Hardship and Dangerous Hobbies (Kindle Single) (Pottermore Presents)

While it is a lot of fun to get to know these facts about the characters, I wish that they had been given in a closer format to actual short stories. These feel more like encyclopedia entries than stories. I wanted a bit more "show" than "tell."

I love back stories! They enrich the main story by showing more points of view. Back stories can turn a black and white sketch into a 3D, full color image and can answer that itching "But why did s/he ..." question.

I always enjoy learning about the backstory of characters and this book revealed some interesting (and saddening) information about some of the best characters in the series. I think my only complaint is that the book was so short.

Excellent for someone who is a long time reader and follower of the Harry Potter series. Inspiring to know more about some of the staff of Hogwarts and some background to their history giving you a better understanding of some of my very favorite witches and wizards.

This was a good book, especially the short stories on Minerva McGonagall, and Remus Lupin. The other stories were okay but they didn't have much detail. I really loved the first two stories though?

As a "potterhead" I thoroughly enjoy writings that allow me to delve deeper into the Harry Potter universe. This was a quick read that answered quite a few questions I had bouncing around in my head from years of Potter obsession.

By far my favorite of the Pottermore series! Rejoice with the relatable stories of the characters we are deeply in love! I felt happy, angry, excited and magical in less than 80 pages! You did it again Jo!

A wonderful look into the Wizarding world created by Rowling. If you're really curious about the history and details of characters that are not always in the spotlight, this is a wonderful collection.

Short Stories from Hogwarts of Heroism, Hardship and Dangerous Hobbiesincludes sections on Minerva McGonagall, animagi (including instructions on how to become one), Remus Lupin, werewolves, Sybill Trelawney, naming seers, and Silvanus Kettleburn.

This book is less stories and more a brain dump from JK Rowling. She’s always said she wrote a lot of backstory for various characters and came up with more information about things than she used in the original seven books. This little book was her chance to provide readers with some of that information as well as her own thoughts on some of the topics. I very highly recommend it Harry Potter fans who just can’t get enough of the wizarding world.

The book was great, although almost everything in this book is also on Pottermore. I would get this book if you don't like searching for things, but I would just look for it on Pottermore if you don't like spending money. If your looking for it on Pottermore look for Minerva McGonagall, Remus Lupin, Sybill Trelawney, professor kettleburn, anamagi, werewolves, and naming seers. Click on the ones that say by jk Rowling.

Any Harry Potter fan will tell you that seven books is just not enough! Thankfully, J.K. Rowling agrees and created this collection of short stories giving us more to admire and love from the characters in the Harry Potter books.
It's true for any circumstance, that knowing more details ensures you understand the outcome with more clarity. The same for people. Throughout the seven books, we may have felt like we knew the characters, as we developed this fictional bond with them. Just reading these short stories about the characters, Lupin, for instance, just brings such a deeper rush of love and gratitude for them.

These short stories offer an interesting juxtaposition between delving deeper into the lives of some of our beloved supporting characters in the the wizarding world, while at the same time maintaining their brevity and not offering much by way of complexity. It was refreshing to be able to read Rowling's unadulterated creativity and her gift for structure and narration again. It did leave me wishing there was more still, and sad that there was only this batch of indeed very short stories.

DO NOT expect any "short stories" in this collection. It is a series of essays covering a variety of characters in the Harry Potter series. As background information, they are mildly entertaining, but they are not stories. Stories have plot, they have character development, they have conflict and they have resolution. None of these elements are present.

If you are a Harry Potter aficionado, and you want every last bit of detail available about a small number of characters - both major and minor - from the books, by all means buy the book. But do not expect any sort of diverting entertainment. All you'll get is some additional information which, I suspect, was edited out of the original books because it did not advance any plot, nor did it improve our understanding of the characters.