Questions left unanswered?

[Rachel-K]

So, do we still have any mysteries to unravel? On any points--minor or major--did JKR leave us hanging?

Rachel

[DavidC]

Still no recipe for butterbeer.

[Psychee]

Thanks for the thread!

1. Who was the non-magical person who did magic under desperate circumstances?

2. What happened the night the Potters died? Who informed Dumbledore? Why didn't Dumbledore get the child himself? Why did he send Hagrid? When did Wormtail retrieve Voldy's wand?

3. Where is Voldemort's old body buried?

4. What do those silver instruments in Dumbledore's office do? How does his watch work? How was he "watching Harry more carefully than he would know"? How did he know to send the owl to Petunia in the kitchen?

5. Are any of the Death Eaters besides Voldemort, Bellatrix, and Wormtail dead?

6. How did Fenrir Grayback get out of the castle and able to come back to fight again after he was seen unconscious after being hit over the head by Trelawney's crystal ball?

7. Why was the Sorcerer's Stone in Dumbledore's possession at the start of the story?

8. Why didn't the Order and the "seven Potters" have disillusionment charms on themselves as they were leaving Privet Drive?

9. Where were the Dursleys taken and how are they?

10. What did Dudley see when the dementors attacked him -- why did he hear scary voices?

11. Why were the house elves not using elf magic when they joined the fight?

12. Where was Sirius' motorcycle stored all these years?

13. What was the career path of all the principles of the story after the fighting was over? Did the three heros return to school to finish their seventh year?

14. Why did JKR tell us that Harry might get a new pet?

15. Did Umbridge ever get punished?

16. Where's Fluffy and why wasn't he fighting?

17. Why wasn't Victor Krum fighting? Where was Madam Maxine?

18. Did the elves ever get more freedoms?

19. How did the Durmstrang boat appear inside the Lake? Is there a connecting waterway?

20. What happened to Florean Fortescue?

21. What did James and Lilly do for a living?

22. What are the twelve uses of dragon's blood?

23. How was Dumbledore able to see invisible things?

24. How did Dumbledore learn how to understand Parseltongue?

25. Which teachers are married?

Message Edited by Psychee on 07-21-2007 12:28 PM

[Psychee]

Can we interpret the text to mean that the reason the Voldy soul part was killed off by Voldy's AK curse is because it existed in a form that did not in any way interact with Harry's blood?

This concept is difficult for me to completely grasp, as Hermione said that you couldn't get a soul part out unless you destroyed the container, and the container in this case was Harry, whose body was not destroyed because Voldemort had his blood and was a form of a Horcrux ("tethered him to life" ) for Harry... very complicated!

Message Edited by Psychee on 07-21-2007 01:03 PM

[Bill_T]

Great questions...I was surprised that the epilogue focused so exclusively on family matters. Not that it wasn't nice, but I wanted to know what they all ended up doing.

(And I actually confess surprise that Hermione seems not to be on the Hogwarts faculty!)

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Psychee wrote:
Thanks for the thread!

1. Who was the non-magical person who did magic under desperate circumstances?

2. What happened the night the Potters died? Who informed Dumbledore? Why didn't Dumbledore get the child himself? Why did he send Hagrid? When did Wormtail retrieve Voldy's wand?

3. Where is Voldemort's old body buried?

4. What do those silver instruments in Dumbledore's office do? How does his watch work? How was he "watching Harry more carefully than he would know"? How did he know to send the owl to Petunia in the kitchen?

5. Are any of the Death Eaters besides Voldemort, Bellatrix, and Wormtail dead?

6. How did Fenrir Grayback get out of the castle and able to come back to fight again after he was seen unconscious after being hit over the head by Trelawney's crystal ball?

7. Why was the Sorcerer's Stone in Dumbledore's possession at the start of the story?

8. Why didn't the Order and the "seven Potters" have disillusionment charms on themselves as they were leaving Privet Drive?

9. Where were the Dursleys taken and how are they?

10. What did Dudley see when the dementors attacked him -- why did he hear scary voices?

11. Why were the house elves not using elf magic when they joined the fight?

12. Where was Sirius' motorcycle stored all these years?

13. What was the career path of all the principles of the story after the fighting was over? Did the three heros return to school to finish their seventh year?

