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Friday, June 30
Continuing with my re-read...Hut-on-the-Rock Revisited
This isn't quite "new" and it's not really original. The idea comes from something posted on HPANA by Ghost Woman ages and ages ago (before Half-blood Prince). But it seems to have been forgotten.
What's the significance of the Hut-on-the-Rock? Is there any?
Firstly, Hagrid made the trip through the air. He "flew" to get Harry (PS/SS ch 5). But Hagrid is too big for a broomstick, which seems to leave us with either a Thestral or Sirius' motorbike. The advantage to a Thestral is that it could have flown itself back (Hagrid left the island in a boat). The advantage to the motorbike is that we already know it's big enough for Hagrid (whereas a Thestral is questionable).
What's cool about the latter option is it suggests the motorbike is still there. In which case, the story action for Deathly Hallows will somehow return to the Hut-on-the-Rock.
Which brings us to Ghost Woman's theory:
Uncle Vernon was pointing at what looked like a large rock way out at sea.
[...]
It was freezing in the boat. Icy sea spray and rain crept down their necks and a chilly wind whipped their faces.
(PS/SS 3 pg 44)
Q: Where is Azkaban? A. In the north of the North Sea. A very cold sea.
(Rowling, Feb 2000 online chat)
Curious, no? Keep in mind that Harry and the Dursleys visit the rock on July 30 & 31, the height of summer, and yet it is Dementor-ishly chilly.
Important wizarding establishments are always protected from Muggle eyes by powerful Enchantments. They can be protected from Wizarding eyes, too:
"Where is [Durmstrang]? What country?"A maximum-security prison like Azkaban would be protected at least as well, if not better, than a school. Flying seems to be the normal method for wizards to get to there, as we learned from Fudge in the first chapter of Half-blood Prince:
"Well, nobody knows, do they?" said Hermione...
"If a Muggle looks at [Hogwarts], all they see is a moldering old ruin..."
"[Durmstrang] might have Muggle-repelling charms on it... to keep foreign wizard from finding it, they'll have made it Unplottable--"
(GoF 11 pg 166)
"...I've just come from Azkaban," Fudge had panted... "Middle of the North Sea, you know, nasty flight..."Finally, we might wonder why there is a miserable little hut (presumably at the edge) and why it's visible to Muggles. This would be the gateway. It matches almost perfectly with the hidden entrances to other wizarding establishments. Muggles can see the window display for Purge & Dowse Ltd. Wizards cannot see anything unusual until they state their purpose to enter the hospital. Likewise, Muggles can presumably see the phone booth leading into the Ministry for Magic, and wizards must dial the correct number before they see anything out of the ordinary.
One final detail: It would, ironically, help explain how the Dursleys got home. When Hagrid took the boat, they should've been stranded. But if they were on Azkaban, it would only be a matter of time before the wizarding authorities spotted them, transported them back to the mainland, and then modified their memories.
Friday, June 29
I started my own obligatory re-read of the series a couple of days ago and, as usual, I've come across something interesting.Eeylops Owl Emporium and the Brother Wands
In Ollivanders shop, Harry is chosen by Voldemort's brother wand. We now know that these two wands are destined to oppose one another in the Little Hangleton graveyard. But they each contain a feather from the same phoenix. It is Fawkes vs. Fawkes, a duel-with-oneself that (for some reason) isn't allowed.
And that's pretty important.
Most of us believe that Harry has a "bit of Voldemort" in him (*coughHorcrux!cough*) which constitutes "uniquely deadly weapons" to be used against Voldemort. The irony repeats: Some bit of Voldemort stands in opposition to Voldemort.
Now the fun part: Right before going into Ollivanders, Hagrid takes Harry into Eeylops Owl Emporium. But what kind of a name is Eeylops? For some reason, it reminded me of Droobles and Dai Llewellyn, two strange arrangements of letters which can be used to form anagrams (Dai Llewellyn Ward here and Droobles Best Blowing Gum here).
So here's what I got, a simple little statement which could be interpreted as a message from Fawkes to Harry or from Voldemort to Harry.
