Discussion: The 'Phoenix' files

Prefect

House: Gryffindor
Points: 377

jamesthom says:

did anyone notice the mistake in book 5. during the meeting at the HogsHead pub. The Creevey brothers are present. but the youngest is only in year 2. He has to be in Year 3 to be allowed to hogsmead.

Posted Jun 30, 2003 at 4:45 AM EST

Auror

House: Ravenclaw
Points: 2374

TrueBluePotterFan says:

Several people have posted comments about the spell that hit Sirius. In my opinion, the spell did not kill Sirius, but his passing through the veil. After all, the room is called the "death chamber". I believe the veil divides the two worlds, the physical world and the spiritual world. Also Harry and Luna heard voices from beyond the veil while several of the others did not. As with the thestrals (sp??) they are able to hear the voices because of their personal experiences with death. What is this room used for? Seems to be set up for spectators. I think we will be seeing more on this room in HP6 and/or HP7. I was just surprised that Dumbledore did not explain it when speaking to Harry at the end of HP5.

Posted Jun 30, 2003 at 8:52 AM EST

CalimaCala says:

Bela:

JKR explained the whole thestral thing at Royal Albert Hall last Thursday. He had seen his parents die; however, he never had time for the whole thing to "sink in" since he was only a baby. He hardly knew his parents and he hardly understood death. That would also explain why he didn't see the thestrals at the end of book 4, on their way back to Platform 9 3/4 -- he had just seen Cedric die, but was still in a daze about it, much as he was at the end of this book with respect to Sirius's... disappearance. (I'm still in a state of denial.)

Posted Jun 30, 2003 at 9:23 AM EST

Muggle

House: Gryffindor
Points: 58

phoenixfeathers says:

Aravis and Muggle Wizard, I agree about the whole sacrifice theory. Perhaps the person Harry protects will be Ginny.

Posted Jun 30, 2003 at 9:29 AM EST

dobbysocks says:

a few pages ago someone mentioned that Mark Evans wasn't likely related to Lily and Petunia because other family members weren't discussed when deciding where to place Harry in book 1. But in book 5 we discover that its not just that the Dursley's are Harry's only relatives, it's that Petunia is the strongest link to Lily and the protection she gave Harry as an infant. Perhaps there is another family member (more distant, like a cousin or 2nd cousin) from a magical branch of the family. Wouldn't Petunia just rather pretend that they did not exist if they were wizards? I think I agree that we may see Mark Evans being sorted in book six.

Posted Jun 30, 2003 at 11:18 AM EST

Old Chortlebones

House: Hufflepuff
Points: 2601

Newt Scamander says:

Muggle Wizard, though it is somewhat unlikely even with development, you can't rule Neville out of Head Boy candidate. You have to think about how much he's developed over just one year, and there is still one more before the selection of Head Boy and Girl. He's probably twice the wizard he was in the Goblet of Fire, and while that's not a lot, if he's twice what he was in Order of the Phoenix (which is possible, as he seems to be gradually becoming as great as his parents were, especially since he probably wants to be great because of Bellatrix's escape), that's one decent wizard.

Also, Rowling I heard released information that one of Harry's classmates will become a Hogwarts professor. I was thinking it could be Neville (I believe the name Neville means "clumsy professor"), and he would have to grow a lot to become a worthy professor, thus inviting his growth as a wizard to the point of being a candidate for Head Boy. Of course, he's definetly not guaranteed the position, so you can't be too positive about this.

I think that Ron's not too great for Head Boy, at least in the state he's in now (he didn't do too well as Prefect, did he?) Harry may still already have too much responsibility, the reason why he wasn't a Prefect. I don't know about Ernie.

Just my two knuts.

Posted Jun 30, 2003 at 11:32 AM EST

Witch

House: Hufflepuff
Points: 609

Aravis says:

tadhgain...I noticed the Kreacher "creature" thing too. I am sure JKR did it on purpose.

dhurwich...yes, there should be something important about Harry's having his mother's eyes. I temporarily forgot about that so have to figure out how that comes into my wild theories LOL. We didn't find out much about Lily as we were supposed to. Maybe we'll find out about Lily and the importance of her eyes and also something about how she was good at Charms (?) in book 6 and then we can theorize better.

Posted Jun 30, 2003 at 11:34 AM EST

Witch

House: Hufflepuff
Points: 609

Aravis says:

Newt Scamander...if Rowling released info about Harry's classmate becoming a prof, how would we know if she stops writing after Harrys 7th year? I mean, wouldn't that person have to graduate before becoming a prof? I don't get it.

