The Plot Thickens...: Harry Potter Investigated by Fans for Fans by Galadriel Waters (Editor) (1-Jun-2005) Paperback

by Galadriel Waters

Have you got your wits about you?JK Rowling challenged her fans to use their wits, and now her fans have responded. She's dribbled clues through her interviews, website, and of course the books. Where are the hints and how should we interpret them?If you're tired of chewing on your quill alone, pondering the possibilities, then join 53 fans from 10 countries, as they investigate cauldronfuls of sly clues, shedding new light on the mysteries hiding within JK Rowling's pages. Her bubbling brew of characters is becoming thick with * What's up with Aunt Petunia?* Is Gilderoy permanently disabled?* Is Percy really a git?* Where is Gran Longbottom's allegiance?* How does time travel work?* Is there still something odd with Mad-Eye?* Whose side is Snape on?Through the magic of the Internet community, our authors have been brought together from the Mighty MuggleNet "Chamber of Secrets" and "New Clues" forums to discuss the clues and hints in the Harry Potter septology. Transfigured from Internet posters to new authors, they have written The Plot Thickens...Harry Potter Investigated by Fans for Fans, brimming with new thoughts and theories on what may be one of the best-loved literary epics of all time. Just like Wizarding World Press's Ultimate Unofficial Guide to the Mysteries of Harry Potter, this new book can be a great starting point for those fans who wish to examine the series in depth.As the plot begins to truly thicken, these author-sleuths have conjured a collection of discussions, character analyses, and theories that will hook up your fireplace flue to the busiest Brain Room outside of the Department of Mysteries. Read fascinating scrolls that delve below the surface of over 60 topics, and peer ahead to what is yet to come. Share in the bouts of speculation. Investigate with your fellow fans as they weave together the threads of this mystery...worry with them over what tragedies still await our beloved Harry.Wizarding World Press invites you to come, join our discussion, as from one fan to another we respond to JK Rowling's challenge by using our wits to decipher this great mystery. Here is a unique, fun book, and a unique opportunity to experience the magic. Major spoilers included! Do not read this unless you have read all five Harry Potter books. The Plot Thickens. . . Harry Potter Investigated by Fans for Fans is a collection of articles by international authors--it is not the Ultimate Unofficial Guide to Book 5.

Genres: Harry Potter, Nonfiction, Fandom, Reference

Paperback

First published December 1, 2004

Reviews

[Ene Sepp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hoiatus! Sisurikkuja! Kui pole Potteri raamatuid lugenud või on need pooleli, olge jätkamisega ettevaatlikud. Tegu on siis Harry Potteri fännide poolt kirja pandud teooriatega. Ilmunud on see pärast "Fööniksi ordut" ja enne "Segaverelist printsi" ehk teooriad ongi just kahe viimase raamatu kohta. Mõned teooriad olid loogilised. Teised aga natuke... ma ei tea, üle mõistuse? Muidugi, Rowling peitis teksti mitmeid vihjeid, kuid ma arvan, et viisis, kuidas kõrvaltegelane oma patsi punus, ei ole mõtet mingeid vihjeid otsida.

Mul on ka hea meel, et mul õnnestus Harry Potterit kogeda siis, kui see alles ilmus. Kogu see ootusärevus ja põnevus... On hoopis teine teema, kui pead uut raamatut aastaid ootama, mitte ei ole kõik kohe riiulis kättesaadav. Enamik raamatus toodud teooriatest ei pidanud ka paika (või pole vähemalt siiani kinnitust leidnud) aga toon välja enda lemmikud ja need, mis mind rohkem mõtlema panid:

- Miks on Nevillel niivõrd halb mälu? Äkki on põhjuseks mäluloits! Äkki nägi ta oma vanemate piinamist pealt ja Dumbledore/Neville'i vanaema/keegi kolmas kasutas tema kaitsmiseks mäluloitsu. Või äkki olid need surmasööjad, kes kustutasid ta mälu, et Neville ei saaks öelda, kes täpselt tema vanemaid ründasid? Ja miks ta nii väga Snape'i kardab? Kas äkki võis Snape olla üks nendest, kes tema vanemaid piinasid või oli Snape kõrvalseisja rollis?