E E Y L O P S O W L E M P O R I U M = YOUR ME WILL OPPOSE ME
Thursday, June 28
I know you're out there....My google Analytics tell me I have a number of visitors aside from those I've met in the forum and/or on HPANA. Cool! That you've enjoyed some part of my site is all the satisfaction I crave.
However...
If there's something you'd like more of, feel free to drop me an email (or post in the forum). You can use:
...or my "regular" address, drakejason@yahoo.com (this one has a spam filter, so please put 'GINNYMENTED' in the subject title).
I have more in-depth theories if you like the deep analytical stuff. I have more fan fiction I could upload, both my own and Rannaro's (if you haven't already seen them on HPANA) and I've barely started on the riddles. I'm also considering some more interactive features (like the Sorting quiz). But all these things take time to format, edit, etc. So tell me your preferences, if you have any, and that's where I'll begin.
new on site: I've uploaded three new color versions of chapter art to the galleries.
on the web: If you liked the virtual tour of #12 Grimmauld Place, AOL Movies now has a Virtual Tour of Umbridge's Office.
Cute, isn't it?
Tuesday, June 26
The MTV Movies Blog reports that David Yates, the director of the film version of Order of the Phoenix, was cornered by some ambitious fans who weaseled this out of him:"We took Kreacher out, and Jo said, 'Listen guys, you don't have to put Kreacher back, but I'm just telling you, if you want to kind of keep a thread going for six and seven, you might want Kreacher to come back.' "
Naturally, I thought of my own theory on Kreacher's Hiding spot for the locket Horcrux. The MTV report also said,
What you won’t see in the Kreacher scenes, however, is him squirreling away any artifacts such as, say, a mysterious locket...No surprise there. We didn't see Kreacher squirreling away any artifcats in the book, either. The under-the-floorboards theory is perfectly safe. But let's be honest: It's not confirmed, either. If they'd left out Kreacher, Harry could have simply found the locket (in movie seven) somewhere else in Grimmauld Place. Heck, they could say that Regulus put it under the floorboards.
I doubt Kreacher is necessary for the (hypothetical) rest of his cache, either. For the film version, Sirius's half of the two-way mirror wouldn't be stolen by the elf, they'd just assume that Sirius left it lying around the house. That's totally out of character, but then, Sirius's role in the film version of Goblet of Fire ought to tell you how much they care about character development when precious screen time is needed for an extended anti-canonical dragon scene.
Percy's letter, on the other hand, has no way to make it into #12 Grimmauld Place without Kreacher's presence. But that letter stands little chance of making it into the fifth film, anyway.
So let's try another theory: Is Kreacher still following Draco? That one you can't pull off without Kreacher, and it could be vitally important. I hypothesized that Kreacher, despite favoring a "creative interpretaion" of his orders, was nonetheless bound to keep his spying secret from Draco and give Harry reports. Kreacher is in position to lead Harry to the Death Eaters' hideout.
I believe Kreacher has one more role which has nothing to do with Horcruxes or spy work. To put it bluntly, he is Harry's Gollum: The servant who resents his master, but is nonetheless bound to serve him. Harry's treatment of this miserable, spiteful house-elf (who, incidentally, helped engineer Sirius's death) will be a pivotal point in Harry's development. Both Dumbledore and Sirius have given their sage advice:
"Hermione, will you give it a rest with the elf!" said Ron.
Sirius shook his head and said, "She's got the measure of Crouch better than you have, Ron. If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals."
(GoF 27 pg 525)
Monday, June 25
A new theory, this late in the game? Yup. I'm not going to call it probable by any stretch, but it's vaguley possible that Arnold the Pygmy Puff is not what he seems to be.The theory is part of a poem called The Name Game which is pretty short and fun to read -- assuming you have some tolerance for doggerel. I'm not really a poet.
Sunday, June 24
Happy Resurrection Day to Lord Voldemort. By no small coincidence, it's Bob Rozak's birthday, too. You can wish him well in the Bobrozak.com Forums. He might not reply, though, as his computer is in desperate need of its own resurrection.New on site: I've uploaded the (as-yes-incomplete) second volume of the Dudley Dursley Series, Dudley Dursley and the Secret Chamber.
