Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus

We all know Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus means "Never tickle a sleeping dragon", but I wonder if this is more than just a school motto....

In a recent audio clip of Stephen Fry (the narrator of the HP audio books in the UK, as well as a hilarious comedian from shows like Jeeves and Wooster and Black Adder) he says he can't give anything away. Duh. But then he repeats the school motto.

The big questions here are:

What is this dragon?

Who's doing the tickling?

What actually happens if you tickle the sleeping dragon?

For the first question, we could think of the dragon who is shown on the cover of the deluxe edition of DH. Then we could say Harry might have tickled him. And then we might suggest tickling a sleeping dragon could give you some power over the dragon, allowing you to order it around, at least for a while. But, then, why warn people not to do such a thing? Seems very odd to me.

So, what if the Dragon is not really a dragon? What if it's a person named Draco? Now it gets harder to answer the other questions. Is Harry provoking Draco when it's not wise to do so? Has Voldemort's punishments of the Malfoys been enough to provoke Draco to actively switch sides?

Or what if Snape is the "dragon"? He's definitely a powerful wizard who you wouldn't really want as an enemy. Who provoked him so badly when his guard was down? James, Harry, Dumbledore, his own parents, Voldemort, Wormtail? And what happens if you cruely provoke Snape? Well, back in HBP there was mention of how everyone Snape hates tends to turn up dead....

And what about Harry? He was innocent (and perhaps actually sleeping) when Voldemort attacked the Potters. Since then Voldemort has provoked Harry several times, even invading his dreams... mentally tickling him with false images, like the one that sent Harry to the DoM looking for Sirius. Snape has also provoked him on several occasions. What happens would be Harry seeking revenge... big time.

Who is that dragon?

The new artwork for the deluxe edition of Deathly Hallows has been released, and we have so many more questions than answers:

Who is that dragon? It could be a grown-up Norbert (the picture vaguely matches the description of Norwegian Ridgebacks given in Fantastical Beasts and Where to Find Them). This dragon looks to be either a greenish color or black (but reflecting lots of color), has long horns, has a black-ridged back, and has opal-like eyes. FBaWtFT never describes the eyes of a Norwegian Ridgeback.

Update 6/14/07 -- However, the book has this to say about the Antipodean Opaleye :

"Antipodean Opaleye:This species is native to New Zealand, although it has also been known to make its home in Australia as well. It has pearly scales that reflect the light to make a rainbow of colour, making it (in the opinion of many) the most beautiful dragon of all. The name comes from its eyes, which are multi-coloured and have no pupil. It is generally non-aggressive and its main prey is the sheep. Its weight of 2-3 tonnes makes it a medium-sized dragon [FB]."

Interesting idea: what if there is a new breed, one that was bred to be tameable? It could have a combination of features from various dragon breeds....

Is the dragon a dragon? What if it turned out to be an Animagus? I know, I know... we've had lots of unregistered Animagi (Sirius, James, Peter, and Rita), but we've only seen one registered Animagus so far (McGonagall), so perhaps it's time for another registered one. It would sure go a long way to explain why it's acting tame.

Who's riding the dragon? Is that Hermione and Ron with Harry... or Hermione and Charlie, the Weasley who works with dragons, with Harry? Update 6/11/07: According to Scholastic, that is definitely Ron with Hermione and Harry, not Charlie (and definitely not Draco, as some people have suggested). Yep, we have a particularly light-haired Ron bringing up (sitting on) the rear.

What are they wearing? Looks like Harry is wearing a sweater/jumper and a pair of jeans. The other two might be wearing robes over muggle attire. Update 6/19/07: Harry's outfit actually looks similar to what he's wearing on the front cover of the regular US edition: either brown or black robes over a greenish long-sleeve shirt and a pair of jeans.

Where are they? I see a valley with a river running through it. There is a bridge crossing the river to the right. There are mountains in the background. There is a small village in the valley, at the foot of the mountains. On the other side of the river are some croplands. It could be Norway (Norwegian Ridgebacks live in the mountains, while Muggles live in villages along the southern shoreline and in valleys). Another idea I've heard is Godric's Hollow, specifically that village. This would probably place them in Wales, which also has mountains and valleys bisected by rivers. Update 6/19/07: Since we might be dealing with an Antipodean Opaleye, could the trio be in New Zealand or Australia? Perhaps the horcrux hunt has sent them quite far and wide across the globe....

