This week's episode of our Harry Potter podcast is now online! We discuss the penultimate chapter of Deathly Hallows, Make the Music Connection, and much more. Including:

- Only a couple of news stories to discuss this week!
- We announce a MuggleCast Meet Up at Portus 2008.
- Listen Rebuttals: Snape's Memories, Wizard Drinking Age, and the Classics.
- Chapter by Chapter: King's Cross.
- Are there any other places that could've worked?
- We recall the Order of the Phoenix book teaser. And cry.
- The final words of Albus.
- Voicemails, Favorites, and Chicken Soup.

All that and much more can be found on Episode 151! 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!

Anticipation has been high for the Half-Blood Prince teaser trailer, which is long overdue in comparison to the Goblet of Fire and Order of the Phoenix releases.

According to our latest poll, 50% of you believe that the trailer will be released with WB's The Dark Knight. That now looks more likely than ever, with this tip coming in from MuggleNet reader Taylor:

I work at a movie theatre in San Francisco and we recently received our official word on print delivery for our IMAX print of Dark Knight. In the e-mail giving us the date of arrival they added that we could expect our Half Blood Prince trailer for that print to arrive two days after- over a week prior to the 12:01 a.m. release of Dark Knight!! Yay!!

Please consider this a rumor until Warner Brothers gives us official word. We'll keep you updated!

Mark of the amazing wizard rock band Marked as His Equal has announced in his latest blog that he will be unable to attend and perform at Portus 2008 as scheduled due to being diagnosed with cancer and having to go in for further surgery.

Mark is confident that the cancer will not be fatal, though he needs to have several lymph nodes removed as a precaution. Further details can be found in his blog. Please leave him comments, love, and well-wishes on MySpace!

The town of Edinburgh, known to fans as where JK Rowling has lived and wrote the Potter novels, will bestow a prestigious Edinburgh Award upon Jo at an upcoming ceremony. Said to be the most prestigious award since one given to Sean Connery in 1991, The Scotsman reports:

The city council's Edinburgh Award will also see Ms Rowling immortalised in a Hollywood-style "walk of fame" in the quadrangle outside the City Chambers, where she will leave her handprints.

Scotland's leading literary figures are expected at a gala dinner for the occasion.

A senior source at the city council said: "It should be a fantastic occasion. We're trying to ensure as many other Edinburgh people who have won major awards over the year will be there so they can share in the occasion."

Read the full story right here. Thanks to Jayme for the tip!

Thanks to MuggleNet reader Kevin for pointing out a sweet deal on Amazon: they're currently selling Deathly Hallows Deluxe Edition for 80% off it's regular $65.00 cost. Pick up a brand new copy, featuring full size chapter art and a special cover, for only $13.00!

We don't know how long this offer is going to last, (Amazon may be trying to clear out their inventory) so pick one up soon if you're interested!

Kotaku.com has made a blog post about their recent experience with the upcoming Half-Blood Prince video game for Nintendo Wii. Their preview talks about how the controls worked for a duel between Harry and Draco:

We faced off at either end of a long room, and you hold up the Wii remote to charge your wand for a powerful attack (leaving you undefended), or simply shake the remote in your opponent's direction to fire off a series of quick bursts.

You use the Nunchuk to move side to side, and swinging both Wii remote and Nunchuk across your body causes you to produce a deflection shield that can send your opponent's projectiles right back at him. Shaking both produces a special attack that can knock your opponent down or stun him.

Everyone's favorite house elf is celebrating their birthday today, according to JK Rowling's official website! Warm birthday wishes go out to the late Dobby, who we all hope is having a relaxing servant-less life on "the other side".

Additionally, Snitch Seeker informs us that the Links page on Jo's site has been updated. A new link to the VOLANT Charitable Trust, set up by Jo herself, benefits Multiple Sclerosis research and alleviates social deprivation.

Thanks to everyone who e-mailed with the tip!

Variety reports today that Warner Brothers has previewed some clips from Half-Blood Prince at the 2008 Cine Expo in Amsterdam:

To the disappointment of some delegates, there was only a brief piece of footage shown from “Half-Blood Prince” as part of a past/future “Harry Potter” montage.

But the mood lightened when Kwan-Rubinek reminded bookers that the “Harry Potter” franchise has taken a whopping $4.48 billion worldwide to date.

Hopefully this is a good sign for us Potter fans that we'll be seeing something good soon. Thanks to those who e-mailed with the tip!

