Harry Potter Fans With No Life

J.K. Rowling Is Publishing a New ‘Harry Potter’ Story on Halloween

—Getty ImagesJ.K. Rowling is giving “Harry Potter” fans a special treat on Halloween.

According to Pottermore.com, her one-stop shop for all things “Harry Potter” related, a new 1700-word short that tells the backstory of Hogwarts professor Dolores Umbridge. The character made her first appearance in the fifth book, “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” and was played by Imelda Staunton in the films.

“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,” reads a statement on Pottermore teasing the new story. Rowling is also expected to make some first-person commentary about her thoughts on the character.

This new story is the third Rowling has released on Pottermore this year, following a new one about Harry as a 33-year-old and another short about the singing sorceress Celistina Warbeck.

She’s currently working on a new novel, as well as the screenplay to the “Harry Potter” spinoff films, “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” which is expected to be released on November 18, 2016.

J.K. Rowling Prepping New 'Harry Potter' Story for HalloweenTale will focus on the backstory of backstory of evil Hogwarts professor Dolores Umbridge
By Ryan Reed | October 24, 2014

J.K. Rowling has a special Halloween surprise for devoted Harry Potter fans. On October 31st, the author is releasing a new 1,700-word tale – which tells the backstory of Dolores Umbridge, the evil, pink-donning Hogwarts professor – for free on her Pottermore website.


As The Independent notes, the evil Umbridge first appeared in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix as the Minister for Magic's Senior Undersecretary and was portrayed by Imelda Staunton in the popular movie adaptations. Infamously, the witch forced Harry to scar himself with the words, "I must not tell lies" using a Blood Quill, and she was arrested and sentenced to an Azkaban life sentence for crimes against Muggle-borns.

According to a character description on Pottermore, “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."

The Pottermore site describes the new tale as a "rich, 1,700-word backstory about Umbridge's life, filled with many new details, as well as Rowling's revealing first-person thoughts and reflections about the character."

In July, Rowling released another Potter story. This installment – which temporarily crashed the Pottermore site due to massive traffic – focused on a 33-year-old Harry reuniting with Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger to take in the finals of the Quidditch World Cup.

I don't like her and it would be a major project to make me feel much sympathy for her.