J. K. Rowling
He had been so busy getting away from the library, he hadn't paid attention to where he was going.Collection: Book
The fates have informed me that your examination in June will concern the Orb, and I am anxious to give you sufficient practice. Hermione snorted. "Well honestly... 'the fates have informed her'... Who sets the exam? She does!Collection: Fate
Life, for Colin, was one long brace against pain and disappointment, and everybody apart from his wife was an enemy until proven otherwise.Collection: Pain
I don't take any responsibility for the lunatic fringes of my own religion.Collection: Responsibility
Her round, mascara-streaked face looked back at him out of the rear window. He forced a grin and a wave before lighting another cigarette, and reflecting that Lucy's idea of sympathty compared unfavourably with some of the interrogation techniques they had used at Guantanamo.Collection: Interrogation Techniques
It's the ability to resist failure, in many ways, or use failure that often leads to the greatest success, isn't it?Collection: Use
There was a horrible smell in the kitchen the next morning when Harry went in for breakfast. It seemed to be coming from a large metal tub in the sink. He went to have a look. The tub was full of what looked like dirty rags swimming in gray water. "What's this?" he asked Aunt Petunia. "Your new school uniform," she said. Harry looked in the bowl again. "Oh," he said, "I didn't realize it had to be so wet.Collection: Morning
I have gone temporarily deaf and haven't any idea what you said, Harry.Collection: Ideas
In magic, man has to rely on himself. So, in religion, of course, you're looking for outside support but that's the appeal of magic.Collection: Men
Dark times lie ahead of us and there will be a time when we must choose between what is easy and what is right. -Albus DumbledoreCollection: Lying
Perfection is not necessary to make a real and lasting difference to other people's lives.Collection: Real
Sport is a very important subject at school, that's why I gave Quidditch such an important place at Hogwarts. I was very bad in sports, so I gave Harry a talent I would really loved to have. Who wouldn't want to fly?Collection: Sports
I think the Harry books are actually very moral, but some people just object to witchcraft being mentioned in a children's book.Collection: Children
Often, you have to fail as a writer before you write that bestselling novel or ground-breaking memoir. If you're failing as a writer - which it definitely feels like when you're struggling to write regularly or can't seem to earn a living as a freelance writer - maybe you need to take a long-term perspective.Collection: Struggle
If someone asked for my recipe for happiness, step one would be finding out what you love most in the world and step two would be finding someone to pay you to do it. I consider myself very lucky indeed to be able to support myself by writing.Collection: Motivation
He put his foot on one pedal, scooted a few yards and swung his other leg over the saddle. He soared left into the vertiginously sloping hillside road and sped, without touching his brakes ... The hedgerows and sky blurred; he imagined himself in a velodrome as the wind whipped his hair clean...Collection: Healing
You fail by default when you live so cautiously you never fail.Collection: Education
There are always loose ends in real life.Collection: Life
'You all righ'?' he said gruffly. 'Yeah,' said Harry. 'No, yeh're not,' said Hagrid. 'Of course yeh're not. But yeh will be.'Collection: Life Lesson
'It was stupid, thinking it was him, I mean, I knew he was dead' Harry muttered. 'You think the dead we loved ever truly leave us? You think that we don't recall them more clearly than ever in times of great trouble? Your father is alive in you, Harry, and shows himself most plainly when you have need of him....You know, Harry, in a way you did see your father last night....You found him inside yourself.'Collection: Father
Long ago, when Harry had been left alone while the Dursley's went out to enjoy themselves, the hours of solitude had been a rare treat: Pausing only to sneak something tasty from the fridge, he had rushed upstairs to play on Dudley's computer, or put on the television and flicked through the channels to his heart's content. It gave him an odd empty feeling to remember those times; it was like remembering a younger brother whom he had lost.Collection: Brother
Failure is so impor - it doesn't get spoken about enough. We speak about success all the time.Collection: Speak
I'm very frustrated by fear of imagination. I don't think that's healthy.Collection: Thinking
I don't drive. No. Cars terrify me. I am really frightened of cars.Collection: Car
Love wins. It does win. We know it wins.Collection: Winning