The actor who plays Lucius Malfoy in the Potter films has given a new interview to ComingSoon.net, who asks him lots of questions about his role in the Potter franchise! Of particular interest, he talks about how he plead with Jo to free his character in Deathly Hallows:

CS: What was it like to pick up the final "Harry Potter" book when it came out and not know what was in there, especially for you?

Isaacs: I'm not quite strong enough to pick up a book of that weight. I had a couple of people to help me, and a winch. The secret can be out now. Before it came out I wasn't quite sure – there was a point where I wasn't sure I was going to do anymore because there wasn't much for me to do in number five and I wasn't in number six. I met Jo Rowling for the first time at a big awards dinner. I went over and basically fell to my knees and said "Get me out of prison, I beg you." She looked over her shoulder and looked back at me mouthing "You're out. Chapter One." And that was it, that's all I had to know, and I signed up immediately.

Read the full post right here! Thanks to Spencer and Matt for the tip.

As we mentioned a few weeks ago, 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!

Emma Watson has added another journal entry on her official website, where she reveals that she has completed her A-Level exams:

Difficult to say how I've done and like the rest of the country I won't find out for several weeks. But I can hand on heart say I've barely left my room these past few weeks and totally given it my all and that's the main thing. And now I've got a million things to catch up on, people to see, letters to write and mostly importantly, a summer to enjoy!

Thanks to Mason for the tip!

This week's episode of our Harry Potter podcast, now at a milestone, is online! Join Laura, Micah, Matt and I for a great discussion on the latest Chapter in our Deathly Hallows series, a look back at some of the best MuggleCast moments, and much more! Including:

- Two people on the panel cried while reading this chapter.
- We discuss Harry's thoughts on death, his decision to tell Neville about Nagini, and the resurrection stone.
- A connection between Harry walking with his parents and Narnia.
- Did we think Harry was a goner at the end of this chapter?
- Make the Music Connection returns with some currently hot songs.
- Chicken Soup: Canine Edition.

All that and much more can be found on Episode 150! 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!

Warner Brothers has passed along to Snitch Seeker thirty international release dates for Half-Blood Prince:

Nov. 19
Belgium, Egypt

Nov. 20
Germany, Greece, Holland, Israel, Portugal, Russia, Switz (German), Ukraine, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico

Nov. 21
Austria, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Italy, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Turkey, UK, India, Indonesia, Japan, Brazil, Colombia, Panama

Nov. 26
France, Switz (French)

Nov. 27
Croatia, Czech Rep, Lebanon, Middle East-other, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Bolivia

Nov. 28
Bulgaria, Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Spain, Uruguay, Venezuela

Dec. 5
South Africa

Dec. 11
Australia, New Zealand

Dec. 18
Hong Kong, Korea

Today marks five years since Order of the Phoenix was released around the world. Do you remember the headlines? OOTP became the fastest selling book ever. Amazon made history with their book deliveries. And who could forget all of those misprinted copies!

What other memories do you have from the Order of the Phoenix release? Sound off in the comments!

Entertainment Weekly magazine has released their 1,000th issue, marking the occasion by creating a list of 1,000 new classics. JK Rowling was named the top Favorite Author, while Goblet of Fire was listed as the number two best read between 1983 and 2008.

Additionally, the cover includes Dan Radcliffe front and center from Goblet of Fire. Standing behind him are notable 'new classics' such as Bono, Johnny Depp, Beyonce, and Will Smith. Thanks to Kris for the tip!

EDIT: Lissette also points out to us that Cedric Diggory's death is listed in the 25 Classic Death Scenes.

EDIT 2: Mary GrandPre's Sorcerer's Stone cover is #20 of the top 25 Classic Covers. Thanks, Chelsea!

The Associated Press released a story today about Wizard Rock! Titled “Harry Potter devotees put wizard tales to music,” the article details the Wizard Rock phenomenon, pointing out the distinct fashion, the library shows, and the weekend-long Wrockstock festival.

Including statements from Matt of The Whomping Willows, Abby Hupp (director-extraordinaire of Wrockstock), and Harry Potter Alliance founder Andrew Slack, this story can be read on the Yahoo! News site.

The other day we told you about the rumor of a mini movie being created by the Potter actors for the Wizarding World theme park.

Today, Warner Brothers responded to our inquiry with the following statement, which appears to also come from Universal:

J.K. Rowling continues to be very supportive and involved with the plans underway for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park at Universal's Islands of Adventure in Orlando, Florida.

Contrary to recent press reports, she has not written scripts for any films based on the Harry Potter 'prequel' (recently written and sold for charity) or otherwise, as part of the theme park or any other purpose.

