Writing the lexicon, it was a task of yours. But you certainly settled some matters with Mr. Rapoport during your first meeting.
- We met at a restaurant and talked for about two hours. We didn't settle anything, just talked about possibilities. We discussed a number of possible book ideas using material from the Lexicon website.

And then came 31st October and the lawsuit. Did Mr. Rapoport inform you earlier that the negotiations with the Rowling's lawyers were going wrong?
- I knew that there had been a couple of emails asking that the book be stopped completely. By that time I was under a contract that left it to RDR Books to handle any such concerns and as required I turned over any and all correspondence in the matter to RDR. I wasn't included in most of the correspondence at that time so I didn't know exactly what was going on. One thing that we thought was clear at that time was that this didn't involve Rowling at all, this was just standard legal maneuvering. We had heard from a couple of other publishers and authors that these lawyers routinely sent out this kind of threatening letter but that they're willing to work things out.

Mr. Rapoport didn’t want to show the manuscript of the lexicon to the Ms. Rowling’s lawyers. Do you know why?
- Interestingly, I've learned since that it is very unusual, almost unheard of, for a publisher to share a manuscript with anyone who asks to see them, even lawyers. So a request for a copy of the Lexicon manuscript was not something that a publisher is going to agree to very quickly. As a fan, my immediate reaction would be 'Show them!' That's a fan reaction, though, since I wouldn't have knowingly done something against Rowling's wishes. A publisher will have a very different reaction to a request like that. He is just going to see that as a very intrusive, strange request and immediately say no. The same thing happened with the new book, In Search of Harry Potter. The publisher received a request from lawyers to see the manuscript and he was completely taken aback. I told him in no uncertain terms that I wanted him to send a copy to the lawyers and he ended up doing so, but I doubt he would have sent it to them if I hadn't told him to go ahead. This wouldn't be because he was trying to be difficult. This kind of request is just not normal.

First, people of RDR Books seemed certain that they'd win the case, but later they weren't so confident anymore.
- At first, there was no legal team running the show and RDR posted some things sounding very confident and positive. Once the lawyers got involved, they started controlling what was said to a much larger extent. There were times when I would write something to post on the Lexicon or in my Live Journal or in an interview, etc., and the lawyers would shoot the whole thing down. That's what they're supposed to do, of course, but it was odd to be so controlled. I eventually just stopped talking in public at all. I do have to laugh a little bit, though, when I see fans dissecting things I've said over the past year, things which fans don't realise were heavily edited by lawyers, and thinking that was me speaking freely from my heart. That's the way it goes, I guess.