For many HPfGU members, the great number of mysteries in the Harry Potter series only adds to their appreciation of its complexity. Some of the group's more lively debates have centered on bits of background that might just be background or might instead be the key to something much more significant. The same polyjuice potion that facilitated a fruitless attempt to crack the mystery of the Chamber of Secrets was later crucial to the central plot twist in GoF. Scabbers the rat made his first appearance in PS/SS, only to play a central role in the climactic scene in PoA. And Sirius Black was introduced in PS/SS but became a central figure in PoA.

JKR's clever planting of details in an early book to support a plot twist later causes our members to try to identify and resolve mysteries and inconsistencies in the books. These mysteries are of four types:

(1) FLINTS* - Mysteries likely connected to authorial errors. The most obvious FLINT, of course, was the error in the order in which James and Lily appeared in the Priori Incantantem sequence in GoF.

(2) Clues - Mysteries that JKR undoubtedly planted to set the stage for future plot developments. The meaning of the gleam in Dumbledore's eye and the substance of Professor Trelawney's first prediction undoubtedly will be revealed in the final three books.

(3) Coincidences or Unusual Facts - Details that JKR hasn't explicitly indicated to be crucial to future plot twists, but that may nonetheless prove to be important, much the way Scabber's missing toe turned out to be quite significant.

(4) Curios - Oddities about the Potterverse itself that are neither FLINTS nor Clues but instead simply make us wonder about how the magical world works. This includes details such as the worth of a Galleon, the number of students at Hogwarts, the size of the wizarding world itself.

Why do we wonder about FLINTS, Clues, Coincidences and Curios? Who can say, really? It might be possible to construct an elaborate explanation analyzing foreshadowing, dissecting authorial intent, and evaluating reader expectations.

But the truth is that we wonder about these mysteries because we just do, that's all. So we speculate, theorize and hypothesize -- all along waiting for the next installment to prove us right or prove us wrong.

Characters

Albus Dumbledore

1. "Gleam in Dumbledore's Eyes"

   When Harry was in Dumbledore's office, retelling how Wormtail had pierced his arm to obtain blood to be used in Voldemort's rebirth, he was interrupted by both Dumbledore and Black. After examining Harry's arm, Dumbledore returned to his desk and Harry thought that he saw something like a gleam of triumph in Dumbledore's eyes.

   The meaning of this paragraph has been debated endlessly in this group. Most members believe that Dumbledore was triumphant because he realized Voldemort has made a fatal mistake (Lily's sacrifice will now make Voldemort vulnerable and able to be conquered; the blood cells acquired from Harry will die over a few months and be replaced by Voldemort's own blood cells, thereby destroying his "protection"; Voldemort is now indebted to Harry.)

   Yahoo Club Messages: 3944, 3953, 3977, 4084, 4184, 4198, 4200, 4362, 5484, 5523, 5607, 5952, 6719, 7789
   Yahoogroups Messages: 2675, 3209, 9917, 9919, 9954, 9961, 9965, 18403, 22279, 30535, 30751, 30782, 31243, 31280, 36214

2. Flamel's Alchemy Research and Dumbledore

   If Dumbledore is 150 at the time of GoF (per Rowling in a chat in October 2000), then Nicholas Flamel was about 524 years old when Dumbledore was born. Wasn't Flamel then already imbibing a little elixir of life in order to still be alive? If so, what was Dumbledore's role in Flamel's alchemy research?

   Yahoo Club Messages: 2218
   Yahoogroups Messages: 8021, 8134, 8139, 8307, 9639, 22166, 22176, 22185

3. Dumbledore's Mode of Transportation to London

   Why wouldn't Dumbledore have Apparated to the Ministry in London rather than flying via broomstick? Is it the "You can't Apparate or Disapparate from the Hogwarts grounds" rule that Hermione reminds us of so often?

   Yahoogroups Messages: 16059, 16060, 16065, 16076, 16179

4. Is Grindelwald (the wizard defeated by Albus Dumbledore in 1945) Analogous to Adolph Hitler?

   Yahoogroups Messages: 1148, 1771, 5008, 5021, 20908

Harry Potter

1. What happened to all Harry's family save the Dursleys? Was Lily (Evans) Potter in fact muggle-born, or was Petunia a squib in a wizarding family?

   It seems a bit odd that none of his grandparents or other aunts and uncles are alive. Are the Dursleys truly the only living family members Harry has? Did Lily and Petunia have any other siblings? Was Lily older or younger than Petunia? Were any of his family members victims of Lord Voldemort or the Death Eaters?

   Yahoo Club Messages: 2215
   Yahoogroups Messages: 6228, 17002, 22835, 32087, 32101, 32887

2. Harry's Glasses

   In SS, Harry's glasses are supposedly "taped" together in the middle because they'd been broken by Dudley so frequently. In CoS, Harry breaks his glasses (which appear to be whole) when he lands in Knockturn Alley. Were his glasses repaired at some point during SS?

   Yahoo Club Messages: 2218

3. Why do the Dementors attempt to administer the "Kiss" to Harry?

   Yahoogroups Messages: 22565, 27006, 30965
   Yahoo Club Messages: 2216

Severus Snape

1. Does Professor Snape want the Defense Against the Dark Arts position, or is this just a rumor that the students have spread?

