New Book Coming from J.K. Rowling!

UPDATE: Book to be published by Little Brown!

Here's what JK Rowling said through Little Brown's press release:

Although I've enjoyed writing it every bit as much, my next book will be very different to the Harry Potter series, which has been published so brilliantly by Bloomsbury and my other publishers around the world. The freedom to explore new territory is a gift that Harry's success has brought me, and with that new territory it seemed a logical progression to have a new publisher

Original post started here:
Did you hear the news?!?  J.K. Rowling's agent has announced the upcoming release of her new book!  And it's for adults!

Here's what The Blair Partnership had to say:

We are please to announce that our client, J.K. Rowling, will be releasing a new novel for adults. Further details will be announced later in the year.

So, what do you think?  A book for adults!  I don't think it will be fantasy, as she said previously that she thought she'd covered that.  So, what type?

Also, I'll go back to our earlier speculation thread on when Jo would make the announcement and see who came closest to guessing this.  Will post back here soon!

UPDATE: I just checked the earlier speculation thread, and so far, two predictions seem to be close to target!  First off, author Lisa Gail Green predicted the next release would be for adults! Yay Lisa!!  And I was 9 days off predicting when the book would be announced as I had chosen February 14 for an announcement.

Still waiting to see when the release actually is to determine which predictions came closest!

Also, @HPSupporters is reporting that JKRowling.com will be redesigned and re-launched later this spring. You can sign up for further announcements at Jo's website.

UPDATE: Rowling's agent, Neil Blair, revealed through an Associated Press story that "there had been no auction."  Writers will surely be curious about this development.

I would think that if Little Brown had pre-empted, that Blair would have said so, which leads me to think that Blair and Rowling must have approached the publisher Jo most wanted to work with.  What do you think?

UPDATE: Yes, PublishersWeekly mentions rumors that Little Brown was given an exclusive!

Also, be prepared for a spring full of games and fun from Jo!  If she's true to form -- and by announcing the book without announcing the title and genre, it seems like she will be -- we're in for several weeks of hints and clues to string us along and keep the excitement building!


Keep coming back!  I'll update this post throughout the day as the story unfolds!

Photo credit from @HPSupporters.

What Pattern Can We See from the Pottermore Clues Posted Thus Far?

JK Rowling and her Pottermore team are truly devious!

Obviously, they've learned from past releases of clue-games on JKRowling.com and the SecretStreeView site just how quickly the answer to whatever they post will spread like wildfire throughout fandom.  They know that we're going to sit here guessing at and entering any possible answer combination until we hit on the right fit.

Pottermore has a great challenge in order to try to make this fair for everybody. As we had been discussing on this site for weeks, the early entry clues had to be done in such a way that it's not over as soon as it starts, like what happened with SecretStreetView. Fans shared those letters as soon as they found them, figured out how to find the rest, some before they were even released, and turned what was supposed to be a 2-day challenge into a 2-hour frenzy!

We figured that the quill quest challenge must involve some sort of skill on the fans' part and would have to be fair to people across the world with various translations and editions of the text.  As pointed out by Brian in the comment trail, that is why the numbers work so beautifully. Words within the text will not be the same in foreign language editions.  However, numbers are universal (as long as the translations have remained true to the original and listed the exact same number of owl breeds! :-)

Still, with two days' release of clues, maybe we can find some pattern to go on.

Clues so far:
1) Number of owl breeds in Eeylops Owl sign multiplied by 49
2) Chapter number in which McGonagall cancels the Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff multiplied by 42
3) Number of points Gryffindor was up in the match against Slytherin when Harry caught the Snitch, multiplied by 35

If the Pottermore team can take numbers from the listing of items in a sign to the number of a chapter, then seeking out number mentions in the upcoming books probably isn't going to be much help.  Numbers can come from virtually anywhere!