14. Why did JKR tell us that Harry might get a new pet?

15. Did Umbridge ever get punished?

16. Where's Fluffy and why wasn't he fighting?

17. Why wasn't Victor Krum fighting? Where was Madam Maxine?

18. Did the elves ever get more freedoms?

19. How did the Durmstrang boat appear inside the Lake? Is there a connecting waterway?

20. What happened to Florean Fortescue?

21. What did James and Lilly do for a living?

22. What are the twelve uses of dragon's blood?

23. How was Dumbledore able to see invisible things?

24. How did Dumbledore learn how to understand Parseltongue?

25. Which teachers are married?

Message Edited by Psychee on 07-21-2007 12:28 PM

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[Psychee]

What, in the name of Merlin, was Aberforth's crime with those goats?

[Melissa_W Moderator]

I think there are a couple things that play into Harry surviving.

1. In literature and mythology great power is given to innocents who willingly sacrifice themselves without fear of death. If you read Lloyd Alexander's The Black Cauldron, Gurgi willingly throws himself into the Cauldron to save all of his friends even though he knows that any living thing that enters the Cauldron will immediately die (the Cauldron makes an army of living dead). Thus the Cauldron is destroyed, but Gurgi is somehow brought back to life. There's also another example but for the life of me I can't put my finger on it.

2. If we think of "innocent" in a biblical sense, Harry is still a virgin at the time he sacrifices himself even though it seems Ginny tried...

3. Dumbledore always stressed that Lily's sacrifice was carried in Harry's blood which is what caused the Killing Curse to rebound off Harry and strike Voldemort. Although the protection at the Dursley's wore off when Harry turned 17/left home, the blood protection still remains. So possibly that when Harry sacrificed himself, the "Harry" part of him was still protected by Lily's sacrifice but the "Voldemort" part of him died. And then Harry's sacrifice protected all those fighting at Hogwarts.

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Psychee wrote:
Can we interpret the text to mean that the reason the Voldy soul part was killed off by Voldy's AK curse is because it existed in a form that did not in any way interact with Harry's blood?

This concept is difficult for me to completely grasp, as Hermione said that you couldn't get a soul part out unless you destroyed the container, and the container in this case was Harry, whose body was not destroyed because Voldemort had his blood and was a form of a Horcrux ("tethered him to life" ) for Harry... very complicated!

Message Edited by Psychee on 07-21-2007 01:03 PM

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Message Edited by pedsphleb on 07-21-2007 03:08 PM

[DavidC]

What a list! Psychee, you're my hero.

[cocktailbball15]

I think that's a pretty good list...
and I really would like to know:
1. Where is Harry's Firebolt?
2. Where is the body of Mad-eye moody?
3. What ended up with Luna and all the other characters... (I thought Luna and Neville would get together...)?
4. How did Neville get Godric's Sword to kill Nigini? Did the Sorting hat ring it to him?
5. Who is Victorie?... Who Teddy Lupin was seen "snogging"?

Just a couple questions I had...=)

[PattyBNUChick]

I'm sure this is going to be an extremely unpopular opinion on the board, but I'm a bit disappointed in the book (and that disappointment really hasn't much to do with McGonagall turning out good if that's what most of you are thinking lol). So many things were left up in the air, I just am fairly disappointed. I'm hoping as I read it again my opinion will change, but for now, I hate, really hate to say it, but I am a bit disappointed. Maybe someday Rowling will publish a Hogwarts: A History and clear some of this up. : )

[kelligi]

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PattyBNUChick wrote:
I'm sure this is going to be an extremely unpopular opinion on the board, but I'm a bit disappointed in the book (and that disappointment really hasn't much to do with McGonagall turning out good if that's what most of you are thinking lol). So many things were left up in the air, I just am fairly disappointed. I'm hoping as I read it again my opinion will change, but for now, I hate, really hate to say it, but I am a bit disappointed. Maybe someday Rowling will publish a Hogwarts: A History and clear some of this up. : )

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I agree. So many things were left up in the air. How does George get along without his twin? What happened to the Dursleys? How exactly did Scrimgeour die? What do Ron, Harry and Hermione now do for a living?

