Steven Vander Ark, Harry Potter fan, cried on the witness stand today as he talked about the current lawsuit between his publishers - RDR Books - and J.K. Rowling.

The lawsuit stems from Ark’s deal with RDR to publish a Harry Potter Lexicon, based on a highly successful site created by Ark himself. Rowling’s suit claims the work infringes upon her own copyright.

Just yesterday, Potter author J.K. Rowling stated that she’s been creatively stopped by the suit, claiming she can no longer work on her book projects due to stress created by the case. Today, Ark got emotional when asked how his relationship with other Potter fans has been affected by the case. “It’s been difficult because there has been a lot of criticism, obviously, and that was never the intention,” Ark said in court. “This has been an important part of my life for the last nine years or so.”

If Rowling has her way, that work will be for naught. The novelist seeks to stop publication on the Lexicon, the release date of which has already been delayed because of the suit. Rowling lambasted Ark’s work, saying “I believe that it is sloppy, lazy and that it takes my work wholesale, verbatim. This book constitutes wholesale theft of seventeen years of my hard work.”

RDR Books has argued that the lexicon should exist “to organize and discuss the complicated and very elaborate world of Harry Potter.” They claim the book does not infringe upon Rowling’s rights, saying the information is fair use. Court testimony is expected to continue through the week.