   Yahoo Club Messages: 2215
   Yahoogroups Message: 22472, 25143, 32080, 32082, 32083

2. Is Severus Snape a vampire?

   Yahoogroups Messages: 3406, 3428, 3433, 3448, 3449, 3456, 4486, 9373, 20245, 20341, 22555, 29613, 35299, 35429, 35639, 36038, 36117

3. Was Severus Snape in love with Lily (Evans) Potter while they were students at Hogwarts?

   Yahoogroups Messages: 1806, 1812, 1991, 18332, 26687, 28782, 31115, 33176, 33235, 33258, 33401, 34741, 34823, 34839, 34843, 35002, 35134, 35144, 35668, 34155

4. Snape's Career as a Death Eater.

   Why did Snape join Voldemort, and why did Snape return to Dumbledore? If Snape was once a Death Eater, why didn't he know/believe that Sirius Black wasn't the spy who turned in the Potters to Voldemort (or that Pettigrew was a Death Eater)? What was the timeline of Snape's spying career?

   Yahoogroups Message: 5684, 15775, 22045, 34410, 34415, 34690, 34727, 34728, 34739, 34752, 34754, 34759, 34762, 34774, 34775, 34857

5. What was Snape's Errand at the end of GoF? How was his past kept secret when there were so many people at the trials?

   Yahoogroups Messages: 17337, 17454, 17457, 18297, 18397, 23151, 30681, 30732, 30761, 31363, 34607, 34645, 34738, 36292, 36295

Voldemort/Tom Riddle

1. Why does Lord Voldemort want to kill Harry Potter? Did he want to extinguish the entire male Potter line?

   Yahoo Club Messages: 2215, 5484
   Yahoogroups Messages: 17121, 17147, 17177, 32121, 32708, 33626, 35662, 36226

2. How does Voldemort get his wand back?

   How would defeated Voldemort (barely alive) have transported his wand away from the ruins of the Potters' home? How did the wand end up being in Wormtail's possession?

   Yahoogroups Messages: 15422, 15431, 21887, 24094, 34518, 35670, 35806

3. Is Lord Voldemort (Tom Riddle) the last remaining "ancestor" or "descendant" of Salazar Slytherin?

   The first print runs of CoS (both UK and US editions) contained a reference to Voldemort being the last remaining "ancestor" of Salazar Slytherin. In later printings of the hardback versions of CoS, this language was changed to read that Voldemort was the last remaining "descendant" of Slytherin. In a chat in October 2000, J.K. Rowling indicated that this "error" had been corrected (implying that Voldemort is the last "descendant" of Slytherin, rather than ancestor). However, the paperback editions (both US & UK) have reverted back to the original language that Voldemort is the last remaining ancestor of Slytherin. Which is it? Why can't the publishers get this right if it is just a simple error?

   Yahoo Club Messages: 524, 527, 535, 538, 541, 4754
   Yahoogroups Messages: 1563, 1564, 2337, 2392, 3711, 3794, 16402

4. In the Attack on the Potters, Did Voldemort Wish to Spare Lily? Why?

   After Voldemort kills James and confronts Lily, he commands her to "Stand aside." Is this evidence that Voldemort was reluctant to kill Lily, and if so, why?

   Yahoogroups Messages: 18853, 18875, 18888, 27912, 27919, 36237, 36238, 36242, 36244, 36247, 34865, 34866

Death Eaters and The Dark Mark

1. The Dark Mark

   Why is it that no one notices that Death Eaters have the Dark Mark on their arms? Wouldn't this be an easy way to tell who was or was not a Death Eater?

   Yahoogroups Messages: 24789, 29317, 35550, 35552, 35595, 36598, 36599

2. How Did Voldemort's Organize and Run His Network of Death Eaters?

   What was the mission of Voldemort and the Death Eaters? Purity of blood? Superiority of wizards? Something else?

   Yahoogroups Messages: 36515, 36551, 36611

3. The Rise and Fall of the Death Eaters.

   Who is the Death Eater who is too cowardly to return, and which Death Eater has left forever? How were the Death Eaters apprehended before and after Voldemort fell? Are there more Voldemort supporters than the Death Eaters who apparated to the graveyard in GoF?

   Yahoogroups Messages: 17331, 17335, 17423, 17451, 18397, 19837, 22922, 22926, 20633, 34170, 34184, 34734, 35068, 35071, 35077, 35187, 35194

Elves, Ghosts, and Poltergeists

1. House Elves

   If the House Elves aren't "paid," for working, why wouldn't the Weasleys have one? In other words, why would a House Elf not work for a family of more modest means?

2. How does Dobby get inside Hogwarts without Apparating or Disapparating?

   Both Hermione (on numerous occasions) and Professor Snape have noted that it is impossible to Apparate or Disapparate on the Hogwarts grounds. So, how does Dobby (then the Malfoys' house elf) visit Harry in the hospital wing after the Quidditch match?

   Yahoo Club Messages: 2216
   Yahoogroups Messages: 3257, 3258, 3263, 3264, 3267, 3953, 16640, 18118

3. Moaning Myrtle

   Why can Moaning Myrtle flood the bathroom? Ghosts are supposed to be able to pass through matter without disturbing it, and there are numerous references in the books to them doing so (Professor Binns enters the classroom through the blackboard, for example). Therefore, the water shouldn't move when Moaning Myrtle is inside the toilet.

   Moaning Myrtle wears glasses so why didn't the basilisk merely petrify her (rather than killing her)?

   Yahoo Club Messages: 2216, 2348

4. Why does Peeves fear the Bloody Baron?

   Yahoogroups Message: 14058, 21283

Hogwarts Grounds

1. Trips to Forbidden Forest

   Arthur Weasley tells Molly that Harry and Ron have wandered off into the Forbidden Forest "twice now." But, only Harry has been there twice (on detention in SS with Hermione, Neville, Draco, and Hagrid) and with Ron in CoS. Ron has only been once.

   Yahoogroups Messages: 23238, 23240

2. Location of Kitchens

   While looking for the Mirror of Erised, Harry comes across a suit of armor. He thinks to himself that there is a suit of armor near the kitchens but that he must be 5 floors above the kitchen. Yet in GoF, they don't apparently know where the kitchen is until Fred and George inform them.

