During this time of year, people are probably preparing their Halloween costumes for some scary shenanigans at the end of the month. It’s possible that some might be stocking up on black cloaks, white bandages, or grey fur for their ghoulish good times, but if you grew up with J.K. Rowling’s ‘Harry Potter’ franchise like so many of us have, then you might recall that evil, scary monsters also come in small, pink, cat-adorned packages quite like former Undersecretary of the Minister of Magic and Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher Dolores Umbridge. And though she may be long gone from Hogwarts and the wizarding world in general, we’re about to get more acquainted with one of the most malicious Potterverse characters ever conceived.
After first appearing on the page in ‘Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix’, Umbridge became one of the most infamous witches in history by passing harsh and unjust laws against magical creatures such as werewolves and merpeople and by being the only person other than Lord Voldermort to leave a permanent scar on Harry Potter. Imelda Staunton fiendishly brought her to life in the film adaptations of ‘Order of the Phoenix’ and ‘Deathly Hallows: Part 1’, but beyond her dastardly deeds during the events of the books and movies, not much is known about the one-time Hogwarts Headmistress.
However, that is about to change this Halloween as Rowling is releasing a 1700-word backstory about Umbridge’s life on Pottermore. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the author will premiere her latest essay expanding on the Harry Potter mythology, as well as the author’s “revealing first-person thoughts and reflections about the character” on October 31, 2014 as a “special Halloween treat for Harry Potter fans”. Previously, Rowling has used the platform to give us Quidditch World Cup updates, catch up with Dumbledore’s Army, and teach us about Molly Weasley’s favorite singer Celestina Warbeck, but now we’re in for something a little more wicked by delving into the origins of Dolores Umbridge.
Are you excited to learn more about one of the most hated ‘Harry Potter’ characters ever? What sort of surprises do you think await us in Dolores Umbridge’s backstory? Will you be logging in to Pottermore on Halloween to find out? Let us know in the comments below.
