The Sun has posted what may be our first look at everyone’s favorite Hippogriff, Buckbeak. According to the article, the 7ft model uses real feathers and is operated using complex hydraulics.

Just wanted to send Happy Birthday wishes to our favorite Managing Editor, Melissa Anelli. Someone remind her to setup an Amazon.com wish list! We hope you have a wonderful time!

size=”+2″> M color=”green”>er color=”green”>ry color=”green”>Ch color=”green”>ri color=”green”>st color=”green”>ma color=”green”>s! color=”green”>! Happy, healthy, safe and fun holidays to everyone, no matter what you celebrate. I’m currently sitting by the fireside waiting for Santa. He always shows up right after I fall asleep…

As soon as I can format it, TLC will soon feature an in-depth interview with Edmund Kern, author of The Wisdom of Harry Potter: What Our Favorite Hero Teaches Us About Moral Choices. If you’re interested in a very intelligent (yet readable and interesting, not hoity-toity at all – no Byatts here) discourse on Harry’s …read more!

The Unofficial Jason Isaacs Page has let us know that they have started its annual Holiday Charity Drive, something at which we can’t help but throw tons of support. For 2003, participants will also be helping to improve the health of children the world over by making a contribution to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. …read more!

The DVD of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is the top on Amazon’s Customer-chosen Bestseller list this holiday season – thanks Connie for pointing it out!

Ixchelmala sent us this link to an NPR piece on a Celesta, the instrument on which the movies’ theme is played. Ixch also captured a piece. Thanks Ixch!

In a list of the best and worst of 2003, India’s Business Standard gave P to Potter. (The article says the sixth book brought the craze around, but thanks to Jonathan of the Israeli Harry Potter 4 Grownups Community, we know that in India books four and five were split up into smaller books – …read more!

Betterhumans.com has an opinion piece on Harry Potter, Hermione and, “human-racism”.

JK Rowling made a grant of £57,000 to a foundation set up in the name of Catie Hoch, will help fund a full-time specialist at the centre where she was treated, The Scotland Sunday reports. Catie was a nine year old girl who had a correspondence with JKR before she died in 2000. When she …read more!