At the approach of Halloween, we asked the author of the Harry Potter books what she thinks children should know about good and evil, magic and mayhem. Why did her series take a dark turn in this year's Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Scholastic), for example? Rowling plans to spend Halloween at home in Scotland with her daughter Jessica, 7, who wants to dress as the broomstick-riding hero. Says the author: "Halloween, you'd not be surprised to know, is my favorite holiday." Her comments:
I consciously wanted the first book to be fairly gentle--Harry is very protected when he...