Mary Grandpre = Harry Potter??
The Washington Post, has a really cool little interview with Mary Grandpre, the illustrator of the American Harry Potter Books. I really reccomend you read it. In the interview she said that she models Harry after herself -- who would have thought!

And the official Dumbledore is...
ComingSoon.net and CBBC Newsround have posted some new casting confirmations for the third movie. Here's the confirmed cast list for the new characters:
Sirius Black - Gary Oldman Lupin - David Thewlis Aunt Marge - Pam Ferris Dumbledore - Michael Gambon Sir Cadogan - Paul Whitehouse Peter Pettigrew - Timothy Spall
hmmm...I don't really recognize any of those actors/actresses...well, except for Oldman.

Lucky Muggle Certificate?
Amazon.com has posted on their pre-order Harry Potter page that if you pre-order the book now you will recieve a "Lucky Muggle Certificate." I have no idea what this is, so if you happen to pre-order the book from Amazon please let me know what it is at ginnyweasley2005@hotmail.com. Thank You.

Book 5 to come out this June!!
Yup, thats right, J.K.R has finished the "Harry Potter and the Order of Pheonix," manuscript, today Bloomsbury revealed that it will come out on June 21st, 2003. Heres the official press release: It's official! Mark your calendars for Saturday, June 21st, 2003. Here's the official press release from Bloomsbury: J.K. ROWLING'S HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF PHOENIX TO BE PUBLISHED ON JUNE 21, 2003 IN THE UNITED STATES, BRITAIN, CANADA AND AUSTRALIA The World's Most Anticipated Book Is Over One Third Longer Than Previous Book, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire NEW YORK, NEW YORK: LONDON, ENGLAND: January 15, 2003 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, by J.K. Rowling, the fifth in the bestselling series has been scheduled for release on Saturday, June 21, 2003 in the United States, Britain, Canada and Australia, it was announced today by Scholastic and Bloomsbury publishers. The companies also announced that Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is over a third longer than J.K. Rowling's extraordinary previous book, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. In making the joint announcement, Barbara Marcus, President of Scholastic Children's Books in the United States, and Nigel Newton, Chief Executive of Bloomsbury Publishing in Britain said: "We are thrilled to announce the publication date. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is absolutely superb and will delight all J.K. Rowling's fans. She has written a brilliant and utterly compelling new adventure, which begins with the words:" The hottest day of the summer so far was drawing to a close and a drowsy silence lay over the large, square houses of Privet Drive.....The only person left outside was a teenage boy who was lying flat on his back in a flowerbed outside number four. Later in the novel, J.K. Rowling writes: "Dumbledore lowered his hands and surveyed Harry through his half-moon glasses. 'It is time,' he said 'for me to tell you what I should have told you five years ago, Harry. Please sit down. I am going to tell you everything.'" Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is over 255,000 words compared to over 191,000 words in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. The new book is 38 chapters long, one more than Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Bloomsbury will be publishing their standard children's hardback edition (ISBN 07475 51 006) and in addition an adult hardback edition (ISBN 07475 69 401, the same text but with a different jacket) at the same time, both editions to be 768 pages long and priced at £16.99.
Woo-hoo! I have been [and I'm sure you guys have too] been waiting for Book 5 to come out forever! Now I really can't wait till the summer :) To pre-order book 5 click here.

New Subpage
I've just added a new subpage called: Other Books. It is a list of great books, reccomended by the Ginny's Hogwarts staff, to read while waiting for HP5. To see the page click here.

Oldman to play Sirius
This article from the Hollywood Reporter says that Gary Oldman is in talks to play Sirius Black. The article also says that production for the third movie begins February 17. Ewww! I definatley do not want Gary Oldman playing Sirius Black! If you don't know who he is, heres a hint: he played the bad guy in Air Force One.

Harry Potter cast busy with interviews
Yes, thats right the HP cast has been very busy with interviews. Daniel Radcliffe appeared on the Caroline Rhea Show, DanielRadcliffe.com has the transcript, click here to read it. Sean Biggerstaff was interviewed by Ignite Magazine, SeanBiggerstaff.com has the scans, click here to see page one and here to see page two. And don't forget to catch Emma and Rupert on the Tonight Show With Jay Leno, Rupert's interview will air on Thursday the ninth, and Emma's will air on Friday the tenth. Whoah thats a lot of interviews!

Spider Frenzy
HarryPotter.com has a new HP game, called Spider Frenzy. Wanna play? Then get ready to blast some spiders and click here.

Gambon NOT Dumbledore
Coming Soon is reporting that both TV Guide and Entertainment Tonight are now saying that E! Online was incorrect in reporting that Michael Gambon was cast as Professor Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
According to both news outlets, Warner Bros. denied both rumors that Michael Gambon or Ian McKellen will play the role. The studio had no further comments about the casting.
Well, If those two rumors were wrong then who will play Dumbledore? I hope Warner Brothers will let us know soon.

