Non spoiler

The leading Italian newspaper, Corriere della Sera, published an account of how someone calling himself Gabriel claims to have hacked into a Bloomsbury employee's computer and got the plot of Deathly Hallows out. I read the supposed plot. If that is all there is, JKR has suddenly and totally lost her talent. A fake, and not a good one either. If any of you is tempted, don't bother.

You couldn't make it up dept. no.67: the 63-year-old adolescent

Last year, Kathleen Yvonne Ensz, a 63-year-old retired university teacher of French, received a mailshot from Marilyn Musgrave, Republican Representative to congress. Professor Ensz, it seems, does not like Republicans. So, in a mature style truly worthy of a retired academic, she wrapped some dog manure in an envelope and mailed it to Representative Musgrave. Anonymously.