[originaltext]M: Where do you get your ideas from, Mrs. Rowling?W: Where the i

M: Where do you get your ideas from, Mrs. Rowling?
W: Where the idea for Harry Potter came from I really couldn’t tell you. I was traveling on a train between Manchester and London and it just popped into my head. I spent four hours thinking about what Hogwarts would be like. By the time I got off at King’s Cross many of the characters in the books had already been invented.
M: Are any of the characters in the books based on real people?
W: Tricky question! Hermione Granger is a little bit like I was at her age. Ron is little bit like my oldest friend and Professor Shape is a lot like one of my old teachers.
M: How long have you been writing?
W: Nearly all my life. I had written two novels before I had the idea for Harry, though I’d never tried to get them published.
M: Did you expect the Harry books to be this successful?
W: Never. I didn’t expect lots of people to like them, in fact, I never really thought much apart from getting them published.
M: Any clues about the next book?
W: I don’t want to give anything away, but I can tell you that the books are getting darker... Harry potter’s going to have quite a bit to deal with as he gets older. Sorry if they get too frightening!
M: Thanks for your help.
W: You’re welcome.