There are some more scans in the Gallery of colorized chapter art. If you've got your own webpage or anything like that, you are welcome to use these. I didn't do any work to create them (except for running the scanner, big whoop).
I've also added four more riddles from Rannaro in the Fun Stuff! section.
Friday, June 22
Symbol from the spine of the UK Children's edition of Deathly Hallows:
Remembering that Hermione's parents are both dentists, whaddaya think of this?
Too bad they're British dentists and not American... I was just about ready to buy into the Rotfang Conspiracy.
Wednesday, June 20
I don't normally talk about the films, but IGN has put up a virtual tour of #12, Grimmauld Place that's pretty cool. I tried poking into Kreacher's cupboard and going up the stairs, hoping I could find the locket, but the tour is limited to the kitchen. Even so, the set looks good.
New material:
Generally, I've assumed "Harry is a Horcrux" to be a given; axiomatic; without doubt and beyond debate.
But I should consider that not everyone who stops by has spent the past two years earning a N.E.W.T. in Potterology. So I've uploaded an easy-to-use, point-by-point list of repsonses to Harrycrux FVOs (Frequently Voiced Objections).
You might find it interesting. You might find it convincing. You might find it annoyingly saturated with terms like "ergo", "preconceived", "caveat", and "Okham's Razor."
Tuesday, June 19
Is Gaunt's Ring an unfinished tale?The ring is no longer a Horcrux, certainly. But in HBP 13, Harry looked around Dumbledore's office and observed, "The ring's gone".
Where and why? And why was Morfin Gaunt so fixated on this ring? Having been the property of wizarding families for many generations, the ring -- like the cup and locket -- ought to have additional powers.
The speculation gets murkier. In OotP (ch 13 pg 267) Dolores Umbridge wore "a number of ugly old rings." In HBP 10 (pg 207), Gaunt displayed an "ugly, black-stoned ring". Is this a coincidence?
Voldemort created a least one Horcrux (the diary) that was capable of exerting control over whomever possessed it. Curiously, he chose Lucius Malfoy to pass this along to an unsuspecting victim. Curiously, Umbridge was in contact with Lucius and almost certainly taking direction from him (why else target Trelawney?).
"I expected better, Lucius Malfoy always speaks most highly of you!"
(Umbridge to Snape, OotP 32 pg 745)
The final clue requires a bit of logical deduction. First, consider this:
"...for many years... I have traveled widely, visiting those places he [Voldemort] once knew. I stumbled across the ring hidden in the ruin of the Gaunts' house."From the memory which he extracted from Morfin Gaunt many years ago, Dumbledore had strong suspicions about the ring. He also had an excellent lead on where it might be hidden. So one of two things must be true:
(Dumbledore, HBP 23 pg 504)
1) Dumbledore traveled widely for many years, seeking Horcruxes, and just recently got around to checking this absolutely prime location.
2) Dumbledore did not find the ring on his first trip to the Gaunts' house, but only when he returned to the Gaunts' house.
The second possibility suggests Voldemort hid the ring more recently. Maybe that's because he was using it for something. In another stupendous coincidence of timing, Dumbledore found the ring just days after Umbridge was removed from Hogwarts.
Monday, June 18
A little something to bring you hope....Iron-clad Proof that Harry will Live
(Not to be taken too seriously)
#1 The first chapter of the series is titled The Boy Who Lived, noting that Harry is exceptional for a) Vanquishing Voldemort and b) Surviving the experience. (PS 1)
#2 As a direct result, Harry now appears in several history books (which Hermione has read), like Modern Magical History (PS 6).
#3 Harry does not study history: He sleeps through the class and got a D on his O.W.L., worse even than his Divination grade (HBP 5).
#4 Those who do not study history are doomed to repeat it. (axiom)
#5 Harry does not study history, ergo, he will repeat it. Q.E.D.: Harry will vanquish Voldemort and survive the experience.
Sunday, June 17
I'll open with a quick message for my own dad: Happy Father's Day, and thanks for all the fish!Happy Day to the rest of you father's out there, too.
