Mysteries (was: Truth, Lies and GIGO)

[davewitley]

Neri wrote:

> It is the "why", "what" and "how" mysteries that
> stretch over more than one book, like (counting both solved and
> unsolved ones):
> 
> 1. Why did Voldemort want to kill Harry?
> 2. What really happened in GH?
> 3. Why was Hagrid expelled?
> 4. Why did the Sorting Hat want to put Harry in Slytherin?
> 5. Why does Snape hate James' memory?
> 6. Why does Harry's scar hurt when Voldy is angry?
> 7. What powers (besides parseltongue) were transferred to Harry in 
GH?
> 8. What was Trelawney's first true prediction?
> 9. What was the gleam in DD's eyes about?
> 10. Why did Snape change sides?
> 11a. How does Snape spy on the Death Eaters?
> 11b. Why can no teacher hold the DADA post for more than one year?
> 12. What's the story with saying Voldemort's name?
> 13. (OK, I could go on but you probably got the idea already). 

Wow!  Convergent thinking!  How deeply subversive of you! ;-)

I would add (or break out some elements of 2, if you want to think 
of it that way):

13: Why did Voldemort lose his powers and nearly die at GH?
14: Why didn't he actually die at GH?
15. What's with the locked room in the Dept of Mysteries, then?
16. Why did the Lestranges attack the Longbottoms?
17. Why didn't Dumbledore (try to) kill Voldemort at the end of OOP?

That still leaves some other GH issues for no. 2 - who was there, 
what happened to Voldemort's wand and so on.

I would categorise this excellent list as follows:

Not a mystery:

4 (see separate posts by SSS and me).

Solved in the eyes of all but the most paranoid:

3, 8.

Apparently solved but there may well be more:

1, 5, 13.

Clearly posed by the text and requiring explanation:

2, 9, 10, 11a?, 12, 14 (confirmed by JKR in a chat), 15, 16 (website 
confirms), 17 (I wouldn't have seen that as a mystery myself unless 
JKR raised it in a chat, but then I assume Dumbledore isn't in 
favour of vigilante justice).

May never be explained, or may turn out to be a red herring, i.e. 
not very clearly posed by the text:

6 ('It's a magical link resulting from the failed curse'),
7 (None, and not mentioned again),
11a (Does he, in fact, spy?),
11b (It just happens that way).

Any more?  Do you agree with the categorisations?

I have excluded (as has Neri, I believe) 'mysteries' such as What is 
the role of House-elves/life-debt/Goblins/Pettigrew's silver 
hand/Draco etc.

David