Coincidence? The Rowling code.

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 143939

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Phillips" <spillipha at y...> 
wrote:

spillipha:
> Okay, I'm actually glad to find a group that isn't a bunch of 
> kids, but I think, and this is a big think, that I have figured 
> out where a lot of the characters originated and from that 
> should be able to see where they are going, this could all be 
> just one big coincidence or it could be a lot more, so bear with 
> me:

Geoff:
I don't think that these are strictly coincidences because they have 
been planned. It is more often JKR's plays on words which have been 
commented on previously.

spillipha:
> Basically, J K Rowling enjoys hiding plot twists in people's 
> names, the obvious being REMUS LUPIN, everone knowning the story 
> of the founding of Rome, and the story of Romulus and Remus, and 
> Lupin meaning 'wolf' although I can't remember what language, I 
> think it was Latin. Next we have Sirius Black, Sirius being the 
> Dog Star and Black, well that's pretty much self-explanatory, 
> again telling you Sirius Black is a Black Dog. And then the most 
> obvious, when reading over it is TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE turning into 
> I AM LORD VOLDEMORT.

Geoff:
In Latin, "lupus" is the word for wolf while "lupinus" 
means "belonging to a wolf;made of wolfskin".

Sirius is the brightest star in the sky, belonging to the 
constellation Canis Major (Greater Dog), hence the appellation "Dog 
Star". The Blackfamily liked star names - Sirius' brother Regulus is 
named after a star in the constellation Alpha Leonis.
 
spillipha:
> I understand that it's repeated a lot in the books that no spell 
> can resurrect the dead, but what people tend to forget is that 
> it also says that no-one can survive the Avada Kedava killing 
> curse, plus it's said in the third book, that if a wizard saves 
> another wizard's life it creates a bond that can NEVER be broken, 
> well did Lily not save Harry's life?

Geoff:
But remember:
'"Avada Kedavra!" Moody roared. 
There was a flash of blinding green light and a rushing sound as 
though a vast invisible something was soaring through the air - 
instantaneously the spider rolled over onto its back, unmarked, but 
unmistakeably dead...
...Moody swept the dead spider off the desk onto the floor,
"Not nice," he said calmly. "Not pleasant. And there's no know 
counter-curse. There's no blocking it. Only one person has ever 
survived it and he's sitting right in front of me."'

(GOF "The Unforgiveable Curses" pp. 190-91 UK edition)

There are lots of other little plays on words and in-jokes which have 
been used by JKR:
Diagon Alley, Knockturn Alley, Malfoy, Grimmauld Place, Professor 
Unbridge, Dumbledore to mention but a handful.

All designed to keep us grubbing around looking for links. :-)