- Neville'i vanemad, Alice ja Frank Longbottom, ei olegi päriselt mõistust kaotanud, vaid Lucius Malfoy annab St Mungo haiglale altkäemaksu ning sealsed ravitsejad aitavad oma võlujookide ja loitsudega Neville'i vanemaid kontrolli all hoida. Nätsupaberid, mida Alice oma pojale annab, on tegelikult salajane sõnum. Kui Neville (Hermione abiga) selle koodi lahti muugib, on lootust vanemate täielikule paranemisele.

- Hästi palju on toodud paralleele vanade müütide ja legendidega, Egiptuse, India, Rooma ning Kreeka jumalused, ruunid ning nende tõlgendamine jne. Kui Rowling reaalselt kogu seda infot ka eelnevalt kogus ja luges, siis on see veel metsikum eeltöö kui arvata võis.

- Harry kui fööniks. On välja toodud, et äkki peab Harry Voldemorti võitmiseks surema ning nagu me nüüd teame, siis mõnes mõttes see oligi tõsi.

- Kuidas Fred ja George Weasley teadsid nii täpselt lendluudpalli maailmakarika tulemust? See pole eriti loogiline, et kitu püüdnud võistkond kaotab. Äkki neil on ajakeeraja, nad reisisid tulevikku, nägid tulemust, ning said siis seda enda heaks ära kasutada. Ja äkki aitavad nad ka Siriusel tagasi ellu ärgata?!

- Saladuste kambris peitub rohkem, kui vaid teises raamatus kohatud basilisk (teooria autor toetub Thothi kambri ja smaragdtahvli legendile). Autor pakub, et kambris võib peituda võti, kuidas Harry pärast tema surma ellu äratada. Või on kambris olev raamat tõestuseks, et Salazar Slytherin polnudki nii halb, kui arvatakse ja Sigatüüka neli maja ühinevad, aidates sellega kaasa Voldermorti hävitamisele.

- Voldemort ehk Tom Riddle ON Salazar Slytherin. Ta saadetakse ajas tagasi kas läbi sama poolkaare, kus Sirius hukkus või satub ta ministeeriumi ajakeerajate osakonda. Keskaega jõudnuna võtab ta endale Salazar Slytherini nime ja jätab tuleviku endale info Saladuste Kambri kohta. Pärast Sigatüüka teiste asutajatega tülli minemist, puhtaverelisuse ideoloogia levitamist ning Durmstrangi asutamist, sureb Voldemort Salazar Slytherinina. Ja kui Voldemorti minevikku sattumine juhtub kogemata, siis äkki läheb keegi talle järgi. Näiteks Ron... (ja siin liitub teooria teise teooriaga, kus väidetakse, et Ron on tegelikult Dumbledore)

- Trelawney ennustas pidevalt Harry surma, ütles et tal on kõige lühem elujoon üldse jne. Kas põhjuseks on äkki see, et ta tajus läbi Harry ka Voldemorti, kes oli juba põhimõtteliselt surnud?

- Ainus viis, kuidas Harry saaks Snape'ile andestada, on see, kui Snape sureb mingil üllal põhjusel kangelasena. Põhimõtteliselt osutus see tõeks.

- Üks autor ennustas õigesti, et Snape saab kas kuuendas või seitsmendas raamatus oma ihaldatud töökoha - mustade jõudude vastase kaitse professori positsiooni.

- Kui inimese patronuse kuju on seotud tema vanematega (Harryl on ju hirv, nagu ta isal), siis kas Snape'i patronus võiks olla nt dementor? Peegeldades hirmu, mida Snape oma isa ees tundis ja seda, kui õela mulje Snape'i isa jättis.