Where are they going? This would depend on the time of day, and that's a bit tricky. Though we see the sun, I'm not sure if this is sunrise or sunset. With all the colors in the sky I'd like to say sunset, which would put them moving northward. If this place is Godric's Hollow (and if Godric's Hollow is located in Wales), then maybe they are headed up north towards Hogwarts in Scotland. If it is in fact sunrise, they must be headed South, maybe towards London (where Gringotts is), or into another country, like Italy (where Il Colosseo is to be found). The sky is very reminiscent of the orange-red, fire-like sky of the regular cover art. I'm not sure how fast the dragon can fly... could it leave Great Britain at sunrise and be in Rome, Italy before sundown? Update 6/11/07: The time is sunset, as stated by Scholastic. Update 6/19/07: And what if they are in New Zealand? Well, they'd be headed north at sunset. But, oh my, if they are that far away from the UK, how long will it take to get back to the UK, or even to Italy, by dragon?

What's with all the mist? Is this Dementor spawn? It would help explain why the trio look like they are wearing layered clothing. It must be quite cold... unseasonably cold.

The Other Philosopher's Stone

As I mentioned before, someone "leaked" some teasers about Deathly Hallows.

One of them had to do with there being something other than gold, something hidden, in Harry's Gringotts vault. That's actually not such a big surprise. The interesting part is what the item could be, how it got there, and why it's there.

I'd already suggested that Harry somehow comes across another Philosopher's Stone. I mean, we have Dumbledore telling Harry, in PS/SS, that that "particular" stone was destroyed... the one belonging to Nicholas Flamel. Flamel was the only known maker of the stone. It doesn't mean he's the only person to have ever made one. It also doesn't mean he only made one.

I had also suggested that Harry finds this "new" stone in the locked Love Room of the Department of Mysteries. My reasoning was that the stone has also been a symbol of love and perfection, not just a way to make gold or gain immortality. The people who work at the DoM are called Unspeakables because they do not speak about the things they study or develop in their department. So, if they had access to a Philsopher's Stone they would be bound not to tell the wizarding public about it. I considered the possibility that Lily worked for the ministry, as an Unspeakable... in the so-called Love Room itself.

But after the supposed teaser leak I got to thinking again. What if the stone is actually in Harry's vault? How did it get there? Then I thought back....

If you go to www.jkrowling.com and find the cool items to add to your scrapbook, one of them is an exerpt of an early draft from PS/SS, from way back in 1991. In it, the trio talk about Nicholas Flamel, how he's known for making the Philosopher's Stone, and how he died because someone stole his stone, leaving the Flamels without enough Elixir of Life to keep them alive much longer (not long enough to make another one, at least). Then Harry tells Hermione and Ron about his and Hagrid's trip to Gringotts. Harry states that Hagrid removed the stone from Harry's vault (not vault 713) when Harry withdrew some of his gold. The trio go on to discuss how the stone got into Harry's vault. I believe it's Ron (of course) who suggests Harry's parents stole Flamel's stone. Harry doesn't take the suggestion well, since he equates stealing the stone with killing the Flamels... someone else had to have stolen it. Someone else had placed it in Harry's vault. Jo chose to abandon this plotline, opting instead for the Flamels to still be alive and to choose to let the stone be destroyed, to choose death instead of eternal life.

Now why did she take this route? It's not really a matter of whether the Flamels live, since they die in both versions. Jo decides to have Flamel choose death. It's best to remove Voldemort's temptation -- keeping Voldemort from the stone is worth dying for.

This still doesn't rule out the existance of another stone. It greatly decreases the chance that Nicholas Flamel had ever made more then one, though.

Now let's look at Lily and James. Lily is particularly good at potions (a major component of alchemy) and charms. James is particularly good at Transfiguration (another major component to alchemy, since it's one of alchemy's main goals). Could they have been advanced enough at such a young age to produce a Philosopher's Stone? Perhaps. But why would they even try to make one? James came from a wealthy family and inheritted lots of money from his parents, so they were in no need of more wealth... nor do they seem greedy. They apparently didn't have any Elixir of Life on hand when Voldemort came to call, nor do they seem to fear death. James faces Voldemort with courage and pride. Lily sacrifices herself, ultimately saving Harry from a Killing Curse. Here, protecting your family from Voldemort is worth dying for. Harry's what's worth making a Philosopher's Stone for -- the hope that he'd use it some day (not for gold or everlasting life but) to defeat Voldemort.