   Yahoogroups Messages: 8169

3. Prefect's Bathroom

   Was the prefect's bathroom used by Cedric and Harry a co-ed bathroom?

   Yahoogroups Message: 6228, 24954, 26412

4. The Lake

   Do the Hogwarts toilets really empty into the lake as Myrtle suggests? Don't the merpeople object to this?

   Yahoogroups Message: 6228

5. How large is the lake? Harry and Hermione supposedly walk around the lake three times on one of their strolls, but....

   Yahoogroups Messages: 9632, 9673, 9719, 9722, 9752

Hogwarts Houses

1. Hagrid says all the "dark wizards" were products of Slytherin House.

   At the time he made this statement, everyone (including Hagrid presumably) believed that Sirius Black had gone over to the Dark Side (and Peter Pettigrew really had). So, does this statement confirm that Sirius Black was in Slytherin? If so, were the other Marauders in Slytherin as well?

   Yahoo Club Messages: 2215
   Yahoogroups Messages: 1853, 1887, 2322, 19986

2. Are there any Slytherins who are not worthless human beings? Are the four houses treated equally?

   Yahoogroups Messages: 2056, 8217, 8427, 8448, 8464, 9659, 9717, 13719, 19986, 36092

3. Who is the Head of Ravenclaw House? Why do we know so few Ravenclaws?

   See "Hogwarts" FAQ

4. In which House were the Marauders (James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin & Peter Pettigrew) during their years at Hogwarts?

   Yahoo Club Messages: 2215
   Yahoogroups Messages: 25651, 25748, 30824

Hogwarts Students and Academics

1. Hogwarts Student Population

   In a chat in October 2000, J.K. Rowling indicated that Hogwarts has about 1000 students. This number is very inconsistent with much internal evidence from the books. Some members were elated to have Rowling confirm the figure that they had been touting. Many other members continue to insist that the number must be considerably lower (280-350) students to be consistent with the internal logic of the books. Still other members had placed the student population at a range somewhere between 250-1000 students.

   Yahoogroups Messages: 22051, 18454, 25376, 26138, 29415, 31514
   See "Hogwarts" FAQ for a complete discussion of the debate over the student population.

2. Points Awarded and Taken Away at Hogwarts

   The boys were awarded 10 points each for fighting a troll, but received 200 points each for fighting the basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets.

   Is the Hogwarts points system out of whack?

   Yahoogroups Messages: 600, 646, 27419, 27430

3. 10 Gryffindor Students or 8 Gryffindor Students?

   When the Gryffindors fight the Boggart in Lupin's Defense Against the Dark Arts class, there are 3 unidentified students tackling the Boggart. If there are only 5 Gryffindor boys, then these 3 unidentified students must be female (one of them must be Lavender Brown). It is specifically emphasized that Hermione didn't fight the Boggart in that class lesson. So, are there 5 Gryffindor girls after all? Why haven't we met the other 2 students?

   Yahoogroups Messages: 11831, 11834, 11836, 11837, 11842, 11843

4. Electives and Course Schedules.

   Will Harry take any other electives or is he stuck with Divination for another 3 years? What is the daily and weekly course schedule?
   

   Yahoogroups Message: 14058, 34135, 34136, 34139, 34148, 34157, 34190, 35132, 35594

5. Muggle-Born Hogwarts Students

   How do muggle-born students entering Hogwarts for the first time know how to get into Diagon Alley and on to Platform 9 3⁄4 ?

   Yahoo Club Messages: 2216
   Yahoogroups Messages: 16044, 16056, 23154, 23173, 34246, 34257, 35936
   See "Hogwarts" FAQ

6. Where do Hogwarts students (both from wizarding families and those that are muggle-born) attend school prior to Hogwarts?

   A similar question: How do Hermione's parents (and parents of other muggle-born witches & wizards) explain their child's absence?

   Yahoo Club Messages: 2218
   Yahoogroups Message: 16508
   See "Hogwarts" FAQ

7. Do Hogwarts students study any traditional subjects (English literature, languages, mathematics, art, music, etc.) while at Hogwarts, or is their education exclusively the study of magic?

   If not, are they expected to be completely educated and literate in all "traditional" subjects prior to attending Hogwarts?

   See "Hogwarts" FAQ

8. Are any of the Hogwarts professors married or widowed? Are any of them homosexual? How many teachers are there?

   See "Hogwarts" FAQ
   Yahoogroups Messages: 27270, 27293, 34050

9. Flying Lessons

   Do the students have regular flying lessons after that first lesson described in SS? How long would flying lessons continue (is it only a first-year activity)? Did Neville ever learn to fly a broomstick?

   Yahoogroups Messages: 6228, 20600, 20643

Magical Creatures

1. Werewolf Transformations

   As they exit the Shrieking Shack, the clouds part to expose the full moon. It is at this point that Lupin begins to transform. If he only transforms if he sees the moon, why would he not just stay inside in a room with no windows during the time of a full moon?

   Yahoo Club Messages: 2216
   Yahoogroups Messages: 2704, 2705, 2729, 2837, 3675, 3685

2. Why doesn't Lupin Transform until the moonlight strikes him?

   Yahoogroups Messages: 17578, 17705, 17710, 17730, 17737, 17778, 32386, 32624, 32644, 32725, 32732, 32744, 32746, 32761

3. Why would Lupin not transform when the boggart turns into the moon? If it's because it's not really the moon, then why does Harry hear his parents' dying moments and faint when the boggart turns into a dementor?

