaded to your computer as they are released. You can also directly download the show and find full shownotes at this link.

We'll also be recording a live episode of MuggleCast (Episode 99) tomorrow night here at Enlightening's PremiereFest. That episode will be released in a few days!

Moviefone recently chatted to Dan, Emma and Rupert after the "Hand, Foot and Wand" ceremony at Grauman's Chinese Theater in LA. In the interview Emma discusses the possibility of kissing Rupert on stage, while Dan shares his craziest fan moment.

The Wednesday opening of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix has set a new record at the box office. The fifth Potter installment took in $44 million, making it the most successful movie for a Wednesday debut. It surpassed Spiderman 2, which had made $40.2 million on its opening day. Paul Dergarabedian, the president of Media By Numbers, calls the record "pretty incredible."

"This is one of those rare franchises that is as relevant today as it was when the franchise first started. For a fifth installment to be breaking records is pretty incredible."

He also predicts the movie to quickly rise to the $100 million mark over the weekend.

Last night, Daniel Radcliffe appeared on Larry King Live on CNN. He talked about filming Order of the Phoenix and how doing the first three Harry Potter films have changed his perception on doing all seven movies. You can watch this interview on CNN.

He was also on Conan. Watch part one and part two.

Emma Watson also appeared on Late Show with David Letterman last night. She also talked about OOTP and how she got the part of "Hermione." You can watch some of this video here.

Midnight screenings for the Order of the Phoenix film took place across the US today, raking in a total of $12 million. The screenings took place in 2,311 theaters. The film opened this morning in 4,285 theaters, the second-widest ever trailing only Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (4,362).

We can expect huge box office takings for the film in the next five days.

A new interview has emerged with Arthur Levine, the editor of the American editions of the Harry Potter books. Here's an excerpt:

"I'm not her [Rowling] collaborator. I'm just the stand-in for the reader," he explains. She doesn't need him to shape her story. His job -- along with Rowling's British editor, Bloomsbury's Emma Matthewson -- is to say, "This is how I reacted."

Sometimes, he would say, "I do not know what's going on here," and Rowling would say, "I didn't want you to have that reaction at this point, so I think I'm going to move some information."

At other times, when he asked about something in one of the earlier volumes, she would say, "That's a good question. I'm okay with your wondering that here. I will answer that in Book 5."

As many of you know or have read, Darfur, in the Sudan region of Africa, is currently under a horrendous regime of genocide and brutality. It's allowed to continue for many reasons, a chief one among them being the willingness of leaders to do nothing about it. That's where Harry Potter fans come in.

As we approach the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and fans around the world come together to celebrate, fans are yet again teaming up to make a difference. We're asking you to join in the effort today. The Harry Potter Alliance is an unofficial group that encourages fans to use the messages in the Harry Potter books to help make a difference in the world. And now there's a concrete way to do just that. Through the Harry Potter Alliance, Harry Potter webmasters are helping fans educate, inform and act to end the suffering.

The fifth Harry Potter movie, Order of the Phoenix, was officially released today in the United States. With only two movies remaining and just one book left, these are truly moments to savour.

Be sure to comment in this post on what you think of the movie!

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After over two years of being on a "temporary site," MuggleNet Interactive has finally opened the doors to its brand new site. Complete with Galleons and shopping in Diagon Alley as well as other things from the old site and some brand new features never seen before. It's terrific fun so check it out! MNI is ready to begin and registration is now activated again!

I'd like to offer a huge thanks to the MNI staff for their toil with getting the new site up and running. Keep your eyes peeled for exciting new features in the near future.

Yesterday at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson were honored at the "Hand, Foot, and Wand" ceremony. The trio had their hands, feet, and even wands pressed into the cement at the theatre's forecourt. Check out a video of this here.

In a new interview with Helena Bonham Carter, the actress talks about her role as Bellatrix Lestrange in the Order of the Phoenix film. She also briefly mentioned the following: "JK Rowling sent a message saying she's [Bellatrix] going to be very significant in the last one."

Our video coverage from the Order of the Phoenix US premiere is now online! Check out interviews with the cast and crew of the fifth film, hosted by Emerson and filmed by this news poster. Enjoy questions posed to Dan Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Imelda Staunton, David Heyman, David Yates, and more!

Watch the video at this link (Apple's Quicktime software required). Enjoy!

A day before its release, the entire Order of the Phoenix soundtrack is now available for listening online. AOL music has this streaming audio and says "the brilliant score for the latest Potter installment is filled with rebellion and enchantment." Take a listen!

Today at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California, a day after the US Order of the Phoenix premiere, Dan, Emma, and Rupert were honored at the "Hand, Foot, and Wand" ceremony. The trio had their hands, feet, and even wands impressed into the cement at the theatre's forecourt. You can find some pictures in our gallery.