But what if Lily and James didn't work together to make a stone? As brilliant at magic as they must have been, they did die in their early 20's. Flamel was quite old when he finally succeeded in making the stone, and he had been trying for many years. Back to the idea that it could have been made over several years in the Department of Mysteries, perhaps with Lily's help (if she worked there). The Unspeakables wouldn't be allowed to tell the public they'd made one, so the general public would continue to give Flamel sole credit. So, how would it end up in Harry's vault? Like Harry says to Hermione and Ron in that old draft -- someone stole it and placed it in his vault. But who? If it's Lily and/or James we're stuck with the reality of them being thieves, and though that's not cool at least they didn't murder the Flamels. Perhaps helping Harry is worth stealing for....

This leaves a huge question still: why would James and Lily (or anyone, for that matter) provide Harry with a Philosopher's Stone when we figure that if it's there in the vault it would have to have been there for a very long time, probably before Voldemort attacked the Potters? Someone knew the prophesy... in it's entirety... and expected Harry to survive the attack.

There is a good chance that Dumbledore told Lily and James the complete prophesy (after Snape warned Dumbledore that the Potters were the chosen target). This would allow Lily and James to prepare for the possibility of attack, in the event that their Secret Keeper spilled the secret. This would help explain why James could have the forethought to send his Invisibility Cloak to Dumbledore, expecting Harry to survive and eventually attend Hogwarts. Dumbledore said he and Harry were the only ones who knew the full contents of the prophesy, but he must mean that no one else alive as of OotP knows the full contents... and he could yet be wrong.

Whoever placed the stone in Harry's vault (if one was placed in there before the attack) would have to have known Harry would survive the attack... or at least expected him to.

The only candidates I can think of for expecting Harry's survival and planning for his training would be: Lily, James, Dumbledore, Snape (if he heard the entire prophesy), and whoever worked in the Hall of Prophesy and labeled the prophesy orb.

On Entering the Arena....

Some quotes from the series:

"Very good," said Voldemert softly, and as he raised his wand the pressure bearing down on Harry lifted too. "And now you will face me, like a man... straightbacked and proud, the way your father died... "And now --we duel." (GOF PB US Edition p. 660 Chapter 34 Priori Incantatem)

"That one of us is going to end up killing the other," said Harry.

"Yes."

But he understood at last what Dumbledore had been trying to tell him. It was, he thought, the difference between being dragged into the arena to face a battle to the death and walking into the arena with your head held high. Some people, perhaps would say that there was little to choose between the two ways, but Dumbledore knew -- and so do I, thought Harry, with a rush of fierce pride, and so did my parents -- that there was all the difference in the world. (HBP HB US Edition p. 512 Chapter 23 Horcruxes)

Entering an arena with your head held high, that's what Harry seems to be doing on this cover. Il Colosseo is still a good candidate for the arena-like scene depicted here.

Unfogging the Future Plotline, part one

Please take note: though I'm leaving this post up until further notice, I am in the middle of revamping my predictions posts. I will no longer try to break them up into chapters or even a specific timeline. It's just too difficult to do, since "Deathly Hallows" will probably be over 30 chapters, and I can't possibly guess what will happen in a particular chapter. Also, I might not follow the same pattern for the pictures I use in these posts. Anyway, here's the orginal post:
As July 21st approaches I realize I must make my "Deathly Hallows" predictions if I want to get them out there before it's too late. So, here's how I think the plot might play out in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I very much doubt that the book will follow the same timeline as mine, but I hope the plotline is pretty close. At least this is sort of how I'd like to see it play out.... I'm sure JKR's work will still blow me away and humble me greatly!

Oh, and quick note -- Each of my "prediction" posts will feature a picture of somewhere Harry might travel to during his quest. The artwork shown in this post is "The Coliseum", by Silvana Brunotti (born Jan. 23, 1932). The website I found it at (http://www.silvanabrunotti.it/pictures_of_rome.htm) has the following caption for this painting:

I think it's the best example I can find to support GrandPre's use of the orange sky in her US edition cover art....

Anyway, back to the plotline. I'm making up these chapter titles (and chapter breaks), and I don't expect them to match JKR's at all. My chapter titles suck, I'm just trying to break this down into reasonable segments, so I'm taking some major creative licence here.

Chapter One (The Hunt is On): Harry has been escorted back to #4 Privet Drive, for his shortest stay ever, by members of the Order. The weather is miserable.

Dudley still doesn't understand how his parents have abused him, though he's bound to have a tantrum if he doesn't get more birthday presents than he received last year.