   Yahoo Club Messages: 2622, 2625, 2626, 2627, 2633, 2636, 2662
   Yahoogroups Messages: 18948, 26889, 26895, 26957

4. Is there a cure for lycantrophy? Gilderoy Lockhart claims to have cured a werewolf in CoS?

   Yahoogroups Messages: 14279, 14284, 19909, 20165, 25253,

5. Crookshanks

   Sirius Black commented that Crookshanks was the most intelligent of "his kind" that he'd come across, but he didn't specify what he meant by "his kind." Is it possible that Crookshanks is not a true cat?

   If Crookshanks were an animagus though, wouldn't he be recognizable by his human name on the Marauder's Map (as Sirius and Pettigrew are)?

   Yahoogroups Messages: 3839, 3851, 3878, 7759, 7791, 7818, 10174, 10180, 10190, 16659,

6. Is he instead part-Kneazle?

   Yahoogroups Messages: 14225, 14310, 14428, 14558, 16011, 16015, 16317, 16322, 16458, 16659, 17808

7. Owls

   Both the newscaster and Vernon Dursley notice or comment on the number of owls flying around in broad daylight on November 1, 1981. However, no one at Hogwarts seems to send owls only at night.

   Yahoogroups Messages: 12097

8. How is Sirius in hiding if Owl Post can Find Virtually Anyone? Why couldn't the Ministry send an owl post to Sirius and track the owl's flight pattern to find out where he was?

   Yahoogroups Messages: 29839, 29885, 29877, 29885, 30303

   Explanations found in fanfic include: Stealth owls (invisible in flight and the owl & its post only appear to sender & recipient) and Speed of Enchanted Owls (travel too fast to be followed or in another dimension).

   Yahoogroups Messages: 12095, 12097, 18504

9. How did Ron explain the acquisition of Pigwidgeon to his family without mentioning Sirius Black?

   Yahoo Club Messages: 2218
   Yahoogroups Messages: 16808, 16901

10. Permitted Pets for Hogwarts Students

    Why is Ron Weasley permitted to bring a rat (Scabbers) as a pet to Hogwarts when the Hogwarts acceptance letter specifies that students may bring a "cat or a toad or an owl"?

    Yahoo Club Messages: 2216
    Yahoogroups Messages: 3936, 9217

11. How does Fawkes enter the Chamber of Secrets?

    Yahoogroups Messages: 26998
    Yahoo Club Messages: 2216

12. Snake in the Duelling Club

    Does Professor Snape suspect Harry is a parseltongue? Why else does he tell Malfoy to make a snake appear in his duel with Harry? Isn't it a bit advanced for Draco Malfoy, a 2nd-year student, to produce a snake out of thin air?

    Yahoo Club Messages: 2218
    Yahoogroups Messages: 16725

13. Harry and the Basilisk

    Why doesn't Harry try to talk to the Basilisk as he did during the Duelling Club?

    Yahoogroups Messages: 6179, 6188, 18844

14. Boggart for Practice

    Professor Lupin said he asked the staff to leave the boggart in the staff-room to practice on. The Gryffindor 3rd-year class then destroyed the boggart at the end of their lesson. What did the other 3rd-year classes practice on?

    Yahoo Club Message: 2309

15. How do Boggarts work?

    What powers does a boggart actually have?

    Yahoogroups Messages: 18951, 26912, 26959, 27341, 27789, 31233, 33021, 33023, 33027

16. Animagi

    Are there any specific elements (i.e., physical appearance, strength of a witch or wizard, personality, etc.) that determine the animagus form of witch or wizard, or can they choose their animagus form?

    Yahoogroups Messages: 28593, 28595, 35502, 35514

17. What happens to an animagus' clothing and wand when he or she transforms?

    Yahoogroups Message: 24950, 25250, 28849, 36258

18. Will any of Harry, Ron or Hermione become an animagus while at Hogwarts?

    Yahoogroups Message: 6228
    See "Animal Characters" FAQ

19. Is Mrs. Norris Something more than a cat?

    Yahoogroups Messages: 27654, 34877, 35239, 35261, 35443, 36255, 36263, 36289, 36320, 36367, 36422

Magical Devices

1. Appearances on the Marauder's Map

   Do Harry and Hermione appear on the Marauder's Map twice while they are time-traveling? Similarly, does Hermione appear twice while she is attending more than one class?

   Yahoogroups Messages: 36056, 36182

2. If so, why does no one (including Professors Lupin and Snape or Fred and George or Harry) ever notice this?

   Yahoo Club Messages: 2216, 2348
   Yahoogroups Messages: 16886, 16890, 31578, 35508

3. Why doesn't Peter Pettigrew show up on the Marauder's Map prior to the events of 6 June [1993]? Why hadn't Fred or George (or Harry) noticed that Peter Pettigrew always seemed to be with Ron? Do animagi show up as animals or humans?

   Yahoogroups Messages: 22515, 23527, 34819, 34841, 35444

   It may be that Ron (and Pettigrew) are always "off" the Map (in Hogsmeade) when Harry looks at the Map. It seems probable that Fred and George were primarily using the Map to find ways out of the castle or off the grounds and not very concerned about the whereabouts of other students, particularly their siblings.

   Another theory holds that perhaps the Marauders are visible only to each other. In other words, Pettigrew wasn't "seen" on the Map until fellow-Marauder Lupin studied it.

   Yahoo Club Messages: 2348
   Yahoogroups Messages: 1065, 1068, 1078, 1079, 3928, 4231, 4450, 4460, 4465, 4484, 4508, 4532, 4533, 4534, 4549, 4550, 4554, 7100, 16886, 16890, 16898, 16902, 16971, 16978

4. How did the twins figure out to operate the Marauder's Map? Experimentation?

   Yahoogroups Messages: 12779, 12782, 12788, Operation of Marauder's Map

5. Is the Map "programmed" to write insults or is it a bridge to the past like Tom Riddle's diary?

   Yahoo Club Messages: 2218
   Yahoogroups Messages: 4533, 4543, 4549, 4550, 4554, 4460, 4465, 4647, 4484

6. Snape and the Marauder's Map

   Snape asks Lupin if it wasn't likely that Harry got the Marauder's Map "straight from the manufacturers." Is he accusing Lupin? Does he know the nicknames of Potter, Black, Lupin, and Pettigrew? What else could he have meant by this statement?

