J.K. Rowling Announces “Pottermore” but What Does It Mean?

Joanne K. Rowling excited her readers/devotees everywhere when she announced the web site Pottermore. The site promised us a further exploration of all things Potter: online games, e-books and other goodies. But what could this mean for everyone’s favorite boy wizard
and his two best friends? Rowling, 45, has went on record to say that the seventh Potter book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, will be the final book when it comes to Harry Potter and his adventures.

That doesn’t necessarily mean, however, that Rowling is done with the Potter universe, which is full of so many colorful characters like James and Lily Potter, Severus Snape, Bellatrix Lestrange and Remus Lupin. In fact, an entire wizarding war took place before Harry was even born. Rowling could tell the story of Lord Voldemort’s rise to power and collection of his evil Death Eaters as well as the formation of the Order of the Phoenix, the equally formidable anti-Voldemort army.

Personally, I’m a little torn as to what Rowling should do. While I would love a prequel series about this magical world (both literally and figuratively), I also think that pigeonholing Rowling into this one genre and one universe is unfair. She is a very talented writer and I’m sure she can find success with another series or type of book. Of course, as one of the richest people in Great Britain, Rowling never has to work again. In a way, if she were to continue with the Potter universe, then fans would know it is genuine and not some lame cash grab. The one thing no one wants from Rowling is for her to sell out and write a horrible 8th Harry Potter book just for the money. I doubt that she will ever be in danger of that embarrassment.

Fans hungry for more knowledge about the Potter world will have to make due with Pottermore until Rowling announces her future plans as a writer. Though Deathly Hallows has been out for quite some time, the series never really felt finished because the movies were still coming out. With the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 looming ahead in July, the finality of it all is starting to feel real. I can’t even imagine what it’s going to be like when the end credits roll on the eighth and final movie.

Whatever she chooses to do, there will probably be some fans that love it and some fans that hate it. I know of a few people who don’t want the Potter series to be potentially ruined by more books, whether about the past, present or future of the characters. Some feel that the story is unfinished without firsthand accounts of the lives of Harry’s parents and their friends. But all us fans can do is talk and discuss and speculate until Jo Rowling herself makes her long-waited announcement.