Though he's looking forward to Bill and Fleur's wedding, Harry can't get Severus Snape's apparently heartless murder of Dumbledore out of his head. He also thinks of Draco's inability to complete the task he was given; Harry wonders if Draco could change sides. He might even start to feel sorry for the Malfoys, though not very sorry -- they brought this mess upon themselves.

Harry's anxious to start searching for the horcruxes. He knows he will have to ditch the Order somehow. But first, there is a wedding to attend (he received the wedding invitation), and he has mixed feelings about being around Ginny, whom he recently broke up with (his attempt to protect her). He also plans on travelling to Godric's Hollow and visiting his parents' graves, but this will have to wait. He needs his own transportation....

Meanwhile Vernon can only think about Harry's inherited money and real estate. He asks Harry where the house is and wants to know how much money Harry has in the bank. Harry doesn't know how much money he has (and he probably wouldn't tell Vernon how much even if he did know), but he verifies to Vernon that did indeed inherit #12 Grimmauld Place, in London. Vernon wants to see this house, but Harry doesn't want to visit the place. If the Dursleys want to see #12 Grimmauld Place they'll have to go there without him. On second thought, this could be worth a laugh.... How will the house's enchantments respond to Vernon trying to enter and tour the house? The Dursleys and Harry go to #12 Grimmauld Place. There are diffuiculties getting the group of Muggles into the house, due to the enchantments put in place by Mr. Black. The painting of Mrs. Black curses and rants about Muggles and Mudbloods; her portrait can't stand the fact that Harry has inherited the house and property. Hilarity ensues as the Dursleys display fear and hatred of every magical thing they see. Petunia is shocked by all the dirt and grime (despite all the cleaning done roughly two years ago).

Harry looks at the family tapestry and notices the name of Regulus Black. What was it Lupin and Sirius said about Sirius's younger brother Regulus? Joined the Death Eaters quite young, got in so deep, couldn't deal with it, tried to leave, got killed for treachery. Regulus A. Black was the R.A.B. who found out about the horcruxes and stole the locket! So, now Harry tries to think back to all the things Sirius tried to throw away when the Order moved in. He vaguely remembers a large locket no one could open, but he doesn't recall an engraving with emeralds, nor does he have any idea where it is now. There is not enough time to make a thorough search of the house right now, so it will have to be resumed later.

They return to #4 Privet Drive, Vernon furious, Dudley frightened, and Petunia disgusted, yet pensive. Harry is glad, now, that he went back to the house he had so wanted to avoid. He has some very interesting news to share with Ron and Hermione.

Chapter Two (Petunia's Revelation): As Harry's 17th birthday approaches Petunia is wrought with worry. Up until the point at which Petunia and Dumbledore disagreed on when Harry would be considered an adult, Petunia didn't seem to care about Harry. But once Petunia realized Harry would be moving out of #4 Privet Drive by the time he turned 17, she's been rethinking things. Maybe she actually feels bad about how they treated Harry all these years, or maybe she just worries what will happen to Vernon, Dudley, and herself after Harry leaves. Either way, she will divulge important information about events of the past, though Harry might not immediately realize their significance. I expect Severus Snape's name to come up in this discussion. Harry will find out that Petunia was not talking about James when she said "that aweful boy"; she was talking about Severus Snape. Revelation one: Lily and Severus knew each other and socialized outside of school.

While still puzzling over Aunt Petunia's words (particularly the odd friendship between his mom and Snape), Harry awaits Order members to pick him up and take him away to the Burrow, where he will celebrate his birthday and attend a wedding.

Chapter Three (For Whom the Wedding Bells Toll): The Order has arrived again and delivered Harry to the Burrow, where the Weasleys, Hermione, and Fleur are all happy to see him, as usual. However, there is much talk about the latest deaths and disappearances throughout wizarding Britain (maybe also about things happening abroad).

Harry's 17th birthday (July 31, 1997) is cause for much celebration in the Burrow, and Harry receives some cool gifts. Amongst all the presents will be something very useful for his cause (probably from Hagrid). It would be perfect timing if Hagrid sends Sirius's old flying motorcycle to Harry at this time. Dumbledore will have planned for his 17th birthday way in advance, and there will be something from him, as well -- either the golden pocketwatch, the Pensieve, or some silver instrument Harry once saw in the office when Dumbledore was Headmaster.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione will discuss things they can do together, before Ron and Hermione return to school (Hogwarts manages to continue, somehow, and letters arrive for Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny). Molly tries to persuade Harry to return to Hogwarts, but in the end Harry will have his way and not return, at least not as a student.