[Proper-T]

Yeah the Epilogue... left much to be desired...

So Harry and Ginny had three kids, Ron and Hermione two, Draco a son, but what else has been going on for 19 years...

What were Harry and Ginny doing for a living? And by some of the kids reaction on the train, it would seem he might not get out a lot... maybe.

And Ron and Hermione?? What do they do?

How is George without his twin? Without his ear... I should also add?

Yes, who is Victore, it just says their cousin...

What is Severus Snape's name like now?? I imangine he's a hero... too little too late for my liking... but still?

Did Kingsley stay Minister of Magic? And is he doing a better job than everyone before him... which would include sacking Umbridge by the way

And yes, Harry's scar hadn't burned in 19 years, but what the heck else was going on for nineteen years? I just assumed (I know that's bad) that she would say Harry went on to do... Ron would go on to... etc, etc, etc... all this 19 years later junk leave a lot left to be desired.
--

I don't mean to be rude, but I don't feel like I have enough closure... we need a book of 'what happened to...' I know JK siad this was it, but there's so much more to wonder about...

[delphiandreams]

Alright IMHO, I think several of the things you listed where answered. Here are my views...

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Psychee wrote:
Thanks for the thread!

1. Who was the non-magical person who did magic under desperate circumstances?
Weren't we told several times that Andromeda married a muggle, Ted Tonks. That is why she was erased from the Black family tree. When Harry arrives at the Tonks's house after his run in with the Death Eaters its says on page 64 of the american edition, "Anything else broken? I've fixed your ribs, your tooth, your arm. I'm Ted, by the way, Ted Tonks" I guess it is possible he could have simply muggle set bones...but put a tooth back?

2. What happened the night the Potters died? Who informed Dumbledore? Why didn't Dumbledore get the child himself? Why did he send Hagrid? When did Wormtail retrieve Voldy's wand?

3. Where is Voldemort's old body buried?

4. What do those silver instruments in Dumbledore's office do? How does his watch work? How was he "watching Harry more carefully than he would know"? How did he know to send the owl to Petunia in the kitchen?
How did he know how to send the owl? He's Dumbledore! And he and Petunia had been in contact before...
5. Are any of the Death Eaters besides Voldemort, Bellatrix, and Wormtail dead?
I believe so because it says Voledmort screamed when Bellatrix "hist last leutentant died" (forgive my atrocious spelling)
6. How did Fenrir Grayback get out of the castle and able to come back to fight again after he was seen unconscious after being hit over the head by Trelawney's crystal ball?

7. Why was the Sorcerer's Stone in Dumbledore's possession at the start of the story?
Start of the series? Because Nicholas Flamel asked him to guard it because Dumbledore thought Voldemort may be out to get it
8. Why didn't the Order and the "seven Potters" have disillusionment charms on themselves as they were leaving Privet Drive?
That would have defeated the purpose, they wanted to distract and confuse the Death Eaters
9. Where were the Dursleys taken and how are they?

10. What did Dudley see when the dementors attacked him -- why did he hear scary voices?

11. Why were the house elves not using elf magic when they joined the fight?

12. Where was Sirius' motorcycle stored all these years?

13. What was the career path of all the principles of the story after the fighting was over? Did the three heros return to school to finish their seventh year?

14. Why did JKR tell us that Harry might get a new pet?
Because she thought he might, maybe she was going to write in another pet after she killed of Hedwig. Maybe the dragon lol
15. Did Umbridge ever get punished?

16. Where's Fluffy and why wasn't he fighting?

17. Why wasn't Victor Krum fighting? Where was Madam Maxine?

18. Did the elves ever get more freedoms?

19. How did the Durmstrang boat appear inside the Lake? Is there a connecting waterway?
Magic
20. What happened to Florean Fortescue?
My guess is Voldemort killed her
21. What did James and Lilly do for a living?

