J.K. Rowling is set to deliver fans a bit more Harry Potter. This Halloween, fans will get to know one of the Harry Potter series’ most wickedest witches, Dolores Jane Umbridge. Rowling is reportedly set to write a story about the temporary professor and Ministry of Magic Senior Undersecretary, which will be released October 31.
Time reported the news, citing an update somewhere at J.K. Rowling’s official Harry Potter site Pottermore.com. The story will apparently offer some information on the life of Dolores Umbridge. Here’s the reported description:
Umbridge is not only one of the most malicious Potter characters, she is the only person other than Lord Voldemort to leave a permanent physical scar on Harry. The new exclusive J.K. Rowling content provides a rich, 1,700-word back story about Umbridge’s life filled with many new details, as well as Rowling’s revealing first-person thoughts and reflections about the character.”
Those who’ve read the books likely remember that Dolores Umbridge entered the story as the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor in Book 5, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Not only was she essentially a representative of the Ministry of Magic’s obvious interference at Hogwarts, in the wake of the supposed return of the Dark Lord, but she proved to have a pretty nasty mean streak, which included punishing students by forcing them to write lines, using a quill that would etch words into their hands. In the case of Harry’s punishment, he was forced to write “I must not tell lies” over and over, which resulted in his hand being scarred with the phrase…
When it comes to evil, there are wizards like Voldemort, who take dark and drastic measures for their own selfish reasons. Dolores Umbridge might not have been Voldemort or one of his supporters, but her sadistic nature mixed with the certainty that she was doing things for the right reasons offered a pretty toxic combination. It’s no surprise that her pink, kitten-filled office would be included in the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London’s new Dark Arts exhibit. (Check that out here.) In the meantime, it’s exciting that Rowling’s offering fans a new update. Pottermore’s been teasing Harry Potter fans with tricks and treats this month, in anticipation for October 31 when “All will be revealed…”