However, I do see just a small hint of a pattern.  Look at this:

Here are the formulas and final numbers used for entry so far:

sample: 7 x 10 = 70
1) 5 x 49 = 245 (7 x 7 = 49)
2) 14 x 42 = 588 (7 x 2 = 14, 7 x 6 = 42)
3) Today's involved two sets of problems. First, you had to do the math to figure out how many points Gryffindor was up (80 - 20 = 60), then multiply by 35 (7 x 5) for 60 x 35 = 2100
4) Tomorrow, we can anticipate a factor of 28 (7 x 4)

Our biggest hint, then is 7. A multiple of 7 was used both days as the factor. And as noted by Tricia in the comment forum, the factors also seem to be counting down. 7 the first day, 6 the second... Yay Tricia!

Times released so far:

1) 4 am Eastern, 9 am British
2) 5 am Eastern, 10 am British
3) 6 am Eastern, 11 am British

I doubt very seriously they will keep this pattern of only one hour apart!

I'm wondering, as are many others, if Pottermore will continue releasing clues within a narrower time-frame than anticipated due to the demands of needing to have it w/in their British working hours to have staff available to assist with problems.  If so, we can probably expect to have several more early mornings in the western hemisphere.

Location of Magical Quill:
1) on a place within Pottermore where various quills floated, or "flew," around and we had to catch one like Harry on the broom in the underground challenge at the end of PS/SS
2) hidden within a picture on a page of WarnerBrothers
3) on an ad placed in the top right column of a page at The Guardian with an article on Pottermore. This time, you had to swish and click your cursor over the quill to make it levitate to the top.

It seems that we can expect to find these quills hidden on pages of sites that are important to JK Rowling.

Going forward:
If you still haven't gotten in, my best advice:

1. keep the remaining books right by your computer (or wherever you check online from)
2. keep tabs open to Pottermore, Twitter, Facebook, this site, or whatever trusted source you know will update as soon as a clue is released
3. have a calculator handy
4. as well as the url: http://quill.pottermore.com/
5. learn your 7s time table!
6. and above all, CLICK QUICKLY
7. then, come back here and share with the rest of us
8. One prediction -- I expect that the numbers highlighted within each book will increase as the factors decrease. (Notice that today's was 60, the largest thus far.) Otherwise, people could try to simply click through the 7s time table before the next clue posts. Though I'm not sure it would work.

The Quill Quest is ON!!

click to enlarge

Thanks to @Rubeus__Hagrid we have a screen cap of the Pottermore Magical Quill challenge.

7 Books, 7 Days, 7 Chances!

Sounds like we may be on the right track with the clues from the books we've been hunting.

I'll keep updating this page as new information is shared.  Contribute what you're hearing in the comments below, and the big news I'll add up here!

The Quill Quest is On!

Updates as they come in:

