Evanna's Interview on Pottercast

Melissa Anelli (MA): So shall we call her, now?

John Noe (JN): Oh yeah, let's see if she's around.

MA: I'm so- I can't wait... Hi.

Evanna Lynch (EL): Hello?

MA: Is this Evanna?

EL: Oh! (screams)

MA: Hi Evanna! How are you?

EL: Oh how are you?

MA: I'm very well, I got Sue and John here!

EL: Hi!

JN: Hey, Evanna!

Sue Upton (SU): Hi! Squee! I'm so excited!

EL: Oh my!

MA: Oh, it's so great to talk to you!

EL: And you! Oh my, it's so exciting!

MA: We're talking now to Evanna Lynch who will play, does play, has played Luna Lovegood in the Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix film, and we're talking to her specifically because she is such a huge Harry Potter fan that we had to get her reaction.

SU: Woo hoo! (applauding)

JN: That's who this is, I had no idea who we were talking to!

SU: Oh, John! (laughing)

MA: How did you find out the news?

EL: Oh, okay, I kind of thought it would be today because it's the winter solstice.

SU: Yes!

EL: I was saying, it must be today because she said it was an important event around Christmas time. Phoenix was released on the summer solstice, and she likes the solstices, so I was checking all morning and then at lunch time it went up, and ah!

SU: Yay!

JN: I just can't believe it, that's a pretty good guess.

EL: Kind of. How did you find out?

JN: How did we find out? Oh my!

SU: Evanna, let me tell you this. This morning, you know I have my secret Jo alarm that goes off, and my internet was down, and I couldn't post it right away so I literally had to run down the street in my pajamas to find a neighbor who had the Blackberry so I could text it to get it up on our web site. It was just unbelievable; I'm like, "I must post this news, this is unbelievable!" So, that's what we do, too.

EL: You just got it straight away did you?

SU: Yes, as soon as...

JN: Oh, yeah.

SU: ...as soon as her door opened!

MA: But Evanna knew; Evanna just had a feeling that it would be today. She's that in tune.

EL: I just think it's the solstices that are important things, you know.

JN: I can't believe more people didn't think of that, and I heard that it was written in the books somewhere, that- a clue about it coming out on the winter solstice.

EL: It was the prophecy, wasn't it, you know the one that was broken?

MA: Yeah, totally, it says...

JN: I couldn't believe that when I saw that, I thought...

EL: None of you knew?

MA: No.

JN: Well, I kind a knew. I kind of know these things.

MA: Ha ha ha! Yeah, John! (SU, MA laughing)

EL: You must be a Seer!

MA: I expected it around Christmas but I didn't know about the solstice, I thought she would wait until Friday, because it was like the end of the week. And actually, isn't the solstice actually tomorrow?

SU: No, no, it started right now. It's seven o'clock here in the United States.

MA: Ah, Okay. So Evanna, I have to know, what do you think it means?

EL: Me? I think it's referring to the veil. And I think it means that Harry will die, but it won't be that he will die and that's the end of him, it will be- we will all go into the veil with him when he's dead, so he'll still be kind of living.

MA: You know, that's a very important part of the hero's journey, to go to the land of the underworld, to go to the dead.

EL: I can't- I know they say Sirius is dead, but he was just hit with a bit of red light. I think he must really be dead and Harry's going to go behind that veil.

MA: Do you think he'll come back?

EL: I don't think they can come back from that veil.

MA: Oh-ho.

JN: I don't understand, then how would he come back and finish off Voldemort if he had to go into the veil first?

EL: Well, maybe Voldemort goes in there too, I'm not J.K. Rowling, you know. (MA, SU laughing)

JN: Oh, I thought this was- I keep forgetting who we're talking to; I thought we called Jo, again! I guess we're talking to Jo next week.

MA: Yeah, John.

EL: So, what are your theories?

MA: Oh, gosh. John, what do you think?

JN: Deathly Hallows. I had to sit and think for a few minutes how to even pronounce it, because I'm so used to saying Godric's Hollow, but it's not spelled the same as Godric's Hollow; it's a different word completely.

EL: "Hallows."

