JKR and Natalie

[rcraigharman at hotmail.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 22094

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., mgrantwich at y... wrote:
> Ms. Rowling didn't give up. She and Natalie's mother began to 
> exchange letters. They became fast friends. And last summer while
> Ms. McDonald was in London riding the tube and voraciously
> consuming the fourth book, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,
> there was Natalie on page 159. Ms. Rowling inserted her as a new
> student arriving at Hogwarts and being sorted into one of the
> school's four houses.
> 
> Natalie drew Gryffindor, the same house as Harry. That's the
> ultimate accolade for a Potter fan.

Here's the relevant passage from p. 180 of the American edition.
Note Nearly Headless Nick's and Ron's exchange about the sorting
(particularly Ron's second comment):

----
"Oh hurry up," Ron moaned, massaging his stomach.

"Now, Ron, the Sorting's much more important than food," said
Nearly Headless Nick as "Madley, Laura!" became a Hufflepuff.

"'Course it is, if you're dead," snapped Ron.

"I do hope this year's batch of Gryffindors are up to scratch,"
said Nearly Headless Nick, applauding as "McDonald, Natalie!" joined
the Gryffindor table.  "We don't want to break our winning streak,
do we?"
----

A very nice tribute from JKR, imho.

....Craig