'What's next, hanging from a chandelier singing "God Rest Ye Merry Hippogriffs"?'
Tip taken from wank_report. JK Rowling has finished Book VII. But more importantly she defaced a statue of Hermes in an Edinburgh hotel. She wrote on the base of the statue in her room:

JK Rowling
finished writing
Harry Potter + the Deathly Hallows
in this room (652)
on 11th January 2007

The hotel found it, released the news with a picture of it and seems very happy to have a rather valuable piece of memorabilia in their possession.

The newspaper reports the statue is being kept hidden away, and there are no plans to make the room where Jo completed the final Harry Potter novel into any sort of shrine or tourist attraction.

Thank heaven.

TLC Report One

TLC Report Two

TLC readers are at first skeptical, then move to outrage and feelings of betrayal on the vandalism's confirmation. Highlights below. (Mostly leaving out the many perfectly bland reactions, of course.)

taylor: wow....she gets praised for vandalism and it makes the newspaper....i'll be sure to write my name in that hotel when i go there again

way to go Jo....you are a perfect role model.....hey kids leave your name on private property....its ok

forgetmenot: I do not believe that.
First she seems not the type to esteem herself so highly, that she would scribble on a statue
Secondly as someone stated already that would have leaked out sooner, especially if The Sun has the information
Thrid it's The Sun writing this. I think no further comment is necessary.

kipper: Do you really think Jo would do this - soooo out off character for this thoughtful, considerate, balanced and (lets be frank) attractive woman?

bat boogey hex: Somehow Jo turning into a grafitti artist does not sound like her at all, unless she had been asked by the hotel owner to do so and she graciously accepted.

Mateo: N'importe quoi ! She can't have written that on the back of a statue... I mean, only bad kids do that kind of thing (like "El Barto wuz here"... it looks pretty much like vandalism to me, and I don't think Jo is like that.

Ah yes, sure, the signature is really similar as hers... and that's exactly the point taht don't fit with this story : go and try writing your signature at the back of a statue : you will realise it's so different from the paper that it necesseraly can't be the same writing... ;)

fleeber First a blunt, curt statement about the book release. Very un-Jo like. And now this....signing statues. What's next, hanging from a chandelier singing "God Rest Ye Merry Hippogriffs"? Walking around Edinburgh whispering to herself that no one can see her under this invisibility cloak?

Well, we've finally done it. We've driven her over the edge.

jenn: I imagine she signed the bust at the hotel's request--I'm sure that room will become the JKR suite (a la "Washington Slept Here") and perhaps a stay in the and/or the bust will be auctioned for charity. I doubt she was just randomly defacing hotel property, lol.

fleeber: think it's a matter of visualizing the circumstances. It seems like such a "rock star" thing to do. Can you honestly picture Jo acting in such a way?: "I soooo totally rock. Everyone knows I rock. I'll sign something in this room. They'll be soooo grateful. ROCK ON!" **proceeds to destroy various furnishings and urniate in inappropriate places**

vs.

Hotel: "We would very much appreciate a little momento of your stay here. How about signing something in the room? This statue, perhaps?" Jo. "Oh, ha ha. Sure, no problem."

I vote for the latter. Rock on.

Denice Ellenberger: Personally, I think it is amazing that she would do something so reminiscent of a horcrux to mark the finishing of the book. A death of sorts has happened as she typed that last word and to leave the piece of her soul that seemed to be hanging in limbo she left her mark on the relic that been with her in those final moments. It was the only thing to bear witness to the agonizing tear between joy and sorrow. It had been her companion, perhaps had brought inspiration. We are amiss if we do not catch this importance.

Which is?

JessDoes anyone else find it disappointing that Jo would be so proud/ relieved/ full-of-herself/ or whatever that she would deface an antique that she herself doesn't own?

I'm still waiting for a "they ased me to sign something so they could auction it for charity" kind of story to come out of this. Just seems pretty uncharacteristically self-centered of her to write on something that wasn't hers to leave a mark. Sigh. I, for one, will be disappointed iof that's what she did.

And to give you a taste of the mad theories this is inspiring in fans.

Trey: I hope many of you have read "The Four Founders and the Magician Card" by Erin Dolmage in the Scribbulus collection. I noticed at once that it is the "Master Magician Hermes pictured in the Tarot." It is the Master Magician that used the four artifacts that have been theorized to represent the four remaining horcruxes and the deathly hallows. It is very interesting that she has left her mark of book seven of a statue of Hermes, the Master Magician. Coincidence or act of brilliance?

fleeber: Yeah, I hear ya, Jess. Even if it wasn't an antique.... I'm feeling a bit confunded. I wouldn't have become so involved in this fandom if I didn't deeply admire the woman so much. She's always seemed so down to earth, so un-diva-like. Maybe she did do it in the passion of the moment. But still....well, bleh. A little on the arrogant side. What if someone you didn't admire had done the same thing? Would you think them just as awesome and entitled?

*sigh* Perhaps shame on me for being too judgemental. We've all, at some point, felt that we were above all sorts of levels of awesomeness.

**shakes head** Yeah, confunded. And far too old to be putting public figures on pedestals anyway. Time to move on.

And for a perfect summary, Lauryn wrote: "LOL @ Jo being "out of character"! That statement is fandom in a nutshell!"