Just like when Harry first got the Invisibility Cloak and had to try it that night, Harry has to try out his flying motorcycle. With the flying motorcycle (and some form of navigation), Harry sets off (at night) on a trip to Godric's Hollow to visit the gravesites... alone. Ron and Hermione stay behind to cover up his absence. He returns to the Burrow the next day, filling Ron and Hermione in on what he saw. He hasn't found the ruins of the house, only the graves. He tells them what was carved on the headstones. There are more questions than answers.

The wedding day arrives for Bill (scarred by Fenrir's attack but dressed in groom's robes) and Fleur (radiant in her bridal gown/robes and a borrowed golden tiara). Ginny and Gabrielle are dressed in pale gold (so the outfit won't clash with Ginny's hair). Harry, Ron, Hermione, and the rest are wearing their best dress robes for the occasion. The wedding has some sweet moments, but the weather is cold and foul. The overall feeling is one of worried anticipation. It feels a lot like it did the last time Voldemort was powerful -- people on both sides getting married in a rush. Tonks and Lupin consider getting hitched. Ron and Hermione exchange glances, also thinking about tying the knot. Thankfully, there's some comic relief, due to the antics of Fred and George.

After the wedding (or perhaps crashing the reception) Dobby arrives to warn Harry about something. Kreacher is up to no good; though he can't disobey a direct order, he has found a way to sabotage Harry's cause. Harry is reminded of how Kreacher managed to turn one of Sirius's commands into a loophole and then he vaguely remembers once telling Kreacher (soon after he had inheritted him) to "get out of it". Kreacher has found another loophole.

Bad news arrives: repressed by the wizarding world, in general, and hopeful that they can gain in status, the goblins have joined Voldemort's side. Gringotts has been effectively shut down, the security so high that no one can get to their gold unless they are Death Eaters or other Voldemort supporters.

Chapters 4 and beyond in subsequent posts....

Horus vs. Seth

In early Egyptian myth, Seth (Set, Setekh, Sut, Sutekh, Suty) was a popular and beneficial deity, but by the Third Intermediate Period Seth was portrayed as evil. In the Nineteenth Dynasty he saw a revival, but he has been type-cast as the villian by the Greek, Roman, and Christian theologists.

Seth used to battle Horus the Elder in the good old days. It was meant to be a never-ending battle because Seth and Horus the Elder were equals. When Seth was villianized a myth was created to destroy him (and end the struggle between good and evil, with good winning). Seth's wife disguised herself as Isis and slept with Osiris, leading to the birth of Anubis. Instead of punishing his own wife, Seth held a grudge against Osiris and killed him. Isis somehow conceived a child with Osiris's dead and dismembered corpse.... Enter Horus the Younger (representing both the royal heir and the newborn sun), who took the place of Horace the Elder in battle with Seth. This Horus, trained in magic by Thoth, was more-than-a-match for Seth, as powerful as he was. This myth is often used as a metaphor for the reunification of Upper and Lower Egypt (Seth = Upper, Horus = Lower). (http://www.ancientegyptonline.co.uk/set.html)

I've noticed many parallels between the story of Harry vs. Voldemort and Horus the Younger vs. Seth:

• Seth kills Osiris (but not Isis); Voldemort kills James (and kills Lily only after giving her the chance to live).


• Horus the Younger battles Seth to avenge his father's death and is victorious; Harry will battle Voldemort to avenge his parents' deaths...and he should be victorious.


• Thoth protects Horus and prepares him for battle; Dumbledore does much the same for Harry. The parallels between Thoth and Dumbledore are too numerous to even list here....


• Seth is sometimes described as albino with red eyes (but he has hair, not bald); Voldemort is white skinned and red-eyed.


• When Horus is in battle, he takes the form of a winged disk, which looks almost exactly like a golden snitch.... Seth (the villian) is associated with water animals, like snakes, crocodiles, and hippos. The Egyptians feared all of these animals, so they were thought of as "dark" creatures. When Seth gathers his army to wage war he has many of these animals with him, and Seth himself takes the form of either a crock or a hippo when he fights. Of course, Voldemort has gone through many transformations and has gained some snake-like features... plus he has Nagini by his side. I don't know about crocks or hippos, but Voldemort has giants, dementors, and inferi. Harry won't magically transform into a snitch, but he will have to play "hard to get" and should use youth and speed to his advantage, making him act like a snitch even though he won't look like one.

