There is a special place in heaven for J.K. Rowling, I swear on Merlin’s beard.
The author of the Harry Potter series that defined a generation released another short story on Pottermore, Rowling’s interactive website, in celebration of Halloween.
Once again, fans were able to fall back into the magical world they’ve missed since the final book was released in 2007.
The new story explores the life of Dolores Umbridge, arguably the most hated character of the series. And yes, that is including Lord Voldemort.
In the books, Umbridge is a hateful, sadistic, domineering, prejudiced witch with a penchant for all things kittens, pink and frilly.
Warning: Spoilers from the original series ahead. Though if you haven’t completed the series yet and are old enough to read this newspaper, I strongly suggest you sort out your priorities.
In the fifth book, “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” Umbridge is appointed the inquisitor of Hogwarts by Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge and is also hired as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.
She spent the year taking over Hogwarts and quite literally torturing the students until finally, fate carried her away — in the form of a pack of centaurs.
Umbridge returns in the seventh book, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” as the Head of the Muggle-born Registration Commission. Essentially, she just sends a bunch of Muggle-borns to Azkaban because she’s racist.
In her short story, Rowling attempts to add some context to Umbridge’s sadistic personality. We learn of Umbridge’s past, her family situation and her journey moving up the ladder in the Ministry of Magic.
Rowling manages to explain Umbridge’s character traits without justifying them.
You’ll likely close the story still hating her more than You-Know-Who and possibly even sporting a little grin when you learn what happens to her after Harry and company saves the day.
The story is written in a hybrid style of Rowling’s masterful storytelling and some journalism. She picks out the most important details of Umbridge’s life, never giving you more than what’s necessary, but also not writing in a dry tone.
The perception is different from what long-time Harry Potter fans are used to. We spent years observing the magical world through Harry’s eyes. In the short story we have no representative to see through, only Rowling’s familiar tone to guide us.
After the short story, Rowling provides some background information on the creation of Umbridge’s character. Rowling picked Umbridge’s character traits from a number of people she had met in her life, including one woman who loved tiny bows and small handbags and another who loved pictures of cats.
We also learn Umbridge’s name was carefully selected to fit her nasty personality.
Rowling left no stone unturned when it came to building this character, one for whom she admitted she feels “purest dislike.”
And that, my dear friends, is why J.K. Rowling is truly a gift.
She spent years creating another world so vivid and personal, it was literally brought to life.
She developed a complex plot designed to age and mature with readers.
She took the simple idea of a boy with a lightning scar and expanded him into a plethora of complicated, fantastical and yet relatable characters who became the best friends and heroes of millions of children and adults around the world.
And she still has time to sit and think out the back story of a character she doesn’t even like.
She reminds us through these short stories that the story doesn’t end with the final page of a book. It ends with the author.
And Rowling has made it clear she is no more ready to put this story to rest than we are. She’s currently working on the screenplay for “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” which will become a trilogy of films set before the time of the Chosen One.
Keep ‘em coming, Jo. As long as you’re still writing, after all this time we’re still ready to join you on the next journey.
Always.