More Dumbledore Rumors
Who will play Dumbledore now that Richard Harris has passed on? Warner Brothers has given no answer, but there are still plenty of rumors. E! Online is reporting that actor Michael Gambon has been cast as Dumbledore for Prisoner of Azkaban, heres an excerpt from the article: Michael Gambon, who picked up Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for his virtuoso performance as Lyndon Johnson in HBO's Path to War, will be donning the robes as Dumbledore for the upcoming Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, according to a source familiar with the production.
Several other news sources, The Sun, IMDB, People.com, Hollywood.com, and ITV are reporting that Sir Ian McKellen a.k.a Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings movies will be Dumbledore in the third movie. And of course the below update says that Christopher Lee a.k.a Saruman in the Lord of the Rings would like to play Dumbledore.
Wow there are certainly a lot of rumors about who will be cast as Dumbledore, I really hope Warner Brothers will clear this up and tell us who it really is. Personally I would like to see Ian McKellan as Dumbledore, because he was just great as Gandalf.

Christopher Lee as Dumbledore?
Christopher Lee (who played Saruman in The Lord of The Rings) said in an interview: All I can say is that nobody ever asked me to play that part before Harris played it. And nobody has me right up to this very second. Nobody. So it's entirely a rumor. If they did ask me, I would probably say "Yes" and be very pleased. But they haven't. That's the important thing. It's not good when this sort of thing starts, you know. It's not good. It gets out of control. It's embarrassing for me and my agent is going crazy. The phone never stops. The Times printed something. The Times of London, for God's sake. Said: "Three years ago, of course, Christopher Lee was offered the part and turned it down." Totally untrue. I was never offered it. Ever. So that's the end of that story.

Kwon BoA as Cho Chang?
There have been many rumors that Korean singer Kwon BoA was up for the role of Cho, Mugglenet tells us that the latest issue of Seventeen Indonesia magazine was saying that BoA was up for the role again: It happened when BoA visited London to sing with internationally famous boyband, Westlife, for their newest album, "Unbreakable: The Greatest Hits". In London, she got a request to play as Cho Chang in "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban". You can see a picture of BoA here. Well, she really looks like the Cho Chang I imagined!

J.K.R. expecting a child??
Yup, you read right, MSNBC has confirmed that J.K.R. and Dr. Neil Murray are expecting a child in spring! But, JKR reassures us that that Book 5 is on the way! You can read the full article here.

First CoS Review!
The first CoS review can be read here. But if you don't want to read it all here is a little excerpt:
So what of Harry's second adventure? Is it bigger and better? Scarier? More mature? Will audiences flock to the theatres a second time 'round? SECRETS is rough around the edges, especially in the final act. I think they've also tried to condense everything, making it move faster and faster, while skipping over some nice details. In the movie's defense, purists might say the very same thing about the books. SECRETS shoehorns much more into the story -- new characters, funny scenarios -- than PHILOSOPHER'S STONE had, but for a newcomer, it is surely to be a little overwhelming. I thought the ending was a BIT much, but as I also felt that way about the book, I could hardly chastize the filmmakers. CHAMBER OF SECRETS is at its best during these lighter moments. The silliness Branagh shows seems contagious with his actors. (There is a CLASSIC scene at the end with Harry and company challenging Lockhart -- the terrified look on Branagh's face, and the playfully sinister look on Radcliffe's are priceless.) It also works as it gets a little darker. There are some chilling moments throughout the film, and there's more mystery and tension. CHAMBER OF SECRETS is turning out to be a really good flick. In some ways it is superior to its predessessor, with its young cast coming into their own. (It's impossible for me to imagine anyone else as Harry, Ron, and Hermione now.) It's funnier, spookier, and a little more complicated...but as there's so much crammed into the film, one can't help but think that it's both too much and not enough. It's not that there's anything missing -- all the ingredients are there. But perhaps there's some flavor lost when you don't let the food simmer long enough.
It seems ok..I just hope it's better than the first one!

Dobby's Voice Confirmed!
Toby Jones (he was the funny little page in 'Ever After') provides the voice of Dobby the House Elf. It has been confirmed here. I don't know why this wasn't already confirmed. After all we've known about Dobby for a while now!

New Subpage!
I have just added a new subpage called 'Obsessed'. It is soo funny you should definately check it out! It's a hilarious list of ways to know when your obsessed with Harry Potter!

New Discussion Chamber!
Ginny's Hogwarts has a new and improved Discussion Chamber, so start posting! Just so you know, to post new messages click the 'new thread' link.

HP III movie director finally found!
Alfonso Cauron, a Mexican director who has directed the critically acclaimed Y Tu Mama Tambien as well as the children's classic A Little Princess, will be directing the third Harry Potter movie. Although Chris Columbus, director of HP movie's one and two, has stepped down from the directing position he will still have a role in the production of the movie, he will be one of the three producers. Personally I think Chris Columbus did an ok job, but he could have done much better. Hopefully Cauron will do a much better job.