- Paralleelide tõmbamine Severus Snape'i ning Molly Weasley vahel. Peab ütlema, et mõnes mõttes oli see päris loogiline.

- Ja muidugi siis teooria, et kes ikkagi on see Segavereline prints. Kuna oli juba teada, mis on kuuenda osa pealkiri, hakati selle kallal nuputama. Minu lemmikvariandid, mida pakuti: Hagrid, Filch, Godric Gryffindor, Salazar Slytherin ja Dudley Dursley. Mainiti ka Snape'i ning ta polnud just kõige vähem populaarsem valik. Ma ei teadnud ka seda, et "Segavereline prints" oli ühel hetkel hoopis teise raamatu ("Saladuste kamber") tööpealkiri ning teises raamatus olevat olulised vihjed kuuendale raamatule. Ma ei suutnud välja mõelda, mis need oleksid võinud olla aga interneti abiga selgus, et see on tõenäoliselt lihtsalt info varikätkide kohta ning täpsemalt siis Riddle'i päevik, mille Harry nii poolkogemata hävitab. Rowling ise on öelnud, et info, et just Snape on segavereline prints, pidi ka algul teise raamatusse minema aga siis ta otsustas, et see ei sobi sinna ning info jäi ootama kuuendat raamatut.

[Mary]

An interesting read that came out before the last books were released. Some of these fan theories end up debunked, while others are spot on!

[Kathryn (Dragon Bite Books)]

Curious to reconnect from our forum days... any of the other essay authors hanging about on Goodreads? What are you all up to now?

[C · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gives me nostalgia and brings back good memories. I remember, in fourth grade, when I first read the Harry Potter series, I was desperate for more related material. I discovered this book in my school library and from then on carried it everywhere with me for WEEKS! I remember my friends crowding around me at the lunch table to read with me, and arguing over who would get to read it next. Even though the series had already ended when I read this book, I adored the inquiries and theories that had such validity to them. I agreed with the potential Harry and Hermione shipping, and how there had to have been something to Harry having Lily's green eyes (although there turned out not to be, I thought there ought to have! With the way it was constantly emphasized!). This book was just great to me.

The only reason I can't give it 5 stars is that I'll admit I did skim some sections. Although that may be unfair considering I skimmed some theories that I already knew the outcomes to, considering this was meant to be read in between OOTP and HBP.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

To be honest I'm not sure if I read everything in here; it's very thick and detailed. It's one of those books that Would be good for a reread. Not necesarily to judge the essays that predicted the end of the series for accuracy, but because it depicted fandom in a specific time and place. We were in the thick of the story, then, and we'll never be in that time again. But we can look back with nostalgia and remember the magic! :p

[Deborah · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was interesting to read other fans ideas about the Harry Potter books and what might happen and why it might happen. I think it is fun to pull apart books and analyze them. (I have been in English class too much.) Some of the articles I agreed with, others I thought were way off the mark...however, it was very fun to think about the different ideas.

[Emma · Rating 2 out of 5]

Originally read this before book 6 came out. I devoured it at the time and decided to re-read it now after all of the books have been published to see how readers interpreted the books at the time. It was amusing to see all of the incorrect predictions for the last two books, but several of the essays were mediocre and the book was very poorly edited.

[Libby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read these literary analysis/prediction essays during a Harry Potter off-year. It was fun to read, but the quality varied widely from essay to essay, and the essay by an 8-year-old was better than some of those written by adults!

[Runa · Rating 5 out of 5]

one of the best books around for HP fans-offers some interesting theories, and while a lot of them have been debunked since HBP, quite a few could still happen.

[hpboy13 · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great collection of essays, and just as fun to read in hindsight!

[April · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute book. Great ideas any HP theories.

[Merve · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found most of the essays a bit boring and not very import for background information.