On and on they flew, over the countryside parceled out in patches of green and brown, over roads and rivers winding through the landscapes like strips of matte and glossy ribbon.

He was going to be armed with his wand - which, just now, felt like nothing more than a narrow strip of wood - against a fifty-foot-high, scaly, spike-ridden, fire-breathing dragon.

I'm happy to talk in general themes, but when we get down to specifics about my family, for me that's always been off-limits.

I think you have a moral responsibility when you've been given far more than you need, to do wise things with it and give intelligently.

What would come, would come...and you would have to meet it, when it did.

So after E, it’s A for ‘Acceptable,’ and that’s the last pass grade, isn’t it?” “Yep,” said Fred, dunking an entire roll in his soup, transferring it to his mouth, and swallowing it whole. “Then you get P for ‘Poor’ ” — Ron raised both his arms in mock celebration — “and D for ‘Dreadful.’ ” “And then T,” George reminded him. “T?” asked Hermione, looking appalled. “Even lower than a D? What on earth does that stand for?” “ ‘Troll,’ ” said George promptly.

When you were straight, evil thoughts and memories came pouring up out of the darkness inside you; buzzing black flies clinging to the insides of your skull.