New JKR FAQ Poll: Which is significant?

[sevenhundredandthirteen]

No: HPFGUIDX 107238

Alla wrote: 

> > Number three sounds interesting, but I can see the possibility 
of 
> > this one turning to be not important at all.

Valky responded:

> As can I, Alla. which is why I am replying. Perhaps we might be 
> prudent to consider where we went wrong with Mark Evans before 
> deciding on our choice for this poll.

I (Laurasia) reply:

I voted for number two for this very reason. What if JKR 
just says "Dumbledore was referring to the last letter he 
sent Petunia." She could, you know. Option three may very 
well be something that *should* have been taken at face 
value but was overcomplicated by us all. (Mark Evans, 
anyone?) Option two, on the other hand, isn't asking to 
*explain* something which JKR may believe she had already 
sufficiently explained. It is asking for a pure fact.

I voted for two because there is no possible way of knowing 
the answer to it unless JKR actually tells us. There's no 
clues or hints. Unless she tells us, we will never know. 
On the contrary, there are several *dozen* theories out 
there about what Dumbledore's howler means, and who Percy 
is working for.

I also voted for 2 because I think it has the best chance 
of getting a complete answer (because it seems least crucial
to the plot, which means JKR might be happy to divulge all).
Remember- just because it's in her FAQ Poll doesn't mean she 
will answer in ordinary plain sentences. Look at her response 
to the Prophecy FAQ! She basically said 'Nice of you to 
notice that I've deviously snuck in a secret clue, but I can't
answer that for you right now...' The howler is sending up 
giant 'carefully worded' flags to me. And if she spent a long 
time wording for the book, then I doubt she would confess all 
now. 

Incidentaly 'Where is Wormtail?' is the only question that 
can't be met with a 'no' answer. Both the Percy and howler 
questions can be met with 'Sorry, no. Your theorising was 
wrong.' In contrast, the Wormtail question *must* have an 
answer.

The only way I can see the howler question getting a 
satisfactory answer is if she intends to reveal what it 
really means to Harry at the very start of the sixth book. 
Take the Mrs Figg example. JKR was happy to tell us that 
Figgy was part of the Old Crowd because we would know one 
chapter into OotP anyway. Although, now that I've just written 
that, the Durselys would probably be in the first chapter 
of book six, wouldn't they? And if there is an answer to 
the howler, it would probably be from Petunia, not 
Dumbledore... Whoa! Maybe I need to change my vote...

~<(Laurasia)>~