   Yahoo Club Messages: 2622, 2625, 2626
   Yahoogroups Messages: 3119, 3123, 12151, 20526, 20533, 20536, 20572, 21942, 24882, 34626

7. Return of Marauder's Map

   Does Harry get the Marauder's Map back? Crouch-as-Moody borrowed it, and Dumbledore learned of it when Crouch confessed. Was it ever returned to Harry?

   Yahoo Club Message: 6301
   Yahoogroups Message: 2356, 19873, 23527, 24303, 24308

8. Sirius Black's Flying Motorcycle

   In SS, Hagrid tells Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall that he must return the motorcycle to Sirius Black. But in PoA, Hagrid tells the group at the Three Broomsticks that when Sirius gave him the bike, he (Sirius) had told him that he (Sirius) wouldn't be needing it anymore.

   How can Sirius Black apparently openly own his flying motorcycle and yet Mr. Weasley's flying Ford Anglia is illegal?

   What was the size of this motorcycle? It was described as a giant motorcycle at one point, but if so, how did Sirius ride it? If it wasn't giant-sized, how would Hagrid have ridden it?

   Yahoo Club Messages: 2216, 6694, 6700
   Yahoogroups Messages: 2526, 3315, 3318, 5754, 8094, 8177, 11230, 11271, 36258

9. Why did James Potter give Albus Dumbledore his invisibility cloak?

   Wouldn't an invisibility cloak be a useful thing to have around if an evil wizard were looking for you and your family?

   Yahoo Club Messages: 2215, 2223
   Yahoogroups Messages: 2382, 5752, 5755, 18628, 31220

10. Wands

    How long does a wand "last"? Would someone like Professor Dumbledore still have his original wand?

    Under what circumstances might a wand need to be replaced? Ron has Charlie's old wand for example. Mr. Ollivander also mentions Lily's "first" wand.

    See "Wands" FAQ

    Why does Dumbledore use the Put-Outer to extinguish the street lights instead of his wand?

    Yahoogroups Messages: 27074, 27082, 30233, 30270, 30275, 30303

Magical Medicine and Injuries

1. Hermione's Teeth

   When admitting she'd changed her teeth, she remarked that her parents wanted her to continue on with her braces. Yet, there's been no mention of her braces prior to this time. Did she wear braces? If so, wouldn't they have been rather comically destroyed in the Potions incident that sent her to Madame Pomfrey in the first place?

   Yahoogroups: 8392

2. Moody's Injuries

   If Madam Pomfrey uses magic to regrow the bones in Harry's arm, why is Moody unable or unwilling to use magic to restore his leg? Why can't the Longbottoms be cured magically?

   Yahoogroups Messages: 27691, 34830

3. Limits of Magical Medicine - Harry's glasses, Riddle's Mother

   What are the limits of medicine in the magical world? Why does Harry not use magic to correct his vision, and why does Riddle's mother die in childbirth? What are the ways wizards can die?

   Yahoogroups Messages: 25387, 31046, 31061, 34683, 34916

Ministry of Magic and Money

1. Government of Wizarding World

   Is the Minister of Magic elected? Is the Ministry a democracy, dictatorship, or a cabinet within the Muggle government?

   Yahoogroups Messages: 24457, 31032, 31047, 31057, 31073, 31075, 31105, 31108
   See "Wizarding World - Government" FAQ
   Yahoogroups Message: 14058

2. True Character of Cornelius Fudge

   Is Cornelius Fudge a supporter of Lord Voldemort or just a caricature of Neville Chamberlain?

   Yahoogroups Messages: 21771, 35657, 35672, 35678, 35682, 35765
   See "Wizarding World - Government" FAQ

3. Decree for Restriction of Underage Wizardry

   Hermione indicates on the Hogwarts Express that she has already tried a few simple spells for practice. Why didn't she get a letter from the Ministry of Magic as Harry did in CoS? Why was Hermione breaking rules in the first place? Hermione would know about the Decree, wouldn't she (she is Hermione after all)?

   There are other references to wizarding-born students flying on brooms and performing other spells (Fred turned Ron's teddy bear into a spider) while they were young -- pre-Hogwarts even. Why doesn't this run afoul of the Decree?

   Yahoogroups Messages: 8169, 8177, 8250, 22808

4. Why would Gringotts release money from Sirius Black's vault without informing the Ministry of Magic?

   Related Questions: Did Sirius not need to provide a key to open his vault? His vault number (711) is close in proximity presumably to the high-security vault that held the Philosopher's Stone (713). If Sirius's vault was in the high-security area and could be opened by a Gringotts goblin, why did he need such a high-security vault in the first place?

   Yahoo Club Messages: 1081, 5281
   Yahoogroups Messages: 4131, 6085, 6099, 6107, 6134, 6228, 15461

5. Gringotts Vault

   Did Harry give Mrs. Weasley the key to his Gringotts vault when she went to Diagon Alley for him and the others? There's no mention of him giving her a key or her giving it back. Just an omitted detail?

   Yahoo Club Messages: 7757, 7760, 7762, 7768
   Yahoogroups Messages: 6107

6. What is the approximate value of a galleon?

   Related Question: Does money in a Gringotts vault earn interest?

