The MoM ceiling and its symbols

[Berit Jakobsen]

No: HPFGUIDX 86099

I don't know if this has been brought up already, but I couldn't find 
anything searching the archives.

When Harry visits the MoM for his hearing, Rowling describes the MoM 
in some detail. Among other things we get to know what the ceiling in 
the splendid hall looks like. Quote: "The peacock blue ceiling was 
inlaind with gleaming golden symbols that kept moving and changing 
like some enormous heavenly notice board." (OoP p. 117 Bloomsbury)

Then, we meet the MoM ceiling again when Harry comes back for Sirius 
at the end of the book. Quote: "The light was dimmer than it had been 
by day; there were no fires burning under the mantelpieces set into 
the walls, but as the lift slid smoothly to a halt he [Harry] saw 
that golden symbols continued to twist sinuously in the dark blue 
ceiling." (OoP p. 678 Bloomsbury)

It doesn't say what these golden symbols are. But in OoP, Hermione is 
studying runes, so I think it's possible that the symbols might be 
runes, and that they will come into the next books in some way or 
another (and Hermione's skill and knowledge will prove valuable :-). 
What I find interesting is that the peacock blue ceiling with its 
golden symbols are pictured on the cover of the OoP book 
(Bloomsbury), together with Fawkes, the corridor and the golden 
fountain. Now; both Fawkes, the MoM corridor and the fountain have 
already come into play. The golden symbols haven't. Yet. I think the 
fact that they're considerd worthy of appearing on the book cover 
might be a clue that they will turn out to be important in the next 
books. What I find really curious is that these golden symbols also 
are present on the backcover of the first HP book (still 
Bloomsbury)!!! They're decorating Dumbledore's robe... And they're 
exactly the same type of symbols that are pictured at the back of the 
OoP book. Very curious...

Another interesting "twist": In the first OoP reference, the symbols 
in the ceiling are described as "moving and changing". In the second 
reference the WAY they're moving are described as "twisting 
sinuously". Now, that's strange. English is not my mother-tongue, but
wouldn't one use those words to describe the way a snake moves?

Any ideas?