The Daily Prophet

July 2002

Harry Potter and the Mystery of the Ages

IcScotland: While there's no disputing today is Harry's birthday, the year he was born has been the subject of heated debate among internet fans of the fictional character.

In the Philosopher's Stone, it reads, `tomorrow, Tuesday, was Harry's eleventh birthday.'

July 31 doesn't fall on a Tuesday very often and most readers assumed that, because the book was published in 1997, Harry attended Hogwarts during the 1990's - and 1990 is the only year July 31 falls on a Tuesday. That means Harry was born in 1979 and would turn 23 today.

But in the Chamber of Secrets, Harry was said to be 12 when he helped Nearly Headless Nick celebrate his deathday anniversary on October 31, 1992, meaning he'd been born in 1980 and would be 22 today.

JK Rowling chose July 31, her own birthday, for Harry as a private joke when writing the first book.

"I'd always felt that July 31st was a bit thin on Big Name Birthdays," she told the `harrypotterfans' website. "It was a sort of very private joke with myself, giving this totally unknown, fictional boy my birthday.

"The fans all remember. I've never received so many cards in my life. I wanted Harry to have a birthday during the summer holidays so he could be with the horrible Dursleys when his eleventh birthday rolled around ."

Spookily, actor Daniel Radcliffe, who plays Harry in the blockbuster movies of the books, also shares his birthday with his character and Rowling.

31st July 2002


Potter Fan Hurt in Fall

IcScotland: A girl of four was badly hurt imitating the film Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.

Samantha Knudson tried to fly by getting on a worktop, straddling a broom and jumping.

Mum Lisa had left her in the care of a 14-year-old boy for less than an hour in Shelby, North Carolina.

The babysitter raised the alarm immediately.

Deputy Sheriff Paul Cash said: "Kids are going to do what they see."

He added Samantha is slipping in and out of consciousness in hospital.

Warner Bros films said: "We send our sympathy and hope she recovers."

23 rd July 2002


Harry Potter 3 movie director announced

BBC: The third movie in the Harry Potter series will be directed by a Mexican director, Alfonso Cuaron.

The filming on Harry Potter & The Prisoner of Azkaban will start sometime between January and March 2003.

Cuaron is no stranger to directing children's movies - he directed The Little Princess in 1995.

Chris Columbus, who directed the first two Potter movies said he's 'thrilled' about the choice. Columbus will also help produce the film.

Cuaron said: "I am so pleased to be entrusted with presenting the continuing saga of Harry Potter."

Azkaban should be in cinemas in exactly two years time in summer 2004.

22nd July 2002


Harry Potter 3 may not be out until 2004

BBC: All the main filming on Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secret finishes on Friday at Leavesden Studios, but a few more bits of info are starting to come out about this film and the next.

The best news is that Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson will all be back for the third film, The Prisoner of Azkaban.

That's the good news.

The bad news is, to give the children in the cast a good break, filming won't happen until at least early to mid-2003.

That means the film probably won't be out until 2004.

And it looks like an announcement about who will direct the Prisoner of Azkaban will happen in the next few days.

As for other children's roles in Azkaban - like Cho Chang - no casting has been done yet.

And there won't be for quite a few months, so the film company says there's no point in trying to contact them about auditions!

The Chamber of Secrets is out on 15 November and Potter fans will be delighted that Cornelius Fudge does appear in the movie.

He's played by British actor Robert Hardy. He's most famous for appearing in a long running BBC series All Creatures Great and Small.

And he played the doctor in Thunderpants!

Someone who won't be in the movie is Rik Mayall as Peeves. But he didn't even get to film any scenes this time around - the part of Peeves was cut out before filming started!

19th July 2002


Harry Potter to appear in School Books

BBC: The wizarding hero Harry Potter is to appear in German school books, despite the disapproval of JK Rowling. Harry appears in the books in educational sketches and Potter-related texts.

The author took a German publisher Muelheim to court to stop her famous character from appearing.

But the publishers argued that having Harry in the books made lessons more exciting.

After the verdict was announced in favour of the publishers, Wilfried Stascheit from Muelheim, said the case had threatened the future of lessons on modern authors.

8th July 2002


Fake Harry Potter book takes China by storm

BBC: A fake Harry Potter book portraying our hero as a fat hairy dwarf has gone on sale in China and become an instant hit.

According to a report in The Times newspaper, the book - Harry Potter and Leopard Walk Up to Dragon, is selling in Beijing street markets for one pound.

The book sees the young wizard stripped of his powers as he battles the forces of evil shaped as a dragon.

Characters from the real Potter books have been brought back to life and new ones created.

It's been written by an anonymous Chinese author, but has JK Rowling's name on the front cover.

The Times says JK Rowling's agency is investigating the book.

A spokesman said: "We take this issue extremely seriously and are looking into the matter urgently."

Harry Potter and Leopard Walk Up to Dragon begins: "Harry doesn't know how long it will take to wash the sticky cream cake off his face."

The People's Publishing House, who own the copyright to the Chinese book, said the writer had also used a photograph of JK Rowling.

Thursday 4th July 2002


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