The genius bits and clues in the books

When you reread the books over and over again, you get the chance to focus on the little genius details, like clues, things that J.K. Rowling put in that make her so magical. Have you found any?

I've been re-reading the books and I'm on PoA now but while I was reading, I noticed some things but I can't remember them right now. >_< Well, in the first chapter of SS, Sirius Black is mentioned. There's a lot of foreshadowing, actually. Oh! And I remember the second time I read DH, I realized Snape gave the students detention with Hagrid - so in a way, he was still watching out for them because he sent them to Hagrid instead of someone else like the Carrows!

Yeah, Rowling is just amazing!

And in Order of the Phoenix, Arthur Weasley, in St. Mungo's, is in the Creature-Induced Injuries corridor, in the "Dangerous" Dai Llewellyn Ward: Serious Bites. Now put in correctly and it makes...
Creature-Induced Injuries
Dangerous
Dai Llewellyn Ward
Serious Bites.
Take the first word of each, and it makes "Kreacher Dangerous Die Sirius"

I'm also rereading the series right now, and I'm on GoF. I realized in the beginning, Voldemort says to Wormtail: "I will allow you to perform an essential task for me, one that many of my followers would give their right hands to perform. . . ."
And then, of course, "Flesh of the servant willingly given, you will revive your master," and then Wormtail proceeds to cut off his right hand.

There's so much more hidden throughout the books, but I can't remember them off the top of my head.

Well, there's the obvious of Slughorn calling Ron "Rupert" in HBP- obviously Ms. Rowling was aware of the fact that Rupert Grint was playing Ron by the time she wrote HBP.

And there's the whole conversation between Fred and George in GoF when they have that fight after putting their names in the Goblet - I'm paraphrasing, but I think it's something like:

George: "I'll kill you!"

Fred: "I'll cut your ear off!"

Lily's eyes, of course- everyone always says, "You have your mother's eyes" and then with the whole Snape/Lily thing. But that just comes to mind because before DH Ms. Rowling said, "And Harry's eyes will be really important."

I'll think of more in a bit, but that's just off the top of my head.

Oh, I've found a lot of those! But I can't remember any right now.

Oh no, that's a lie, yes I do remember a couple!

One is in Philosopher's Stone when the Trio first meet Fluffy. They were in the room with Fluffy for quite a bit of time listneing to Filch so why didn't Fluffy attack? Here's the answer:

"Shan't say nothing if you don't say please," said Peeves in his annoying singsong voice.

Fluffy didn't attack because Peeves' singsong voice may have been lulling Fluffy to sleep.

Another is in Half-Blood Prince when Bellatrix says "The Dark Lord has in the past entrusted me with his most precious..." in Spinner's End. She obviously is referring to Hufflepuff's cup.

There's a whole page on TvTropes devoted to this; it's called Fridge Brilliance. I'll post the link later (the site's being cranky right now).

EDIT: Linky tiiiiime!!!! Fridge Brilliance in HP.

tenderlumpling wrote:

There's a whole page on TvTropes devoted to this; it's called Fridge Brilliance. I'll post the link later (the site's being cranky right now).

EDIT: Linky tiiiiime!!!! Fridge Brilliance in HP.

Ah! Thank you so much for that! I love it! Some of the parts that are blank, I was thinking, 'What! Where is the rest of it?!' But then I highlighted it and it came up! This is great!

Oh, there's the whole thing in HBP where Dumbledore sees Petunia and says, "We have corresponded, of course," and Harry thinks it's an odd way to remind her he once sent her a Howler, but really he's talking about the letter she sent to him when she was little, about being accepted into Hogwarts, which we hear about in Snape's memories at the end of DH.


I just thought of that one.

I feel more proud than I should. (:

Um, I'm not sure if they count as genius clues, but Professor Lupin's name was a pretty big hint to his werewolf-ness. "Lupin" comes from a root meaning "wolf", and Remus was a mythological founder of Rome with his brother Romulus. Romulus and Remus were sons of a Roman god, and the brothers were supposedly raised by a she-wolf. Also, Lupin's code name in DH was Romulus. Yes, I know YOU know, but it felt incomplete unless I added that in... yeah. Other names give things away as well, since Sirius means "dog". (I have nothing better to do with my life so I research names and their origins and meanings, and words and Latin roots, and it comes in handy throughout the Harry Potter series, haha).

Did anyone else notice names with meanings that contribute to the character's... uh... characteristics? Those were the first ones that crossed my mind.

MyMischiefManaged wrote:

Did anyone else notice names with meanings that contribute to the character's... uh... characteristics? Those were the first ones that crossed my mind.

Well, there's Umbridge.

