Where to Potter around for news of Harry

It’s feast or famine out there for Harry Potter enthusiasts, a group to which I am unabashedly pleased to belong. After waiting it out for months on end, two Potter bombshells hit within a few days of each other, compelling true believers to save up allowance money or get their housework done early to give them time to spend with their favorite wizard.

July 2007 brought “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” to theaters around the world, filling the vaults at Gringotts to the bursting with galleons, seckels and knuts beyond belief. Finishing off the old one-two, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” annoyed letter carriers and retail clerks who had to convey it to millions of hands -- all on one Saturday morning.

I was fortunate enough to get the book a  few days early, but still managed to keep my nose buried for more than a day until I bulldozed my way to the last page. I had developed many of my own theories as to the disposition of the characters, the tone of the ending, and the chances for a sequel series. For now, most of them were wrong. Still, I was happy to find a sense of closure in knowing how the tale ends, and I look forward to seeing the last two films before the young trio of Radcliffe, Watson and Grint turn 30.

After having seen the movie a couple of times and finished my second reading of the book, I found myself with as many questions as before the marathon began. Seeking information, I turned to the Internet to consult the sea of Harry Potter fan sites. I hoped to find posts from other fans sharing their information, as well as a little inside gossip on the chances of future Potter adventures.

Out of respect for readers and viewers who have not completed their Potterfest, I will not put any spoilers in this column, but I do warn that all of the sites I mention may contain information that could impact your enjoyment of the recent releases. Look before you click.

www.jkrowling.com

Godric Gryffindor is the Wizard of the Month for July. You would know that if you had been frequenting Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling’s official website for inside information straight from the source. The site gives the author, who seems to feel that she is frequently misquoted, a venue to make official statements regarding her magical world.

It is no secret that Rowling was unhappy with the security breaches that plagued the last few releases. This time around, an industrious pirate filched an early copy of the final novel, photographed every page, and uploaded it to the Internet. Other lucky readers got theirs early due to a shipping error. In all cases, she encouraged her faithful to keep the secrets until the approved date and time.

The big news on the website is that Rowling will be touring the United States in October and making public appearances for her fans. While three of the four shows are specifically for children in Los Angeles, a New York event that is open to any fan will also be held. Tickets are available by lottery only, so check the site for details.

Rowling’s site is pleasantly done and keeps with the general continuity of the series. Fans will enjoy picking out the little details like an admission pass for W.O.M.B.A.T. testing and an ad for the Quibbler. Luna would be pleased. For offering a fun source of reliable information, www.jkrowling.com scoops up Aragog and four of his pals.

www.mugglenet.com

You know how rumors are. Just the other day, this most reliable of Harry Potter fan sites announced that Naomi Watts had been signed to play Narcissa Malfoy in the upcoming film “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.” Today, they took it all back. Still, if you want to hear the latest gossip, keeping in mind that it could be recalled as quickly as it appeared, this is the place to go.

Mugglenet.com has broken more than its share of stories. One of the front-page items today spilled the beans about a character who had been slated to die in the final volume. I won’t spoil it for you, but you can check on the site for details.

Those of you who are hoping for more Potter output will be thrilled to read that the author is toying with the idea of compiling an encyclopedia of the Harry Potter universe. She mentions that certain characters possess back stories that never made it into the books, and she would like to share that information with the fans. I can see them lining up at Borders now.

It is all in good fun, of course, and we can expect that Harry Potter – like James Bond, Sherlock Holmes and Stephanie Plum – will have a loyal fan body for generations to come. As younger readers begin to pick up the Potter set, sites like this will be there to help them figure out the action. For giving the little muggles a valuable resource, the forbidden forest dispatches five spiders to www.mugglenet.com.

www.the-leaky-cauldron.org 

More than 700 girls turned out at a casting call to fill the role of Lavender Brown in the next Harry Potter movie. It was news to me, but loyal readers of the Leaky Cauldron website have had the scoop for weeks. Lavender is Ron Weasley’s first girlfriend in “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” and the Leaky Cauldron had all the details, including photographs.

This is one of the best-linked Potter sites out there, allowing you to click away to other articles and items of Potter interest around the Web. I managed to catch a few photos of the Potter parties surrounding the new book release, hear a clip of Jim Dale reading from the audio book, and read a couple of interviews with Rowling, all without really leaving the site.

Beware! Before you click on this particular site, be advised that many, many spoilers can be found there. If you have not finished “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” you may want to hold off your first visit. Or you may want to jump right in; it’s all up to you. Most spoilers are clearly marked as such, making them even more irresistible.

I found their search window a pleasant play on a now departed virtual personality entitled Ask Peeves. Rich with content and features, the Leaky Cauldron seems to have deserved their 2006 Webby Award. If you have a Harry Potter question, you have a good chance of finding the answer in the Leaky Cauldron. For serving up the answers without a lot of wand waving, www.the-leaky-cauldron.org , also found at www.leakynews.com, finds five spiders in their mokeskin pouch.

There is no end to the mysteries and speculation spawned by the Harry Potter universe. Eager witches and wizards let down after the release of the final novel can rekindle the magic by joining up with hundreds of thousands of like-minded netizens any time, day or night. If you’ve been cruising the Potterverse, let me know what you’ve found. Point your electronic owl to granese@juno.com .