About the houses...I think that James, Sirius, Lupin, and Wormtail were all in the same house (Gryffindor) because generally the students only hang out with members of their own house (I mean, it would be difficult if both people didn't even have the same common roon) As someone mentioned, family members aren't guaranteed the same house and Sirius did NOT exhibit the Slytherin qualities of his family members (he was the "black sheep" of the family...he said himself). Of course we might find it difficult to believe Wormtail would be in Gryffindor but some good wizards do go bad (look at Percy) and remember Wormtail was easily influenced by other people; someone as powerful as Voldie could've influenced him esily. Also, if Lupin was picked as prefect INSTEAD OF Sirius or James that means they were all in the same house, right? Just my thoughts...

Posted Jun 30, 2003 at 11:47 AM EST

Wizard

House: Ravenclaw
Points: 993

Muggle Wizard says:

I'm starting to think that we may just have to wait for the next books. We're getting to a point where there are too many possibilities to know just what is going to happen in the future books. Oh, these are good ideas, yes. Just hard to know what will end up happening.

I had a couple of questions though. First. Sirius is using a wand when he is dueling with Bellatrix. I can't think of any other time during Harry's time at Hogwarts when Sirius has had a wand. Does anyone know where he got it from and when? Has he used a wand at other times?

Next -- what are everybody's thoughts about Crookshanks? Seems to me the cat is playing less of a role in the books.

Posted Jun 30, 2003 at 12:10 PM EST

Witch

House: Hufflepuff
Points: 609

Aravis says:

Muggle Wizard...good thoughts on Sirius. Of course, being a wizard he had a wand, but I think he just never had a chance to use it. I believe he used Harry's wand in PoA when he tried to kill Wormtail in the Shreiking Shack. I mean, you'd think they'd have taken his wand away when he went off to Azkaban but maye he hid it or something. I've got no idea. Suggestions, anyone?

Another good point on Crookshanks. I think he didn't play a role in book 5 because there was a lot of other stuff going on, but I think he is still important. I know there is something about that cat...remember he knew who Wormtail was right away? And he was paling around with Sirius as a dog? He obviously knows who animagiuses are. Normal animals don't as far as I know. I bet we'll be seeing more of him in the next books.

Posted Jun 30, 2003 at 12:26 PM EST

Jahboh says:

I have the Chapters 11-15 analyses posted up at my site now. In case you haven't read the others, they are basically details that I pick up after reading the chapters. I will have Chapters 16-20 up tomorrow (ahead of schedule). Go to: www.geocities.com/jahboh and click on the blue flame : )

Posted Jun 30, 2003 at 12:32 PM EST

Old Chortlebones

House: Hufflepuff
Points: 2601

Newt Scamander says:

Sorry for not responding earlier, I think there's a bug, it shows only 481 comments on the navigation, so I have to manually type in comment 500 in the address bar to see.

Whenever I heard about the professor shindig, I figured that either Harry would indeed live and she'd continue or she gave a brief glimpse into the future lives of people at the end of Book 7. Then again, she already wrote the final Chapter while she was writing the first book. I'm not sure how she plans on doing this. Then again, I'm not an experienced Harry Potter Fan Site viewer (I started only after the 21st), so it may have been an unreliable source there, which I should have mentioned at first.

Even aside from that, Neville has still grown a whole lot as a wizard and I still think he could be a Head Boy, though there are others who are just as possible.

About the whole Crookshanks deal, it could be an Animagus. I'm going to peruse through Books 3-5 around where information about James, Sirius, Peter, and Remus and see if it mentions anyone other than Snape who had known about the Shrieking Shrack and Lupin's being a werewolf. I doubt it would turn out to be an Animagus of someone in that circumstance, but anything's possible. And we still have two years most likely before we even read the 6th book, so we might as well come up with some wild theories before then. I'm sure one or two wild ones will end up correct.

Posted Jun 30, 2003 at 12:35 PM EST

Student

House: Gryffindor
Points: 279

Abrez says:

hey Muggle! i wanted to comment on this what u said

"There is no way they could both die yelling Avada Kedavra at the same time, because in the prophecy it said that Harry would kill Voldemort vice versa."

if they both yell Avada Kedavra at each other...their wants would be linked like in book 4 when harry was in the graveyard.......i wonder what can possibly the other way if they duel....?

Posted Jun 30, 2003 at 1:28 PM EST

Head Girl

House: Gryffindor
Points: 479

eclektic says:

i think some of u are asking abt james's hse in hogwarts and the answer to that can be found in ur book, pg 621(uk edition) when harry says,

"the truth was that ron had just reminded harry forcibly of another GRYFFINDOR quidditch player who had once sat rumpling his hair under this very tree."

well, we now know who the gryffindor player is, after the episode in the pensieve where harry saw his 15yr old father.. so, mystery solved!

