02-J.K. Rowling: A Year in the Life

When Jo was 9 years old, the family moved to a village outside Chepstow on the edge of the Forest of Dean.

Here was a location that offered a whole range of imaginative possibilities. . . magical creatures, mystery and intrigue.

I'm very drawn to forests.

And it's my favorite part of the Hogwarts grounds.

The advantage of a forest is it can be so many things.

It can be a place of enchantment.

You never imagine a crowd in a forest. It's a solitary place.

Is it because it used to be a place of shelter and safety to us, I suppose.

So I think- I'm very drawn to them. Even though they can be spooky.

Jo wrote stories from an early age.