1. Must read: Pottermore Insider:  The way I'm reading this, you only have to successfully answer one clue and find that day's quill to register, if you do it while that day's registration is still open.  You don't have to do all 7!  But they close registration for the day after a certain number is reached. I guess this is to make it more challenging and give more people a chance.
2. When you find the clue, type it into the end of: http://quill.pottermore.com/  Note: Just because something you type in now doesn't work does not mean it's not a clue for sure. They may not activate the pages until the clue is released to keep people from random guessing.
3. Based on some comments I'm seeing below and in other posts: the clue has not been released yet, just the process for how they will be released and what we must do to answer. I'm guessing, judging the time and that the UK is in bed, it will be tomorrow sometime. What they've done is to prepare us for how the clue process and early registration will work.
4. As soon as a clue is released and I know about it, I will post it here. If I know the answer right away, I'll post that. Otherwise, we can work it out together.
5. Seems like beside the 7 Day banner, a couple of new items got added to the desk. Going to check my old file and see what's changed.
6. New items on desk -- what appears to be a red writing pen and an ivory Chess pawn, but I'm guessing both items are for pressing the wax seal. What do you think? Also something that appears to be a broken white quill on the front right corner near a letter.
7. Major News -- As has been mentioned in the comment trail from a post on Mugglenet's forum, LeakyCon attendees were given a preview that for the first clue you will need to go to Diagon Alley. Note, this is NOT the clue. It's a hint for the clue. The actual clue is supposed to be released after 8 am British Time.
8. I'd like to clarify one thing because I was a LeakyCon attendee as well -- the leaked information was posted here on my blog before I ever got my letter. People had found it released elsewhere and posted here in comments.
9. Today's clue is posted! How many breeds of owls mentioned in Eeylops Owl sign x 49! Hurry! 
10. I'm IN!! My new Pottermore name -- PhoenixEye64 !! Find me when we can all play!
11. Guys, I just added a new poll to the blog --->> I'd love to know how many people who come here are in!
12. I've started a new post to share Pottermore usernames. Check it out at And My Pottermore Name Is...  However, clue discussions in the following days will continue here!
13. In case you haven't already seen it, Pottermore Insider has answered some basic questions about the Quill Quest: http://bit.ly/pT0IdJ
14. IF YOU WANT TO BE SPOILED -- Roxanne just posted a link in the comment trail to some pictures from inside Pottermore that look very legitimate. They are from Facebook from someone in France. I looked at the first couple and stopped because I want to explore myself. But here's a link for those who can't wait! Pottermore Pics
15. Sorry! I was asleep for the release of clue 2 (Monday)! But my forums were not! Thank you all who shared in the comment trail and helped each other out. For the record, the clue was once again a number with multiplication clue -- in which chapter did McGonagall cancel the Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff, multiply it by 42. Alas, registration for today is already closed.
16. The Pottermore Insider has updated with a new post. The most interesting detail on it to me is that the Welcome e-mails letting the Beta players into Pottermore will not start to come until AFTER all 7 clues have been released.
17. Pottermore Insider has been updated! Tomorrow's (Wednesday's) clue will post between 9 am to 1 pm BST, which is between 4 am to 8 am Eastern (I think)!
18. Day 3 (Tuesday's) Clue: In the Gryffindor versus Slytherin Quidditch match, in Harry's third year, how many points is Gryffindor leading by before Harry catches the Golden Snitch?
    Multiply this number by 35.
19. Answer is in the comment trail. Just click "last activity" to see most recent comments for help!
20. 4th day (Wednesday's) clue to post between 2 pm - 6 pm British, 9 am - 1 pm Eastern.
21. Be ready with your multiples of 28! :-) 
22. New Clue:  How many students take part in the Triwizard Tournament during Harry's fourth year?
    Multiply this number by 28.
23. The Sony site is broke, just reenter this address: http://quill.pottermore.com/112
    It will take you straight to the page!!! 
24. Day 5: What is the house number of the Headquarters for The Order of the Phoenix in Grimmauld Place? Multiply this number by 21.
25. Day 6: How many chapters are there in HARRY POTTER and the Half-Blood Prince?
    Multiply this number by 14.
26. Day 7: How many Deathly Hallows are there? Multiply this number by 7.
27. Seek for help in the comment trail!
    

P.S. - Need a professional edit on your manuscript before you submit or publish direct? Be sure to check out my services!

Possible Pottermore Number Clue Found!

Update!, the Quill Quest has been announced. I've started a new post to follow the clues as they are released. Check here: Quill Quest is ON!!



July 31st is only 2 days away!!! And if you're like me, you're anxious and excited about what sort of early entry trial Pottermore will bring.

Well, thanks to George Papastratigakis, who has been commenting in this blog's Pottermore -- The Numbers Game column, we may all have one significant clue to go on.

George has been commenting for a few weeks about the numbers he saw carved into that large wooden desk on the Pottermore entry page.  But because I didn't have the contrast/brightness set right, and because my schedule was extremely hectic due to presenting a workshop at LeakyCon and then the week of #PotterChat, I couldn't see those numbers until today.

Meanwhile, George had updated his comments with specific directions as to where to look and with the idea that the numbers could possibly be an Ottendorf cipher.

So, not being too familiar with the film National Treasure, I looked up Ottendorf cipher and discovered that it was a book cipher. As one of the simplest ways JKR and the Pottermore team could have planted a book code was to refer to a page in a book, I decided to give it a try...still not really believing this would amount to anything.

However, what seemed to me to be the numbers on that desk are just the 2 and 9. The other stuff around it, what some people are seeing as 121961, I saw as just distraction. The 2 and the 9 come out the most clear.

click to enlarge

If JKR was going to leave a clue to a page number on the Pottermore entry desk, then I believed it would be to a page in the Bloomsbury edition of Philosopher's Stone.