In a new interview with OOTP director David Yates and Potter producer David Heyman, they discuss briefly how they plan to adapt the Half-Blood Prince book.

Yates: It's about the kind of emotional and sexual politics of being a teenager. It's a very different swing, the next film. I think it needs to be for the series to keep evolving. In my work, every choice I've made I've always gone for something in the neurotically opposite direction. Once I've finished something, I've stayed keen to stay fresh as a story teller to try something different. The "Potter" world is so rich. They're so many things to play with in that world that it's possible to regear so the next one will be very different I think.

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Emerson and I just wrapped up covering the Order of the Phoenix US premiere here in Los Angeles, California, and we have some great video coming for everyone! Some highlights:

- Emerson revs up the huge crowd with MuggleNet chants that matched cheers for the stars.
- David Heyman recognizes MuggleNet and the service the site has done for the crew. (David, you rock!)
- Imelda Staunton clears her throat especially for the site.
- Chris Rankin makes a bet with Emerson over Harry's death.
- Dan and Rupert decide who would win in a fight against each other.

Full video interviews, as well as pictures, are coming soon! Stay tuned.

UPDATE: You can now see a bunch of photos from the red carpet HERE.

UPDATE 2: Our video coverage from the US OOTP premiere is now online! Watch it right here.

Evanna Lynch (Luna Lovegood) today attended the Irish premiere of the Order of the Phoenix movie in Dublin. Devon Murray (Seamus Finnigan) and Brendan Gleeson (Mad-Eye Moody) were previously expected to attend but were unable to make it.

Check out some photos of Evanna at the event here, wearing a white dress decorated with phoenix-colored garments and phoenix earrings.

Later today, the cast and crew of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix will be arriving at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in California for the US premiere. Two live webcams will be online for public viewing. MuggleNet will be in attendance and will provide a report as the premiere happens. Keep checking MuggleNet for updates on this premiere.

G4TV will air a one-hour Harry Potter special tomorrow at 5 PM EST. On the plate are exclusive interviews with the cast and crew of the fifth film, behind-the-scenes footage, red carpet coverage from today's LA premiere, and brand new clips from the film.

If you'll be in the LA area tomorrow for the Order of the Phoenix US premiere, make sure you come to our live podcast Monday at the Borders of Westwood. The show will start at 5 PM, costs nothing to attend, and all are welcome! We'll be having a good time discussing the movies, the stars, and whatever is on your mind.

We ask that if you plan on coming, please RSVP by e-mailing hplive at gmail dot com with how many people you plan on bringing.

The address of the store is:

Borders Books and Music
1360 Westwood Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90024

We hope to see you there!

The Sun is reporting a JK Rowling documentary that will debut this winter. RDF Media was given "unprecedented access" to film her life during the last year, the time she was writing Deathly Hallows. The documentary is scheduled to be broadcast on ITV1 as a special sometime before Christmas.

A new audio interview with the Order of the Phoenix soundtrack composer Nicholas Hooper was conducted by ScoreNotes.com. Hooper admits himself that he is a fan of the books and is "completely hooked" and that it brought his wife and him together. He talks about how he felt about being involved with the films after two other composers and how he felt about picking up the series in the fifth movie:

"It could have been difficult, but because of David's [Yates] help and the fact that he so much knew what the kind of music he'd want, that made a huge difference. Following John Williams is always a bit forbidding really, because he is such a great composer, but at least I had his theme to work with which I enjoyed doing too and I think just working from the base, working with David so well, and the fact that I knew the books so well, I had a lot going for it really."

The soundtrack will be released July 10th in the US.

The first part of JK Rowling on the Jonathan Ross show is now online. In the interview, the author discusses how and why she chose her pen name, her plans after Harry Potter, and the number of deaths that will be present in the last installation of the series, Deathly Hallows. We will have the second part of this interview online shortly!

Edit: The second part of the interview is now online here.

Please note: The video contains some mature dialogue and content that may not be suitable for younger audiences.

Interviews with Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson were shown on Richard & Judy today, and a video of this is now online here.

Author Stephen King has written a column for EW about the end of the Harry Potter series.

When it comes to Harry, part of me — a fairly large part, actually — can hardly bear to say goodbye. I’d guess that J.K. Rowling feels the same, although I’d also guess those feelings are mingled with the relief of knowing that the work is finally done, for better or worse.

My advice to families containing Harry Potter readers: Stock up on the Kleenex. You’re gonna need it. It’s all made worse by one unavoidable fact: It’s not just Harry. It’s time to say goodbye to the whole cast, from Moaning Myrtle to Scabbers the rat (a.k.a. Wormtail). Which leads to an interesting question — will the final volume satisfy Harry’s longtime (and very devoted) readers?