   Yahoogroups Messages: 3927, 6228, 35010, 35011, 35053
   See "Wizarding World - Economy" FAQ

7. Key to Potters' Gringotts Vault

   How did Hagrid obtain the key to the Potters' Gringotts vault? Did he salvage it from the ruins of the Potters' home and give it to Professor Dumbledore at some point? If it was taken from their home, why didn't Voldemort take it in the first place?

   Yahoo Club Messages: 2216, 7762

Plot Mysteries

1. The "Missing 24 Hours"

   Lord Voldemort killed the Potters sometime in the late evening hours of Halloween or early morning hours of November 1st. The wizarding community was celebrating by the next morning as Vernon Dursley commuted to his office. Yet, Hagrid did not deliver baby Harry to the Dursleys until the evening of November 1st-2nd. What were Hagrid and Harry doing all this time? Where were they?

   Were they in Godric's Hollow this entire day? Hagrid says they flew over Bristol to get to the Dursleys' home in Surrey. Therefore, did they originate (either in Godric's Hollow or elsewhere) west/northwest of Bristol (Wales or Ireland)? See "Geography" FAQ.

   What exactly destroyed the Potters' home in Godric's Hollow? Avada Kedavra kills human beings but doesn't apparently damage things in the process. And, if the house was in fact destroyed, why was Harry's only injury the scar left by Voldemort's attempted curse? How did the wizarding community find out about these events?

   Yahoo Club Messages: 2216, 6969
   Yahoogroups Messages: 4375, 4388, 4407, 4435, 4481, 10569, 10577, 10681, 10768, 11230, 11271, 15422, 15431, 36107

   See also the essay on this topic on the Harry Potter Lexicon site:

   http://www.i2k.com/~svderark/lexicon/timeline_potters.html

   Related Question: Why couldn't the Potters act defensively to prevent Voldemort's attack (couldn't they at least Apparate away)? Could they have Apparated with infant Harry though?

   Yahoogroups Messages: 14121, 32994

2. Portkey and the Triwizard Tournament

   Why was it necessary to have Harry win the Triwizard Tournament in order to have him touch a portkey? Couldn't Barty Crouch, Jr. (posing as Professor Moody) have turned any ordinary object into a portkey and thrown it into Harry's path? Why couldn't Crouch have even hit Harry with a spell and transported him to Voldemort?

   Yahoogroups Messages: 26796, 26873, 26882

   Did Crouch change the Triwizard Cup with no portkey properties into a portkey, or was it already a portkey designed to bring the winner to the front of the maze and Crouch merely added an extra stop?

   Since the Cup was apparently designed to return to Hogwarts, was it the plan that Voldemort would himself use it to go to Hogwarts or did he merely intend to send Harry's dead body back via the Triwizard Cup?

   Related Questions:

   Why would the portkey not operate on a "timer" as the portkeys for the Quidditch World Cup did?

   Why wasn't it blocked from returning to Hogwarts?

   Even if it wasn't blocked, wouldn't Hogwarts have wards in place to prevent unwanted visitors from using portkeys to get onto the Hogwarts grounds (one can't Apparate or Disapparate on the Hogwarts grounds for example)? Hasn't Dumbledore (or some predecessor) enchanted Hogwarts against transportation magic?

   Yahoo Club Messages: 4073, 4149, 4161, 4226, 4249
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3. Bartemius Crouch, Jr.

   Barty Crouch, Jr. was a youth when he was sent to Azkaban and was kept under the Imperius Curse after his father smuggled him out of Azkaban. When did he change from the crying youth that Harry saw in Dumbledore's Pensieve into an accomplished wizard capable of hoodwinking a powerful magical object and successfully fooling Albus Dumbledore for an entire school year?

   Why would he continue to put Harry under the Imperius Curse until he could throw it off, and once he'd done this, why didn't he alert Voldemort that Harry could resist it?

   Yahoogroups Messages: 28877, 30157, 34133, 34389, 36223, 36285

   How did he fool Albus Dumbledore so effectively that school year?

   Yahoo Club Messages: 4135, 4154, 4161
   Yahoogroups Messages: 6228, 9243, 9247

4. The Second and Third Tasks

   Could the judges and spectators see the Triwizard Champions in the maze? If so, couldn't they see that Harry and Cedric went missing? If not, why were they watching (there would be nothing to see)? Similarly, wouldn't the 2nd Task have been rather boring for the spectators (watching the still surface of the lake for an hour)?

   Yahoogroups Messages: 2325, 2355, 14088, 16732, 16743, 16764, 25552, 34215

5. "Other Murder" mentioned in Chapter 1 of GoF

   In Chapter 1, Voldemort tells Wormtail that they must only kill one more person and then the path to Harry Potter is clear. Who is this "other murder"? Was it Barty Crouch, Sr.? Why did Voldemort change his mind and keep him alive and under the Imperius Curse instead?

   Yahoo Club Messages: 4590, 4617
   Yahoogroups Messages: 32239, 32290

6. "Wand Order Issue" (Priori Incantatem)

   In the original versions of GoF, the shape/ghost of James Potter emerged from Voldemort's wand prior to the shape/ghost of Lily Potter. Readers later learn that the shapes/ghosts emerge from the wand in reverse order. Since the previous 3 books had consistently indicated that James Potter was killed before Lily Potter, readers speculated about this latest twist.

   Yahoogroups Messages: 15297, 31284

   Both Bloomsbury and Scholastic quietly corrected later printings of GoF without alerting the media. The rewrite is controversial to some members (lacking the emotional depth and resonance of the original scene).

   Yahoogroups Messages: 25814, 25824, 25838, 25854, 25864, 25909

   Both publishers continue to maintain that it was just an error and that JK Rowling has authorized the changed version. Some members claim that they have found some later versions that were not corrected (even though some printings prior to the one in question had been changed). It leaves us all wondering whether the publishes reverted back to original text on purpose at some point, but are now proclaiming it was an error that has been corrected?

