JKR's best interview

[M.Clifford]

No: HPFGUIDX 75197

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "John, C" <c.john at i...> wrote:
> JKR's best interview -
> 
> This is my first post on HP4GU, so I thought i'd discuss a few 
snippets from the best interview (in terms of info) JKR has ever 
given. This was given just before the release of GOF.
> 
> 1. About Lily
> Q. Hi, I really like the books and we already learned a lot about 
Harry's father and I was wondering 'Are we going to learn a lot about 
his mother?' JKR. Yeah, you will. It's ---- yet again ---- you won't 
find out ---- OK, in Book 3 you're absolutely right. You find out a 
lot about Harry's father. Now the important thing about Harry's 
mother, the really, really significant thing, you're going to find 
out in 2 parts. You'll find out a lot more about her in Book 5, or 
you'll find out something very significant about her in Book 5, then 
you'll find out something incredibly important about her in Book 7. 
But I can't tell you what those things are so I'm sorry, but yes, you 
will find out more about her because both of them are very important 
in what Harry ends up having to do. I think this is my favourite 
quote ever. I love the bit that states 'what Harry ends up having to 
do'. Makes it sound like Harry has to do something, which your 
average person wouldn't want to do!. But I really can't think what 
important thing we found out about Lily in Book 5. The only thing I 
> can think of is that she didn't like James very much! 
>

Valky:
I think my take on this is by skewing in Sirius comment that Lily 
never hated James, Perhaps what Harry needs to do is stand up for 
what he believes in even against someone he cares very much about.
If Lily's stand against James was the significant thing, which it 
really does seem to be.


> 
> 2. About Snape
> 
> Q. There's an important kind of redemptive pattern to Snape
> JKR. He, um, there's so much I wish I could say to you, and I can't 
because it would ruin.

Valky:
Some people take this line as a hint at confirmation of the question. 
I don't entirely.
I think this could also be taken as JKR wanting to say "Aha! I am 
really doing a job on you with that one aren't I!" Because from the 
start she has tilted the weigh against Snape and then in a twist 
swung it back dramatically. So which is he just when we think hes not 
so bad he goes and does something awful, ie condemning Sirius in POA. 
And then when its all starting to weigh too heavily in his bad light 
he does or is seen to do something heroic, ie the Spy Snape 
revelation.
I doubt I'll get agreement from everyone on this but I see the 
pattern as swinging in the good turns to bad to good way. What I mean 
is that JKR IMHO has ended it on the good side all too often for me 
to truly believe thats how she will wrap him up in book seven.
Then again I am probably all out of focus here.
 

> John continues more quote from JKR: 
I promise you, whoever asked that question, can I just say to you 
that I'm slightly stunned that you've said that and you'll find out 
why I'm so stunned if you read Book 7. That's all I'm going to say.
> 

Valky:
To me JKR using the word stunned here might indicate her thinking.
"Haven't I made him bad enough?" In terms of that she has tried to 
achieve a very equal good/bad persona for Snape so we can't tell what 
he will become in the end.
But like I said I am probably out of focus because this take could 
also mean she is thinking "Ouch I haven't made him bad enough someone 
is not fooled."

John wrote:
>
I've always wondered about Snape that his life debt to James may have 
been powerful enough that as soon as Voldemort intended to kill James 
(& Lily & Harry), this turned Snape into an enemy of Voldemort (magic 
at it's most impenetrable - as DD says in POA) JKR.
>

Valky:
I totally agree that this is entirely possible. 
There is likely to be a revelation that Snape turned against 
Voldemort during a personal moral crisis as most purvey, but there 
might not be. Maybe the life debt magic was it. The powerful magic 
that cannot be penetrated. But does this mean to some degree that 
Snape is a Voldemort opposer against his will. 


John wrote more quote from JKR:
>  Snape is a very sadistic teacher, loosely based on a teacher I 
myself had, I have to say. I think children are very aware and we are 
kidding ourselves if we don't think that they are, that teachers do 
sometimes abuse their power and this particular teacher does abuse 
his power. He's not a particularly pleasant person at all. However, 
everyone should keep their eye on Snape, I'll just say that because 
there is more to him than meets the eye and you will find out part of 
what I am talking about if you read Book 4. JkR
> 
I've seen lots of posts stating that Snape teaches the way he does, 
so as to help students learn. But it seems that he just isn't a nice 
person and is quite willing to humiliate students for his own 
pleasure!
>

 
> 
> Finally, I just wanted to include something I was listening to this 
morning. The fact that in COS, Harry was sure he had heard the name 
Riddle before. I don't think JKR would include this line for no 
reason. I don't think Ron had mentioned the name to harry after he 
had cleaned the trophy.  If the name Riddle means something to Harry, 
it probably comes from his childhood. With the Dursley's! Has Petunia 
mentioned any Riddle relatives to Harry before?
>
>
Valky:
I have another take on this also, Harry recalls that Riddle rings to 
him an association with a memory of being *very* young.
It is uncommon but there are people especially ones who have met with 
tradgedy in infancy who have memories that date to the ages of as 
young as six days old.
If JKR is alluding to this phenomenon in Harry it would mean that his 
friend Riddle would be associated with a severe and traumatic 
incedent before the age of one.
Thats just a thought. Hope it spawns some theories.