Umbrage is actually a word, and it means to take offense or be annoyed by something. "She took umbrage at his remarks on her muggle heritage."

Quote :

Did anyone else notice names with meanings that contribute to the character's... uh... characteristics? Those were the first ones that crossed my mind.

There are a lot of hidden meanings in the characters' names. "Severus Snape", for example: Severus means "grouchy" in Latin, and then there's the connotations of "severe" (like his personality), "sever us" (he divided, or severed, the wizarding world and the fandom), and "snape" could be a corruption of "snipe", a particularly nasty insult.

Similarly, "Voldemort" is a version of a French phrase meaning "flight from death".

This name wiki has a pretty good list of the characters' name meanings.

Oh, and you're welcome, myfriendisdobby. Just be careful: TvTropes is addictive.

tenderlumpling wrote:

Quote :

Did anyone else notice names with meanings that contribute to the character's... uh... characteristics? Those were the first ones that crossed my mind.

There are a lot of hidden meanings in the characters' names. "Severus Snape", for example: Severus means "grouchy" in Latin, and then there's the connotations of "severe" (like his personality), "sever us" (he divided, or severed, the wizarding world and the fandom), and "snape" could be a corruption of "snipe", a particularly nasty insult.

Similarly, "Voldemort" is a version of a French phrase meaning "flight from death".

This name wiki has a pretty good list of the characters' name meanings.

Oh yeah! The Voldemort one I knew (my mom is teaching me French, and she thought that would make a good start to help me grasp the language a little better. A little Harry Potter goes a long way!). The Severus Snape one I was unaware of. It all just makes people realize how brilliant J. K. Rowling is.

I actually just submitted a story on AW about this but in Chamber of Secrets, Harry is telling Ron about Dobby and Ron says, "If he doesn't stop trying to save your life he's going to kill you." Harry also told Dobby in the end of CoS to never save his life again but Dobby *did* end up saving his life but instead of Harry getting killed, Dobby died. Oh, poor Dobby!

In GoF, after sending a food package to Sirius on the mountian, he leans against the window and sees an owl fly past with a letter in its beak. This was probably the letter from Wormtail to Barty Crouch Junior, telling him to keep a lookout for his father.

Also, Mundungus Fletcher is mentioned in CoS (Mr Weasley said, '... and old Mundungus Fletcher tried to put a hex on me while my back was turned') and in GoF (Percy said 'Mundungus Fletcher's put in a claim for a twelve-bedroomed tent with en-suite jacuzzi, but ... I know for a fact he was sleeping under a cloak propped on sticks.')

Another one like that was Dedalus Diggle - he caused the shooting stars in Kent in PS (SS), and he bowed to Harry in a shop and in the Leaky Cauldron; then he was continually mentioned as a part of the Order.

There are so many others, but that's all I can think of for now Jo's a genius!

If you look on pg. 66 of SS and look at the course books and authors you will find that the authors are very aptly named

gorgerox wrote:

If you look on pg. 66 of SS and look at the course books and authors you will find that the authors are very aptly named

Are you talking about Newt Scamander? My copy of SS is on loan so I can't look it up.

Yes, Along with A Beginners guide to transfiguration by Emeric Switch,One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phylida Spore,Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius, and The Dark Forces: a Guide to self defense by Quintin Trimble.



P.S. Trimble struck me as being quite similar to tremble, which is what you would do if you were face-to-face with dark forces.

MyMischiefManaged wrote:

Um, I'm not sure if they count as genius clues, but Professor Lupin's name was a pretty big hint to his werewolf-ness. "Lupin" comes from a root meaning "wolf", and Remus was a mythological founder of Rome with his brother Romulus. Romulus and Remus were sons of a Roman god, and the brothers were supposedly raised by a she-wolf. Also, Lupin's code name in DH was Romulus. Yes, I know YOU know, but it felt incomplete unless I added that in... yeah. Other names give things away as well, since Sirius means "dog". (I have nothing better to do with my life so I research names and their origins and meanings, and words and Latin roots, and it comes in handy throughout the Harry Potter series, haha).

Did anyone else notice names with meanings that contribute to the character's... uh... characteristics? Those were the first ones that crossed my mind.

Well, of course there is always Voldemort. The direct translation of Vol de mort is french for flight of death. Another one is Draco, latin for dragon. I'm pretty sure that most of the names in Harry Potter have special meanings regarding their characters. Like Nymphadora-Nymphs are spirits of nature in Greek mythology. They are minor female deities who appear as young, pretty girls, and are the protectors of springs, mountains, and rivers. (Encyclopedia Mythica). A nymph is also a stage of metamorphosis in the insect world. (Just as she is able to transform). Another could be Narcissa, consider the word Narcissist. Anyway I should stop now. Cheers.