J. K. Rowling Reveals All

Doubtless you've heard: Joanne Rowling outed Dumbledore at Carnegie Hall on October 19th. Yes, he's gay.

According to an article in Salon.com, that's not all she's revealed about the on-going lives of characters from the Harry Potter series:

Since "Deathly Hallows" was published, Rowling has shared with everyone who would listen details about the unwritten fate of her characters: that Harry and Ron are aurors at the Ministry of Magic; that Hermione is "pretty high up" at the Department of Magical Law Enforcement; that Luna Lovegood is a naturalist who marries Rolf Scamander; that Ginny Weasley plays Seeker for the Holyhead Harpies before becoming a sports writer at the Daily Prophet.

At Carnegie Hall, Rowling told the crowd that Neville Longbottom, Hogwarts herbology professor, marries former Hufflepuff Hannah Abbott, who becomes the landlady of the wizarding watering hole Leaky Cauldron, and that Hagrid never gets married. Perhaps most disconcerting was Rowling's assertion that what Harry's conflicted aunt Petunia would have said to him at their parting, at which Rowling wrote this tantalizing passage –- "for a moment Harry had the strangest feeling that she wanted to say something to him: She gave him an odd, tremulous look and seemed to teeter on the edge of speech, but then, with a little jerk of her head, she bustled out of the room..." –- was, "I do know what you're up against, and I hope it's OK."

Writing for Salon.com, Rebecca Traister asks if Rowling isn't being a bit too chatty. Hasn't one of the strengths of Rowling's writing been its willingness to allow ambiguity? Case in point: Is Snape good or is Snape evil? His character's ambiguity allows for wide-ranging cogitation and many a spirited discussion.

We tend to agree with Traister who says Rowling needs to know when to call it quits. Her imagination needs to be curbed, so ours can roam without fences.

You can read the entire Salon.com article online -- requires free log-on.