JN: Because, originally I thought that it was the same as Godric's Hollow, and then someone told me, "No, no, no, it's with an O, not with an A." I don't think I have a very good idea of it yet, other than it reminds me of the word Halloween, and I don't know if it has anything to do with that, but I've heard a lot of different theories on the web site, on Leaky Lounge today, but nothing that I've come up with's very good.

EL: It means being holy as well, but I don't think she would do that because that would upset a lot of religions, wouldn't it?

MA: Isn't it interesting? We've never had anything regarding holiness or saints or God in Harry Potter. But, here it is, it's about being holy, which is interesting.

JN: That would really be something.

EL: I think she'll be a bit careful, you know the Pope is always saying rude things about the books.

MA: I know!

SU: Yeah, yeah. (laughs)

JN: I think she's pretty tough, though. I don't think she would be too afraid to get anybody angry ,if she wants to make a good plot.

EL: She wouldn't be afraid, but there might be someone telling her not to do that.

MA: I have to say, as a Catholic, I'm afraid always to say things, because I'm afraid that the Pope's going to excommunicate me for being a Harry Potter fan. But no, yeah, I think you're right, she might be worried. I would be worried if I was to bring religion so strongly into these books.

JN: It might not be any more than just, isn't Halloween, the original holiday behind Halloween "All Hallows Eve," and it had to do with the day of the dead and everything? And it had a little bit of saint lore, I guess, behind it originally, anyway? Maybe it has to do, I saw more ideas about it having to do with holy objects or saints and things like that and maybe not so much organized religion as much it is as things that are spiritual.

SU: Right.

MA: Do you know what I keep thinking about, and I don't know, Evanna, if you agree, but remember when Cuarón said that he mentioned a cemetery to Jo and she said, "No, no, no, that comes later"? Remember? And now we're talking about a place of the dead, at Hogwarts. Maybe?

EL: Yeah.

JN: Oh, yeah. (EL sighs) I remember hearing about a cemetery. Because I think that was when they were talking about, yeah, I think it was Prisoner of Azkaban, because they were trying to figure out if one of the things in the background during the scene with Harry and Lupin walking around in the woods, if they were looking out at a graveyard possibly, way in the distance. But, I guess it was clarified that it was not a cemetery, that the cemetery hadn't been written about, yet.

SU: Do you think that any of the things could have to do with the Hallows being the four Horcruxes?

EL: Horcri! (laughs)

(SU laughs)

MA: That's right, Evanna!

JN: That's right! The Horcri! Come on Sue, get it right. (laughs)

SU: Oh, sorry! (laughs)

EL: Yes, that's possible! Oh, you have great ideas and, maybe, oh we can always hope!

MA: (laughs) Well, tell us what it was like when you got the title, how did you feel?

EL: Oh, I was just really- you see, my dad works in the school I'm in, so I was going into his office all the time between classes, so I checked, and it kept saying- it was on MuggleNet, I'm sorry.

MA: (laughs) It's okay.

EL: It kept saying, new photo of Daniel- I mean, he's nice, but I want the book, the title, (JN laughs) and then it came up, and I ran around. And I made signs with my friends and we stuck them on all the doors. People, I was like, saying to them, "The book is called The Deathly Hallows," and they were like, "What book?" And I was saying, "What book would you talk about?" And then I had to go and do a history test.

JN: Oh, no! I hope you did okay.

EL: I don't think so.

(MA and JN laugh)

MA: I don't blame you. So, you made signs with all your friends and you put them on all the doors in your school?

EL: The people in school, most of them aren't dedicated fans, so we had to tell them. We just made little signs saying the final Harry Potter book will be called...

MA: And then you had to take history. And you had to spend your day taking a history test. That stinks.

EL: What did you do when you found out?

MA: I ran around like a lunatic in my apartment looking for my phone, which was right in front of my face. But I just ran around going, "Where's my phone, where's my phone, where's my phone, where's my phone?" (MA and JN laugh) And I finally found it and I called, who did I call first? I called Sue, because I knew the title was coming, was out, but I didn't know the title because I didn't go to J.K. Rowling.com and open the door, I just wanted to know the title. So I called up Sue, she said, "Hello." I said, "What's the title?" and she told me. (laughs)

JN: Aw. You spoiled it for yourself?

EL: I didn't have the patience to do that, either. I just highlighted.

