It has been nearly three months since the release of Chapters 8-15 on Pottermore. As I wrote in the Chamber of Secrets review article, I really only visit Pottermore to experience the artwork and sounds that each new Moment brings, and to read new information written by J. K. Rowling.
Included in the first Prisoner of Azkaban release, Chapters 1-7, are paragraphs giving new information about Aunt Marge Dursley, The Knight Bus, Professor Kettleburn, Sir Cadogan, and Boggarts. Included in the second Prisoner of Azkaban release, Chapters 8-15, are paragraphs giving new information about the Hogwarts Portraits, The Marauder’s Map, Gobstones, Dementors and Chocolate, and The Firebolt. Some paragraphs are more fascinating than others.
While fascinating, none of this new information is particularly memorable. It isn’t like the bombshell that Rowling gave us when she outed Dumbledore. However, I also do not think that she should simply conjure up shocking new information simply to provide gossip for water cooler conversations. This new information that Rowling has been giving us is what it is, and I for one am thankful for it. I do not ask for Rowling to give us new information about characters that she isn’t already willing to provide in her own time.
With the advent on Pottermore at PlayStation Home, it would seem that the focus has shifted somewhat from Pottermore.com over to the PlayStation platform. Three months does seem a long time to wait for the last seven chapters of Prisoner of Azkaban. However, this may be in part because Charlie Redmayne, now the former CEO of Pottermore, has stepped down from his post, which certainly causes internal transitions for the company. He has said in a recent interview that there is a major overhaul of Pottermore in the works to cater to a more casual reader of Harry Potter, giving these casual fans an opportunity to learn more about Harry Potter, get sorted, cast spells and the like, without even registering for the website.
Let us hope that the last seven chapters of Prisoner of Azkaban appear on Pottermore.com within the coming months. Let us also hope that within these chapters, as I mentioned in the Prisoner of Azkaban preview article, that we have an opportunity to find out what our Patronus is. When Sorcerer’s Stone was first released on Pottermore, we were up to our wands in anticipation for the opportunity to get sorted by a Rowling-created Sorting Hat. We were also excited to find out what our wand woods and cores are. Which creature comes from our wands when we cast Expecto Patronum remains the last great mystery that should eventually be revealed to us with yet another quiz on Pottermore.
Granted, this really depends on how you interpret Pottermore. Harry finds out that his Patronus is a stag during the last chapters of Prisoner of Azkaban. However, his classmates all have ample practice in conjuring a Patronus during their time together as Dumbledore’s Army in Order of the Phoenix. Pottermore doesn’t seem to be a place where we strictly follow Harry’s journey, but instead a place where we embark on our own journeys at Hogwarts, despite following more or less the Harry Potter storyline. What made this distinction strikingly clear for me was the fact that those who were sorted into Slytherin (as Harry Potter was not) did not have to brew a Polyjuice Potion in order to get into the Slytherin Common Room during the Chamber of Secrets Moments on Pottermore.
Our wands choose us. We are sorted into our houses. This makes Pottermore a unique experience for each of us. However, our wands choose us at the same time in the story that they choose Harry. We are sorted at the same time in the story as Harry is sorted. Therefore, why shouldn’t we also find out what our full corporeal Patronus is at the same time that Harry does?
Perhaps my impatience is getting the better of me. What do you think? Should we find out what our Patronus creature is now or later? Share your thoughts in the comments.