There are also some parallels between Horus the Elder and Harry. Horus the Elder also represented the sun (and the moon). One eye was the sun, one eye the moon, and images called the "Eye of Horus" were thought to be powerful protection amulets. Horus is god of the rising and setting sun.

Horus the Elder was blinded, leading him to kill the wrong person (someone on his side) during battle. He didn't realize the mistake until his sight had been restored. I suspect that Harry will have issues with his sight (perhaps he will lose his glasses in battle, or maybe this is just a matter of his perception) then his sight will be restored (or his perceptions will change), just to find out that he has killed, injured, or placed in mortal danger someone who was on his side all along. The best candidate for this loyal person who suffers from Harry's "blindness" is Snape.

Speak not the number....

I have (so far) found two references to 666 in the HP series. JKR isn't obvious about it, and she doesn't have to be....

But before I get to the examples, I want to state that 666 is a symbol of the ultimate apostasy -- it's the point at which one abandons their beliefs or their cause and takes up the opposing beliefs or cause. Without getting too deep into discussions about Satan, let's just think of 666 as the ultimate in human imperfection. It's the number for the physical world. We could say it's symbolic of all the foibles of mankind.

The first I found is in PS/SS, when Hermione reads about Nicholas Flamel to find out he is 665 years old... as of the previous year. That means in 1991 Nicholas Flamel is to turn 666. Dumbledore says he had a discussion with Flamel and that they decided it would be best to destroy the stone. Perhaps Dumbledore pointed out to Nicholas just how old he would be when his next birthday rolled around? I don't know how long it took for the Flamels to get their affairs in order (how much elixir they had remaining), but Nicholas Flamel probably died at the age of 666....

The second time I noticed a 666 reference it was much more subtle, in HBP. Harry is making Draught of Living Death in an attempt to win the vial of Felix Felicis, and using the HBP's potion notes, he's adding a clockwise stir after every 7th counterclockwise turn. He does this 7 back, 1 forward stirring technique three consecutive times before Slughorn tells the class to stop working. 7-1 = 6, 7-1 = 6, 7-1 = 6. That's a hidden 666.

In the first case, Flamel does the right thing and either destroys the stone or allows Dumbledore to destroy it. This was a difficult decision on the part of the Flamels, particularly Nicholas, since he made the stone. Dumbledore talks about Flamel as a friend and alchemy partner who might have made poor decisions in the past (choosing things that he didn't need, like immortality and material wealth). Here 666 seems to be symbolic of covetousness and greed, even the desire to prolong life beyond a natural lifespan. However, Nicholas finally realized the truth of it and conceeded to Dumbledore. I wish we could have heard Dumbledore's and Nicholas Flamel's "discussion".

Much the same could be said of the second senario: Harry wants the Felix Felicis (a dubious potion in itself) and will do whatever it takes to get it. Hermione considers it cheating and is concerned about the book, in general. We have to question whether the number is good or bad. For one thing, counterclockwise is generally considered "sinister" (both literally and figuratively), and clockwise is good, even "lucky". So adding a "lucky" stir after 7 sinister ones...this is good, right? And Harry uses the Felix Felicis as a means to a good end, right?

On a side note: If Harry had continued the Prince's directions to make the Draught of Living Death there would be this string of 6's. Are these potions instructions actually a "dark" way of making the draught? Would it be the same potion, or would it have "dark" properties and perhaps act more like a poison? Don't know, but it's something to consider, since Severus studied the Dark Arts so intently....

It's odd that two instances of the number 666 should lead to such positive outcomes. Flamel gives up the stone, giving in to old age and death. Harry uses the Felix Felicis to help his noble cause (regardless of tactics). Of course, we're brought back to what Dumbledore says... that it's the choices one makes, not their abilities. It also gives us insight into why Dumbledore gives people second (or more) chances to choose the "right" path. The temptations can be quite, well...tempting.

It looks as though, in the Potterverse, the number 666 is neither evil nor good, but just a symbol of human weakness.

Has anyone found other references to 666?

The Hallows of Britain Revisited

From rereading HBP I have found a reference to a hamper. Slughorn tells Harry how Ambrosius Flume sends him a hamper of sweets every year on old Sluggo's birthday. In the HP epic, the hamper itself doesn't have an endless supply of Slughorn's favorite treats, but since He gets a new one every year, it's pretty much an everlasting supply.

