What is Canon?

[mongo62aa]

No: HPFGUIDX 55851

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Katy Cartee" <rainbow at r...> 
wrote:

'If you go back and read my posts, you will see that i was, in fact, 
talking about including them as canon AFTER the series is complete, 
not now. But after reading these wonderful points, i will no longer 
consider any HP merchandise as canon.

But i STILL DO believe that JKR's interviews/comments SHOULD be 
considered canon AFTER the series is complete. Is there anyone that 
would like to contest that?'

Me:

Personally, I think that there are several 'levels' of canon, ranging 
from the most reliable to the least reliable.

I would say that each level 'trumps' the levels below it.

1) The books, in reverse order of first publication (Book 7, Book 6, 
OotP, GoF, PoA, CoS, PS) - since information revealed in later books 
may supercede that in earlier books.  The most canonical edition of 
each book would be the most recent Bloomsbury printing.

2) The 'schoolbooks' (QTtA, FB).

3) The interviews, in reverse order of being conducted.

4) The notes that JKR apparently wrote before writing PS, some of 
which were briefly displayed on British TV.

For me, this would be the limit of canonicity, as these are the only 
levels that are actually a product of JKR's own mind.

5) The movies, in reverse order, where they provide information on 
subjects not covered in the higher levels.  JKR apparently 
provided 'guidance' to the extent of blocking material that would 
directly contradict major future events in the books, but other than 
that, she did not write it herself.

Bill