Keep seeing the word 'Flint' and
wondering what it means?
In our group, 'flint' refers to an
actual mistake, accident,
'oops!' made by JKR in the books (as
opposed to clues and
red herrings).
It's derived from Marcus Flint,
Slytherin Quidditch
Captain/Chaser, stated as being a 'sixth
year' student in
the first book, then returning in the third book
when he
should have finished his seventh year in book two.
A reader asked JKR about this in an
online
chat:
http://www.scholastic.com/harrypotter/author/transcript1.htm
Q: In the first book you said
Slytherin house Quidditch
captain was sixth year Marcus Flint. If
there are only
seven years of Hogwarts, why is he in the third
book?
JKR: He had to do a year again! :-)