Thanks to everyone who alerted us to the possible casting of Jason Isaacs as Lucius Malfoy in The Chamber of Secrets. A few sites which are carrying the report are Empire Online, Ananova, and CNN. Saskatoon parents want Potter books banned (from The Star). Private show lifts spirit of Bay City third-grader.

A village street has become a Mecca for Harry Potter fans — because it is called Quidditch Lane (from The Sun).

It may be school vacation time here, but kids everywhere are itching to enroll in the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry Potter is coming to Costa Rica (from the Tico Times). The Taipei Times list of bestselling books includes “Quidditch Through the Ages; Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” and “Harry Potter …read more!

Reader Spencer pointed us to this wonderfully funny article from The Escapist: “Spellcasting 101: Don’t Try This At Home.” Bookshops aren’t counting on Harry to save them, says the Sydney Morning Herald.

Columnist Tony Hicks of the Contra Costa Times discovers that “Harry Potter” is infernally good. (Thanks to “Briscuit39” for the link.) One of the region’s most famous tourist attractions has been snubbed in a leaflet promoting locations for people to sample the magic of Harry Potter (from icBirmingham)

Dark Horizons has what they’re saying is an Official Pic from Warner Bros from Chamber of Secrets. Thanks to Gale for the tip.

Since a few folks have been asking after HP Galleries (which is where those links up above go to) — as was posted prior, due to its high bandwidth (and even higher cost) it’s moving to a new server and should be up sometime next week. Be patient…and we’ll still be around until then! FreedomForum …read more!

Harry Potter’s global appeal (from The Globalist). Dutch priest celebrates Harry Potter mass (from Ananova). Rowling buys centaur to guard her manor. Potter magic to hit Bahrain’s screens (from the Gulf Daily News).

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone has won the award for Best Family Film (live action) from the Broadcast Film Critics Association. Columnist David Kipen for the San Francisco Chronicle poses the question: What if publishing phenom J.K. Rowling announced that she was going to publish her popular cycle’s breathlessly anticipated fifth book, provisionally titled …read more!

Hit movies delve into spirituality issues (from the Dallas Morning News). Media accused of hounding Potter owl to death (from Ananova).