JK Rowling has penned a new story about Harry Potter, her first since her seventh and final novel in the series, The Deathly Hallows.
Posting the piece on Harry Potter fansite Pottermore, Rowling writes from the perspective of journalist Rita Skeeter, who is reporting upon Harry, Ron and Hermione’s attendance at the 2014 Quidditch World Cup. Offering a glimpse at the lives of the infamous fictional trio following the events of the books, Rowling, as Skeeter, depicts the wizard as a greying 34-year-old, who may be experiencing marital problems with Ginny.
Skeeter writes that “cracks [begin] to show in a union that the Potters are determined to promote as happy,” and also points out that Ron Weasley may be facing some inner turmoil of his own following the destruction of the Horcruxes, writing: “He shows no obvious signs of mental illness from a distance, but the public is not allowed close enough to make a proper assessment. Is this suspicious?”
The piece seems like a knowing take on the gossip featured so prominently in tabloid newspapers, with Rowling/Skeeter even concluding that “One always hesitates to invade the privacy of young people, but the fact is that anyone closely connected with Harry Potter reaps the benefits and must pay the penalty of the public interest.” This is likely a reference to Rowling’s own problems with the press, with the author winning a lawsuit in 2008 after the press had taken unsolicited photographs of her young son.
The 1,500 word piece is available for members of the Pottermore fansite. You can read it right here.