An interview with Daniel Radcliffe was conducted with TodayShow.com. He talked about Order of the Phoenix and what he thought would happen to Harry in the final book.

"I think I might die in it, but that’s just my prediction. I think so, but I’ve no idea at all; I have no inside hints."

The trio has a number of appearances planned throughout the upcoming week. On July 7th and the 14th, Dan, Emma, and Rupert will appear on Pogo TV in India. Interviews with the trio will also be shown on the Reelz Channel on Sunday, July 8th. July 9th Dan will be on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and along with Emma and Rupert will be on MTV's TRL. On July 11th he will appear on Larry King Live and Late Night with Conan O'Brien. On July 12th, Emma Watson will be a guest on the Live with Regis and Kelly show. Also on July 12th, the trio will make an appearance on The Sauce on the Fuse channel.

If you capture any of these TV spots, please email us at tips at staff dot mugglenet dot com.

The BBC has posted some more details on JK Rowling's interview with Jonathan Ross, which was recorded yesterday but which will air tonight.

When asked about whether "scar" was the last word in the book as had been reported, she said: "Scar? It was so for ages, and now it's not. Scar is quite near the end, but it's not the last word."

She also talked about Dan, Rupert, and Emma: "It's a weird relationship. It's a peculiar feeling, parental, and yet there's this place where you're inhabiting the same characters... strangely intense from my point of view... to keep it all British has been a hell of an achievement."

This Saturday, ITV1 will broadcast "Harry Potter: Behind the Magic" at 7:30 PM. The show will feature interviews with the cast, as well as a behind-the-scenes look at how the latest film was made. Two previews of this are now online, and can be seen here.

An interview with JK Rowling is set to appear on the Jonathan Ross show which begins tonight at 10:35 on BBC One. The Telegraph has posted a preview of this interview (which was recorded yesterday), where they quote her as saying:

"Finishing the book is a relief. I can't think of anyone who could know how I felt. Actually finishing it was the most remarkable feeling I've ever had... [I felt] euphoria, devastated, when I finished one chapter near the end I absolutely howled, it had been planned for so long.

"I was in a hotel room on my own, sobbing my heart out. I downed half a bottle of champagne in one and went home with mascara all over my face. It was really tough."

We'll have a video of this interview online shortly after it airs, so stay tuned to MuggleNet tonight!

The Canadian publisher Raincoast has announced their winner for the "JK Rowling and the Moonlight Signing" event. Congratulations to nine-year-old Matthew Pincin who will fly out to London to meet the author of the Harry Potter series. Matthew was quoted as saying, "I love reading Harry Potter because I enjoy all his adventures and wish that I had a pet owl and could go to a school like Hogwarts."

Emma Watson has launched her official website. It features news, a biography, a gallery, and more.

There are two new Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix clips online now: one at Yahoo!, the other at AOL.

The seventh and final question in the lead-up to the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows has been asked by Scholastic. What are the Deathly Hallows? Readers can answer:

1) We'll find out right away.
2) We'll find out in the middle.
3) We'll find out at the end.

ABC Family kicks off the countdown to the premiere of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix with a weekend "filled with wizardry." Watch the first three Harry Potter films and an exclusive sneak peek at the new film on ABC Family July 6th, 7th, and 8th. Click here for more info.

The French premiere for Order of the Phoenix was held earlier today in Paris. Both Emma Watson and Rupert Grint were in attendance as well as director David Yates. You can find some of the photos from this event in our gallery.

Last night, HBO aired a 13-minute "first look" at the Order of the Phoenix film. It features interviews with the cast and crew as well as tons of new footage. Click here to see it.

The European premiere of the Order of the Phoenix film has just concluded in London, and the stars are currently viewing the film in the Odeon cinema. Stay tuned to this post for complete coverage on the event.

Pictures HERE - will be updated continually.

Sky News has some interviews with the cast, and one with JK Rowling. She talks about how she's glad she stayed on track and managed to finish Book 7, but also that she feels slightly bereft.

BBC News also spoke to Jo where she said she's "looking forward to going on holiday," and to Daniel Radcliffe, who said, "Toward the end there's not many laughs to be had. While there's not actually direct comedy, there's some really heartfelt emotion." Click here to watch BBC's interview with Dan.

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MSN.com has an exclusive clip from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. This new clip shows Bellatrix Lestrange and other Death Eaters as they make their escape from Azkaban.

Remember that tonight at 8:45 PM eastern time HBO will be showing their 15-minute program, "HBO First Look: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix."

