http://www.swns.com/vaults/rowling.htm

Q: Since Hagrid's name was cleared in Book 2, will he ever be allowed to do magic openly again ?

A: He is allowed. He has been allowed to do magic openly ever since he became a teacher but because he was never fully trained his magic is never going to be what it should be. He is always going to be a bit inept.

~*~

Q: It seems that the wizards and witches at Hogwarts are able to conjure up many things, such as food for the feasts, chairs and sleeping bags. . .if this is so, why does the wizarding world need money ? What are the limitations on the material objects you can conjure up ? It seems unnecessary that the Weasleys would be in such need of money. . . (Jan Campbell)

A: Very good question (well done, Jan!!). There is legislation about what you can conjure and what you can't. Something that you conjure out of thin air will not last. This is a rule I set down for myself early on. I love these logical questions!

~*~

Q: If Harry had a magic duel with Hermione, who would win ? (Doyle Srader, Nacogdoches, TX)

A: Very good question! Because until about halfway through Azkaban, Hermione would have won. But Harry - without anyone really noticing it - is becoming exceptionally good at Defence Against the Dark Arts. So that's the one area in which, almost instinctively, he is particularly talented. Apart from Quidditch.

~*~

Q: Where do the Hogwarts teachers live during the school holidays ? Do they stay at Hogwarts ? (Andrew Zimmer)

A: No, they don't. Filch, the caretaker, stays.

http://www.scholastic.com/harrypotter/author/transcript1.htm

Q. How can two Muggles have a kid with magical powers? Also how does the Ministry of Magic find out these kids have powers?

A. It's the same as two black-haired people producing a redheaded child. Sometimes these things just happen, and no one really knows why! The Ministry of Magic doesn't find out which children are magic. In Hogwarts there's a magical quill which detects the birth of a magical child, and writes his or her name down in a large parchment book. Every year Professor McGonagall checks the book, and sends owls to the people who are turning 11.

http://www.scholastic.com/harrypotter/author/transcript2.htm

Q Harry Potter for grownups again! Is Voldemort the last remaining ancestor of Slytherin, or the last remaining descendent of Slytherin?

A Ah, you spotted the deliberate error. Yes, it should read "descendent." That's been changed in subsequent editions. (Keep hold of the "ancestor" one, maybe it'll be valuable one day!)

~*~

Q. Can you explain how Lupin turns into a werewolf, since he didn't turn in the Shrieking Shack in Prisoner of Azkaban, but instead he turned only when the full moonlight hit him outside the tunnel? If he only turned into a wolf in the moonlight, why didn't he just stay inside? Did it have to do with the potion? Or was the moon not up yet?

A. The moon wasn't up when he entered the Shrieking Shack.

~*~

Q: How does the wizarding world protect Muggle banks and vaults, etc. from wizards apparating into them and stealing the contents?

A: Well, the Ministry of Magic keeps tabs on people apparating. That's why you have to have a license to do it, and the moment you abuse it you can find yourself in serious trouble (or Azkaban!).

http://www.quick-quote-quill.org/articles/2002/0000-BBC-Interview.htm

Regarding Platform 9-3/4

"Like a lot in the Harry Potter books, it was reality with a twist. I wanted to find another entrance to the magical world, but I didn’t want a kind of time warp thing. I like the entrances to be places you can only find if you have the knowledge. So anyone who ran at the barrier with enough confidence would be able to break through, um, onto this platform between platform 9, platform 10."

http://www.quick-quote-quill.org/articles/2004/0304-wbd.htm

faye109: Is 12 the maximum possible number of OWLs one can achieve?

JK Rowling replies -> Yes, I think it is off the top of my head.

~*~

HPFreak7: How are muggle parents convinced to let their kids go to Hogwarts, a strange place they never heard of before; and wouldn't they think it was a practical joke?

JK Rowling replies -> In the case of Muggle parents, special messengers are sent to explain everything to them. But don't forget that they will have noticed that there's something strange about their child for the previous ten years, so it won't come as a complete bolt from the blue.

~*~

Fenny: Will Lord Voldemort get more 'screentime' in the upcoming books?

JK Rowling replies -> You will see him again, but like most evil dictators, he prefers his henchmen to do his dirty work.

http://www.quick-quote-quill.org/articles/2003/0626-alberthall-fry.htm

JKR: I have been a teacher. I think that I would probably teach charms and I see charms as slightly lighter subject than transfiguration -- it's very hard work. Charms -- little bit more leeway for a bit of personal creativity. Transfiguration -- you've got to get it exactly right -- much more of a scientific subject. My daughter would be much better at transfiguration she's much more of a scientist.

What do you all think are the 'rules' for conjuring things? Could McGonagall conjure a meal because she's a powerful and talented witch or because the food actually existed elsewhere in Hogwarts and she just made it appear in Snape's office? If I were an unscrupulous witch, could I offer Lupin a job, then pay him with gold galleons that I conjured, and he wouldn't realize it for a day or two? Etc.

Q: It seems that the wizards and witches at Hogwarts are able to conjure up many things, such as food for the feasts, chairs and sleeping bags. . .if this is so, why does the wizarding world need money ? What are the limitations on the material objects you can conjure up ? It seems unnecessary that the Weasleys would be in such need of money. . . (Jan Campbell)

A: Very good question (well done, Jan!!). There is legislation about what you can conjure and what you can't. Something that you conjure out of thin air will not last. This is a rule I set down for myself early on. I love these logical questions!

In Hogwarts there's a magical quill which detects the birth of a magical child, and writes his or her name down in a large parchment book.

This makes me wonder about how witches and wizards value things, material things, in the wizarding world. Even with the limitations placed on conjuring, transfiguring, and charming, witches and wizards have some ability to create and alter material items at will. So, for example, I've read several fanfics in which Hermione transfigures or charms a dress so that it takes on a new color, shape, or style. I wonder if the snobs in the wizarding society would prefer magically altered clothing (as it is a sign of their magical talent/status) or handmade clothing (as it shows that they have enough money to develop their wardrobe; they don't need magic to look good). This is a really silly example, but I guess what I'm thinking is, if snobby purebloods like the Malfoys prefer magically altered clothing, as it reinforces their magical nature, then they'd have a harder time differentiating themselves from the common witch or wizard. If they preferred handmade or non-magically altered goods, then they're treasuring items that could be made by a Muggle. So, the lesson of this ramble? Elitism just doesn't make sense. (And neither do I )