Next Harry Potter Short Story Reveals More About Umbridge

[Sarah LeBoeuf]

Next Harry Potter Short Story Reveals More About Umbridge

Everyone's favorite cat-loving Hogwarts professor is getting a Halloween short story from Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling.

Harry Potter's story might be over, but fans haven't stopped clamoring for more tales from J.K. Rowling's magical wizarding world. Luckily, Rowling is more than willing to deliver. As a Halloween treat for fans on Pottermore [https://www.pottermore.com/], the Harry Potter scribe is delivering a new short story about one of the series' most reviled characters: former Hogwarts professor Delores Umbridge.

The 1,700-word story will unveil Umbridge's backstory, which may explain how she came to be the witch Harry Potter fans know and despise. Umbridge first appeared in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, quickly establishing herself as one of the worst professors in Hogwarts history by inflicting cruel punishments and instating absurd rules. Later, Umbridge was appointed Senior Undersecretary to the Minister of Magic and led the charge against Muggle-borns, despite not being a Death Eater herself.

This isn't the first time Pottermore has been used to expand the harry Potter universe; Rowling has published an ongoing series about events of that world, including one that featured the next film [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/135979-JK-Rowling-Explores-Harry-Potter-Grown-Up-in-New-Short-Story] about the wizarding world, fans don't have to wait until next year: Rowling's short story will be published on Pottermore on October 31. That gives you just under a week to sign up and get sorted; fingers crossed you're not in Hufflepuff.

Source: CNET [http://www.cnet.com/news/theres-a-new-harry-potter-story-coming-this-halloween/]

Permalink

 

[dangoball]

Hey mate, Hufflepuff are awesome!
...
Why yes, I am a fan of MLP:FiM, why do you ask?

 

[Gizmo1990]

I am not a HP fan these days but I do have a question for people who still are. Were any of you asking for this? I was under the impression that Umbridge was not even a character people liked to hate, they simply hated her. Or have I simply missed something and there is a massive fanbase for this character that I have been completly unaware of?

I am all for authors doing side stories on characters who are not central to the main story, as a fan of the Dresden Files I have been able to enjoy a number of side stories from the POV of characters other than Harry Dresden but Jim Butcher wrote these stories about popular characters.

 

[draigodragon]

Screw her i stopped watching harry potter after seeing her in it...

My god do i wish bad things on her... i mean her in harry potter not her in reali... you get the gist >.>

 

[Josh123914]

Chapter dedicated to her time in the forest with the Centaurs.
Calling it now.

Probably won't be done, but there's a popular fan theory that she got raped in there...

 

[DaWaffledude]

I am not a HP fan these days but I do have a question for people who still are. Were any of you asking for this? I was under the impression that Umbridge was not even a character people liked to hate, they simply hated her. Or have I simply missed something and there is a massive fanbase for this character that I have been completly unaware of?

I am all for authors doing side stories on characters who are not central to the main story, as a fan of the Dresden Files I have been able to enjoy a number of side stories from the POV of characters other than Harry Dresden but Jim Butcher wrote these stories about popular characters.

No, she's definitely someone the fans love to hate.

 

[JSoup]

I am not a HP fan these days but I do have a question for people who still are. Were any of you asking for this? I was under the impression that Umbridge was not even a character people liked to hate, they simply hated her. Or have I simply missed something and there is a massive fanbase for this character that I have been completly unaware of?

I am all for authors doing side stories on characters who are not central to the main story, as a fan of the Dresden Files I have been able to enjoy a number of side stories from the POV of characters other than Harry Dresden but Jim Butcher wrote these stories about popular characters.

No, she's definitely someone the fans love to hate.

But can you say she was someone the fans were just itching to have more material about?
I know I wasn't and that seems to be the general mood across Pottermore.

 

[Sniper Team 4]

Um...I would like to know what happened to her after everything was finished. The last we see of her, as far as I remember, is that Harry smacks her on the head while she's still in charge of the Ministry of Magic. That's it. No punishment or anything for what she did.

And I would love to be in Hufflepuff because nothing ever happens to them. They live peaceful lives and just go to school to learn magic. They don't have constant, near-death adventures, don't get sucked into fights, don't have to constantly watch their backs for a knife. Nice and calm.

 

[sky_rider19]

And I would love to be in Hufflepuff because nothing ever happens to them. They live peaceful lives and just go to school to learn magic. They don't have constant, near-death adventures, don't get sucked into fights, don't have to constantly watch their backs for a knife. Nice and calm.

