Early interviews with J.K. Rowling followed a very familiar pattern. The interviewer would tell the tale of the poor, penniless single mother who wrote the first Harry Potter book in cafes because her flat wasn’t heated. Much of this story was exaggerated, by the way. Then they would ask the… Read MoreCantankerus Nott• Character
Cantankerus Nott was a member of the pure-blood Nott family, and widely believed to be the author of the infamous ‘Pure-Blood Directory’ in the 1930s. Read MoreCaractacus Burke• Character
One of the founders of Borgin and Burkes, a shop in Knockturn Alley. The man behind the counter when Lucius Malfoy came in (CS4), however, was Mr. Borgin. Read MoreAmycus Carrow• Character
Amycus Carrow was a squat, “lumpy” looking wizard with a lopsided leer and a wheezy giggle. Part of the group of Death Eaters who participated in the Battle of the Tower, where Amycus egged on Draco to kill Dumbledore, and had fun trying to curse Ginny Weasley (HBP27). Snape… Read MoreCarrow family• Character
A Wizarding Pure-blood family, listed in the ‘Pure-Blood Directory’ (c. 1930) as one of the ‘Sacred Twenty-Eight’ families (Pm). Notable members: Alecto Carrow Amycus Carrow… Read MoreCaspar Crouch• Character
Caspar Crouch, a member of the pure-blood Crouch family, married Charis Black c. 1940. They had one son and two daughters. Read MoreCassiopeia Black• Character
(1915-1992) Daughter of Cygnus and Violetta (Bulstrode) Black. 3 siblings: 2 older brothers Pollux (1912-1990) and Marius (disowned, dates unknown), younger sister Dorea(1920-1977). She never married nor had children. Read MoreReginald Cattermole• Character
Employee of the Magical Maintenance Department for the Ministry of Magic and known as “Reg.” Married to Mary Cattermole and father to three children: Alfred, Ellie, and Maisie (DH13). Accosted by who he thought was Mafalda Hopkirk with a Puking Pastille. Believed to have gone into hiding with his… Read MoreCC1: Cursed Child Act 1• Source
The first act of the play “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.” Harry and Ginny bring their children to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters to board the train to Hogwarts. Aboard the train, Albus Potter and Scorpius Malfoy become friends. Albus and Harry’s relationship becomes difficult over the next three years. Read MoreCedrella Black, mother of Arthur Weasley, is born• Event
Cedrella was born between an older sister in 1915 and a younger sister in 1919. Read MoreCedrella Black Weasley• Character
Cedrella Weasley is the mother of Arthur Weasley. Cedrella’s marriage to Septimus Weasley caused her to be “blasted” from the Black Family Tree (BFT). Read MoreThe Chamber of Secrets is created• Event
Growing friction between Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin erupts into violence, with the result that Slytherin leaves Hogwarts after creating the Chamber of Secrets. He places a basilisk within the Chamber, someday to be released to finish his “noble work” of ridding the castle of those he considered to be… Read MoreChaos in the campground after the Quidditch World Cup• Event
Sometime after the end of the Quidditch World Cup final, the carousing in the campground turns malicious. A crowd of Death Eaters magically hoists the Muggle Roberts family high into the air and tosses them about. Other witches and wizards, perhaps drunk or merely overcome by a mob mentality, happily… Read MoreCharity Burbage is Abducted• Event
Muggle Studies Professor Charity Burbage is kidnapped by Death Eaters and taken to Malfoy Manor early in the summer of 1997, soon after writing an article for the Daily Prophet in favor of Muggle-borns (DH1). Read MoreCharity Burbage is murdered• Event
The Muggle Studies teacher’s body has been rotating above the table around which Voldemort and the Death Eaters are having a meeting, when Voldemort magically awakens her. In vain, Burbage begs her fellow teacher, Severus Snape, for help. Voldemort angrily explains to the Death Eaters that Burbage had recently written… Read MoreCharlus Potter• Character
The Black Family Tree mentions a Charlus Potter who was married to Dorea Black (1920-1977), a grandchild of Phineas Nigellus Black (BFT). They had one son (unnamed) (BFT). Read MoreChastity Barebone• Character
Chastity Barebone was the oldest adopted No-Maj daughter of Mary Lou Barebone, a Second Salem leader in 1920s New York. She was almost as fervent as her mother in handing out anti-witchcraft leaflets to the orphans who came to eat soup at Second Salem Church (WFT). Chastity died when mother… Read MoreChateau
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Buildings
The chateau is a “large, isolated, derelict chateau,” very likely located in Switzerland, which was the scene of a confrontation in 1926 between Grindelwald and five Aurors. It didn’t go well for the Aurors. From that battle, Grindelwald apparently fled to the United States (WFT). Read MorePenelope Clearwater• Character
Penelope Clearwater was the girlfriend of Percy Weasley while at Hogwarts, though their relationship was kept a secret for quite some time. They began dating in their fifth year. She has long curly hair (CS12). Penelope was Sorted into Ravenclaw and attended Hogwarts from1987 – 1994. She is a prefect from 1992 to 1994. Read MoreCon: The Connection 1999• Source
