There were some updates to Pottermore today.

The “Log In” button was removed from the Pottermore website. I can only speculate that this means the Pottermore team is working on something, possibly updating their system to get ready to send out the first set of Hogwarts letters. Update: currently, I am only able to access this page: “Due to overwhelming demand, you cannot access Pottermore right now. Please be patient whilst we try to connect you.”

The “Do Not Disturb” sign has returned to the “mysterious door” on JKRowling.com today, 08/08/11. Access this door by clicking on the eraser on the desk labeled with a “?” when you hover over it. This is not accessible from the text-only version. Again, I can only speculate that this has something to do with Pottermore. It feels like 2007 all over again!

Official channels have NOT confirmed this, but there is a possible “Hogwarts letter” release schedule floating around the rumor mill. The rumor is that “Day 1 emails will be sent out Aug 8-14, Day 2 emails Aug 15-21,” and so on. It would make sense; there are eight weeks between now and October. Hopefully, if there aren’t any technical issues, the emails will be sent weekly before the end of September, with a few days to spare. However, it is August 8th where I am right now, and I did sign up on the first day, but I have not received my welcome email yet (though according to this rumor, I still have all week to receive it). I will absolutely update the Twitter feed immediately after I get my letter!

These are the as-of-yet unanswered questions that I have been collecting about Pottermore.

• Will Pottermore have text-only versions like JKRowling.com has? I hope that there isn’t, because that would take away the “interactiveness” from Pottermore, but I know some are curious as to whether they can merely “read” the additional content without “discovering” it.
• Will any information will be migrated from JKR.com to Pottermore? There is already a lot of background information about characters there already (Dean Thomas), and a lot about magical objects (WANDS). Why not migrate that information to Pottermore, and make JKR.com exclusively about the author and not as much about the Harry Potter novels?
• What will happen when every book has been released on Pottermore and the House Cup is announced “Deathly Hallows”? Does everything start over with “Sorcerer’s Stone” again? Or does it stop there? This question, paraphrased, was submitted by Rita.

If you’re in a position to answer any of the above, please do, but provide an official source.

If you have any other questions about Pottermore, post them in the comments below. Thanks!