MA: Yeah, me too. (laughs) I was like, "Hangman! Okay, you guys go play," (JN: Aw.) "I want the title!" (laughs)

JN: You guys are gonna hurt Jo's feelings; she probably spent hours making that web site do those things today. (SU laughs)

MA: Yeah, I'm sure. (laughs)

JN: Jo makes all that stuff by herself.

MA: What do you think this means for the release of the book?

EL: I think it will be summer. It has to be.

MA: You think?

EL: The seventh of the seventh would be nice but because of the bombings, I don't think she likes that. (MA: Hmm.) Her birthday, maybe.

MA: Well, if she gets it done in the next couple of months it still could be summer.

JN: I always thought it would be fall but I really have no good reason for why.

EL: It could be Halloween.

MA: I would like that.

JN: That would be very cool.

MA: Yeah.

SU: Yeah. That'd be awesome.

JN: Halloween. Wow. Yeah, that would be very cool.

MA: So exciting!

JN: Who was it that said? I know, not who was it, but. Didn't Jo say at one point about the title that she thought it was superstitious to give out the title until she finished writing the book?

MA: Yeah, but that doesn't hold up, because she gave out the title for Book Five three years before it came out.

SU: Right. Right.

MA: So...

JN: Oh.

MA: So, you know, there's that. (laughs)

JN: I thought it could have counted for something.

MA: Book Four came out a couple of months before it was released, the title did, and at the time of Book Three, nobody put this much stock into titles, (JN: Hm.) so it wasn't such a big deal.

JN: Lame.

SU: Just to get this clear, you said that it doesn't mean- that you don't think that Harry's going to die, right?

EL: No, he will die. I think he definitely will die. (JN: Ah.) But it's not like, you see, everyone thinks it's, you know, he lives or he dies, and if he dies that's the end of him. But I think we're gonna go with him, in death, and because, you know, J.K. Rowling, she everyone always says, "Is he living or dying?" and she always surprises us and it's going to be kind of in-between, where he's dead but we're still with him. And, I just, yes, I think he's going to go beyond there somehow and transform. And we shall follow him.

MA: Oh, gosh.

JN: That would definitely be something.

SU: Well, that's a really good theory. You must be a Ravenclaw in real life, I mean you have to be because that's pretty smart, that's good thinking. Are you a Ravenclaw?

EL: I think I'm a little bit more Gryffindor.

MA: Mm.

SU: Oh, cool. (laughs)

EL: I'm kind of determined, you know. I don't think Luna would, herself, would go and stand in any queue, she'd just be herself. (laughs)

JN: So you're not a Slytherin?

EL: I'm not a Slytherin. (SU laughs) That's not. Don't say that!

JN: Oh, not even one of the nice Slytherins? Come on, I'm a nice Slytherin at least, I'm one of the non-threatening ones.

EL: There are nice ones, I'm not saying that they're all bad, I'm just. But I don't think you're a Slytherin either.

MA: Ahhhh.

SU: Yeah.

JN: You don't?

SU: See? He's Hufflepuff, he's like me.

MA: What do you think he is?

JN: Oh.

SU: Hufflepuffs rock.

JN: (laughs) I don't know about Hufflepuff. (SU laughs)

MA: Where would you put John, Evanna?

EL: Oh, I don't know. (girls all laugh)

MA: I don't think he's a Slytherin myself. (SU laughs)

JN: I'm a Muggle.

EL: Where would you put yourself? Okay, you have to do what Dumbledore says it's our choices, so where would you choose to be?

MA: Ah. (gasps) (SU: Ooh.) You're stuck now, John. (laughs)

JN: Umm, I don't know. I think Slytherin house can be fun. (MA laughs)

JN: If you're one of the good Slytherins.

SU: Uh-huh.

MA: He's a Slytherin, I guess, then.

EL: Hm! (MA laughs)

JN: I'm in whatever house you want to put me in, Evanna.

MA: John, Evanna gave you a little, "Hm!"

SU: Yeah. (everyone laughs)

MA: I don't think you made her very happy with that answer.

EL: That's okay! That's okay! (MA laughs)

JN: I'm a half Slytherin.

EL: But see, if Voldemort was fighting you, you wouldn't run away from your friends, would you?

