J.K. Rowling interview on Today Show on NBC

[ameeraidoj]

There will be a J.K. Rowling interview on the Today Show on NBC airing Thursday and Friday. Here is the link: www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19935372/

J.K. Rowling told Today that she will be writing a Harry Potter encyclopedia that will give the background of the characters that had to be cut from the books.

It also states that Minerva is NOT the headmistress of Hogwarts.

[beMMADfabulous]

I'm sad that Minerva won't be the Headmistress (doesn't she deserve it, after all?!), but I to admit that I shall NOT be a happy camper if she tells that Albus and Minerva are married/involved with anyone other than each other, of course.

Don't even get me started... I'm in a not-so-great mood tonight.

[pol]

It's nice to hear that JKR is still interested in those other characters. I'm glad they'll be getting the attention that they deserve.

[revolutionaryetude]

That doesn't make sense with McGonagall getting on, because she is only supposed to seventy and Dumbedore was 150 years old.

[MMADfan]

revolutionaryetude said:

That doesn't make sense with McGonagall getting on, because she is only supposed to seventy and Dumbedore was 150 years old.

Exactly what I've been saying! And after all Minerva's given to Hogwarts and everything she's been through, too! I'm ignoring anything in the Encyclopedia that isn't already in the books for my fics. I'll be ignoring DH for my RaM-universe fics, anyway!

[MinnyCat]

Yeah. It sucks.

[JKMcGonagall]

I think Jo is refering to the time nineteen years later when she says there is a new headmaster. She hasn't clarified anything about the time between the defeat of Voldemort and the day nineteen years later when Harry and family come to King's Cross.

For all we know, Minerva has served at Headmistress of Hogwarts for most of those nineteen years and has now retired or has decided to go back to just teaching. After all she would be between 92 and 100 years old. Not all witches and wizards live as long as Albus did.

There is also a possiblility that she has moved on to serve on the Board of Governor's of Hogwarts, or maybe she is heading the NEWTs testing committee. Maybe she is the editor of Transfiguration Today Magazine now. Perhaps she missed Albus so much, and the office reminded her of him constantly, that she stepped down after a few years as Headmistress.

The point is that we really don't know what has happened in those nineteen years, and it is open to our interpretations. Just think of the fanfic stories and plot bunnies that can fill those nineteen years. Seems like JKR has given us the go ahead to write fanfic to our hearts content.

Just my two cents.

JKMcGonagall
(Kay)

[MinnyCat]

I like the thought that she gave us 19 years to have a fan fic frenzy. lol. I love Jo

Yea, I think the Encyclopedia will be cool. As long as she writes what we want her to write about some things. lol. I will definitely buy it though.

And very cool idea JKMcGonagall, i might have to try and write a nineteen years later fic. I have a pretty good idea for one. lol

[forgottenxstar]

Her qoute said that "Nineteen years after the Battle of Hogwarts, the school for witchcraft and wizardry is led by an entirely new headmaster."

When Harry's children are at school, Mcgonagall is no longer Headmistress. But it doesn't reveal who led Hogwarts for those 19 years in between, or that McGonagall never served as Headmistress.
I agreed with JKMcgonagall in that Minerva served for at least some of those years then stepped down (or died).

[alter.ego.alana]

jkmcgonagall said:

Perhaps she missed Albus so much, and the office reminded her of him constantly, that she stepped down after a few years as Headmistress.

That's the only theory I'm willing to accept right now. ;D

[beMMADfabulous]

jkmcgonagall said:

Perhaps she missed Albus so much, and the office reminded her of him constantly, that she stepped down after a few years as Headmistress.

Oh, that's a lovely idea. Sad, but lovely all the same!

[notoriousscrat]

Stress also has a way of aging people---look at how Lupin aged. It's possible that the events of the books took their toll on her (especially if we assume MMAD, I think) and aged her somewhat prematurely. Also, this could be a bit of a mental thing too, I think. After all of that a person might begin to feel a bit old even if they're still physically fairly young.

On another note, I think Albus' way of running the school and Minerva's way would differ substantially. I imagine she would have a tendency to keep things much firmer in had, which is far harder than what seems to have been Albus' slightly more laissez fare (hope I spelled that right, horrible speller) approach. It's a lot harder to find the energy to be so hands on as one ages---or so I presume (being 18 I wouldn't really know . . .)

I also think that she may have been in charge in the interem. JK's wording seemed to imply it to me. Some about "was getting on a bit" seems to say "stepped down" to me. Seems to me one would expect her to say something more direct if she simply never took the job. I could be wrong though.

Just a few thoughts.

[beMMADfabulous]

You know what? I dreamed that the reason Minerva was "getting on a bit" was because JK changed her mind about how old Minerva was. Instead, she made her closer to Albus's age (for us shippers, no doubt ).

I'm not saying that's what JK did, I'm just saying that's what this board and my shipper mind made me dream. ;D

[Apocalypticat]

I like JKMcGonagall's theories, and there's also a lot of sense in what Notoriousscrat says. I can't imagine Minerva thinking of herself as old, but Albus's death could have affected her a lot (especially as she doesn't show it much in the books—*gasp* she was keeping her grief bottled up!).