Symbols & Name Meanings

Bruce Alan Wilson bawilson at citynet.net
Sun Dec 18 22:51:27 UTC 2005


No: HPFGUIDX 144954

"Alora:
I have been mulling over and over this.  The ghosts at Hogwarts are 
there for some reason, but it escapes me as to WHY. What is their 
purpose, really?  I'm wondering:  do they report back to someone?  
such as the founders?  Can they communicate with those behind the 
veil?  Can they possibly go behind the veil and talk to them? They 
can't just be throwaways.  I do remember that NHN said that he never 
crossed over, but what if he can communicate with those behind the 
veil somehow?"

Didn't Nearly Headless Nick tell Harry that he had no idea what was beyond the
veil?

Bruce

"Ceridwen:
I'm a little confused.  JKR said the houses match up Gryffindor - 
Fire, Hufflepuff - Earth, Ravenclaw - Air, Slytherin - Water.  So, 
are we just doing this for exercise?  
http://www.mugglenet.com/jkrinterview3.shtml"

Because if Hufflepuff is the Earth Mistress, why does she have a Cup, which is a
symbol of Water?
If Slytherin is the Water Master, why is his relic a Ring (that is, a gem),
which is an Earth symbol?
If Griffindor is the Fire Master, why does he have a Sword, which is an Air
symbol?

If we take JKR's assignment of the Elements to the Houses, then WHY are the
three Founders' Relics we have seen not associated with the corresponding
elements?  Is JKR trying to tell us something?  

Salazar and Hufflepuff seem to have exchanged symbols--does that mean that they
were involved?  Is Voldemort also the Heir of Hufflepuff?  If the Ravenclaw
relic turns out to be a Staff or Wand or Rod, then the other two founders will
have also exchanged symbols.  We know that Harry is NOT the Heir of Griffindor,
per JKR, but what if then he is the Heir of Ravenclaw, but placed in
Griffindor--thus bringing together the powers of the other two houses (and
wasn't Cedric, the other Hogwarts' Champion, from Ravenclaw? He needs to be
avenged.  Hmm.  "Harry Potter & the Revenge of Ravenclaw"?)

Bruce


"Caro:
understand, but what is it with the others? Can you explain, bedause
in German they just keep them the way they are...
Thanks"

'Whinging' means 'complaining, carping, grousing'.  "Umbridge" is from the Latin
root 'umbra' meaning 'shadow'; her first name, Delores, means 'sorrow'.
'Mundungus Fletcher' is not funny in and of itself--aside from that big Latin
name in front of a rather common surname, but his nickname 'Dung' means
'schiest'.  Are their any other names you want to know about?

Bruce



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