What about Cedric though? But I agree, Hufflepuff is definitely where I belong.

 

[Aris Khandr]

The only story about Umbridge I'm interested in reading is how she dies. Thankfully, I'm already on Pottermore, and not a Hufflepuff!

 

[josh4president]

Okay, show of hands! Who wanted this?

Hm? What's that? No one?

Well then I guess Mrs. Rowling is just a crazy person then.

Seriously, the only thing she could get any real and true hype over this is if she wrote the alternate ending with Harry and Hermoine together that she claimed should have happened if her creepy wish-fulfillment hadn't gotten in the way of her writing.

 

[Hawki]

I'll have you know I'm a Hufflepuff myself. Just sayin'

Anyway, I haven't read anything off Pottormore, but I think many are looking at this the wrong way. It's academic whether people wanted an Umbridge story or not. Rowling will write what she wants, when she wants, and she's been doing that ever since the 'Harry Potter' series allowed her to stay afloat by the continuing royalties. As I understand, Pottormore is free browsing, so all I can say is that one shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth.

 

[Radoh]

Chapter dedicated to her time in the forest with the Centaurs.
Calling it now.

Probably won't be done, but there's a popular fan theory that she got raped in there...

Hate to spoil this for you, but that's not a fan theory, that's what actually went down.
In an interview with Rowling herself she danced around the subject while basically admitting it.
Same thing with Albus' brother fucking a goat.

 

[Signa]

As much as I loved Umbridge, I don't want to know more about her. Maybe if it takes place after the last book, I wouldn't mind seeing her get herself into some trouble again, but if it's written before or during the books, it's unlikely to improve anything. I think it has a chance to damage the books if we get some Star Wars prequel bullshit going on.

 

[J.McMillen]

As much as I loved Umbridge, I don't want to know more about her. Maybe if it takes place after the last book, I wouldn't mind seeing her get herself into some trouble again, but if it's written before or during the books, it's unlikely to improve anything. I think it has a chance to damage the books if we get some Star Wars prequel bullshit going on.

Rowling said that after Voldemorts death, she was sentenced to life in Azkaban for her crimes against Muggle-borns. Not much to write about there.

 

[CrazyGirl17]

I don't see why we needed a short story about her, a character nobody likes. Don't get me wrong, it's always nice to see back stories of minor characters, but why Umbridge? ...Also, what's wrong with Hufflepuff? (And I'm not just saying this because that's where I would end up if I went to Hogwarts)

 

[x EvilErmine x]

Chapter dedicated to her time in the forest with the Centaurs.
Calling it now.

Probably won't be done, but there's a popular fan theory that she got raped in there...

Hate to spoil this for you, but that's not a fan theory, that's what actually went down.
In an interview with Rowling herself she danced around the subject while basically admitting it.
Same thing with Albus' brother fucking a goat.

Add to that the fact that in half blood prince Ron mentions that if you really want to freak her out then all you need to do is make a clop clop noise like a horse an she goes in to a bit of a meltdown too.

 

[Sarah LeBoeuf]

I am not a HP fan these days but I do have a question for people who still are. Were any of you asking for this? I was under the impression that Umbridge was not even a character people liked to hate, they simply hated her. Or have I simply missed something and there is a massive fanbase for this character that I have been completly unaware of?

I am all for authors doing side stories on characters who are not central to the main story, as a fan of the Dresden Files I have been able to enjoy a number of side stories from the POV of characters other than Harry Dresden but Jim Butcher wrote these stories about popular characters.

Massive HP fan here. Personally, I think the Harry Potter world is rich with stories that haven't been told yet, and I love that we're getting little slivers of the world outside of what we saw in the main series on Pottermore. Thus far, Rowling's short stories have been great.

As for Umbridge, she's actually really interesting in that she's one of the few characters in the series who are terrible people but NOT Death Eaters. She shows that you can just be a bad person even if you're not, you know, going around murdering Muggle-borns and Harry Potter supporters and professing your love to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. I'd like to know more about how she became so, well, terrible.

I could probably go on and on, but... since you're not a fan, as you say, you've probably already stopped reading.

 

[ccggenius12]

To explain the Hufflepuff hate, here's Dave Mitchell:

Spoiler

OT: Meh, don't much care. I also wish the new movies plot was nothing like what it is, and was instead about some Steve Irwin-ish Aussie wizard going all crocodile hunter on magical creatures. Although that's probably more of a TV show than a movie... maybe a YouTube mini series?