Ask Daniel!
HarryPotter.com dialogue center now has a board titled "Ask Daniel" where fans can post questions that Daniel will answer. The answers will be posted at The Daily Prophet.

Chamber of Secrets Movie Pics!
Entertainment Weekly posted some really great pictures from the Chamber of Secrets Movie. I really recommend you check them out. The article is okay too (you know, the general bla bla). 

DVD Review!
Children's BBC Newsround has seen an advance copy of the first movie DVD, due out on May 11th in the UK and posts this review: "...A few adults we spoke to afterwards were a bit disappointed with it. They wanted more interviews and audition out-takes. But we reckon true Potter fans will go wild for it. Anyone who loves Potter imagines themselves actually at Hogwarts as a student. With the DVD, that's exactly what you get and it should feed your imagination well into autumn when, with any luck, the next installment comes out! "

Lucius Malfoy Cast!
Jason Isaacs who was also in Black Hawk Down, The Patriot, and Armageddon will be playing the evil Lucius Malfoy in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, and also in Prisoner of Azkaban, and the Goblet of Fire!

Weird Quirks
Most people know that it's no coincidence that J.K.R's and Harry Potter's birthday's are both July 31st but did you know Daniel Radcliffe's birthday is also July 31st? Now that is one very weird coincidence!

Harry Potter Hate Line??
Alois Gmeiner, an Austrian Author, who was apparently annoyed with all the hype over the Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone movie started his own phone line where anti-Harry people can call in and talk about why they hate Harry. Personally I just think this dude's jealous of J.K.R's success. It's totally pathetic that he has to make a Harry hate line when he should be working on his own (pathetic) writing skills.

J.K.R Ties the Knot!
Yup, that's right, J.K.R got married to Dr. Neil Murray in a private ceremony! We don't have many details right now, but I think she was dating this guy for a while, and he didn't marry her for the money...So all you fans out there - don't worry about JKR, she can take care of herself (she has enough money anyway).

Review of the Harry Potter Movie!!
Well, the movie was actually pretty good! The stars acted superbly, especially Emma (Hermione), Rupert (Ron), and Tom (Draco). They did take out a lot of parts and the starting was a bit choppy. It wasn't (obviously) as good as the book, but for a two and a half hour version of the book it was fantastic! Especially the Quidditch scene -- ABSOULUTELY GREAT!!! I really wasn't sure how they were going to do that scene - it's really tough turning flying broomsticks and the fast paced action of the Quidditch match into reality, but they did a better job than my imagination did! The Chess game at the end was also wonderful - although a bit violent, but overall REALLY cool. Richard Haris played a good Dumbledore as well. Seamus Finigann's crazy spells were hillarious, and so were Ron's wacky observations. The scene with the mirror of Erised has to be my favorite - even though in the book it wasn't even a big deal. It was really touching (I know I'm getting all sentimental - but it WAS!!) It was well worth it! Discuss it all at the Discussion Chamber! Tell us what you thought about this movie (even if you didn't like it.... which is pretty hard but - whatever...)

-- More Rumors --
Zelda writes: "The title of the sixth book will be Harry Potter and the Green Flame Torch [Peter Pettigrew returns] when Harry finds a torch that gives off a green flame that will heal good and kill anything evil." We've been hearing alot about this "good and evil" weapon, and know that although Harry will probably not be able to cure the world of the evil of Voldemort, he will try very hard to do so. Harry will have to deal with the fact that even magic can't do everything. [ Book 6 ]

ThE iNfOrMeR writes: "Harry and Draco will work together to stop an evil force in book 7. " We've also heard many reports similar to this, just to show that even people who hate each other eventually have to learn to get along together in order to deal with problems bigger and more important than their own mutual hate.

We've also heard that JK Rowling said another person to die will be a "special fan" of Harry's. Of course we think of none other than that "special fan" - Colin Creevey.

Another report that JKR stated, "There is more to the Sorting Hat than what you have read about in the first three books," Rowling says. "Readers will find out what the Sorting Hat becomes as they get into future books."

More: "We will learn what Harry's parents did for a living before they were struck down by You-Know-Who! JKR says this is intregal to the plot! "
Tom Riddle reports: "The fact that Harry has his mother's eyes will be very important in a future book. As is the fact that her wand was a nice wand for charm work."

"There is a character who does manage in desperate circumstances to do magic quite late in life, but that is very rare in the world I am writing about." - JK Rowling. After reading this quote, I thought of Argus Filch. JKR has emphasized the fact that he cannot do magic, and in future books he might be the character mentioned here who actually performs magic "in desperate circumstances" and "quite late in life" (well he is pretty old, I guess...)

ThE iNfOrMeR: "we will see an heir to Voldemort.
thank you very much to "harry_potter_is" for this info

Another report that Lily Potter's maiden name is "Evans." As most of us already know, the next few books in the series will deal mainly with Lily and her past and this may be a key clue.