Did you hear? We got a theme park! An honest-to-goodness reconstruction of Hogwarts Castle within Universal Studios Florida. We could literally follow in Harry's footsteps? Through Hogsmeade? Into the castle? Shut! Up! You can bet your broomstick that I'll be ordering a round of butterbeers!

When news spread that this was an actual possibility, Potterheads were overjoyed. This place was real, tactile, and it warmed our hearts. It wasn't just Harry's world anymore. It was our world, too!

Then came a website that delved deeply into the universe of Harry Potter and the mind of its creator, J.K. Rowling. It was called POTTERMORE.

Whoa. Awesome. This is awesome, right? Even the name sounded like she was throwing a bone to the fans.

Eh, you guys want more Potter?

Here you go. Blam!

There were elements of her old website on there, tons of details about major and minor characters, stunning artwork, news, and background information. It became a landing page for buying the E-books, for being Sorted into one of the four houses, for eventually learning your Patronus, and more. It was interactive, inclusive, and kept the wizarding world alive in an innocent, honest way. Fans who wanted (needed) more in the wake of Harry's story coming to a close could get more. And fans who were willing to accept that the series was done, could step away and feel happy for the rest of the fandom. Best of all, J.K. Rowling didn't have to let go of something that was a huge part of her life.

Everyone approved of Pottermore for what it was.

But then a slight sense of uncertainty crept in when JKR started giving interviews that challenged existing ideas, refuted the more exciting ships and fangirling, and contradicted story elements of the books.

Were we hearing this right?

While we adored her and felt proud when she was willing to fight for the marginalized and "othered", be it for orphans, the LGBTQ community, world religions, civil rights, you name it, it seemed to some of the fanbase that she was willing to use Potter to express all her opinions, which brought about a polarizing response from her fans.

Based on my research, her interviews and Twitter comments felt, at times, awe-inspiring. Dumbledore is gay, and there were people of the Jewish faith at Hogwarts? Inclusivity!

Other times it confused us. Why aren't we allowed to think Draco can be a redeemable character? What do you mean Hermione should have been with Harry? Why are you specifically crushing other ships and telling us Sirius Black was straight?

Hmm... The fandom was getting a little nervous. We liked it when she teased us and gave us extra details about established content, but only when those details aligned with our headcanon. When it didn't align... Grrll...

I've mentioned this before in my Fred and George series, but when the author of a work starts to add, revise, and refine existing material long after the completion, it can cause the fandom to revolt.

Example: The police in E.T. were holding guns during the chase. That made the scene more impactful and showed us how risky the escape was for the boys. And sure, Han Solo is a virtuous character in many respects, and I understand how changing the original Star Wars so that he did not shoot first in the Cantina scene would make him seem less like a scoundrel. But...that was the whole point. He IS a scoundrel. He did shoot first.

Stop messing with our stuff, dudes! I don't care that idle hands lead to tinkering, put away the eraser!

Ah, but then the warring stars would align, we would get new material from those same creators, and we would adore them all over again. This happened, just as the newest, more awesomest addition to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter was opening in Universal Studios Florida. The planet united in eager anticipation for the rumored "new story" to drop on Pottermore!

Nice try, it was 1,500 words.

Still, although we were disappointed and felt a little duped, it was a short, sweet moment. A glimpse of their future, taking place during the present day Quidditch World Cup. The whole gang was there, Harry had fresh battle scars, and it was just enough to make us feel like the wizarding world we had enjoyed was still alive beyond the pages. It seemed like a cheeky wink to the fandom, and it was just enough.

Thank you, dear Jo. Queen Jo. Sorry, we were being kinda judgy back there.