Gavin saw a grave purely as a marker for the place where a corpse was decomposing; a nasty thought, yet people took it into their heads to visit and bring flowers, as though it might yet recover.

I believe that lack of empathy is behind many problems, and I believe that it's disrupting our society. In Great Britain, there is a steady decline in the willingness to be truly generous, and by that I don't mean monetary generosity, but friendship and sympathy for others.

Just then Neville caused a slight diversion by turning into a large canary.

You think I'm a fool?" demanded Harry. "No, I think you're like James," said Lupin, "who would have regarded it as the height of dishonor to mistrust his friends.

Because - oh shut up laughing, you two - because they've just been turned down by girls they asked to the ball!

The fame thing is interesting because I never wanted to be famous, and I never dreamt I would be famous.

Failure is not fun. It can be awful. But living so cautiously that you never fail is worse.