We are working hard to make The Wizarding World of Harry Potter an exciting and authentic experience for all fans and guests. For more information about the park, please visit unversalorlando.com/harrypotter/.

This statement does not necessarily deny the possibility of special videos for the park, so we'll continue to keep you updated! In the mean time, check out all we have on the theme park here!

UPDATE: This rumor is apparently false although no official word is being given from Chanel. We will update you as information becomes available.

According to the U.K.'s Daily Mail, Chanel will announce next month that the 18-year-old actress will be hired to promote the popular Chanel fragrance Coco Mademoiselle. Watson has reportedly signed a two-year contract worth $6 million and will replace British actress Keira Knightley. A source says that "Emma has been excitedly telling friends that she is going to be taking over from Keira."

Earlier we mentioned about rumors pertaining JK Rowling and the new story she has written that is set to become part of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter when it opens in late 2009 or early 2010.

MTV now has an article where it speculates on the rumor that a mini movie will be developed, with the help of JK Rowling, as part of the new themed land at Universal Studios in Orlando. In the article, Warner Bros. officials state, "We’re working hard to make the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando Resort an exciting and authentic experience for our guests — but we’re not ready to talk about its development."

However, the article does point out that the likelihood of a story being penned for the Potter theme park is very high since most themed rides or lands almost always include mini-movies.

We'll keep you updated on any further developments regarding this rumor.

Electronic Arts Russian website has been updated with a new photo from the Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince video game. The photo depicts Harry staring into the pensieve with Dumbledore looking over his shoulder.

An official press released by EA back in April stated that the video game is set to be released sometime later this year, most likley around the release of the sixth film. Thanks to Leaky for the tip!

Actors Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter) and Richard Griffiths (Vernon Dursley) presented the award for Best Play last night at the 62nd annual Tony Awards. You can check out a video of the award presentation here and Dan's red carpet interview before the show here.

Both will be starring in Equus on Broadway this fall. Thanks to everyone who sent this in!

This week's episode of our Harry Potter podcast is now online and ready for your listening pleasure! Join Matt, Laura, Micah and I for a rousing discussion of the latest Deathly Hallows chapter in our series. Plus:

- We review JK Rowling's Potter Prequel.
- Or wait... can we even call it a prequel?
- Our 150th episode is next week and we have to celebrate!
- Andrew compares Voldemort's midnight request to his one hour request.
- The sudden change of mood within Hogwarts is striking.
- Did Lupin and Tonks deserve a death scene?
- Snape's Memories and their impact.

All that and much more can be found on Episode 149! 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!

The Sunday Mirror reported earlier today that Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling has written a story that is set to become a mini-movie used at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter when it opens in late 2009 or early 2010.

Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint are said to shoot the mini-movie prior to initial filming of Deathly Hallows. The article stated:

"They are also working on extra sequences and clips which will be part of the rides."

Rowling has reportedly been involved throughout the process. Please treat this as a rumor for now as The Mirror is not the most reliable news source.

For those of you sports fans out there who are hoping the Los Angeles Lakers can magically rally from a 3-1 game deficit to beat the Boston Celtics, may take solace in the fact that Lakers guard Kobe Bryant has turned to Harry Potter for help.

Bryant read five chapters to his daughters to "help cast a spell of forgetfulness" after blowing a 24-point lead on Thursday night. Bryant was quoted as saying:

"He had more problems with Voldemort than we have dealing with the media after a loss."

If you decide you want to see if the reading paid off, Game 5 of the NBA Finals is tonight at 9 p.m. ET on ABC. Thanks to Jessica for sending this in!

Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, J.K. Rowling and Order of the Phoenix have all been nominated for SyFy Genre Awards. Radcliffe is in the running for Best Actor, Watson for Best Actress (up against Potter co-star Helena Bonham Carter for her role in "Sweeney Todd") and Order of the Phoenix for Best Movie.

J.K. Rowling got the nod for the Gene Roddenberry Lifetime Achievement Award. The nominees are all writers for the first time ever, and only one of them is still alive. Others in contention include: Douglas Adams, Arthur C. Clarke, Gene L. Coon and H.G. Wells.

Voting begins June 25th on SyFy Portal and lasts a month. Winners will be announced in early August. We will post the link for voting as soon as it becomes available.

Thanks to GuillerminaLynn for sending this in!

Last month at Wrockstock 2008 (the weekend-long Wizard Rock festival), Andrew Slack of the Harry Potter Alliance announced a brand new project that has now been officially launched: Wizard Rock the Vote!

