Kathy Baites introduced JKR for her second appearance in New York City, at Radio City Music Hall’s “An Evening with Harry, Carry and Garp.” Speaking with fervor about the Harry Potter series, Baites praised Rowling for having “lured [children] away from screens into the quiet of their rooms to a place where Google does go,” a message reiterated throughout the night.

As Joanne Rowling took her spot in the middle of Radio City Music Hall’s stage for her reading in “An Evening with Harry, Carry and Garp” for the second night, looking over at my mother, my companion for this amazing event, I noted that she was almost in tears. Emotion teemed from the crowd as JKR settled into her throne-like chair on the Great Hall-esque bit of set created for her.

Again, JK read the excerpt from Half Blood Prince in which Dumbledore and Harry relive the memory of Dumbledore’s visit to the orphanage to inform the 11-year-old Tom Riddle that he is a wizard through the Pensieve. She then fielded pre-selected questions. The first question was a straightforward yet interesting query, asking which of your characters would JK most like to bring to life. Although he might prove to be a liability, Jo decided that she’d most like to have Hagrid brought out of the realm of the Potterverse and into reality because “we’d all like a Hagrid in our life.”

The second question was asked by a more erudite reader. Making inferences and conjectures, the asker pointed to Aunt Petunia’s surprise upon learning from Dumbledore that Harry would return to her house only once more. Remaining ever enigmatic, JK replied simply that there’s more to Aunt Petunia “than meets the eye,” and that we’ll just have to wait until book seven to find out more.

Next, Jo’s composure was surely tried by a cherubic nine-year-old boy who asked almost painfully how Dumbledore could possibly be dead, pointing to Harry’s unflappable loyalty, and Dumbledore’s status as the most powerful wizard in the world. A visibly moved Rowling sadly replied that writer Graham Green once said that every writer needs to have a chip of ice in their hearts, although “you may have just ruined my career!” Sadly she added “don’t expect Dumbledore to do a Gandalf.”

Then a reader brought up Snape. A rather notable reader, as at the microphone now was Salman Rushdie, author of The Satanic Verses. He spoke of how Severus Snape had always been unlikable, but still one of the good guys. However, now, he seems bad although we don’t really want to believe it, because Snape’s wickedness would indicate that Dumbledore is dead. Finally the question ended in: is Snape good or bad? At this point, JKR, more heartened now that we wasn’t facing an adorable third grader declared forcefully that “Dumbledore is DEFINITELY dead.” She suggested that we all must move through the five stages of grief, but should perhaps stop before anger.

Then, Soledad O’Brian entered the stage with the other two writers of the night, John Irving and Stephen King, to moderate the next questions. The next person paid tribute to Rowling for attracting students to reading. Upon hearing that this questioner was a librarian, JK quickly apologized for Madam Pince, but explained that if she’d invented a nice Hogwarts librarian, the books would be considerably shorter and Hermione would have much less to do.

The question was about what Rowling has in store for her post-Potter life; a shorter mercifully children’s book, but she will need a mourning period after Harry.

When Stephen King was asked what scared him, he named the Death Eaters among the list. Jo Rowling said in awe “I scared Stephen King!” and he responded “I hope you’re proud of yourself!”

JK was then asked what the one question her fans have never asked but should have. Although she admitted that a few questions leapt to mind, they would all ruin the end of book seven, which would “throw 16 years [of work] away.” JKR did disclose however that she had just today changed the title of book seven while in the shower.

The next question was a fascinating one: if you were to have dinner with any five characters of any of your books, who would it be? Immediately Rowling said “Harry… to apologize to him.” Which solicited gasps and screams of “no!” from the audience. She then added that she would have Ron and Hermione. Here she paused saying “but I know who’s dead!” In my opinion, the fact that Ron and Hermione made the cut before this declaration bodes well for our favorite side-kicks. She then decided she would have Dumbledore at her dinner party, and joked that she would host Hagrid “because he wouldn’t take up too much space.”

Written by Kate.

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