significant dates (was characters' star signs)

[bluesqueak]

No: HPFGUIDX 79230


> > Mtwelovett wrote:
> > She may have meant it. JK has used Holidays as significant days
> > throughout the books. Lots of things happen for her on 
> 
> > Halloween, The Potters' death, the death of Nearly Headless  
> > Nick, the "troll in the dungeon", the attacking of the Fat       
> > Lady by Sirius Black <Snip>

ffimiles" wrote:

> I agree, there is something in Hallowe'en - more than it just 
> being an easily-identifiable day for her to say 'something 
> happened on this day', <Snip> 
> definately not a coincidance that it's the day on which Harry 
> received his scar, and when he was (possibly) conceived.  

I think JKR is tapping into British mythology about Halloween. 
Halloween is an odd night. It signals the death of summer and the 
rise of winter. It's also the night before one of the holiest days 
in the Christian calendar (All Saints, or in the old English 
dialect, All Hallows). Between them, the combination has given rise 
to the persistent myth that Halloween is when evil is at its most 
powerful.

So the events on Halloween make perfect sense. Voldemort times his 
attack against Baby Harry on Halloween, when he is most powerful. 
Quirrelmort brings the Troll in and attacks the stone when he is at 
his most powerful. Sirius loses his temper (gives way to evil?) on 
Halloween. 

Possibly Nick's execution may have been unjust?

JKR's also used other Halloween myths. The Headless Hunt who turn up 
at Nick's party *do* ride at Halloween. The Halloween Feast that's 
always held is a traditional celebration. It is *not* a celebration 
of evil, as is sometimes suggested. The parties, bonfires, feasting 
are all held as a defiance of evil. 

Winter is here - but we can light a bonfire. Evil lurks outside - 
but does it dare come inside and face the lights and the noise?

So Hogwarts holds a Halloween Feast, making sure that whatever evil 
is lurking in the cold and dark *outside*, its students are all 
safely inside. Meanwhile, evil takes advantage of its night of power.

Somehow I doubt that Harry was conceived on Halloween itself.

However, Voldemort may well have *thought* he was. ;-)

Pip!Squeak

[Muggle Britain now holds the Halloween Feast in two parts. 
Halloween itself, and Bonfire Night on November 5th. I notice that 
the Hogwarts students *don't* celebrate Bonfire Night, which dates 
from the early 17th Century]