Now, do we have anything interesting to say about fathers in Potterland? Rowling was asked about the Potters' occupations once upon a time:
What did James and Lily Potter do when they were alive?James was good at Quidditch, Transfiguration, bullying Snape (understandable), ogling Lily (who can blame him?), and enchanting objects. The Marauder's Map proclaimed the Mauraders to be "Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers". We've already seen how Fred and George converted a similar interest into a career.
Well, I can't go into too much detail, because you're going to find out in future books. But James inherited plenty of money, so he didn't need a well-paid profession.
So did James start a joke shop? Develop merchandise for Zonko's? I don't think so. His hobby wasn't playing pranks, it was playing Quidditch. Even when not on the Pitch, we see him playing with a Golden Snitch (OotP 28).
Between his working for the Order and hiding from bad guys, James would have been hard-pressed to play professional Quidditch. But that still leaves an occupation that fits his interest and abilities: The equipment trade. Somebody has to enchant all those Snitches, Bludgers, Quaffles and broomsticks.
A few possible clues come from Quidditch Through the Ages (buy a copy if you haven't already -- it supports a worthy cause).
First, Universal Brooms went out of business in 1978. As the competition rushed to claim the vacant market share, they would be seeking new people to make broomsticks. Alternatively, James might have already been with the competition at this time and actually contributed to Universal's downfall.
Second, the inventor of the Golden Snitch lived in Godric's Hollow. He left behind extensive notes which are, these days, reportedly in the hands of a private collector. The "private collector" would be an old wizarding family with a fair amount of money. The Potters fit the bill.
Regnat corvina ungula
P.S., the above picture is a used "countdown" sheet from a retail promotional display. You can see a few more scans here.
Saturday, June 16
We've got a new addition to the 'Fun Stuff' section: Rannaro's Riddles. These are Potter-themed brain teasers in the old tradition of "What am I?" riddles (think Gollum and Bilbo in The Hobbit).I love these so much I'm working them out myself before uploading, so you'll be getting new riddles after I solve them. Don't worry, the wait won't be long -- the riddles originally appeared in Rannaro's various role-plays on HPANA, so I've already seen most of them.
There is no scoring system or anything like that, but if you have requests or suggestions let me know. For those who enjoy them but hit a brick wall, we'll probably open up a "hints" thread in the forum.
Also, Marjorie Martinez sent some new digital artwork which I thought fit well with the Harry is a Legilimens theory. Thanks, Marjorie!
My paperback copy of Order of the Phoenix has become so thrashed and "ripped apart" from repeated use and abuse that I had to buy another copy yesterday. I felt it necessary to explain to the cashier, "Hey, don't think I'm some bandwagon jumper who's anticipating the last book or the next movie! I've read this nine times already, I swear!"
She shrugged and tried to ignore me.
Friday, June 15
Harry the Horcrux: Doth doubt yet linger?It seems to prevail, actually. To this day I am surprised at the reluctance of so many fans to accept the overwhelming evidence on the matter. The opinions are running about three to one against the Harrycrux.
Wherever the numbers stand, I know many people who have converted from doubters to believers; and not a single person who has accepted the Harrycrux and then reversed course and rejected it.
I think once you get the idea in your head, you can see how it permeates the whole series. You can imagine what a literary thunderbolt it will be in the final volume. Oh, the horror! Harry realizes he is so very special because of Voldemort's soul fragment; Harry thinks he has to die in order for Voldemort to be defeated; and, worst of all, Harry will feel tainted by the foulest, most evil thing in the world.
Imagine Rowling's plan as she designs the series. Harry's little bundle of powers and his connection to Voldemort are part of the core premise; likewise Voldmort's technique for becoming immortal. At the very least, the idea of Harry as a Horcrux must have occurred to Rowling.
Would she throw it out? Would you throw it out if you were the author? Exciting as the series has been thus far, once you imagine Harry as a Horcrux, you just can't imagine Deathly Hallows any other way. Without Harry the Horcrux, it seems -- by comparsion -- flat, undramatic, and disappointing.