The HPA and Wizard Rock community are seeking volunteers (two per event) to be present at every Wizard Rock concert across the nation to assist those in attendance to register to vote.

As the HPA website specifies, “It is our choices that make us who we are as individuals, it is also our choices that make us who we are as a society.” Find out how you can support this effort here.

Props used in the Harry Potter films will be part of an auction known as the Great British Movie Event. Money raised from this auction will support the National Film and Television School, where notable alums such as David Yates, director of the Potter films, attended. Aside from various other film props, an uncorrected proof of the first Harry Potter novel, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, signed by JK Rowling will also be auctioned off.

For more information on this event, go here.

Thanks for everyone who emailed this in!

Forbes has once again named JK Rowling one of the most powerful celebrities. She comes in at number nine, after such stars as Oprah Winfrey, Tiger Woods, and Johnny Depp. Forbes writes:

It was wizardry that transformed J.K. Rowling from a destitute single mother on welfare into a best-selling billionaire. Her adventures of teenage magician Harry Potter and his classmates at Hogwarts became a children's literary sensation in 1998 with the U.S. publication of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.

Read the full list of celebrities here and the entire write up about Jo here. Thanks to everyone who e-mailed with the tip!

Potterish has uncovered a new photo from Half-Blood Prince. This time, it depicts Harry and Ginny embraced in a hug at (likely) The Burrow.

In other news, BlogHogwarts has an interview with Dean Mitchell, who will play a guest at Slughorn's party. They also received a picture of him in costume.

BH: How do you feel about being in a Harry Potter film?
DM: I'm extremely grateful to have appeared in a Harry Potter film and to be a small part of the Harry Potter legacy. We have a lot to thank J.K Rowling for and I feel truly blessed, honoured and lucky to have been in some of the best production around today.

Bloomberg has spoken with the winning bidder of JK Rowling's Harry Potter prequel. Having purchased it for nearly $50,000 at the charity auction, the winning bidder was Hira Digpal, president of a Tokyo-based investment-banking consulting company. Digpal had this to say about the win:

I told them, if it gets past my limit, call me -- wake me up,'' said Digpal, 36, a Briton who received the news that he'd won at 5:27 a.m. ``I was thinking of buying stocks, but the market's been very volatile. It's a good investment for when I kick the bucket in 30, 40, 50 years' time.

Thanks to Sam for the tip!

UPDATE: Some readers are saying they're having a hard time reading Jo's handwriting. If that is the case, click the "Read More..." link at the bottom of this post to read a typed version. Thanks, Jessica!

At long last, JK Rowling's Harry Potter prequel, which raised nearly $50,000 for charity, is now online! To view the works of Jo and 12 other authors, click here, then click "Read our authors' stories".

If you're having a problem viewing it on their site, you can see page one here and page two here. Enjoy!

EDIT: Sorry for the mistake. We were off by an hour. The story should appear online right here any moment now!

JK Rowling's Harry Potter Prequel is already starting to reveal itself in a couple of places. BBC's Lizo was at the charity auction and read a couple sentences of the story. You can watch that video at this link. Additionally, the AFP has a short summary of the story:

Her story is set three years before Harry Potter's birth, and features the youthful wizard's father, James, and series character Sirius Black.

The pair are confronted by two policemen after a high-speed motorcycle chase, and evade the authorities using their broomsticks and magic.

And finally, we now know that the story will be online at 6 AM London time, which is 1 AM EST/10 PM PST. We'll post a link here the moment it goes live!

Snitch Seeker was at the International Licensing Expo in New York City today and found an entire area dedicated to Half-Blood Prince. It held several promotional images, some of which we saw with the Harry Potter Yarn we told you about last month. The images from the Expo are below:

- Tonks casting a spell
- Lupin casting a spell
- A broom and several snow globes
- Draco and Snape
- Harry and Ron
- Harry and Dumbledore
- Full Half-Blood Prince banner
- Harry with film info
- Full Half-Blood Prince display
- Miscellaneous Merchandise
- More Miscellaneous Merchandise

Bloomberg is reporting that JK Rowling's Harry Potter prequel, telling a story of James Potter and Sirius Black, was won by a ghost bidder for 25,000 Pounds ($48,855):

Again, we'll let you know when the Prequel appears online tomorrow. Thanks to Caleb for the tip!

UPDATE 2: The article is up again, with a correction at the bottom.