   Remaining Questions: The spells that killed James and Lily Potter must have been performed after the one that dispatched Voldemort (the curse on Harry that rebounded on Voldemort). The rebounded curse was not one of the 9 curses that came out of Voldemort's wand. So, is the real question: Who killed the Potters using Voldemort's wand?

   Yahoogroups Messages: 28581

   Wormtail obviously used Voldemort's wand to curse Cedric. Why would there not have been some shadow/image of the curse that Voldemort placed on Harry that then rebounded on him? For an analysis of the shadows/images that come out of Voldemort's wand once Priori Incantatum began and a correlation to spells Voldemort cast (or is thought to have cast).

   Yahoogroups Messages: 15297, 25745.

   Where has Voldemort's wand been all this time? How was the Potters' home destroyed? How did the shadows know to help Harry return to Hogwarts:

   Yahoogroups Messages: 32066, 32069, 32072

"Pre-Correction" Theories as to why James emerged before Lily:

Voldemort arrived with the intent to kill Harry, brushes past James in the front room. Lily is trying to shield Harry and won't get out of the way so Voldemort kills her. Then, James steps in and tries to shield his son. Voldemort kills him.

Problems: This doesn't explain why the deaths of both parents didn't provide Harry with a level of protection against Voldemort's touch (rather than just his mother's sacrifice).

Harry desperately wanted to see his father that night in GoF, and he magically caused the images within the wand to reverse order so that his father would emerge first.

James deflected Voldemort's original curse, but the deflected curse rebounded on the house (causing something to fall on him and kill him).

James wasn't killed by Voldemort. Lily was killed and then Voldemort cursed Harry. The rebounded curse left Voldemort powerless, but a Death Eater at the house used Voldemort's wand to kill James.

James gave Harry polyjuice potion so that he would look like James. James drank potion to take on Harry's appearance.

See also "Potter Family" FAQ.
Yahoo Club Messages: 2287, 4030, 4034, 4161, 4555, 6498, 6502, 6516, 6959, 6962, 6967, 6968, 6994
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7. Use of the Timeturner

If use of a timeturner is so risky, why is Hermione allowed to use it for something like taking extra classes. If use of a timeturner is *not* so risky, then why can't it be used for things like saving Harry's parents, saving Cedric or averting other tragedies? What are the limitations on use of the timeturner?

Yahoogroups Messages: 27524, 27624, 31018, 31027, 32743, 32871, 32874, 32877, 32889, 32991, 33196

Spells and Potions

1. Fidelius Charm

   If only the Secret-Keeper knows the whereabouts of the hidden subjects, how did Sirius know where to go to the Potters? Or, could the hidden subjects inform others of their whereabouts? Sirius, Dumbledore, and Hagrid all seem to know where to go to find the Potters' ruined home and baby Harry.

   Yahoogroups Messages: 26786, 26792, 31227, 32121, 32142, 32152, 33678, 33684, 33703, 33706, 34990

2. "Ancient Magic" to Protect Harry at the Dursleys

   What is the nature of the "ancient magic" that Dumbledore invoked to protect Harry while he is in "his relations' care"? Is it the Fidelius Charm? Does it protect him when he is technically outside the physical presence of one of the Dursleys (at school if Dudley is absent, at Mrs. Figg's house, at the Weasleys for a few weeks in the summer before 2nd year, at the Leaky Cauldron for a few weeks prior to third year and again at the Burrow for a time before the fourth year)?

   Yahoogroups Messages: 10995, 30667

3. How many times has Harry been under the Imperius Curse?

   When Voldemort put Harry under the Imperius Curse at the graveyard in Little Hangleton, Harry thinks that this is the 3rd time he's experienced the effects of this curse. He had been put under the Imperius Curse by Professor Moody (no less than 4 times during one class period so apparently counted as a single time). When was the other time that Harry was under the Imperius Curse?

   Yahoogroups Messages: 2683, 5886, 8302, 33073, 33088

4. Summoning Charms

   Why wouldn't Harry use a summoning charm (just as he had just used in the First Task) to summon the Marauder's Map when he dropped it while stuck in the trick stair?

   Why do some summoning charms require that the object to be summoned by name, but Harry was able to just yell "Accio" and summon the Triwizard Cup to portkey him back to Hogwarts?

   Yahoogroups Message: 6188

5. Why don't the Triwizard contestants simply summon the egg? Why doesn't Quirrell summon the stone from Harry?

   Yahoogroups Messages: 23449, 23477, 32613, 32727, 32691

6. Why does Avada Kedrava result in a "green" flash of light? Is there any significance to the color "green" in this case? What are the properties and limitations of Avada Kedavra?

   Is the color green significant given that Lily had green eyes and Harry has inherited them? It is emphasized that Harry has "his mother's eyes." What significance is there to this emphasis?

   Yahoo Club Messages: 2215
   Yahoogroups Messsages: 2402, 2424, 23405, 29171, 35769, 35805, 35807, 35812, 35819

7. Veritaserum

   Why hasn't this potion been used in trials before (couldn't it have cleared Sirius Black and validated testimony against certain Death Eaters)? Couldn't it have been used to validate the accounts of Harry and Dumbledore at the end of GoF?

   Yahoo Club Messages: 6740, 6745, 6746
   Yahoogroups Messages: 19571, 25475, 25504, 30897, 30985

Timeline Mysteries

1. Nearly Headless Nick: Dead 400 years or 500 years?

   In SS, Nearly Headless Nick informs the new Gryffindors that he hasn't eaten anything in "nearly 400 years." Yet, in CoS, Nick celebrates his 500th Death Day. Has he been dead 400 years or 500 years?

