Dumbledore's Yellow Pages

What? I was sure they were actual, real spell books borrowed from the real Hogwarts. Sadly, the prop department had to make due with what they had on hand: old phone books rebound and distressed to look old.  The interview this is from is here, the book discovery happens towards the end.

Vander Ark's New Potter Book

Followup: Steven Vander Ark, recently banned from publishing a Harry Potter lexicon, has moved forward with a new Potter-related project. It will entail more analysis, investigating the real-world connections of the Potter universe, and less direct content from Rowling's mind -- a definite application of fair-use that shouldn't cause the legal wranglings he experienced with his Lexicon. (Via.)

Rowling Wins Copyright Fight

J.K Rowling, creator of the Harry Potter empire, has won her copyright suit against the Harry Potter Lexicon. The Lexicon was a fan-created reference online, but when Steven Vander Ark started the process of publishing a book, Rowling put her foot down. Most argue that the Lexicon is far from a threat, and deserves to exist, if only because it adds to the art. Sadly, copyright is written in stone, even if you've forgiven transgressions or granted permission in the past. I sincerely sympathize with Vander Ark, because I'm sure it's devastating for such a labor of love to be taken away, and I doubt his book is truly a threat to Rowling. The law, however, is pretty firm, unfortunately. Rowling is in her right to decide not to accept fan-created, unauthorized Potter texts in the marketplace and profit from her creations solely. I'm on the fence; while I do think copyright is extended to absurd degrees today, and the courts need to side with 'fair use' more often, artists still need to protect their creations as their own.