With that certainty in mind, I've put my hat where my mouth is and made my boast to the High Wizard Court: If Harry is not a Horcrux, I will eat this hat:
I bought this myself at Cape Canaveral some ten years ago, and it's one of my most prized possessions. But if I'm wrong on this one (unlikely) I will make good (and show proof).
Thursday, June 14
Disclaimers! How could I forget the disclaimers? Every site's got 'em. So let's see....Ginnymented.com is in no way affiliated with whoever publishes the Harry Potter books (Scholastic, Arthur Levine, etc.). We have not peeked at the text of Deathly Hallows. We have no inside information. Seriously. That should be plain once book seven is realeased. Any claim of psychic connection to Ms. Rowling or long-distance mind reading is intended for illustrative and amusement purposes only.
The Harry Potter characters and settings are all registered trademarks of, well, somebody. Probably J.K. Rowling.
We haven't actually read through any trademark registries. That's an educated guess.
We are not affiliated with HPANA, although we certainly like HPANA and hope the feeling is mutual.
We may or may not be affiliated with bobrozak.com, depending on your definition of "affiliated".
Cover and chapter art from the HP books is used under the presumption that it does not inhibit sales of copyrighted material. Most other images are public domain, original material, or low-res clippings. In other words, we've tried very hard not to steal anybody's stuff.
"We" is used as the "royal we". Although we have multiple theory and fanfic contributors, the site design and coding is a one-man job. But we don't mind, do I?
Wednesday, June 13
Scholastic has revealed some cover art from the U.S. Deluxe edition:
According to Arthur Levine, the art depicts "one of his favorite scenes."
Cool! Other covers might be conceptual, or show a montage of several scenes. But not this one. So what's happening?
From Ron, Hermione, and Harry's harried state (pun intended, as always) they appear to have just made a narrow escape. But by the end of HBP, it's pretty clear that the Trio can all Apparate. Yet here they are on the back of a dragon.
So they escaped from some location that (a) has Anti-apparition spells, (b) is large enough to have a dragon, (c) actually has a dragon present, and (d) is not enclosed.
Hogwarts, right?
"Perhaps we should think about dragons at the school entrance...."In HBP, the school was protected by Dumbledore's personal spells. With the loss of Dumbledore, some new defensive measures must be found.
"Hagrid would like that,"
(Fudge & Dumbledore, PoA 22 pg 421)
Speculating further, I would guess that Voldemort has sent his troops marching in to take over the school. Students (if there were any students) and Professors have gone fleeing in every direction, siezing whatever means of transport was immediately at hand: Broomsticks, thestrals, even the flying Ford Anglia (and so it returns!). It's like an airborn Dunkirk.
Harry would be the last one out, naturally, so he, Ron and Hermione were stuck with one of the dragons which guarded the entrance.
Tuesday, June 12
Huzzah! I've finally completed all of the "core" material for the site. The Predictions Section is a fast-paced tour of book seven. It gives you the straight-up theory (or blind guess), highlights some key evidence, and moves on to the next part. I hope everyone likes it!Equally exciting, Marta (home page: Art Dungeon) has finished my Ginnymented commission! There is a copy of the picture in the galleries, but the larger version appears halfway down the page in the Ginnymented In-depth Theory.
Several minor updates, polishing, and the like include a blurb about your House qualities in the Sorting Hat quiz. If you've saved your previous results (My Sorting) the blurb should show up there, too. (Note that if you scored high for more than one House, you'll see more than one blurb.)
Monday, June 4
I've now written and posted Lily's Irresistible Eyes, which is (currently) the last part of the Spectacular End Sequence.There's a lot of new stuff since the last journal, actually. The Sorting Hat Quiz is new and improved. In FanFic, I've added the first of Rannaro's Chronicles of Snape. And I got a nice picture to go with the Ginnymented theory. And some other stuff. But I'm sleepy.
Oh, the Predictions section is nearly completed. It will be highly abbreviated version of all the theory work (and some new stuff, possibly) which you can scroll through in a relatively short time, with pretty pictures here and there.
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