Prakhar, who read my previous post on this subject, reminded me of the knife Harry received from Sirius. I'm not sure how this ties in to feeding the masses, but it could prove a good representation of 'Kyllell Llawfrodedd Farchog'. Good catch, Prakhar!

Harry's scar remains

Looks like even during the final battle with Voldemort, Harry is still sporting the rune-shaped scar. It's depicted quite subtly by Marie GrandPré, but it's there. As Dumbledore said, Harry'll have that scar for the rest of his life.

Ehwaz

In her Ancient Runes exam, Hermione gets Eihwaz and Ehwaz mixed up.

Eihwaz (or Yr) means "yew", like the wood used in Voldemort's wand, and it stands for defense and flexibility (like Snape's description of the dark arts). More on Eiwaz another time....

Ehwaz (or Eh) means "horse" and stands for movement, gradual growth, teamwork, and trust.

So, not only do we have horse-like creatures directly helping Harry (the centaur Firenze, the hippogriff Buckbeak/Witherwings, and the thestrals) and horse-like creatures that are generally good or helpful (the Abraxan winged horses from Beaubatons, the unicorns in the Forbidden Forest), but also Ron and Hermione. Wait...I know, they're humans, but Ehwaz is often portrayed as a pair of horses that work well as a team and help you acheive your goals. Ron and Hermione are a pair, and they help Harry. They could be viewed as Harry's Ehwaz. And...on McGonagall's chessboard, Ron was the mounted knight.

Ehwaz looks like an upper-case M. It's the same shape found in the body language of Hermione and Ron holding hands.... Ehwaz's polarity is male and female.

Another interpretation of this rune designates Harry as the Ehwaz, the leader of a team (of horses). This works just as well... maybe even better. Harry is working with a team of Ron and Hermione, two creative and highly individual people.

Ehwaz is the 19th rune in the futhark.

The 19th card of the major arcana of the tarot deck is the Sun... a definitely important symbol for Harry.

Possible Parallels between PoA and Book 7

The parallels between books 2 and 6 are a bit staggering.

CoS: Dumbledore keeps telling Fawkes to die (to be reborn)... to get "it" over with, since he looks so old, tired, and worn out. Fawkes bursts into flames and is reborn.

HBP: Harry starts to see Dumbledore as old, tired, and worn out. Dumbledore sustains an injury, and later he does die...you could say he "gets it over with", too. We see Dumbledore's body engulfed in white flames, and then there is the fleeting image of a phoenix rising from the flames/tomb.

CoS: We have a book (the diary) of unknown origin, belonging to Tom Riddle (someone Harry knows of, but not by that name), passing into the hands of Ginny and Harry. Ginny is possessed and does various horrible things, not knowing what she's doing, etc.
HBP: We have a book (the potions book) of unknown origin, belonging to the HBP (someone Harry knows of, but not by that nickname), passing into the hands of Harry. He's not possessed, but he's accused of obsession, and he does things without understanding them (levicorpus, sectumsempra, etc.).

CoS: Harry finds out he's a Parselmouth and people think he might be the heir of Slytherin. Snape looks at him rather calculating after the incident with talking to the snake, like he had underestimated Harry.

HBP: Harry finds out he can make potions afterall (to Snape's surprise) and Slughorn claims he's as good at potions as Lily was... even supposedly better than Snape. Snape says he has underestimated Harry after the Sectumsempra incident.

CoS: Harry's tailing/spying on Draco because he thinks Draco has something to do with the opening of the CoS. Later finds out Lucius was behind planting the book.

HBP: Harry's tailing Draco because he's sure Draco is up to something, finds out Draco was behind the opal necklace, the poisoned sherry (or was it mead?), and behind letting DE's into the castle. This is Draco's punishment for Lucius's screwups....

CoS: Harry destroys the diary horcrux, not knowing that's what it was.

HBP: Harry finds a fake horcrux. Is the real one (the locket horcrux) still intact or has it already been destroyed?

The Parallels between books 3 and 7 could also be quite strong....

PoA: Harry (and Hermione) travels back in time trying to save at least one life...saves Sirius, Buckbeak, and himself.

Book 7: Harry (possibly with Ron and Hermione, but he'll probably go into the house by himself) travels back in time, trying to save his parents? He saves neither parent, but the baby Harry, of course, survives and gets that scar.

PoA: Harry thinks he sees his father conjuring a Patronus but later realizes it's a future Harry he's seeing. That allows him to conjur the Patronus when he needs to, since he's seen himself doing it.