And guess what happens at the bottom of page 29 of Philosopher's Stone:

   Dudley and Uncle Vernon came in, both with wrinkled noses because of the smell from Harry's new uniform. Uncle Vernon opened his newspaper as usual and Dudley banged his Smeltings stick, which he carried everywhere, on the table.
   They heard the click of the letter-box and flop of letters on the doormat.
   'Get the post, Dudley,' said Uncle Vernon from behind his paper.
   'Make Harry get it.'
   'Get the post, Harry.'
   'Make Dudley get it.'

That's the end of page 29. And you know by now what that post has brought. The very first Hogwarts letter for Harry. So on p. 29 of PS, Harry's first letter has been delivered.

What I think this could signify:

1. I think this could be another reference to the Quill Quest for early entry.
2. This clue could very well point to a method which will be used to gain that early entry. In other words, we may be hunting page numbers in books to find correct answers. However, the problem with that is, not everyone's going to have the same editions and page numbers. (Which, or course, will be solved with the HP e-books!).
3. Therefore, the Pottermore team may be using other means to test our knowledge of the books.  However, as commented by Roxanne earlier in The Pottermore Quill Quest is On thread, if the Pottermore team hopes to keep the answers from flooding the Internet as soon as the early entry challenge opens, then a certain amount of skill will need to be involved. JKR has used tests before on some of her prior challenges on JKRowling.com. Don't forget the Wombats (as Farida Mestek pointed out).  The early entry challenge could be a WOMBAT style test where the team has put together so many possible combinations of questions and answers, that it would at least slow down the dissemination as people share.

You think all this is coincidence? You may be right. Two more days will reveal the truth.

But for now, what do you think?

And good job, George!!!! Take a bow in the comments.


(PS: As I post this, I have Googled to see if any other sites have come up with page 29 of Philosopher's Stone from those numbers on the Pottermore desk. So far, I have not found anyone else with this clue. Which may just mean that we're off our rockers! :-)

Update: One more thing I've just realized that makes me think those numbers may indeed be deliberately planted -- they are not symmetrical! If they were merely decorative, wouldn't they have been drawn somewhat symmetrically around that center line?

Update 2: George Papastratigakis, who pointed the way to the numbers on the desk and the code theory, has been posting more comments in the Pottermore -- The Number Game thread.  He believes the full sequence of numbers are 1-219-6-1 and that it points to book #, page #, line #, and word #, which comes to the word "think" in the following bit from the Bloomsbury edition of Philosopher's Stone:

Harry: "He's a funny man, Dumbledore. I think he sort of wanted to give me a chance. I "think" he knows more or less everything that goes on here, you know."

Here's the picture George put together to highlight his ideas:

click to enlarge

What do you all think? Could that sequence of numbers point to a different book, maybe?

Update 3: Jennyko in comments has pointed out what appears to be the numbers 9 and 6 carved into the headboard of the chair. The 9 is on the left side of the central circle and the 6 is on the right.

If this follows like the 29 carved into the wooden desk, and we interpret it as a page number in Bloomsbury's Philosopher's Stone, then we come to the page where Harry enters Gryffindor Tower for the first time, with Percy giving the password as Caput Draconis.

I did a whole editorial several years ago on Geomancy and Alchemy in Harry Potter, and Caput Draconis is a geomantic term. Here's what I said about it in 2004:

Caput Draconis and Fortuna Major are two of these geomantic characters. “Caput
Draconis” (Head of the Dragon) is the first password Harry learns for Gryffindor tower in Sorcerer’s Stone (130). According to John Michael Greer in Earth Divination, Earth Magic: A Practical Guide to Geomancy, Caput Draconis is defined as: “A doorway leading in. Favorable for beginnings and gain”. It signifies the beginning of something new and positive — highly appropriate for the beginning of Harry’s new life.

Fortuna Major, mentioned above, was the password in Prisoner of Azkaban.

If we need a password to get into Pottermore tomorrow, and Caput Draconis is it, then you all should come back here and give Jennyko a huge thank-you! :-)

Confused? Feel free to ask questions in the comment trail. You may also want to read through prior posts in the Pottermore label.