J.K. Rowling interview transcript, The Connection (WBUR Radio), 12 October, 1999… Read MoreConv: Conversations with JK Rowling• Source
Conversations With J.K. Rowling by Lindsey Fraser. The book consists of 57 pages of questions and answers followed by descriptions of the first four books. Seven pages of quotes from interviews with Entertainment Weekly, Larry King, and others fill out the end of the book. The original English language publication… Read MoreCordelia Misericordia, famous representative for Hags, dies at age 103• Event
Misericordia was a famous representative for her race at a Wizard’s Council summit in the 14th century. Read MoreCornelius Fudge• Character
Minister of Magic 1990-1996 (HBP1) and previously Junior Minister in the Department of Magical Accidents and Catatrophes (PA10). Cornelius Oswald Fudge was Minister of Magic from 1990 (according to The Quibbler, OP10) until June 1996 when he was replaced by Rufus Scrimgeour. Read MoreCorvinus Gaunt• Character
An 18th-century descendant of Salazar Slytherin who made sure the hidden entrance to the Chamber of Secrets was well-protected when “new-fangled plumbing” was built around it, which later became Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom (Pm:Chamber of Secrets). Obviously Corvinus was a Parselmouth, like many in the Slytherin family line, including Tom Riddle. Read Moresecond cousin, the accountant• Character
Molly Weasley’s second cousin is not a wizard but an accountant. This mundane profession is enough to embarrass the rest of the family; Ron says that they never talk about him (PS6). Read MoreCredence Barebone• Character
Credence Barebone appears to be the adopted son of Mary Lou Barebone, a fanatical leader of the anti-magic Second Salem Philanthropic Society in 1920s New York. Along with his two adopted sisters, he would often help his mother and the Second Salemers by hanging up posters, finding places to… Read MoreDirk Cresswell• Character
Dirk Cresswell was a gifted Muggle-born student who went on to become the Head of the Goblin Liaison Office (HBP4). He attended Hogwarts from 1972 to 1979, a year below Lily and the Marauders, and was one of Slughorn’s favourite students (and so probably a member of the Slug… Read MoreCrouch family• Character
The Crouch family is a Pure-Blood Wizarding family, one of the so-called “Sacred Twenty-Eight.” Notable members include Bartemius Sr., prominent Ministry official during the second rise of Voldemort, and Bartemius Jr., his son and a Death Eater close to the Dark Lord himself. Read More🎙️ CS12: In Dumbledore's Office• Article
At the beginning of Chapter 12 of Chamber of Secrets, entitled “The Polyjuice Potion,” Harry is taken to Dumbledore’s office. While he is waiting for the headmaster he has interactions with the Sorting Hat and Fawkes the Phoenix. I’d like to talk about how these… Read MoreCS17: The Heir of Slytherin• Source
Harry finds an unconscious Ginny, meets Tom Riddle (who has had Ginny in his power through the diary), and hears his story. Fawkes the phoenix arrives with the Sorting Hat. Riddle (Voldemort) calls the basilisk to kill Harry, but Fawkes intervenes and together they… Read More🎙️ CS18: More About Lucius• Article
In this minute about Chapter 18 of Chamber of Secrets, entitled Dobby’s Reward, I’d like to discuss Lucius Malfoy. In a previous minute, about Chamber of Secrets chapter 2, which was entitled “Dobby’s Warning,” I talked about why Lucius Malfoy may have chosen Harry’s second year at Hogwarts to… Read MoreCS7: Mudbloods and Murmurs• Source
Harry begins Quidditch practice, words are exchanged with the Slytherin team, Ron’s spell backfires, Harry and Ron serve detention, and Harry hears a voice. Read More🎙️ CS7: Mudbloods and Murmurs• Article
There are several standout moments for me in Chapter 7 of Chamber of Secrets, titled “Mudbloods and Murmurs.” First off, Harry is so kind to Colin Creevey. Colin is in this new world, and he is in the same house as the newest celebrity in recent wizarding history. Read MoreCS8: The Deathday Party• Source
Harry is caught dripping mud on the carpet by Filch, is taken to Filch’s office, discovers that Filch is not a wizard, and Nearly Headless Nick invites him to his Deathday Party, which Harry, Ron and Hermione attend on Hallowe’en night. Leaving… Read More🎙️ CS9: Filch• Article
What little we do know about Argus Filch, we learn perhaps the most personal detail about this man in Chapter 8 of Chamber of Secrets, entitled “The Deathday Party.” Harry just couldn’t squash his curiosity and opened Mr Filch’s mail and found his Kwikspell courses, alerting us to… Read MoreCS/SK• Source
Mzimba, Lizo, moderator. Chamber of Secrets DVD interview with Steve Kloves and J.K. Rowling, February 2003. Read MoreCygnus Black (1889)• Character
Cygnus Black (1889-1943) Son of Phineas Nigellus Black and Ursula Flint (BFT). 4 Siblings: 2 older brothers, Sirius (1877-1952), Phineas (disowned, dates unknown), 1 younger brother, Arcturus (1884-1959) and 1 younger sister, Belvina (1886-1962). (BFT) Married to Violetta Bulstrode. 4 children: Pollux (1912-1990), Cassiopeia (1915-1992), Marius… Read MoreCygnus Black• Character
Cygnus Black, the great-grandson of Phineas Nigellus Black, is the father of Bellatrix, Andromeda, and Narcissa Black. He is the maternal uncle to Sirius and Regulus. Cygnus was married to to Druella Rosier. Read More