My childhood was mostly unextraordinary. My brother, Gregory, was already in Hogwarts when I was born, so I spent a lot of time on my own. My parents say that my imagination was very vivid, even as a small child - I was making up stories for my dolls and stuffed animals.
However, there was one event that made it more interesting. By the time I was two or three, I started.. changing. My hair would switch colours, my nose would grow longer, my lips thinner, I would be taller or shorter. I didn't seem to have any control over these changes, and my parents were quite horrified. After taking me to St. Mungo's - a place I would later become quite familiar with - they found out the reason: I was, and still am, a Metamorphmagus.
I: Can you tell those readers that don't already know what a metamorphagus is?
FH: Yes, I can. A metamorphagus is someone who can, simply put, the way they look. The shape of their eyes, the colour of their hair, their figure - anything that's related to their body, they can change.
I: Okay, back to your life. When was your first display of magic, and what was it?
FH (blushing): Well, it wasn't very unique. I was angry about something.. I forget what, really. But I was very upset, in the single-minded way that most children can get. I was about six, and I was throwing a tantrum, and I accidentally set fire to the couch. Mum caught it quickly, luckily, but it was pretty frightening. I avoided that couch for a while afterwards.
I: What about Hogwarts? What was school like for you?
FH: Hogwarts was like paradise to me. My mother was a witch, so I knew all about magic, but we lived in a Muggle town, so we couldn't do very much with it. To be in a place where magic was not only accepted, but encouraged - I was in a haze of wonder and joy for nearly the entire time I was in school. I really enjoyed Hogwarts, and was sad to leave it.
I: What House were you sorted into?
FH: I was a Ravenclaw. Not entirely shocking, I bet. I was fascinated about the Sorting Hat, and indeed, I had characters like it in a few of my novels. I think Ravenclaw fit me best, though the Hat considered Hufflepuff at the time, as well.
I: What about classes? What was your best, your worst, your favourite?
FH: I really liked Transfiguration, and I think it was my best subject. Turning something into something else entirely - that just turned my crank; I couldn't get enough of it. I did a lot of extra credit work for that course. I also quite enjoyed Potions, and it was probably my second best subject. I was pretty awful at Herbology, though, and not too good at Charms - I'm still awful at Herbology, and only passable at Charms. Defense Against the Dark Arts is pretty neutral - I wish I were better at it, times like these.
I: Did you have many friends? Were you popular?
FH (laughing): No, I wasn't popular at all. I had a few good friends, but most of the students thought I was weird. I was always coming up with stories and pretending they were real - I was a very fanciful child, and that never faded into adulthood. I was known as the class liar, though of course I rarely thought of it like lying. Some of them - more than some, really - also thought I was a freak because of what I could do in terms of being a metamorphagus. No one reacted that well when they found out about that.
I (consulting notes): It says here that you had some trouble in your seventh year. Could you tell us about that?
FH: Yes. It was a very difficult period for me - there was a lot of pressure from my teachers, my parents, other students to succeed. To do well, to choose a career, to get the right grades. I.. the pressure made life very difficult for me. I was losing control over my power, shifting in class. I also..
I: I'm sorry. We can stop, if you want.
FH (taking a deep breath): No, I'm okay. I also started hearing voices. I didn't think much of it, really - I always saw the characters I was writing about in my head, I thought that was normal for writers. And it is, but I.. experienced it in a more extreme way. I had characters from my stories talking to me, telling me things, influencing how I felt and how I thought. With that, in addition to everything else, I.. I cracked.
The term is a mental breakdown. I would be spending the next three years in St. Mungo's, in the psych ward. I got worse before I got better - I started hallucinating for a period, and I had trouble distinguishing reality from the world in my head. Finally, I was diagnosed - schizophrenia. The doctors had hope for me, because I was very lucid - some of the time, anyway.
With potions and various charms, I'm able to keep myself sane. They call it "highly functioning schizophrenia", because I'm able to live outside of St. Mungo's. However, I have a very strict regime, and I cannot miss a potion or a time to charm myself, or I will have to be hospitalized again.
I: What happened after you were released?
FH: A lot. I had to take my NEWTs, and graduate. Hogwarts let me do that with the current graduating year - with students a few years younger than me. I had a couple friends still, but not many. It was a very hard time for me.
After I graduated, I went home for a while. It was nice not to have anything magical around, for once. I spent another year in my parents' house, until I felt I was ready to go back out. I'd always wanted to be an author, and I spent a lot of my time - the time in the hospital, the time at home - writing. I wrote my first book that way.
I (holds up copy): Finding Forests, yes, I have it right here. It got rather mixed reviews, yes?
FH: Yes, it really did. It took me a few months before I found a publisher, but once I did, things happened very quickly. Soon I was reading reviews for it. Some people really loved it, but others thought I was mad. A book about trees, about sentient wands? It seemed that everyone had an opinion on it.
Hearing the bad reviews was very hard for me, but what made it all bearable was the fan mail. It came pouring in, letters from witches and wizards all over the world, telling me how much they loved the book, that they loved my writing. If it hadn't been for them, I probably never would've done anything more with my writing. As it was, I went on to write several more books.
I: So life was better for you after your first book?
FH: Yes and no. There were a lot of hard times - money, for one, was scarce. I ended up doing a lot of odd jobs to make ends meet. Several book ideas I had failed miserably. I had problems socially - I had trouble making and keeping friends, and only kept in touch with a few people from school. I was fairly alone, and I hated it.
I stayed afloat, though, until my third book - it was a total failure. No one liked it. I barely got any positive mail about it. I thought about stopping then, and the pressure.. I had another breakdown when I was 22, and spent another two years at St. Mungo's.
My potions and charms weren't failing me, but I was having trouble staying sane, keeping my head clear. I think best at St. Mungo's, honestly - there's nothing to do but think, there. It's peaceful. I styled my home a lot like it.
I: What happened after you were released the second time?
FH: I was determined not to go back a third time, at least not for such a long stay. I was going to take charge of my life, of my mind. The first thing I did was finish my fourth book - I'd started it at St. Mungo's - and it was a wild success. I started doing book tours, and money from royalties was more than enough to pay the bills.
I moved out of my parents' house, finally, at 24. I looked everywhere, and finally found a place in London. I thought about moving to Hogsmeade, but the lack of magic at my parents' had really helped me. So, I decided to move to Muggle London. I found and purchased a loft - it was tiny, but it was mine.
It was a really good time for me, I felt so in control of my life. I felt like I could do anything. I started taking trips into Diagon Alley, and made friends with a lot of the shopkeepers there - I even got a part-time job at Madam Malkin's. I was finally around people who accepted me.
I: Do you still hear the voices?
FH: Yes, I do. However, I rarely have problems where I can't tell what's going on. I know it's an imaginary voice, and I know I can ignore it. It's like their volume has been turned down - I hear them, but they're not shouting. I have conversations with them, sometimes - they tell me their stories, and I write those stories. Once others can hear their story, they tend to go away. Some have stayed, though.
I: Are you writing another book now?
FH: Yes. I've been working on it for about a year now. And no, I can't tell you what it's about - my agent would kill me. Suffice it to say that I have high hopes for it.
I: Our time is almost up. Do you have something you'd like to say to future writers out there?
FH: Oh! I guess.. well, never give up on yourself. All the most interesting people are considered weirdos by a lot of people. Embrace your weirdness - it's what makes you different. Write all the time - keep a journal. And.. I guess that's it.
I: Thank you for your time, Ms. Hightower.