Posted Jun 30, 2003 at 1:32 PM EST

Auror

House: Ravenclaw
Points: 2374

TrueBluePotterFan says:

eclektic, I brought up the issue of houses not so much to find out what house James was in, but more so to find out what houses Sirius and Wormtail/Peter were in. There is comment in PS/SS that says basically every bad wizard came from Slytherin. If that is true, then was Wormtail in Slytherin? It seems strange to me that James would be good friends with a student from Slytherin. But then maybe I'm taking the comment about Slytherin too stringently. Food for thought.....

Posted Jun 30, 2003 at 2:02 PM EST

Old Chortlebones

House: Hufflepuff
Points: 2601

Newt Scamander says:

TrueBluePotterFan, I'm not sure if you could actually call Wormtail 'evil.' Sure, he's done bad things (I mean, he helped to resurrect Voldemort for crying out loud), but it was completely out of fear. I'd call him a weak wizard before I called him evil.

And the chance of a quiet, incompetent young man becoming friends with three others from different houses are very slim.

I always said that I'd be surprised if they weren't all in Gryffindor just because of the fact that they all seemed to notice Lupin's leave once a month, and it would be easy to notice that if they were all in the same common room rather than just wandering around together. It isn't that it's impossible for them to be scattered around, but I suspect that they were all members of Gryffindor.

Posted Jun 30, 2003 at 2:38 PM EST

Witch

House: Hufflepuff
Points: 609

Aravis says:

About the Crookshanks thing...I've been rereading book 5 and in several places where Harry, Ron, and Hermione were alone in the common room (talking to Sirius' head, for example, or discussing the DA idea), JKR makes a point of saying that Crookshanks was in the room too. Makes me wonder...why would she make a point of that unless it was important later on that Crookshanks heard all of this going on? Or am I just over-analyzing? (or just going crazy? LOL)

Posted Jun 30, 2003 at 3:01 PM EST

Witch

House: Hufflepuff
Points: 609

Aravis says:

phoenixashes...thanks for cluing me in about "taking the mickey".

To anyone wondering about the Muggle/Squib differences above our house and points...it is dependent on how many house points you have. See Cheeser's entire list in the comments under "HPANA site notices".

I am having trouble getting everyone's posts. I keep typing in a higher number in the address line then I get more posts but not all of them. Like the one I just posted. Acck!

Posted Jun 30, 2003 at 3:10 PM EST

Madam Librarian

House: Gryffindor
Points: 13161

I-Pie says:

Regarding Hermione's jinx on Marietta, why wasn't Madam Pomfrey able to reverse it? Is she stuck with it for life or until Hermione removes it?

Muggle Wizard: I think Ron might do better as a prefect now that Fred and George are gone. The snowball was thrown by his brothers and the only time he would not support Hermione was when it was his brothers making trouble.

Posted Jun 30, 2003 at 3:12 PM EST

Old Chortlebones

House: Hufflepuff
Points: 2601

Newt Scamander says:

Aravis, you're not going crazy. Well, I don't think you are.

I did seem to notice that she made a point of saying Crookshanks was there. Every time I think this through, I think that Crookshanks must be one of three things:

A.) Crookshanks is an Animagus watching over Harry.
B.) Crookshanks is an Animagus spying on Harry.
C.) Crookshanks is a cat and J.K. Rowling kept forgetting about it until scenes with Sirius, as Crookshanks is so well associated with Sirius from Prisoner of Azkaban.

This whole idea is driving me crazy, because none of those three things make too much sense. The first two I believe are very possible, though the second would be kind of like watching a repeat of a show. It'd be annoying if two pets out of three ended up to be traitors to their masters.

Can anyone else think of any possibilities? There must be more.

Posted Jun 30, 2003 at 3:15 PM EST

Prefect

House: Ravenclaw
Points: 361

LaDonna says:

I just realized a mistake in book 6. They say that "prefects can't dock points" but in book 2 Percy docks Ron and Harry five points from coming out of the girls bathroom.

Does anyone else think Neville has a crush on Ginny?

Posted Jun 30, 2003 at 4:24 PM EST

Old Chortlebones

House: Hufflepuff
Points: 2601

Newt Scamander says:

I just noticed something involving a similarity between Harry and Tonks. I think in the back of my mind that Harry might be a metamorphmagus, as Tonks is. Does anyone else remember from the first book when Harry grew his hair back by willpower? Now, this could mean two things:

A.) It was just the fact that Harry was angry at the time, and it was merely some type of charm or transfiguration, but that doesn't mean he's gifted.
B.) Harry was showing signs of being a metamorphmagus, a skill which he may be able to harness in Hogwarts. After all, he's going on to the NEWT level in Transfiguration if accepted (as he needs to in order to become an Auror, the career he expressed liking of), and I'm sure that metamorphmagus studies would appear in there.

