Facts

These are facts straight from the mouth of J.K. Rowling, and were gathered from numerous online chats with her. Everything here is confirmed.

Random facts about the book

• The sixth book is yet to be titled, and don't believe anything otherwise.
• By the ends of books 6 and 7 "you'll have all the back story you'll need", says JK Rowling, and a prequel will not be necessary
• There will be a new Minister of Magic, no more Mr. Fudge.
• We will find out what happened to Hagrid's half brother Grawp. He will be a bit more controllable in book 6.
• The Dursleys are in the next book, but Harry's stay with them will be the shortest yet. In book 5 he stayed for 4 weeks, so we know his stay will be less than 4 weeks.
• Cho Chang will not be a romantic interest of Harry in Book 6, however there will be a "little romance" for Harry says JK.
• In books 6 and 7 we will find out exactly why JK killed off Sirius.
• Harry becomes even more powerful in book 6.
• In books 6 and 7 we will find out why Dumbledore trusts Snape.
• We will find out what happened to Wormtail AKA Peter Pettigrew
• More about the animosity between Snape and Sirius will be revealed in the last 2 books.
• JK has said that giving away the form of Snape's boggart and patronus says too much. We'll definitely find out what Snape's worst fear is, and it'll be important.
• Hermione and Draco will NOT end up together in book 6 or 7.
• We will find out what exactly Dudley saw when he looked at the dementors.
• The reason Voldemort and Harry both didn't die when Voldemort tried to kill Harry, will be revealed.
• We will see more of Draco's mother, Narcissa Malfoy, now 18518i816s that Lucius is busy.
• We'll learn more about Harry's scar in the last 2 books.
• Moaning Myrtle will make an appearance again, as will Tonks.
• More about Voldemort's birth will be revealed, thus helping us understand why he is so evil.
• Muggles begin to notice "more and more odd" occurrences in book 6, says JK.
• The wizarding world is really at war in the sixth book.
• Harry will tell his dearest friends about the prophesy after it sinks in to him.
• We will learn more about Harry's relatives, including his grandparents (though JK says they aren't really important to the story)
• We will find out what happened to Sirius's motorbike.
• Book 6 will be shorter than the 5th book (or at least JK's 99% sure, but will not swear on her children's lives)
• There will be no "new" nationalities of children at Hogwarts. Hogwarts is a British school, and JK says that adding foreigners for the sake of it is not in her plans.
• During an interview, when JKR was asked in which Hogwarts room she'd like to be for 1 hour, she said it would be a room in which Harry has been before, but doesn't know its importance. Yet. (this could have happened in book 5, but we're unsure)
• It's very important in the plot that Harry has his mother's eyes, and that her wand was very good for charms.
• During an interview for Kids BBC, Victor Greensteet (reporter) asked Rowling if Harry would have a dragon for a pet. This is what she replied: "You can't tame a dragon, no matter what Hagrid thinks. It's simply impossible. So no. He has more common sense. He MAY have a different pet in the future, but for now, I won't say anything else". (This could have been Buckbeak, but I'm sure we can expect more pets)
• In the same interview for Kids BBC, the reporter asked J. K. if Harry had ever used the internet, and this is what she had to say: "No. They (the Dursleys) won't let him go near Dudley's computer, and Dudley is the only one who has a computer. They hit him if he gets too near to the keyboard. So the answer would be No. I use it a lot, but Harry doesn't. Wizards don't really need to go on the web. They have an even better way to find out what's happening in the outside world, which I think is a lot more fun than the Internet, but I'm going to keep quiet on this one."
• The choice between what's right and what's easy will be a pillar of the plot in Harry's last 2 years at Hogwarts
• Harry's parents' profession will be a big part of the plot.
• Something HUGE will be revealed about Lily Potter.

