Last week, J.K. Rowling apologized for killing off one of our very favorite Harry Potter characters. This week, she accidentally named another after a major American political contender: When a fan tweeted to Rowling asking about Moaning Myrtle’s full moniker, the author confirmed it was Myrtle Elizabeth Warren.
But, as Rowling’s response began to make the Internet rounds, the author quickly jumped in to set the record straight. “Nothing to do with the United States Elizabeth Warren, I hasten to add!” she wrote. “‘Elizabeth’ is just one of those classic British middle names.”
Truth be told, we’re not buying the backpedaling. Rowling is a master of (fictional) complex agendas and hidden motives: The fact that she happened to name Myrtle after the famed senator seems like way too much of a coincidence.
At the same time, if any character from the series were going to be forever entwined with a female political force, we would have put our money on Hermione who, like Warren, is never afraid to speak her mind.
We could especially see Ms. Granger rattling off the missive Rowling sent to an online bully last week. After being harassed and belittled on Twitter, The Casual Vacancy author put her foot down and tweeted a line straight out of the fearless feminist playbook: “The Internet doesn’t just offer opportunities for misogynist abuse, you know. Penis enlargers can be bought discreetly.” Extremely well-played.
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