Book 7: Baby Harry hears a noise but can't determine who's making it. Pensieve Harry thinks he's seeing his father under the Invisibility cloak, but then realizes it's a future Harry? This prompts Harry to do exactly what he saw himself do in the memory?

PoA: Harry leaves the cloak where Snape finds and uses it in order to sneak into the Shrieking shack.

Book 7: James happens to leave the cloak out (lying around the house somewhere) where Harry finds it in order to hide and watch the attack in the Potter house?

PoA: Everyone thinks Sirius Black was the spy and is in league with Voldemort, but he's innocent. Sirius, however, feels partially to blame for their deaths (James and Lily). Wormtail turns out to be the traitor but now owes a Life Debt to Harry.

Book 7: Everyone knows Snape is a spy and thinks he's in league with Voldemort, but/and ____? Is there another traitor? Will Snape prove to be a traitor afterall, or are we to see him redeem himself at the last moment? Snape feels partially to blame for their deaths (James and Lily). Wormtail repays his Life Debt to Harry.

PoA: When Harry confronts Sirius in the Shrieking Shack he temporarily forgets that he's wandless and he's underage. In his anger (based on his love for friends and family) He rushes toward Sirius and attacks him bare-handed.

In OotP we finally get to read the prophesy and the wording says "hand", not wand.

Book 7: What if, during the final confrontation with Voldemort, Harry ends up wandless (or he decides not to use it, since they have brother wands) and then...he forgets he's "weaker", forgets that it would be stupid to physically attack Voldemort...and he attacks Voldemort with his bare hands. Harry actually kills Voldemort without a wand...?

And of course:

PoA: Wormtail fulfills Trelawney's prophesy about the servant returning to his master.

Book 7: Harry and Voldemort fulfill Trelawney's prophesy about them.

The Missing 24hrs!! Maybe....

Dumbledore tells Harry that Snape is the one to go to when you need help regarding the Dark Arts, like if you have been injured by a curse....

Dumbledore goes to Snape sometime during the summer between Harry's 5th and 6th years. He's injured while destroying the ring horcrux, and he goes to Snape (still at Hogwarts, possibly about to leave for Spinner's End) for help.

When Katie Bell is injured by the opal necklace, a cursed object, McGonagall has Filch take the necklace to Snape for inspection.

What if this is a clue about the missing 24hrs after the attack on the Potters?

Imagine this senario:

• Voldemort attacks the Potters. James dies from an AK, Lily makes her choice and dies by AK, and the AK cast at Harry backfires. Other things happen, too, like the house falling to ruins.
  
• Someone is there to witness the attack and quickly informs Dumbledore.


• Dumbledore sends Hagrid to get Harry out of the house and tells him to take Harry to Snape for inspection. (We're definitely dealing with a dark curse here.)


• Hagrid shows up at Godric's Hollow, meets up with Sirius and borrows the bike, then takes Harry away from the crime scene before the Muggles show up .


• This brings Harry out of Godric's Hollow (wherever it is) and takes him to...well, Spinner's End, perhaps? The clues about Spinner's End suggest either Wales or the environs around Manchester... However, Snape tells Bellatrix he was at Hogwarts, and since it was the middle of term at school, it makes sense for Snape to be at Hogwarts, not Spinner's End...unless Dumbledore asked Snape to leave the castle and go to Spinner's End (or elsewhere) to help him....


• Snape observes Harry for several hours and possibly performs some tests (like a healer or doctor would), then he contacts Dumbledore to say that, except for a nasty cut on his forehead, Harry seems healthy and can be placed with his relatives. (I'm assuming here that Snape has at least some idea of Dumbledore's plans to place Harry with his aunt... and might know about the blood magic Dumbledore uses to seal Harry's protection at #4 Privet Drive.) Alternate senario: Harry's injuries are more severe than a cut on the forehead, and Snape stops the spread of something, much like he later does for Dumbledore and Katie Bell....


• Hagrid then takes Harry from wherever Snape was to Surrey. Like Moody in OotP, Hagrid might take a winding route, trying to throw off the enemy....

Freaky idea, but plausible. Nowhere in canon does it say Hagrid went directly from Godric's Hollow to Privet Drive in Surrey.

PS/SS:CH3:FILLING IN THE TIME GAP

Every once in a while we'll get a glimpse or a mention of something that happened during the nine years and some-odd months that were skipped between 1981 and 1991.

• For Harry's 10th birthday he received a coat hanger and a pair of old socks once belonging to Vernon.