The Chance for NEW CANON- some thoughts

[Martha]

Erin:

>  The only criteria for the list is that it 1.) not be stuff that is 
> already answered in the books or another interview, and 2.) not be 
> something that I believe JKR would refuse to answer on the grounds 
> that it would give away too much of the plot for future books.  You 
> know what I'm talking about here if you've ever read any of the 
> interviews.  So no asking "Is Harry going to die?"  because that is 
> just a total waste of a question.  
> 
> Several of the questions are designed to get at these answers, but 
> they have to be phrased carefully, so as not to get the "sorry, no 
> answer" response.

Martha comments:

To be honest, I get the impression that whatever we ask, we won't be 
satisfied with the answer, regardless of how careful we are to phrase 
the questions the right way. :-) I agree that there are certain 
questions that JKR will point-blank refuse to answer, unless they are 
so far off that it doesn't matter. So, asking "is Harry really a 
living embodiment of Voldemort's good side, and the dark part is 
embodied in Nagini the snake and is Wormtail going to kill Lupin with 
his silver hand?" will either get a "no" or nothing at all.

And if we ask:

>  Will Mark Evans (the ten-year-old Dudley beat up at the beginning 
>  of OoP) show up in the next books at all?

I think we'll either get a "no" (unlikely) or a "well-spotted". 
Rememeber all that discussion of Arabella Figg, pre-OoP? In an 
interview, someone asked is the "Arabella Figg" mentioned my 
Dumbledore at the end of GoF and the "Mrs Figg" Harry sometimes 
stayed with were the same person. I believe the answer was "well 
spotted!", which led to months of debate as to whether she was a 
beautiful young witch drinking polyjuice potion to look like an old 
lady, or Dumbledore's girlfriend, or Harry's great-aunt, or this or 
that. I guess what I'm saying is that JKR is not going to directly 
answer a question unless it is completely off the mark (so to speak). 
Whatever answer she gives, we'll rip it apart. And if we ask:

> And is he related to Harry, since Lily's maiden name was Evans.

Same again - either a "no" or nothing, and as Erin points out:

> That was actually the question I was trying to *avoid* asking, as I 
> thought it would be one she'd refuse to answer on grounds that it 
> spoils the plot of future books if the answer is yes.

Also, there are plenty of things I expect some people just don't want 
to know. I am a dedicated Sirius/Remus shipper and would never dream 
of asking JKR for confirmation of that ship, since if she said "no, 
they're not a couple and never have been" my heart would break. 
That's just an example, but you get the idea.

Just my tuppence and all that, but I thought I'd throw it out there.

~ Martha ~