Foreshadowing Clues in CoS

[erisedstraeh2002 <erisedstraeh2002@yahoo.com>]

No: HPFGUIDX 52889

GulPlum AKA Richard wrote:

> The way JKR phrased the comment (sorry, I don't have the time to 
> look up the precise quote) was that CoS is important to the series 
> as a whole <snip>

Now me:

Here's the quote:

November 15, 2002 BBC Newsround

http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/tv_film/newsid_2482000/2482249.stm

JKR: "Key things happen in book two and no one knows how important 
those things are yet." 

Richard again:

> A few things jump out at me, though:
> To date, CoS is the only book in which the Sorting Hat has had a 
> function beyond its immediate and named role. I expect more to come 
> from its connection to the Founders and the ability to "pull things 
> out of it".

Now me:

JKR has intimated just that in the following quote:

"The character you might be most surprised to see evolve is none 
other than the Sorting Hat. "There is more to the Sorting Hat than 
what you have read about in the first three books," Rowling 
says. "Readers will find out what the Sorting Hat becomes as they get 
into future books." 

see: http://www.i2k.com/~svderark/lexicon/sorting_hat.html

Richard again:

> Of course, the notion that the Founders (Slytherin, as it happens) 
> could have Heirs is raised solely in CoS and I'm a firm believer in 
> the concept that Harry is related to Gryffindor (compounded by 
> JKR's assertion out of canon that the name of "Godric's Hollow" is 
> a hint, or words to that effect).

Me again:

Here's the interview (Fall 2000 BBC Newsround):

Q: "And I'm going to ask one other question which you'll say isn't 
clever at all. The significance of the place where Harry and his 
parents lived, the first name – "

JKR:  "Godrich Gryffindor. Very good, you're a bit good you are, 
aren't you?" 

Q: "Thank you."

JKR: "I'm impressed. My editor didn't notice , I said to her haven't 
you noticed any connection between where Harry's parents were born, 
not born, where they lived and, one of the Hogwarts houses and she's 
sitting there going erm, I'm not being rude about Emma she's 
brilliant editor, the best I've ever. But know she didn't pick that 
up either. You're a bit good you are."

And the link: http://www.geocities.com/aberforths_goat/text.htm

It's in CoS that we first learn that Gryffindor's first name 
was "Godric", and can make the connection to the Potters living in 
Godric's Hollow. In addition, if you parallel the life of St. Godric 
with Harry, there are all sorts of connections which support the Heir 
of Gryffindor theory - there are legends about St. Godric protecting 
a hunted stag which parallel the workings of the Fidelius Charm (and 
of course, the stag is both James' animagus and Harry's patronus), 
and St. Godric, like Harry, was able to know of events happening at 
great distances.

SeventhSqueal wrote:

> Order of the Phoenix, if one can make a guess based on the title, 
> with the assumption that Fawkes is one of the relics entrusted to 
> Hogwarts by Godric Gryffindor, might be the book where Harry learns 
> about his ancestry and the magical heritage to which he is heir.

Me again:

I also firmly believe in the "Harry as Heir of Gryffindor" theory, 
and I think that there are many clues in CoS that support this theory.

In CoS, Fawkes, who I also believe to have once been Gryffindor's 
phoenix (see an essay I wrote on this for more information if you're 
interested: http://www.i2k.com/~svderark/lexicon/essay-fawkes.html), 
helps Harry fight the basilisk. In legend, the griffin was believed 
to be the "adversary of serpent and basilisks, both of which were 
seen as embodiments of satanic demons" (from the What's in a Name 
website – paraphrased from the Dictionary of Symbolism). I believe 
this to be a parallel to Gryffindor's Fawkes and Slytherin's 
basilisk, and perhaps a clue to a possible good-against-evil fight 
between Gryffindor and Slytherin 1,000 years ago. When I brought this 
up before, Judy Shapiro added her theory that this could also be 
a foreshadowing of Harry's eventual defeat of Voldemort.

Other clues in CoS that support the "Fawkes was once Gryffindor's 
phoenix" theory are that Fawkes lives in Dumbledore's office, which 
has a griffin-shaped doorknocker, and also contains Gryffindor's 
sword and the Sorting Hat, which we learn in GoF was once 
Gryffindor's hat. In support of the "Harry as Heir of Gryffindor" 
theory, in CoS, Fawkes brings two items previously owned by 
Gryffindor to Harry's aid in the Chamber - the Sorting Hat and the 
sword.
 
~Phyllis