Why J.K. Rowling Shouldn’t Divulge Any More Information About the “Harry Potter” Series
Ever since the creation of Pottermore, there has been one question stirring among fans around the world: Is Pottermore canon or non-canon?
We have debated things such as this on MuggleNet before—some of our staff members believe that canon is only what occurred in the series, Books 1-7. However, others believe that anything JKR says that does not contradict the original seven books is canon. Personally, I believe the former—canon is what only occurs in the seven-book series.
However, the point of this article isn’t to argue whether or not JKR’s extra information is canon or not. My point is to discuss why I think that JKR shouldn’t divulge any more information on the Harry Potter series.
Recently, JKR has released new information regarding the Harry Potter series. She informed eager fans of James Sirius Potter’s first day at Hogwarts and that he was sorted into Gryffindor House. She also informed us that Teddy Lupin was in Hufflepuff House and was Head Boy. Recent news about Pottermore also tells us that the site will now focus on a “wider wizarding world” that encompasses the tidbits of information that JKR has released since the final book of the series.
Why? Is it necessary for fans to know this extra information constantly provided by JKR? My answer is no, it’s not necessary for fans to know. Here’s why.
Being part of the Potter fandom, many fellow Potter fans were ecstatic when Pottermore was created. They were desperate to know the background information that had never been revealed during any of the books, they were excited to learn more about characters that hadn’t been as prevalent, and overall, they wanted to read more Harry Potter. These same fans became even more excited when JKR became active on Twitter and regularly shared information that she’d kept secret regarding the Harry Potter series for years.
I was never one of those people.
Many people say that their relationship with Pottermore is a love/hate one. However, mine is one of indifference, border lining hatred. I only used Pottermore to discover which of the four Houses I was in. I don’t recall what my wand was or whether or not I chose an owl, a cat, or a toad. I follow JKR on Twitter, but I do not search for exclusive information about the Harry Potter series.
Why? Because personally, I believe that we don’t need any more information on the Harry Potter series. We don’t need any background information. We don’t need to know about the main character’s children. We don’t need to have the gaps filled that were never explained during the seven books.
Being a reader and a writer, I like to believe that I have an active imagination. Whenever I become obsessed with a certain thing—whether it is a TV series, a set of books, or even a film—I love to imagine another world and different scenarios than what was presented to me. Being part of the Potter fandom, I’ve always enjoyed creating alternate realities, imagining things differently than what they were, and putting together certain theories about the series as a whole. To do this, I never required any extra information. The information that was presented to me during Books 1-7 was enough to fill my imagination with endless possibilities.
I believe by giving us so much extra information that wasn’t in the books, we have less room to create things of our own, such as fan fictions and theories. We have less liberties to debate with others what we believe could be the force behind a certain character’s actions or what could happen in the future. As JKR gives us more and more information, it gives us less and less to imagine ourselves.
Am I saying that JKR needs to let the Harry Potter series go? Absolutely not! It’s quite obvious that we, here at MuggleNet, will never be able to let it go, and neither should JKR. It was the biggest part of her life for many years, and I know that it’ll always be a huge part of her heart. I know that it’s not possible to let the series go, and nor would I want her to.
However, I am saying that we don’t need any excess information. As fans, we need to be allowed to have creative liberties. We need the chance to formulate our own theories, have our own speculations, and have fun with the world that JKR gave us. By allowing us the freedom to speculate the background information, the missing details, and what happens next, we’re keeping the Harry Potter series alive.
I fear that if JKR keeps providing us with information about the series that was never discussed before, it’ll eventually create inconsistencies with the original series that we all hold very dear to our hearts. I fear that we’ll eventually have nothing left to speculate, which will lead to the declination of our sense of wonder about Harry’s world. I fear that by giving us too much information, we’ll lose the magic that we originally held during the series.
JKR should never let go of the Harry Potter series, and neither should we. We just need to be allowed to imagine things on our own. Sometimes, less information is more.
What do you think? Should JKR allow fans of the Harry Potter series to imagine things, or do you want her to keep divulging information about the series? Let’s discuss in comments!