   Yahoo Club Messages: 1524, 2216
   Yahoogroups Messages: 1400, 1409, 1463

2. Dates Gleaned from the Books Don't Always Match Up with Reality

   See "Timeline & Chronology" FAQ

3. Why are there summer dates on the check-out slips in Quidditch Through the Ages?

   The students presumably cannot remain at Hogwarts over the summer holiday, so why are some of the due dates listed at the beginning of QTTA in the summertime?

   Yahoogroups Messages: 15483, 15484, 15487, 15519, 15523,

4. How old were James and Lily Potter when Harry was born? How old are Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew at the time of the events in PoA? Was Harry born on 31 July 1980?

   Nearly Headless Nick was celebrating his 500th Death Day in CoS, and it is said that he died 31 October 1492. That would make CoS the 1992-1993 school year. Harry had just turned 12 the previous July 31st; therefore, most of us have gleaned that Harry's birthdate was 31 July 1980.

   Yahoo Club Messages: 1543
   See also "Harry Potter" FAQ and "Potter Family" FAQ

5. How old are Bill and Charlie Weasley at the time of the events in GoF?

   See also "Weasley Family" FAQ.

   Related Questions: How old are Arthur and Molly Weasley? When did they attend Hogwarts? How much older are they than the Marauders?

6. What is the timeline of events at the end of PoA?

   Yahoogroups Messages: 32829, 32830, 32832, 32835, 32882

Wizarding Lifestyle

1. Butter Beer

   Is it alcoholic?

   If it's available in bottles, why was Lupin so surprised and suspicious when Harry says Ron and Hermione brought him some back (explaining why he'd tasted it before)? Fred and George also procure bottles of it from time to time. Yet Ron and Hermione proclaim after their first visit that they "wished" they could have brought him some. So, why can the twins and Lupin procure bottles of it but Ron and Hermione are unable to do so?

2. Quidditch Games

   Why don't the students ever play "pick-up" Quidditch games while at school as the boys do while Harry is visiting the Weasleys?

   Will the remaining books be devoid of Quidditch (will Harry be too busy with the anti-Voldemort forces to worry with sports)?

   Yahoogroups Messages: 6228, 14058, 26631
   See "Quidditch" FAQ

3. Cancellation of Quidditch

   Is it realistic that Harry (whose passion is Quidditch) would not play it at all during the entire 4th year? The excuse that the professors would be "too busy" with Triwizard Tournament events seems lame to many members.

   Yahoo Club Messages: 4073, 4226, 6834

4. Social Strata in the Wizarding World

   Did Stan Shunpike, Ernie Prang and the other witches and wizards in lower-paying jobs in the wizarding world in the UK receive a Hogwarts education? If not, did they attend a less prestigious wizarding school?

   Yahoogroups Messages: 24222, 26415, 26681, 26691, 26702
   See "Hogwarts" FAQ

5. Size of the Wizarding World

   How large is the wizarding world in Britain?

   Yahoogroups Messages: 17405, 25368

Miscellaneous

1. Hagrid Travelling to Hut on the Sea; Dursleys Return to Land from Hut on the Sea

   How does Hagrid "fly" to the Hut on the Sea? On a broomstick? If so, where is it the next morning? Superman style?

   Hagrid and Harry take the boat that the Dursleys used to get to the Hut on the Sea in Chapter 3 of SS. How then do the Dursleys get to land?

   Yahoo Club Messages: 2523
   Yahoogroups Messages: 4465, 16059, 16509, 16076, 23012

2. "Potter for President"?

   Why would the sign at the first Quidditch match (drawn by Dean Thomas and enchanted by Hermione) say "Potter for President," even in the UK versions?

   Yahoogroups Messages: 7356, 7384, 7428

3. Who is Florence and who was she kissing?

   In Chapter 30, Harry "sees" Dumbledore's memory that Florence (surname unknown) was found kissing someone at Hogwarts. Is there any significance to this?

   Yahoogroups Messages: 3688, 19088, 19586, 35303, 35318,

4. Draco Malfoy and the Quidditch World Cup

   Why was Draco Malfoy alone in the woods after the Quidditch World Cup? Was he hoping to meet up with Harry, Ron and Hermione? Was he trying to be helpful when he told Hermione to keep "her bushy head down"?

   Yahoogroups Message: 6228

5. Bill Weasley's Appearance

   Harry is said to be surprised by Bill Weasley's "cool" appearance in GoF. Yet, he'd seen a photo of Bill Weasley in Egypt the previous summer. Why didn't he remember what Bill looked like from that photo?

   Yahoogroups Messages: 6366, 6367, 6368

6. What was Professor Trelawney's first prediction?

   In PoA, Dumbledore indicates that Professor Trelawney has made another "real" prediction. What was it? Has it already come to pass? Is it related to the predictions of the centaurs?

   Yahoo Club Messages: 2215, 5484
   Yahoogroups Messages: 24028, 24475, 25598, 32032, 34948, 34976, 34956, 36282, 36287, 36447

7. Socks

   What's up with the socks? Dumbledore sees himself receiving socks when he looks in the Mirror of Erised (or so he tells Harry). Dobby has a fixation with socks. Harry uses a sock to squelch the Sneak-o-Scope that Ron gave him for his birthday.

   Yahoogroups Messages: 17156, 18545, 19657

8. Editorial Goofs ("FLINTS")

   Yahoo Club Messages: 3941, 4074, 4243, 4617, 6834
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* The term FLINT (Flint-Like Inconsistencies Nitpicked Triumphantly) derives from Marcus Flint, captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team, who stayed an extra year by accident, although JKR claims in interviews that he had to repeat a year.