Pottermore Quill Quest is On!

Update!, the Quill Quest has been announced. I've started a new post to follow the clues as they are released. Check here: Quill Quest is ON!!

Alright, I may be jumping the gun a bit, but our hunches from the last few weeks of hunting clues seem to be paying off.

HPSupporters just pointed out that in the Pottermore blog post revealed today there is a hidden, invisible link.  And guess what that link points to?  An interview where JK Rowling discusses how names of students-to-be are written down by a magical quill in a book that record all magical births.  It is from this book that invitations to Hogwarts are sent out when they reach their 11th year.

Thanks so much @HPSupporters!

So, the Quill Quest seems to be shaping up to be a very real thing.  Though I'm not sure it will be limited to finding quills.  It seems to me that there is a wand disguised as a limb on the Pottermore Flash (above) that many of the fansites are sporting.  Plus, I know from the LeakyCon Pottermore preview that we will document our path through Pottermore by points of lights on 7 limbs, one for each book.

I think when July 31 rolls around, we'll be definitely hunting 3 quills in fandom, and perhaps a wand as well.

What do you think?  Did you see the hidden link?

About the wand disguised as a limb theory:  Look at the Flash above.  See the largest owl who is front and off-center to the left?  Now, look at his talons.  In the working Flash, he lifts and lowers those feet.  And his left talon seems to be gripping a very straight, long stick, while all the other limbs are bent or crooked.  That limb may actually be a wand.

This would be keeping with the original Pottermore Owl Tree where three quills were disguised as leaves.  You can see them below.  They are the bottom three on the left side:

Update 7/20: Roxanne makes a very good point in the comment trail.  JK Rowling and the Pottermore team are smart enough to realize that if the quest test for early entry is something as simple as finding 3 quills (and possibly a wand) once they are found by one person, the locations will be shared all over Fandom.

Therefore, there must be something to the early entry test that can be individualized and not simply shared.  Roxanne suggests a test of skill of some sort.  I'm thinking that once you find the quills and wand you have to do something with them.  Perhaps there will be a writing test! :-) (just kidding...I think!)

Siriusly, what do you do with a quill, especially at Hogwarts?  You write. 

What do you think?

Confused?  Not understanding what we're talking about regarding Pottermore, early entry, and the Quill Quest?  Read back over the Pottermore posts here to see the build-up to this article.

Sneak Peek 2 - History of Hogwarts Express

click to enlarge

It's not much, but lets see what we can find in this newest sneak peek to give us hints as to what's to come in Pottermore, and hopefully, how to get in early.

One of the first things I noticed is that there's secrets to unlock.  I would guess that these are all the bonus insights JK Rowling has written for Pottermore.

Also, did you see the two quills on trunk and the thing that looks like a slide carousel/eye.  I wonder what the quills designate?  But their appearance does give a strong hint to the possibility of the quill quest for early entry.

What more do you see?

Keep hitting refresh and I'll keep updating as we go!

I can't remember if we saw the "Read About" items down the left-hand side in a prior preview (yes, we did).  Will have to go check.  But it's interesting to me to think about what they represent.  Based on the detailed preview below suggesting that this section holds more information on places, characters, and creatures, I think these symbols represent:

Pottermore Previews

Update 6/30: The new Pottermore preview is up. Here's the jpeg:

click to enlarge

So, let's start dissecting!

It's Platform 9 3/4. Interesting how she chose a chapter focused on a number. :-)

So, it looks like there will be two interactive parts in this chapter -- one about the train, and the other about the train ride.

The icons at the top include:

• a Lock --in the place where in prior screen shots it says "Shop Open."
• Diagon Alley --
• Gringotts -- isn't there supposed to be a game here? riding the carts? Or am I confusing with the theme park? :-) -- could also imply that you earn galleons during the exploration and need a place to store your loot.
• Great Hall -- a place to share your fanfiction and fanart?
• Common Room --maybe a place to organize smaller study/reading groups or games?
• Spells -- a game for casting spells (as reported in Time)?
• Potions -- a game for mixing potions (as reported in Time)?
• Trunk -- a place to keep mementos/prizes you've gained?
• Friends -- the social media aspect?
• Favorites -- as in other social media, probably a place to bookmark favorite posts from friends
• also an owl with glowing eyes overseeing it all

I'll start listing beside each possibilities for what it represents.