I think what is probably hard for people to imagine is how wrapped up the 17 years' work on Harry Potter is with what was going on in my life at the time. I was mourning the loss of this world that I had written for so long and loved so much. I was also mourning the retreat it had been from - from ordinary life, which it has been. And it forced me to look back at 17 years of my life and remember things.Collection: Loss
I'd always said never say never, because I knew that Warner Brothers wanted to do something with "Fantastic Beasts," and I did have kind of a yen to do that.Collection: Brother
You could tie my hands to my sides, I suppose, but I have to write. For my own mental health, I need to write.Collection: Writing
I'm sure that I'll never have another success like Harry Potter for the rest of my life, no matter how many books I write, and no matter whether they're good or bad.Collection: Book
I like the distinction. It enables me to have more easygoing encounters in my private life.Collection: Encounters
Every writer prefers good reviews over bad ones, and every writer wants to have lots of readers. But if it doesn't happen, that's fine too. Perhaps I won't throw a party then; I'll simply go home and keep writing.Collection: Party
I think that emotionally, I've probably felt a little bit more balanced when I started writing again.Collection: Writing
I'm not a billionaire, what a tragedy.Collection: Tragedy
If there is a connection between Harry Potter and my new novel, it's my interest in characters.Collection: Character
I've been writing my entire life, and I'll always write. But at times I have told myself that I don't necessarily have to publish anything else.Collection: Writing
Go on, have a pasty," said Harry, who had never had anything to share before or, indeed, anyone to share it with. It was a nice feeling, sitting there with Ron, eating their way through all Harry's pasties, cakes, and candies (the sandwiches lay forgotten).Collection: Nice
Everybody finished the song at different times. Dumbledore conducted their last few lines with his wand and when they had finished, he was one of those who clapped loudest. 'Ah music,' he said, wiping his eyes. 'A magic beyond all we do here!Collection: Song
Can't stay long, Mother," he said. "I'm up front, the prefects have got two compartments to themselves-" "Oh, are you a prefect, Percy?" said one of the twins, with an air of great surprise. "You should have said something, we had no idea." "Hang on, I think I remember him saying something about it," said the other twin. "Once-" "Or twice-" "A minute-" "All summer-" "Oh, shut up," said Percy the Prefect.Collection: Summer
Our Headmaster is taking a short break," said Professor McGonagall, pointing at the Snape-shaped hole in the window.Collection: Window
I’m not a freak. That’s a horrible thing to say." "That’s where you’re going. A special school for freaks. You and that Snape boy ... weirdos, that’s what you two are..." "You didn’t think it was such a freak’s school when you wrote the headmaster and begged him to take you.Collection: School
I never meant to call you Mudblood, it just-" Lily: "Slipped out? It’s too late. I’ve made excuses for you for years. None of my friends can understand why I even talk to you. You and your precious little Death Eater friends ... You’ve chosen your way, I’ve chosen mine.Collection: Death Eaters
I’m very busy with schoolwork, of course." "How can she be?" said Ron in horror. "We’re on vacation!Collection: Vacation
Harry: This book belongs to Harry Potter. Ron: Shared by Ron Weasley, because his fell apart. Hermione: Why don't you buy a new one then? Ron: Write on your own book, Hermione. Hermione: You bought all those dungbombs on Saturday. You could have bought a new book instead. Ron: Dungbombs rule.Collection: Book
Once again I must ask too much of you, Harry.Collection: Too Much
Wild!" Ron said, twiddling the replay knob on the side. "I can make that old bloke down there pick his nose again... and again... and again...Collection: Noses
Dawn seemed to follow midnight with indecent haste.Collection: Night
Then he heard a terrible cry that pulled at his insides, that expressed agony of a kind that neither flame nor curse could cause, and he stood up, swaying, more frightened than he had been that day, more frightened, perhaps, than he had been in his whole life.Collection: Flames
And Hermione was struggling to her feet in the wreckage, and three red-headed men were grouped on the ground where the wall had blasted apart. Harry grabbed Hermione's hand as they staggered and stumbled over stone and wood. 'No - no - no!' someone was shouting. 'No! Fred! No!' And Percy was shaking his brother, and Ron was kneeling beside them, and Fred's eyes stared without seeing, the ghost of his last laugh still etched upon his face.Collection: Brother
The world had ended, so why had the battle not ceased, the castle fallen silent in horror, and every combatant laid down their arms? Harry's mind was in freefall, spinning out of control, unable to grasp the impossiblity, because Fred Weasley could not be dead, the evidence of all his senses must be lying -Collection: Lying