The actor who has played Professor Flitwick in all of the Potter films recently spoke to MTV News. Davis speaks about the positive side of having Deathly Hallows split into two:

“I think that’s a good idea because when you try and squeeze these quite lengthy novels into a two-hour movie, a two-and a half hour film there is gonna be stuff that’s left out,” Davis enthused. “There’s so much in the last book, I think it’ll make two really good films. It’s worthy of that.”

The article incorrectly states that Davis played Griphook in Sorcerer's Stone; he was actually played by Vern Troyer. Davis played both a Gringotts bank teller and Flitwick in Sorcerer's Stone. Read the full entry here!

This week's episode of our Harry Potter podcast is now available! Join Laura, Matt, Mikey B and I for a great discussion on the latest chapter in our Deathly Hallows series, news talk, voicemails and much much more!

- We kick off the show with talk about our future.
- Harry Potter the MMORPG... would it be a success?
- MuggleMail address some cool foreshadowing.
- We discuss the effect of Fred's death on Harry.
- Why did Voldemort use the Shrieking Shack?
- McGonagall and her Beauty and the Beast magic.
- Sorting Hat: Laura Mallory... the squib?
- Chicken Soup for the MuggleCast Soul.

All that and much more can be found on Episode 148! 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!

Last night, the actor who plays Rubeus Hagrid in the Potter films was interviewed on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross. The big Potter fan that Ross is, he had to ask lots of questions about Potter.

Coltrane revealed that principal photography has finished on Half-Blood Prince, so now all that's left is editing and CGI. He also spoke about the secrets of being turned into Hagrid, where he mentions that "sadly" they don't need to bulk him up for the role.

We have a high quality video of Coltrane talking all about Potter. View it here on YouTube!

PHOTOS: Pictures from Jo's time at Harvard can now be viewed here in our gallery. Thanks to UniversHarryPotter!

AUDIO AND VIDEO: Both the audio and the video from today's commencement are now online!

As promised, Harvard University now has the transcript online from Jo's commencement speech. Jo kicked off her speech with a few jokes tailored to Potter fans and then went into some moving words of wisdom:

So today, I can wish you nothing better than similar friendships. And tomorrow, I hope that even if you remember not a single word of mine, you remember those of Seneca, another of those old Romans I met when I fled down the Classics corridor, in retreat from career ladders, in search of ancient wisdom:

As is a tale, so is life: not how long it is, but how good it is, is what matters.
I wish you all very good lives.

Thank you very much.

A video will be posted online shortly in case you missed it. Stay tuned!

UPDATE (4:10 PM EST): JK Rowling's speech has concluded! A video and transcript will be online here this evening.

Back in January we told you about JK Rowling speaking at Harvard's Commencement Ceremony, and today is the big day!

We also told you the other day that the speech will be streamed live online... it should start at 2:30 PM EST at this link, which is soon. The Hardvard Crimson has an article about Jo's visit, who is also receiving an honorary degree today:

Comparing Rowling to yesterday’s Class Day speaker, Federal Reserve Chair Ben S. Bernanke ’75, Professor Maria Tatar, who teaches a course on childhood, said she thinks Rowling will deliver “a witty, inspiring talk that steers clear of the subprime crisis and gas prices but will still engage with tough, real-world issues.”

Read the full story here!

Some of our UK readers may have been feeling a bit left out when we first told you about Order of the Phoenix and Chamber of Secrets being available in the US iTunes music store.

Yesterday, the UK iTunes store commenced sales of movie rentals, and Order of the Phoenix is included! We'll let you know when the other films appear.

Yesterday we told you about an e-mail from Warner Brothers concerning the possibility of a Harry Potter online game. We also reminded you that there was one being developed by EA several years ago until it was cancelled.

Today, Snitch Seeker has confirmed to us the source of the e-mail: Warner Brothers Vice President of Marketing Sandy Yi. She sent Snitch Seeker an e-mail similar to Pottersphere's:

The notion of creating a Harry Potter multi-player online role playing game is something that we've been discussing at Warner Bros. for a number of years and continue to explore. We are currently investigating the possibility of creating our own MMORPG but unfortunately do not have any further details to share at this time.

So, this DOES confirm that Warner Brothers is working on some sort of online Potter game that could be similar to games like World of Warcraft, The Sims Online, or Second Life. It's doubtful we'll hear any more about this for a while, but stay tuned!

PerezHilton.com reports today JK Rowling has filed a lawsuit against the publishers of London Star Map, which provides tourists with maps of where to find the private homes of stars.