I'm very curious about that owl with the number beside his head.  I wonder if that number represents a level you progress through, or special items you have collected, or what?  What do you think?

I think I see some red-haired Weasleys on the platform behind the sign! :-)

Also, did you notice the sprig of ivy at the bottom right of the sign?  We know already that in Diagon Alley we get to have our wand choose us.  I wonder if that ivy is decoration for everyone, or if it changes depending on the wood of your wand?

Follow the Owl

"The experience of reading requires that the imaginations of the author & reader work together to create the story."  --  JK Rowling

If you're a Harry Potter fan like I am, then you're probably feeling a bit drained right now.  The last few days have brought waves of mounting excitement coupled with the fear of possible disappointment as if the Chudley Cannons had made it to the World Quidditch Cup.  But not only were we anticipating, we were participating.  It was as if Jo had twirled her time-turner and returned many of us to the last days before July 21, 2007 when we feverishly scoured her work for clues as to what was forthcoming, sharing possible finds with each other, building our own theories.

That's always been the beauty of Jo's work -- reader involvement.  Like no other author I know of, she understands how to fully engage her reader, from picking out which house they would be sorted into, to scouring old myths in the hunt for possible clues to the Potter plots.  We engage because she weaves mystery into everything she does, and leaves a delightfully hidden trail of clues to follow.  She plays with her reader, and we join enthusiastically in with her game.

And so today's announcement arrived.  We waited online together with collective baited breath.  As one, we watched the video presentation with its fanciful animated words on a page coming to life.  And then we rushed in unison to click the link on the partially opened site to register our e-mail, hoping that come Harry and Jo's birthday, we could apply for the golden early entrance ticket.

Afterward, some were elated, even with the malfunctioning website.  Others disappointed that it was not what they'd hoped for.  Some gobbled up every news bit that was released like a hungry hippogriff gulping down tasty, dead ferrets.  Others meandered on to their regular lives, let down that there's still a long wait to know what Pottermore truly is...to enter those Hogwarty gates.

The final tidbit Jo left with us was her direction to "follow the owl," with a lone owl shadow soaring over her printed page, across the scene in Philosopher's Stone of Harry entering the restricted section (as pointed out by sharp-eyed ShannonAshley).  And as Ron worried about Hagrid's direction to follow the butterflies, we now question how we are to follow the owls.

Are we on a new clue hunt for whatever will get us in to Pottermore early?  Or are we to await instruction from Jo when registration opens on July 31?  Have clues already been hidden, maybe even many of those we excavated while searching out what Pottermore would be?  Or are they yet to be revealed, perhaps hidden in the pages of her books, or among her fansites that hosted her owlery images?

I expect that more information will be forthcoming in the next few days to help clarify things a bit, but knowing Jo, who like the Pied Piper loves to lead us on a merry chase, the whole mystery will not be cleared up until the Pottermore doors are fully open.  Because as much as we like to grouse and complain, a little mystery goes a long way to fully engaging the reader and exciting the imagination...the source of true magic.


P.S. - As a community, we covered a lot of theories, but I believe we hit the heart of what Pottermore appears to be.  We said it did not seem like JKR's style to do some sort of massive MMORPG game, and it wasn't.  By following her clues, we believed that Pottermore would be a combination of encyclopedia, gaming, and social media -- and it is!  We guessed there would be backstory and fanfiction and reader involvement, and it seems to have that aplenty.

So hold onto those owl counts, number theories, and possible coordinates.  There's a quill missing from the Pottermore entry desk, some loose quills floating somewhere from the YouTube owl tree, and some shadowy owl gliding across the page into a darkened library of hidden knowledge.  I think the mystery has only just begun!

Multiplying Owls and a Possible Treasure Hunt??

Post already updated (twice!) with info on The Times (UK) leak! See notes in red below!

One of this blog's visitors predicted today's owl count!  Not only that, she did so using a way of deciphering the numbers which led to her prediction that Pottermore would be an encyclopedia.