Rumors that Have Been Put to Rest

• There will be no character named "Icicle," and JK said that she didn't recall saying there ever would be.
• Dumbledore is not a relative of Harry
• Harry is not related to Voldemort and he is not related to Salazar Slytherin.
• Lily Potter is not alive.
• Lily was not a death eater
• No prequel books are planned (no books before Harry's time at Hogwarts)
• Crookshanks is not an Animagus
• Neville is not the son of Peter Pettigrew (where do these people come up with this stuff?!)
• Remus Lupin does not have a twin brother.
• The next book with not be called "Harry Potter and the Green Flame Torch" or "Harry Potter and the Mountain of Fantasy"
• JK does not have any parts in the films
• Harry Potter will not be the new Minister of Magic

General Facts Not Disclosed in the Books

• Prefects can take points, Ron got it wrong in OotP, which makes him a pretty poor prefect eh?
• Fred and George Weasley were born on April Fool's day (no joke).
• Ginny Weasley's first name is Ginevra and she is the first female Weasley born for "several generations," says JK.
• Arthur Weasley has 2 brothers.
• Molly Weasley's maiden name is Prewett.
• Crookshakes is half Kneazle.
• The infamous Weasley cousin who was cut from the books was called Mafalda. She was in Slytherin.
• Dean Thomas's father was killed by Death Eaters when he refused to join them. Neither Dean nor his mother know this.
• Dean Thomas's was called Gary in the first drafts of the Philosopher's Stone
• Harry's middle name is "James."
• Hagrid, Lily, and James were in Gryffindor. (Hagrid was NOT in Hufflepuff.)
• Lily Potter's maiden name was Evans.
• There are about a thousand students at Hogwarts. (True, that doesn't seem right, but J.K. said so, and she's the boss.)
• James Potter was a Chaser on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. (They said he was a Chaser in the books, Seeker in the movie.)
• Hermione's birthday is September 19th, Ron's is March 1st.
• James Potter inherited lots of money, so he didn't need a well-paying profession.
• James Potter inherited the invisibility cloak from his father.
• Witches and wizards have longer life spans than muggles.
• The Gringott's goblins' return the muggle money they acquire back into circulation.
• The approximate value of a Galleon is about five pounds ($7.30 or 8.00 Euro), though the exchange rate varies.
• Dumbledore is 150, McGonagall is 70 (and is really an old softy, just doesn't act like it), Snape is 35 or 36.
• Hogwarts school motto, "Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus," means, "Never tickle a sleeping dragon."
• If placed in front of a mirror, the inscription on the Mirror of Erised ("Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on whosi") reads, "I show not your face but your hearts desire."
• The happiest people do not become ghosts (12) (therefore we can take it that ghosts are people that died while sad, angry, etc. Myrtle was teased, Nearly Headless Nick didn't have his head completely chopped off, the Bloody Baron was...lonely?)
• The Hogwarts teachers do not stay at Hogwarts during the Christmas holidays. Filch, Hagrid, and Dumbledore do.
• A few of the Hogwarts professors have spouses, but that information is restricted for reasons we will find out about later. (5)
• To remove the tail that Hagrid gave Dudley in the hut on the rock, the Dursleys went to a private hospital where the staff was very discreet, and said that a wart had got out of control. (9)
• Aragog is an Acromantula (see "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them"). (6)
• Dragons can't be domesticated, no matter what Hagrid thinks. (6)
• There's more to the cats in the story (Crookshanks, Mrs. Figg's cats, Mrs. Norris, etc.) than meets the eye. (9)
• The animal an Animagi turns into is a reflection on his/her personality. (8)
• For Hagrid, keeping dangerous creatures is all about overcoming something that could kill him. (6)
• Azkaban is in a sea north of the North Sea. A very cold sea. (12)
• You can do unfocused and uncontrolled magic without a wand (like when Harry blows up Aunt Marge), but to do really good spells you need a wand. (5)
• Muggle school is not required for wizard children prior to attending Hogwarts. (9)
• A magical quill detects the birth of every magical child, and records it in a book; Professor McGonagall sends an owl to each child when he or she turns 11. (14)