Rowling�s ex parte description of Dumbledore�s predilection brings up an interesting machlokes in the theory of Literary Criticism referred to in those circles as �the Death of the Author�. The question is whether the characters and story exist in the author�s mind, in which case it is perfectly understandable that the author can offer perush and explanation of his or her work or, say, describe what his or her characters do after the end of the published work, or do the characters and story only exist on the printed page. Any activity or character development outside of the text is unknown and unknowable because the author is (figuratively) dead. In the latter case, if it is not mentioned in the text it doesn�t exist.
