[Williams]

OK, regarding timeline let's use our brains in the other direction. If she wants to take a swipe at the American president on the first page of her book being published in 2005, she has no other way of doing it does she? I've read the books and except for the point she started the first one in 1980, the books never discuss what year it is. Time is measured by Harry's age and the Hogwart's school year and the stories are occurring in the "present" as you read them.

[Katya]

I just finished the first chapter. You made a fuss about one line "He was waiting for a call from the President of a far distant country, and between wondering when the wretched man would telephone, and trying to suppress unpleasant memories of what had been a very long, tiring, and difficult week, there was not much space in his head for anything else."

I would never have thought America...far distant country sounds like something half way around the world. By the end of the chapter, we know Voldemort is back and he and his followers have been wreaking havoc on the muggle world. Okay, following your reasoning...JK Rowling is clairvoyant and "knew" there would be terrorist events in Britain just before the book was published.

Sheesh...