Jo is understandably not happy to be one of the people on the star map and made this statement:

The sole aim of London Star Map is self-evidently to incite, encourage and enable members of the public to track down and locate the exact location of private residences of various recognisable "celebrities" so that they can visit those residences. I'm a very private individual who regards my family's privacy and safety as having paramount importance."

Thanks to Karla and Nick for the tip!

As it is now June 5th in England, JK Rowling's official website has been updated to wish Draco Malfoy a Happy Birthday!

Thanks to Gina and Bridgette for the tip!

MuggleNet reader Kime, who works at a movie theater in Orange City, Florida, has checked the trailer reels for Kung Fu Panda and Don't Mess with the Zohan. As it turns out, neither of them include the long-awaited Half-Blood Prince teaser trailer.

The majority of you who have voted in our poll believe that the trailer will come out with WB's The Dark Knight on July 11th. Second place goes to Get Smart on June 20th. We'll keep you updated when we hear more!

UPDATE: Warner Brother's head of video game PR tells us that this statement was never said by them, so treat this as a big rumor for now!

Recently, fan site Pottersphere inquired with Warner Brothers about creating a massively multiplayer online role playing game centered around Potter. The movie studio came back to them with this intriguing statement:

The notion of creating a Harry Potter massively multi-player role playing game (MMORPG) is something that we've been discussing at Warner Bros. At this current stage, we are investigating the possibility of creating our own MMORPG.

Some of you may remember that back in August 2005, we told you of a "Hogwarts Online" concept developed by New Pencil for EA Studios (the same company who has created all of the other Potter video games). We then learned that EA canceled the game "years" prior.

We'll let you know what Warner Brothers has to say. Thanks to Ali for the tip!

As reported back in January Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling will deliver the commencement speech at Harvard University this Thursday, June 5. You can watch the ceremony live or read a copy of the speech and watch an archived version of it here after the commencement's conclusion.

The speech will given sometime between 2:15 - 4:00 p.m. ET. If there is anyone who will be in attendance and can take some photos please let us know!

Thanks to Lorenda for sending this in!

Harry Potter's Page has found a new interview with the actress who will play Narcissa Malfoy in Half-Blood Prince. Conducted by BBC 4, she speaks about her upcoming role and the heavy security just around the wands. Page has a summary:

She said the wands are very interesting, as they're brought to her in a box, she uses it, and then she must put the wand back in the box. The box is then put into a safe. She said the costumes are fantastic, rather a 50s style.

You can listen to the whole interview at this link. Thanks to Lauren for the tip!

Last week we told you about the death of Half-Blood Prince actor Rob Knox, who tragically die during a fight in London.

It is now being reported that Dan Radcliffe, along with other unnamed Potter stars, will attend Rob Knox's funeral.

Knox had already filmed his part as Marcus Belby.

An article on Playbill today reveals that Equus stars Dan Radcliffe and Richard Griffiths will be presenters at the 2008 Tony Awards.

Their presence is likely to promote their upcoming Broadway production of Equus, which is to begin on September 25th. The Tonys will be broadcast on June 15th starting at 8 PM EST on CBS. Thanks to Gina for the tip!

Snitch Seeker has spoken with a representative for Emma Thompson, who informs them that we will not see any whimsical fortune telling in Half-Blood Prince.

The site also notes that she appears in two HBP book scenes: informing Harry of Draco's presence in the Room of Requirement and Snape having overheard the prophecy.

The latest leaked Half-Blood Prince photos are now online, but this time they're in higher quality and include the Warner Brothers and Harry Potter logos on 'em. Check out these new photos of the trio sitting around a bedroom in the Weasley house, and this photo of Snape staring down Draco as he walks away.

Additionally, two photos we told you about a couple weeks ago (1, 2) are now online in higher resolution. See Harry looking into a drawer and the trio sitting around in the common room. Thanks to Portkey.it for these!

After taking a week off, we're back with another episode of our Harry Potter podcast! We discuss Chapter 31 of DH in our Chapter by Chapter series, catch up on the latest news, and much more in this very fun episode!

- Ben returns to co-host an episode of the show!
- The press prints a misleading headline with the Rob Knox story.
- Is the Sorcerer's Stone re-release something to be excited about?
- Global Wear Your MuggleCast T-shirt Day is June 2nd!
- We discuss Voldemort's Midnight Ultimatum.
- Andrew thinks Voldemort is too cool for a symbolic Midnight request.
- Ben's Top 10 List.
- Chicken Soup for the MuggleCast Soul.
- Bloopers!

All that and much more can be found on Episode 147! 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!