The London premiere of the fifth Harry Potter film is taking place today. A live webcast of the event will begin at 5:00 BST here. MuggleNet will be attending this premiere and will keep you updated on how it went!

In a new interview, Harry Potter movie producer David Heyman discusses the Order of the Phoenix as well as the sixth film, saying:

“We’re working on the script. We’re working on the storyboards. We’re working on designs, but it’s early days."

He also briefly spoke about Deathly Hallows.

“I’m sure I’ll be a little sad when it’s all over, but I don’t know what happens. I have my thoughts, but I’m sure everybody has a theory. I can’t wait to read the end, to read the last chapter, because while it’s book seven it’s one saga.”

Yep, we go there this week. For anyone new to MuggleCast, it's basically a fun Harry Potter talk show that anyone can listen to. In this week's episode of our Harry Potter podcast, a blooper at the end of the show is the subject of much controversy. Is it just too far? Jamie, Laura, Eric, Micah and I also discuss several things actually relating to Harry Potter:

- We announce our Deathly Hallows plans!
- Draco the Dragon?
- Why did Jo decide to keep Kreacher in the films?
- Have the acting skills of the Trio declined in movie?
- Just who was Bellatrix talking about in the Ministry of Magic?
- Does Lucius have some more "items" at his mansion that may be of use to Harry?
- Voicemails return.
- Dueling Club...comedy style.
- Make the Connection.

To download, we recommend subscribing (for free) in iTunes. That way, each episode will automatically be downloaded to your computer. You can also find direct download links and additional shownotes right here. Enjoy!

With only a few hours left to go until the London premiere of Order of the Phoenix, several fans have lined up in Leicester Square anxiously awaiting the big event! MuggleNet was there earlier tonight and took several photos of fans sleeping overnight in the rain. You can see them here in our gallery.

The theme for the premiere is the Ministry of Magic. Fireplaces are in the square, but we do not yet know if they'll be used for anything other than scenery. Many many more pics and video to come from the premiere tomorrow!

A wax figure of Daniel Radcliffe is now featured in London's legendary wax museum, Madame Tussauds. A spokesman for the museum said:

"With his 18th birthday around the corner and stage roles like Equus under his belt, Daniel has become a young British acting force to be reckoned with."

You can see some pics of the figure here.

Worldwide, Amazon has collected an astounding 1.6 million pre-orders for Deathly Hallows, eclipsing the previous record of 1.5m for Half-Blood Prince.

“We are thrilled to offer our customers a low, low price for ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows’ plus Saturday delivery at no extra charge,” said Greg Greeley, vice president of books at Amazon.com. “As a show of gratitude to our customers, we are giving every customer who pre-orders ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows’ before July 21 a $5 Amazon.com promotional certificate to use on a future purchase in the month of August.”

Let's get that figure higher - pre-order your copy of Book 7 now!

Evanna Lynch (Luna Lovegood) has done a new interview with the NY Post where she discusses landing the coveted role, some of her theories on the books, and more.

As a fan, are you a shipper? Who do you like?
I ship all the normal ones - Ginny/Harry, Ron/Hermione, blah blah blah. But I do have a strange one, which is Luna/Dumbledore. I think they would be quite perfect. They're both so detached, so otherworldly and so comfortable with themselves and they have this uncommon fearlessness of death. They also both have quirky hobbies and deep minds and I can see them getting along a storm. I don't see this ship sailing, of course. It's just one which I think could have had potential, aided along by a time-turner.

Also, Emma Watson did an interview with The Sydney Morning Herald where she talks about kissing Ron in the sixth film:

"Kissing Rupert's going to be sooo awkward," Watson says, screwing up her cute rosy-cheeked face. "I'm trying not to think about it...it's all part of the job I guess. Don't tell him I said that. Rupert's lovely. Girls would probably give their left arm to be in my position, so I'm certainly not complaining."

Daniel, Rupert, and Emma recently appeared on the Australian show "60 minutes," and a transcript of this interview can be read here. On being a celebrity, Emma had this to say:

"Everywhere I go people stop me, recognise me. I mean, I don't know quite how to explain it. It's just completely turned my life upside down so, yeah, just — you just have to kind of adapt, I guess."

Scotland on Sunday has posted a new interview with Cho Chang actress Katie Leung where she discusses how playing the role has changed her, what she'd like to do post-Harry Potter, and the infamous kiss with Daniel: "[It was] not a particularly sexy or exciting kiss - it's very sweet and very clumsy, like all first kisses are. Especially since in reality, Daniel and I were a bit nervous and got a little giggly having to do it again and again."

The paper also has a report from the film's set, featuring interviews with some of the stars.