Recently, news about Harry Potter has been making headlines again.

Excited murmurs broke out when J.K. Rowling announced that she will co-produce a play about Potter’s life at Privet Drive before he learned of his magical abilities.

According to an article in the Bristol Post, Rowling says that she has “received countless approaches about turning Harry Potter into a theatrical production.”

“I’m both excited and apprehensive about the play,” junior Sahana Thirumazhusai said. “It’s a different cast and medium. Also, [Rowling] hinted at the abuse that Harry faced as a kid, so there will be a fine line between showing that pain and keeping it accessible for all fans. And not everyone would be able to attend the play, so it’s much more limiting than the movie.”

In 2009, an acting company called Team Starkid performed a parody of the book series, called A Very Potter Musical. The musical was uploaded to YouTube where it gained popularity and national support. The actors were all avid fans of the series, and the lead role of Harry was played by Darren Criss, who later became a Hollywood star from his role in the hit show Glee as Blaine Anderson.

“It was a relatively well done parody of the books,” senior Samyukta Venkat said. “They had catchy music with good lyrics and funny dialogue overall. The chick that played Malfoy deserves an Oscar. She did a really good job with her character.”

Team Starkid released A Very Potter Sequel in 2010 and managed to gather almost all the original actors for their final Potter parody, A Very Potter Senior Year, which was performed in 2012.

However, these popular plays were not endorsed by Warner Brothers or Rowling.

After the announcement of a Harry Potter play in January, another bit of news created excitement for fans. Universal Studios will open Diagon Alley to the public this summer. Some of the attractions include Gringotts, Weasleys Wizard Wheezes, and the Hogwarts Express which will take all muggle visitors to Hogsmeade and back.

“Harry Potter world rocked,” senior Chiara Sauvage said. “The rides were fun even though there were long lines. It had awesome shops with wands, butterbeer, and the candy shop and all kinds of awesomeness. I just loved it, it was a terrific feeling.”

The most recent news from Rowling has caused uproar among some fans.

In a conversation between Rowling and Emma Watson, who plays Hermione Granger in the films, for Wonderland Magazine, Rowling reveals that Harry and Hermione would have made more sense as a couple than Hermione and Ron Weasley, Harry’s best friend.

“It’s nice that Rowling finally agreed that Harry and Hermione would be the better couple,” Thirumazhusai said. “They have the history to actually make the best-friends-in-love thing actually work. That wouldn’t be the case with Ron and Hermione. They’d just hurt each other between Ron’s jealousy and Hermione’s need for control. It just felt too cliché and unrealistic.”

However, there is disagreement among fans about which relationship is “cliché.”

“I swear [Ron and Hermione] were obvious ever since the very beginning,” Sauvage said. “I’ve been shipping them since the first book and before I knew what shipping was. Hermione and Harry are boring and cliché and don’t work. Ron cares so much and is so great with her.”

Ultimately, however, the series is a timeless piece that is cherished by its fans. For some, these books are what initially inspired an interest in reading.

“It’s the quintessential fight between good and evil combined with a world that everyone could fall in love with,” Thirumazhusai said. “I mean, who wouldn’t want to go to Hogwarts? Also, the characters she picked were just so flawed and real and wonderful. Even the bad guys like Bellatrix and Voldemort had stories and depth. For all its flaws, and I won’t argue that it’s the most well-written book ever, it just has something truly special.”