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Natalie McDonald
| Character | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Natalie McDonald |
| Occupation: | student |
| Relationships: | |
| Fandom: | Harry Potter |
| Other: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Natalie McDonald is a background character in the Harry Potter series. She appears only during the Sorting Ceremony in Goblet of Fire.
The character was named for a terminally ill nine-year-old fan whose family friend wrote to J.K. Rowling. Rowling wrote back, and although Natalie had already passed away, began a correspondence with her mother. As a tribute, Rowling included Natalie in Goblet of Fire, sorted into Gryffindor, the house of bravery.[1]
Despite having no presence in canon outside a name and house, some fans have developed the character for fanworks such as fanfiction or roleplaying. Natalie often appears as a character alongside other Hogwarts students in the same year, such as Dennis Creevey.
Fans who are aware the real-life background are often careful not to depict the character in ways that might be considered disrespectful.[2]
Links & Resources
- Natalie McDonald at the Harry Potter Wiki
- Natalie McDonald character tag at Archive of Our Own
- Natalie-McDonald tag at Tumblr
References
- ^ Bethune, Brian. "The Rowling Connection: How a young Toronto girl's story touched an author's heart," Maclean's, 6 November 2000 at Accio Quote!.
- ^ For example, see the author's notes for Harry Potter and the Staff of Serpents, Chapter 10: Waylaid By McGonagall by Aragog. The original version of the story depicted Natalie McDonald as a victim of the Dementor's Kiss. After being made aware that Natalie was a real person, Aragog changed the character to be Emma Dobbs.