character/place names?

[Carol]

No: HPFGUIDX 184524

George wrote:

Hi everyone,
> 
> having read 6 and a half HP books since the names come from places I
am wondering if JK has ever been to Kuala Lumpar to visit the
"pEtronas" towers I thought rather Harry Potterish so I grabbed one of
my books to check the spelling it's an e rather than an a as in
patronas !!!
> 
> george.
>
Carol responds:
 Hi, George. If you haven't finished DH (Deathly Hallows), you might
want to come back to us after you've completed your reading as we tend
to include a lot of spoilers in our posts.

That said, I do want to respond to your question. I have no idea
whether JKR has visited Kuala Lumpur (my guess is that she hasn't),
but I can tell you that "Patronus" is not a place name. It's a Latin
masculine noun meaning "patron" or "protector." A Patronus, of course,
is a spirit guardian, so the name makes sense. (I see conceptual
connections with patron saints and guardian angels, but, of course,
there are marked differences, too.)

Carol, hoping that you enjoy the last half of DH and hoping that we
haven't spoiled it for you!