The theory posted by Molly in a prior thread in the comment trail plotted out the owl number differentiation over the last few days, but it was hard to decipher in comments.  I think her idea can be better presented with this graph:

click to enlarge

Basically what is done here is to take the number of owls each day and then chart the difference between daily owl counts, and to continue to do this consecutively, until you reach the number 101.  According to Molly, 101 is code for basic information, like Biology 101, Stats 101.  And basic information is an encyclopedia!

This may seem a bit convoluted, but one thing that impressed me was that Molly accurately predicted today's owl count as an increase of 7, which works in this formula.

Molly, if you're reading this, please let me know if I've presented your info correctly.

What I like about this is that it charts the owls over 7 days -- and we all know how magical the number 7 is to JK Rowling.  Also, it works with all the other evidence we've seen for an encyclopedia;

• the notes from the original Secret Street View, which documented details from the books, aspects of JKR's career, and memories of fandom -- all of which would be included in an encyclopedia
• the fixed numbers on her Youtube -- which many seem to point to the same kind of detailed information as above
• the fixed videos on Youtube -- which document important dates in her career, and in one she specifically references the encyclopedia

What do you think?  Does this analysis of the numbers work for you?  One concern I have -- could you take any set of numbers and eventually get down to 101? But could you do it in so few steps?

#PottermoreChat!

#PottermoreChat - tonight, 6/20 on Twitter at 9 pm EST! BE THERE!

Pottermore - Are you going crazy trying to figure out what it's going to be? Is it an MMORPG? Is it an online, interactive encyclopedia? (Excuse me, online Scottish Book)? Is it social media? It is EuroPotter?

We've been discussing the clues on this blog for days, starting when the first coordinates were released:

Let the Games Begin! is our first post as we searched for the coordinates and pieced together Pottermore, with the beginning speculation of what it could be.

Then for a couple of days, we worked on the Pottermore Trail of Clues, where we listed all the Secret Street View coordinates, locations, and most importantly, the notes, to see what we could ferret out there. My initial speculation leaned strongly toward the encyclopedia (and still hope!).

Then, because the updates can get a bit confusing, and our discussion was focused more on the numbers on the YouTube site, we switched to Pottermore - The Numbers Game.

Basically, I believe the YouTube site screams clues, with the date of Feb. 4 listed without a year, the frozen page views and likes and dislikes which no one can click on, the 50 videos listed that are not active. Then there's the multiplying owls, the falling leaves...JKR sure does love a good mystery!

So, let's all put our collective minds together. Join us tonight at 9 pm EST on Twitter at #PottermoreChat and see if we can peer into JKR's very devious mind! :-)  Maybe, we can figure it out before the final revelation!

Pottermore - The Numbers Game

Update!, the Quill Quest has been announced. I've started a new post to follow the clues as they are released. Check here: Quill Quest is ON!!

Prior thread link: contains all the Secret Street View coordinates, letters, locations, and notes!

Recent updates in red!

Molly, from prior thread comments, was right! Today brought an increase of 7 owls to 32, which give us this pattern in daily owl increase:
2 -4-4-5-5-7
But, what does it mean?

Increasing owls?  More falling leaves?  Frozen numbers?  What could it all mean?

When you look on J.K. Rowling’s YouTube announcement page, you'll notice that there are many numbers that seem to be frozen in time. One of this blog's commentators, Anonymous, has been posting in the prior thread various theories as to what the numbers could mean. I encourage you to go back and read those comments. I think Anonymous is truly on to something as those numbers are fixed, and knowing JKR, chosen for a reason, but I'm just not sure that I buy into them being page numbers in the books as page numbering changes depending on the publisher.

I believe JKR IS releasing clues through the Pottermore Youtube video, and I think she gave us a heads-up with the coordinates on the Street View maps as to how to play this game. Like the StreetView coordinates, this is a numbers game, and we've got to figure out what these numbers mean to unlock her clues.

What I'd like to do here is provide a table of the numbers and then we can all throw out theories as to what they could mean, drawing from how JKR has used them in the prior books.