Which leads to another theory on Voldemort's death: Harry will use his metamorphmagus power in order to disguise himself. If he continued occlumency lessons in his sixth year, Voldemort wouldn't be the wiser as to if it was Harry or not if Voldemort managed to notice him. Then, when Voldemort least expected it, Harry could kill him. Well, something like that could happen anyway.

Of course, I'd be more surprised if this was the ending than if it involved love and another sacrifice, be it the sacrifice of Harry or for Harry. This type of ending seems to be the most possible out of all I can think of, and it would be a much better ending for 7 novels than the above theory.

Well? Does anyone else think Harry could be a metamorphmagus?

Posted Jun 30, 2003 at 4:34 PM EST

Bela says:

Ok, I have an answer as to why Hermione's patronus is an otter. In the live chat with Rowling on Sept 24, 2001 she was asked if the animal one turns into as an animagi reflects their personality. In Rowling's response, she said "I personally would like to think that I would transform into an otter, which is my favorite animal." I have another book called "Exploring Harry Potter" which claims Rowling has stated she most identified with the character Hermione, and was much like her as a child. So I think this is just a personal touch.

I have a question that have never found the answer to, that's not about book 5. In Chamber of Secrets, when all the students were petrified, they were given the mandrake potion to revive them. How was NH Nick revived??? Was it ever answered and I missed it?

I think a big detail that hasn't been discussed about the veil thingy is all the seats around it, as if people gather there to watch something. Is it possibly some sort of execution chamber from the past? Or can anyone think of another possiblity for that?

I'm wondering also why Umberidge was immediately hauled off to Azkaban for performing the crucio curse on a student. And also if there will be consequences for Harry doing this. Surely something will come of it.

I think its very obvious that the final showdown between Harry and Voldemort is not going to involve wands. Their wands cannot battle, as we know. So it is going to have to be using a "differnt kind of magic", like Dumbledore keeps referring to. Love and sacrifice has been the strongest force so far, since it is what saved Harry in the first place.

Posted Jun 30, 2003 at 4:36 PM EST

Wizard

House: Ravenclaw
Points: 993

Muggle Wizard says:

Newt Scamander -- If Wormtail is a "weak" wizard than why would he be in Gryffindor - the house known for those who are brave?

For your point C on Crookshanks -- As I remember it, Hermione acquired Crookshanks in book 3. This means that JK didn't just "remember" about Crookshanks. I think it's more likely that Crookshanks is just one smart cat. What I'm asking about is why JK seems to have put less emphasis on Crookshanks lately. Seeing you and Aravis and others point out that JK did at least make mention of Crookshanks helps me see that maybe something is going on.

Do any of you know of a site that has compiled a list of errors in Book 5 to go along with LaDonna's and some of the others that I've seen pointed out? It's tricky to go back and forth through all of these messages looking for them.

Posted Jun 30, 2003 at 4:39 PM EST

Wizard

House: Ravenclaw
Points: 993

Muggle Wizard says:

Newt Scamander -- yes, I think it is possible that Harry is a metamorphmagus, but not likely. I think that talent would have been detected a little bit earlier and used a lot more often. Many children (especially when angry) are known to do whatever they can to get attention. A young metamorphmagus might change quite often, yes?

Bela -- In my opinion, Harry won't be in trouble for using Crucio. Umbridge had witnesses (I think). The only one who saw Harry try to use it (and not succesfully, I might mention) was Bellatrix, who can't come out of hiding to tell anyone, yes?

Posted Jun 30, 2003 at 4:45 PM EST

Bela says:

Thanks, CalimaCala. I had not finished reading all the comments on my 1st post, so missed that. No offense, but does that explanation seem a little lame to anyone else? I mean, obviously he realized he was dead. He brought back Cedric's body and was very concernced about his parents.

Ok, changing subject - I do have an answer as to why Hermione's patronus is an otter. In the live chat with Rowling on Sept 24, 2001 she was asked if the animal one turns into as an animagi reflects their personality. In Rowling's response, she said "I personally would like to think that I would transform into an otter, which is my favorite animal." I have another book called "Exploring Harry Potter" which claims Rowling has stated she most identified with the character Hermione, and was much like her as a child. So I think this is just a personal touch.

Posted Jun 30, 2003 at 4:49 PM EST