22. What are the twelve uses of dragon's blood?

23. How was Dumbledore able to see invisible things?
Did I miss that? Where does it say that?
24. How did Dumbledore learn how to understand Parseltongue?
I don't remember this being discussed either but since Ron figured out how to open the Chamber of Secrets by imitating Harry I guess it can be learned
25. Which teachers are married? I can't see any of them being married, its like a Catholic school...they are nuns and monks lol

[allenctynimrod]

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Proper-T wrote:
Yeah the Epilogue... left much to be desired...

So Harry and Ginny had three kids, Ron and Hermione two, Draco a son, but what else has been going on for 19 years...

What were Harry and Ginny doing for a living? And by some of the kids reaction on the train, it would seem he might not get out a lot... maybe.

And Ron and Hermione?? What do they do?

How is George without his twin? Without his ear... I should also add?

Yes, who is Victore, it just says their cousin...

What is Severus Snape's name like now?? I imangine he's a hero... too little too late for my liking... but still?

Did Kingsley stay Minister of Magic? And is he doing a better job than everyone before him... which would include sacking Umbridge by the way

And yes, Harry's scar hadn't burned in 19 years, but what the heck else was going on for nineteen years? I just assumed (I know that's bad) that she would say Harry went on to do... Ron would go on to... etc, etc, etc... all this 19 years later junk leave a lot left to be desired.
--

I don't mean to be rude, but I don't feel like I have enough closure... we need a book of 'what happened to...' I know JK siad this was it, but there's so much more to wonder about...

---

I think JK did actually what most of us thought she wouldn't do and left those 19 years open to our imaginations and her future whims. It's been said she doesn't want other people writing books and she doesn't want to write anymore herself but with this epilogue she definitely left open that possibility. It might not happen anytime soon but there are many years that JKR could have a change of heart and decide to revisit her old friends or allow someone else to do so.

[allenctynimrod]

Victoire is probably Fleur and Bill's daughter. It's a very very french sounding name so that would make sense to me. That would make Teddy and her distant cousins through Tonks but not enough that it would make much difference in the end.

[Psychee]

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allenctynimrod wrote:
Victoire is probably Fleur and Bill's daughter. It's a very very french sounding name so that would make sense to me. That would make Teddy and her distant cousins through Tonks but not enough that it would make much difference in the end.

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I agree with this. It was my first impression, anyway... They probably named their daughter in honor of the victory against Voldemort as well...

[Psychee]

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delphiandreams wrote:
Alright IMHO, I think several of the things you listed where answered. Here are my views...

---

1. Who was the non-magical person who did magic under desperate circumstances?
Weren't we told several times that Andromeda married a muggle, Ted Tonks. That is why she was erased from the Black family tree. When Harry arrives at the Tonks's house after his run in with the Death Eaters its says on page 64 of the american edition, "Anything else broken? I've fixed your ribs, your tooth, your arm. I'm Ted, by the way, Ted Tonks" I guess it is possible he could have simply muggle set bones...but put a tooth back?

Andromeda was erased because she married a muggle-born -- Ted Tonks was like Hermione, a wizard born of Muggle parents.

[allenctynimrod]

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Psychee wrote:

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allenctynimrod wrote:
Victoire is probably Fleur and Bill's daughter. It's a very very french sounding name so that would make sense to me. That would make Teddy and her distant cousins through Tonks but not enough that it would make much difference in the end.

---

I agree with this. It was my first impression, anyway... They probably named their daughter in honor of the victory against Voldemort as well...

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I hadn't thought of that Psychee, but thought that maybe Fleur wanted to name her after an old friend like Viktor perhaps. Kinda weird I know but that's where my mind immediately went.

[PattyBNUChick]

I want to know what Lily and Snape did to defy LV three times and the Longbottoms too.
And I want to know where Godric's Hollow was. I may have read it too fast, but I didnt think I could figure out if it was in England or Ireland or whatever.
I also wanted to know whos murders LV used for each Horcrux.

[phrodo41]

I'm kind of surprised how many questions were unanswered. I wonder if Jo said things about the 7th book and then changed some stuff in the process of writing it.