Numbers on Pottermore Youtube:

50 -- videos
0:09/1:13 -- time video holds at
Feb. 4 or 2/4 or 4/2 -- upload date (notice no year is selected)
217,394 -- page views
122 -- likes
25 -- dislikes
6/23/11 -- date of release

Owl count by date:
6/16: 5
6/17: 7
6/18: 11
6/19: 15
6/20: 20
6/21: 25 (updated)

Leaf count by date:
6/19: 10
6/20: 11
6/21: 12

One very strong clue -- since the video seems to be in Flash and thus you can't click "like" or "dislike," these numbers definitely seem to carry a clue.

Pottermore Trail of Clues

If you're looking for the post on numbers quoted in Intrnational Business Times and the latest in this series, it's at Pottermore: The Numbers Game!

Update 6/19: Each day has increased the owls. I'm going to try to start an owl count to see if there's any rhyme or reason to the number:

6/16: 5
6/17: 7
6/18: 11
6/19: 15

Please let me know if I missed anything.

Also, even though I'd love it to be an interactive encylopedia, I'm starting to think those who believe it to be a Multi-player Online Roleplaying Exerience may be correct. Notice the letters. PotterMORE.


Update 6/17: I do think she's planning on stringing us along for a whole week, revealing one new clue each day. I'm eager to see what today's holds! I bet somewhere down the line she'll include a reaction from one of the fansites who have viewed Pottermore.

I posted this in comments in response to a question on why I thought JK Rowling would give more clues during this week of waiting for Pottermore, but thought more readers may catch it better up here:

JFeijten -- Of course I truly don't know, I'm guessing along with everyone else, it just makes sense to me from my understanding of how JK Rowling works. For many years I've studied her writing techniques, and one of the key things she excels at is slyly hiding clues to her mysteries, stringing them along throughout the stories, and keeping the reader guessing. Back when she was releasing info during the series, like the next book title or a cover, she played a game with the reader to obtain that info, but then the cover or title was released immediately. Why would she play this game and keep us looking at an empty website a whole week before revealing it? My guess is because she has more games to play with us during that time. I could be wrong, but I suspect she'll reveal at least a couple more hints before the big reveal. She builds excitement and tension so much better that way -- just like in the books.

Update 6/16:  JK Rowling has released a Youtube video that essentially just says, wait 6 more days!

http://www.youtube.com/JKRowlingAnnounces

The owls are gathering?  It's all in her name rather than Warner's?  In her world, owls gather to spread the news.  Please let it be something that includes the encyclopedia!

Six more days would be around June 22.  Isn't that the solstice this year?  goes to check...No, solstice on 21st.

So, the colors remind me of right before dawn...the owls are watching...The first sign of magic in Philosopher's/Sorcerer's Stone was an owl. The owls are gathering to carry the news at the dawn of a new day in Potterdom.  But what exactly will it be?

Maybe it's wishful thinking, but I favor the encyclopedia idea myself. I think it will be a virtual, interactive online encyclopedia that will give her fans MORE of all the Potter facts, references, and trivia that she could not work into the books.


Original post started here:
If there's one thing I've learned from studying JK Rowling's writing techniques, it's that she never does anything without a deeper meaning! This StreetView game she's played with her fans today is so typically JKR. And to understand exactly what Pottermore will be, we need to carefully examine each clue. Therefore, I have listed them all below with the notes (my analysis follows below the list!):

Let the Games Begin!

Speculation Time (Update 3): Ok, the puzzle has been solved, but we still don't know what Pottermore is. For some reason, because it has JKR's signature on the website, I do not see it as being an RPG or social media or theme park. The registration could be a red herring. Could it be the Harry Potter Encyclopedia but released as an interactive website rather than a book?

Think about how JKR released the clues -- various fansites from across the world in many languages each containing a note that related to the books, magical creatures, or fandom -- all of which would be part of an encyclopedia!

JK Rowling said that fans wanted MORE details than she could have provided through the books. Is she putting it all there in a virtual environment?


Puzzle Solved (Update 2): It is Pottermore and fans are directed to view this website:

PotterMore.com (though there is nothing currently there but a placeholder)

and follow this Twitter feed: @PotterMore