Lots of new information added. The section on the Ministry of Magic used to be one page, now it’s, I dunno, about six. I’m adding names to the Witch Wizard section a little at a time, too. I can’t list every single change here, there are way too many. I have just received a beautiful drawing of a Thestral, so I’m eager to create a page for those weird, amazing creatures.
New and improved today:
- Thestrals
- added new spells to the Spell Encyclopedia from chapters 1-3
I’ve had a number of emails asking me (sometimes not very nicely) why I didn’t get all the new spells listed in the encyclopedia yet. It’s not that easy, folks. For example, in chapters 1-3, which I did today, there are seventeen spell references. That means that I have to look at seventeen different bits of magic and decide how to include them in the Lexicon.
Some are easy–Lumos, for example, is already entered in the encyclopedia, so all I have to do is add the new references. But then again, there’s the whole thing about Harry being able to cast that Lumos spell without actually having his wand in his hand. So maybe that isn’t so simple–how do I enter that exactly? And do I need to add that little tidbit to any other pages while I’m at it? What have we just learned about doing magic in the Harry Potter universe? Or what have we just learned about Harry?
Other references are more difficult to place in the encyclopedia. For example, Harry’s locked bedroom door opens up all by itself in chapter 3. Someone obviously cast a spell, but which one? Alohomora? The door opening spell Lupin cast on the wardrobe in PA? Or is this some brand new spell that needs to be included somehow? Then what do I call it? Or do I create a new entry for “door magic,” and include references to doors from the Magical Items section too?
I will be going through this process for every magical reference in the entire book, and you know what? It’s going to take a while. But in the long run, that’s what makes the Lexicon something special. So please be patient. It’s worth it.