> But FORTNIGHT??? "Fortnight" is not used in American English? Are you guys serious? What do you call half a month, then?

"Half a month," if we mean half a month; "two weeks" if we mean two weeks. American English is so much more precise that way. ;-)

> Or don't you call it anything? I never even imagined this word wasn't standard English everywhere.

A great deal of Americans know what it means but don't use the word. I wouldn't have thought so many know it, though, that condescending book publishers would be comfortable not changing the word for an American edition of an English book. But I guess they are.

> Can't wait to hear what other differences are revealed in the Harry Potter series.

Wolf showed me a brief article that mentioned a handful of the differences. "Father Christmas" was changed to "Santa Claus," which was the most conspicuous atrocity. I don't remember all the others -- Wolf, do you think you could type some of those in?