MA: No.

JN: No, of course not.

MA: Definitely not.

EL: Then you're not a Slytherin.

MA: See.

JN: OK, I guess you're right. You talked me out of it.

MA: (laughs) I love it. You got talked out of being a Slytherin by Evanna.

JN: She did her good deed for the day.

MA: (laughing) Yeah, definitely. So do you have any other theories about all this that you want to share?

EL: Hmm, they'll probably all come to me when I put down the phone. What are the main theories, do you think?

MA: A lot of people think that it has something to do with Horcruxes, but I just think that it's... I just can't get there with it. I think maybe, maybe a little bit. Maybe it has something to do with where Harry finds the Horcruxes, something like that, but I'm leaning more and more towards it being a place that he visits.

SU: Yeah.

EL: Yeah, and maybe in Hogwarts.

MA: Yeah, maybe it's in Hogwarts. Now, we should explain that we're talking to Evanna today strictly about the title. One day in the (SU: Mm-hm.) future, we'll have her lovely presence back to talk fully about the movies and the books and all her theories.

JN: Oh that's right, (MA: Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.) she was in a movie recently. (SU: Yeah, just a rumor.) Some little thing, shooting out there. No one's really going to hear about it.

MA: But we're not going to do that today because it's not the right time, and this is purely about the books, but we can't, Evanna, we can't wait, because we've met you and we know what a sweetheart you are and we just can't wait to have you on for real.

EL: Yeah, I'm sorry my theories are a little muddled tonight; it's just a lot to take in one day.

SU: Oh, yeah.

JN: Absolutely.

MA: Oh it's only been a few hours; I can't even wrap my head around the title. I keep saying it out loud to get used to it.

EL: You have to... I keep having to say all seven of them, together as a set.

MA: Yeah, usually because except for Sorcerer's, they're Chamber of Secrets, Prisoner of Azkaban, Goblet of Fire, Half-Blood Prince, you know? There's a three thing, and now it's just "Deathly Hallows." Argh! Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

JN: Very strange. I'll have to do what you're doing Evanna, and put up signs.

EL: You know, I like it.

MA: You like it?

JN: You like the title? Yeah, I don't know how you can not like it, just because of what it stands for just being the last book. I don't know if she could ever put out a title that I couldn't like.

EL: I was thinking that, you know, you can't contradict J.K. Rowling.

SU: I'm just curious what the other two titles were. That's what I want to know. If this is what she settled on, how close were the other two?

MA: I know, but look at that, she went and put the word "death" right in the title. (SU: Right there.) Talk about ratcheting up suspense about whether Harry will die!

SU: Oh, no kidding.

JN: Yeah.

MA: Evanna, its lovely talking to you.

EL: You too!

JN: Definitely.

EL: Just tell MuggleNet I'm sorry. I'm not betraying them.

MA: Oh, no, no, no.

JN: They won't mind. (SU: Well, thank you!) We're just talking to a bunch of Harry Potter fans tonight. We have a good few dozen more coming up next. But we had to get you in here first, as a big Potter fan out there.

EL: Thanks! I'm very flattered!

MA: Oh gosh, we're very flattered to have you. From what we've heard, it's going to be very impressive, but we can't talk about that now, so we'll talk about it very very soon.

JN: Keep hanging up those posters at your school.

EL: I will, yeah.

JN: Well thanks for staying up late with us Evanna; it's real nice of you.

EL: I won't be able to go to sleep, oh, god, I don't know.

JN: Well I'm sure if you stick around the Leaky Lounge and Leaky here, there's lots of people that are going to be up late talking about all this, too.

MA: Well thank you, sweetie!

EL: Thank you! Good luck with your other calls!

MA: Thank you, and we can't wait to talk to you again!

EL: Okay, bye.

MA: Bye!

JN: Thanks, have a good one.

SU: You rock! Bye!

MA: Bye!

JN: Buh-bye!

SU: (sighs) Oh, how nice. How nice! Oh my god, how nice!

MA: Okay, she's the cutest darling in the world ever. Is she not?

SU: Oh, and her voice! (MA: I know. I know.) She sounds just like it, oh, my God! (squeals) Okay, I'm sorry.

Credit to Pottercast