Quotes by J.K. Rowling

He felt that he was still groping in the dark; he had chosen his path but kept looking back, wondering whether he had misread the signs, whether he should not have taken the other way.

Every time he tried to reconstruct the internal arguments that had led to his decision, they sounded feebler to him.

There were relatives of their victims among the Hogwarts students, who now found themselves the unwilling objects of a gruesome sort of reflected fame as they walked the corridors: Susan Bones, whose uncle, aunt, and cousins had all died at the hands of one of the ten, said miserably during Herbology that she now had a good idea what it felt like to be Harry.And I dont know how you stand it- its horrible she said bluntly.

Those who choose not to empathise enable real monsters. For without ever committing an act of outright evil ourselves, we collude with it, through our own apathy.

Howard was almost as fond of this hall as he was of his own shop. The Brownies used it on Tuesdays, and the Womens Institute on Wednesdays. It had hosted jumble sales and Jubilee celebrations, wedding receptions and wakes, and it smelled of all of these things: of stale clothes and coffee urns, and the ghosts of home-baked cakes and meat salads; of dust and human bodies; but primarily of aged wood and stone.

The singing grew louder as they approached the church. It made Harry’s throat constrict, it reminded him so forcefully of Hogwarts, of Peeves bellowing rude versions of carols from inside suits of armour, of the Great Hall’s twelve Christmas trees, of Dumbledore wearing a bonnet he had won in a cracker, of Ron in a hand-knitted sweater…

First sign of madness, talking to your own head.

A letter?” repeated Professor McGonagall faintly, sitting back down on the wall. “Really Dumbledore, you think you can explain all this in a letter? These people will never understand him! He’ll be famous—a legend—I wouldn’t be surprised if today was known as Harry Potter day in the future—there will be books written about Harry—every child in our world will know his name! ...

Lily’s smile was widest of all. She pushed her long hair back as she drew close to him, and her green eyes, so like his, searched his face hungrily, as though she would never be able to look at him enough.“You’ve been so brave.”He could not speak. His eyes feasted on her, and he thought that he would like to stand and look at her forever, and that would be enough.

I just wondered where you —” Ron broke off, shrugging. “Nothing. I’m going back to bed.”“Just thought you’d come nosing around, did you?” Harry shouted. He knew that Ron had no idea what he’d walked in on, knew he hadn’t done it on purpose, but he didn’t care — at this moment he hated everything about Ron, right down to the several inches of bare ankle showing beneath his pajama trousers.

Anything is possible if youve got enough nerve.

But youre dead, said Harry.Oh yes, said Dumbledore matter-of-factly.Then...Im dead too?Ah, said Dumbledore, smiling still more broadly. That is the question, isnt it? On the whole, dear boy, I think not.”They looked at each other, the old man still beaming.Not? repeated Harry.Not, said Dumbledore.But… Harry raised his hand instinctively toward the lightning scar. It did not seem to be there. But I should have died—I didnt defend myself! I meant to let him kill me!And that, said Dumbledore, will, I think, have made all the difference.

...it is hard to throw off long-established love:hard, but this you must managed somehow

An explanation of an old man’s mistakes. For I see now that what I have done, and not done, with regard to you, bears all hallmarks of the failings of age. Youth cannot know how age thinks and feels. But old men are guilty if they what it was to be young… and I seem to have forgotten lately…

You should write a book, Ron told Hermione as he cut up his potatoes, translating mad things girls do so boys can understand them.

Well, wouldnt it have been easier if shed just asked me whether I liked her better than you?Girls dont often ask questions like that, said Hermione.Well, they should! said Harry forcefully.

Thats what they should teach us here. How girls brains work... It would be more useful than divination, anyway...

You should have told her differently, said Hermione, still with that maddeningly patient air. You should have said it was really annoying, but Id made you promise to come along to the Three Broomsticks, and you really didnt want to go, youd much rather spend the whole day with her, but unfortunately you thought you really ought to meet me and would she please, please come along with you, and hopefully youd be able to get away more quickly? And it might have been a good idea to mention how ugly you think I am too, Hermione added as an afterthought.But I dont think youre ugly, said Harry, bemused.Hermione laughed.

Ive got two daughters who will have to make their way in this skinny-obsessed world, and it worries me, because I dont want them to be empty-headed, self-obsessed, emaciated clones; Id rather they were independent, interesting, idealistic, kind, opinionated, original, funny – a thousand things, before thin. And frankly, Id rather they didnt give a gust of stinking chihuahua flatulence whether the woman standing next to them has fleshier knees than they do. Let my girls be Hermiones, rather than Pansy Parkinsons. Let them never be Stupid Girls.

How can I have hung round you for five years and not think girls are clever?