The Phoenix or the Flame: Essays on J.K. Rowling's original plans for The Order of the Phoenix

Before writing the fifth Harry Potter book, J.K. Rowling created a seven-page handwritten outline of her original vision for the plot, offering an unprecedented glimpse into her writing process. In these early notes, there are noticeable differences in the characters, terminology, and plot, culminating with a different ending, in which Sirius's fate is not brought about by Bellatrix.

Three of the essays in this collection focus on the ramifications of specific changes, such as the outline's ...