DD and the rat (was:Re: Minerva McGonagall-/Dumbledore)

[Nora Renka]

No: HPFGUIDX 116578


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "pippin_999" <foxmoth at q...> 
wrote:

> Pippin:
> Ah, we're back at "Does JKR give trick answers to interview/chat 
> questions." I say yes, you say no, Faith says. "I don't know." <g>
> 
> Surely it isn't far-fetched that an author who says, "Readers like 
> to be tricked, but not conned" would give answers that are tricky 
> but not demonstrably false?
> 
> She isn't above asking trick *questions* on the web site -- she 
> admits she puts up poll questions that do not have interesting 
> answers.

But I don't think those are 'trick' questions of the same sort that 
you're proposing her answer to the question under discussion is.
Some of the questions are things that we've been obsessing over (the 
deep significance of Mark Evans, for example), that she's quite 
willing to tell us "Nope, doesn't mean anything at all".

IMHO, the "Did Wormtail kill Cedric?" falls into that category.  
She's willing to answer it straight out because the answer is so 
straightforward.  Where something is meaningful she's often willing 
to let us know that it's somewhat meaningful by deliberately 
hedging.  All the old questions about whether Sirius would ever get 
his name cleared, for example. >:)

> It isn't far-fetched that the duplicate names plot device will be 
> re-used either, IMO. I think we're bound to see more of 
> time-turners too, not that I am looking forward to it. So, how do 
> *you* see the duplicate names thing being used again?

I don't really, at present.  But think about the unfortunate demise 
of FourthMan!Avery and the destruction of his hovercraft; did it 
really change anything?  Did it convey some deeper meaning, or did it 
have drastic plot effects?   Nope.

So, now I'm curious.  Is there a good, documented case of something 
that JKR had answered straightforwardly actually turning out to hide 
a deeply significant trick/mystery/hidden mousetrap?  There may as of 
yet be an inadequate number of test cases--but that's something I'll 
be watching carefully come book 6 and its promised raft of answers to 
questions.

Should I prove to be wildly wrong, you may, of course, mock me and my 
charming naivete. :)

-Nora gets her hands on another recording of FrOSch and sings along 
(with the tenor part, natch)