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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at BC chapter.

July 21, 2007.  It is a date that may not seem like a big deal to many people, just a summer day almost five years ago.  But for me, dramatic as it sounds, it was the day my childhood ended.  Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was finally released, and it was a day I had simultaneously been waiting for and dreading since I first snuggled up with my mom and brother in first grade and listened to her read us the book that changed my life. 
  
Fourteen years have passed since I was first exposed to the world of Harry, Ron and Hermione, and my love for Harry Potter has only grown since.  I’ve read the books countless times, I can quote all of the movies, and I’ve made the trip to Orlando to go to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, which is a magical, magical place. 

However, especially since the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 last summer, I’ve found myself wondering, what now?  Will J.K. Rowling, my idol, fulfill our dreams by writing a sequel to the series?  Will she write the prequel that years before she said she wasn’t writing (if you didn’t read the 800 word short story she wrote for charity, check it out here )? Or will she move on from Harry Potter and write something completely new?
 
Turns out, she’s kind of doing both.  Not only has Rowling recently announced that she will be writing a new book, but she’s also working on a Harry Potter encyclopedia.  “For a long time,” she said, “I have been promising an encyclopaedia of Harry’s world, and I have started work on this – some of it forms the new content in Pottermore. It is likely to be a time-consuming job, but when finished I shall donate all royalties to charity.”  As one of the lucky fans who had early access to Pottermore, I can’t even explain how excited I am about this encyclopedia.  The amount of information she provides on the website that was never in the books—the background stories, the random details, everything—is incredible.  I have no doubt that once this encyclopedia is published, it’ll be amazing, and will provide a whole new look into the world of Harry Potter for all fans.
 

Rowling also released a description of her new book, The Casual Vacancy, which is set to be released on September 27, 2012.  The adult novel centers on the town of Pagford and the constant conflict below the surface that divides the townspeople.  “When Barry Fairweather dies unexpectedly in his early forties, the little town of Pagford is left in shock.  Pagford is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, but what lies behind the pretty façade is a town at war.  Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils… Pagford is not what it first seems.  And the empty seat left by Barry on the parish council soon becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen.   Who will triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity and unexpected revelations?”  This novel, according to Rowling’s publisher, will be “blackly comic.”  I can’t wait to read The Casual Vacancy and to see how Rowling applies her incredible talent to writing something so different than Harry Potter.   
 
There’s no doubt that the Harry Potter franchise defines our generation.  Since Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was first released in England, over 450 million copies of the books have been sold in 74 languages.  I can’t even begin to express how thankful I am for everything I learned from the books, but Alan Rickman really says it all: “It is an ancient need to be told stories.  But the story needs a great storyteller.  Thanks for all of it, Jo.”  Thank you for giving us two new things to anxiously await and to frantically read after they are published.  Thank you for the years of happiness that came along with Harry Potter—the laughter, the tears, the heartbreak, the memories—and for giving us even more, with The Casual Vacancy and the Harry Potter encyclopedia. 
 
 
Sources:
http://jkrowling.com
http://www.littlebrown.co.uk/TheCasualVacancy
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/entertainment/2012/04/j-k-rowling-announces-…

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Julianne is an Ohio native studying communication at Boston College with a concentration in journalism. She got involved with Her Campus BC when the chapter launched in December 2010. She began as an editor and contributing writer, and since has moved up the ranks to Campus Correspondent. Aside from working for Her Campus, Julianne is a certified personal trainer at Boston College's Flynn Recreational Complex and teaches group fitness as well. During her sophomore year, Julianne was a part of the Arrupe Program at BC and traveled to Guatemala, learning about the culture, political, social, economic, and religious issues of the country. Her goals post graduation include writing for a health and fitness magazine or working in communications for college or professional athletics. As for now, however, she is enjoying life at the University she loves so much! An avid hockey and football fan, one can always find Julianne in the stands rooting on BC and the Boston Bruins! Other hobbies include running, yoga, cooking, baking, and photography.