The Oppositional Role of Dumbledore to Hagrid in Harry's Development

Potter fans rejoice! The release date for the upcoming Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them movie was announced this week. We only have 1 yr, 10 months, 4 days, and (as of this posting) 14 hours to wait. And with waiting, to examine and over analyze every detail Jo releases.

So it's time for me to stop slouching around this blog and get back into the game. Hopefully Pottermore will give us some clues to go on. After all, FBWFT will be set in the same universe, if not the same time period as Potterdom, and Newt was Luna's great grandfather-in-law. ;-) Plus, Jo has finally gotten on board with Twitter and has been releasing clues there.

But, in trolling through Pottermore for the few juicy nuggets Jo gives us regarding the mythical subtext of her series, I was thrilled to come across this bit:
 

Colours also played their part in the naming of Hagrid and Dumbledore, whose first names are Rubeus (red) and Albus (white) respectively. The choice was a nod to alchemy, which is so important in the first Harry Potter book, where ‘the red’ and ‘the white’ are essential mystical components of the process. The symbolism of the colours in this context has mystic meaning, representing different stages of the alchemic process (which many people associate with a spiritual transformation). Where my two characters were concerned, I named them for the alchemical colours to convey their opposing but complementary natures: red meaning passion (or emotion); white for asceticism; Hagrid being the earthy, warm, physical man, lord of the forest; Dumbledore the spiritual theoretician, brilliant, idealized and somewhat detached. Each is a necessary counterpoint to the other as Harry seeks father figures in his new world.

I was thrilled! Thrilled I tell you to read this...and have been meaning to write about it for quite a while. While many Harry Potter analysts have long understood the link between the colors of Sirius Black, Albus (white), and Rubeus (red) to their respective alchemical stages, I'd also pointed out the oppositional nature between Hagrid and Dumbledore back in an essay I wrote for The Plot Thickens in 2004 then later expanded for a paper given at Accio 2005, University of Reading, UK.

Using Geomancy to Divine Jo's World:
In "Geomancy and Alchemy in Harry Potter," I used Jo's Gryffindor passwords of Caput Draconis and Fortuna Major to analyze how Jo was weaving secrets from geomancy into her story...particularly the opposing nature of Rubeus Hagrid to Albus Dumbledore.

Geomancy was a form of divination particularly popular during the Middle Ages and early Renaissance. It was composed of 16 opposing characters divided into eight pairs of opposites which were used to determine the fate of the question asked. Albus and Rubeus were one set of these opposing characters, defined like this:

Albus and Rubeus form one set of opposing figures. Albus (White) represents peace, wisdom, and purity, while Rubeus (Red) indicates passion, power, and violence.

	Albus (White)	Rubeus (Red)
Planet/Element	Mercury/ Earth	Mars/ Fire
Sign/Element	Gemini/ Air	Scorpio/ Water
Character	Peace-loving, honest, pure, and charitable.	"Hot, passionate, and fond of strong language.  Tends to stir up trouble." (Greer 44)
Description	"Illumination, wisdom…Spiritual growth and harmony. Patience, thoughtfulness and the ability to balance all areas of life." (SerenaPowers.com) Related to intellect and mysticism.	"Rubeus is a figure of passion and involvement in life, balancing the abstract detachment of Albus” (Greer 44). Rugged and emotional. Good with agriculture and animals.

Note: This chart bases the planet, element, and sign attributions according to Henry Cornelius Agrippa--who as coincidence would have it, Ron mentioned three times (SS 102) on the Hogwarts Express in his desire to collect Agrippa's Chocolate Frog card. Agrippa, an alchemist of the sixteenth century, was both feared and revered in his day as a sorcerer. He was most famous for his book Occult Philosophy, in which "Of Geomancy" was a part.

Albus is considered a positive figure, while Rubeus is negative--meaning if Albus appears in your geomantic chart in regard to a question, the outcome you seek is usually favorable, whereas if Rubeus appears, except in certain situations (love, war, and agriculture), your answer is unfavorable.

Now, keep in mind that I was writing this back in 2004, when Order of the Phoenix had just been released, when you read my own divination for how this opposing nature could play out:

My Analysis (from 2004) and What This Means for Harry

In my opinion, while I do suspect Hagrid has a darker and more powerfully magical side than he is given credit for, and while I think it entirely possible Dumbledore is not quite the god-like all-knowing wizard when it comes to deciphering others' characters (I think he tends to see their potential rather than the reality), in the end it is my belief that these two characters are as upfront as they appear to be.

What I believe Ms. Rowling has done with the geomantic opposites of Albus and Rubeus is to show two sides of the same coin. Even though Dumbledore and Hagrid are diametrically opposed, they’re on the same team. They will fight side by side. Yet, their personalities are complementary.

This dichotomy suits their relationship with Harry just perfectly. Each offers a fatherly example to Harry in his own way. Harry can garner their different strengths and go to each for his own brand of support and understanding. As always, diversity contributes to growth. In this case, to Harry's growth.

What do I think will happen in the last book of the septology based on this geomantic interpretation? I believe that before the end of the series, Dumbledore and Hagrid will possibly come into direct conflict. More than likely, the subject will be Harry and his best interests (much like was covered in OotP by the bickering between Mrs. Weasley and Sirius). I think it entirely possible Hagrid will figure into a death threat against Dumbledore--hopefully by saving Dumbledore's life.

Finally, just a side note of interest--the zodiac sign associated with geomantic Albus is Gemini. Gemini is, of course, the twin. Could Albus and Aberforth be twins? And if so, how would that relate to the septology? Will Aberforth play a more prominent role in the last book with the removal of his brother? And if so, what type of role?

As we know now, Aberforth, while not a twin, definitely played a strong role in Deathly Hallows. And while Hagrid was not on top of the Astronomy tower when Dumbledore was killed, he did battle the Death Eaters as they fled and set fire to his hut.

In JK Rowling's deft hands, character names are more than just a reflection of the personality of its owner. But JKR's talent was not just in giving her characters a whimsical, though accessible, name which made them seem fully a part of their magical world.  It was most importantly her ability to craft a name which carried hints of the mystery surrounding that character that intrigued her rabid audience.

As we start getting names for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, and hints of the plot, we should also be able to dig below the surface and discover some of the mysteries Jo will be developing for this new series.

Let the games begin!

Note: The full "Geomancy and Alchemy Gems in Harry Potter" is way too long to reproduce on a blog. But if you're interested, it's been on the web here for quite some time.

Photo credit

Through the Trapdoor -- JK Rowling's Blueprint for the Harry Potter Series

A couple of weeks back, I did a post, Mirror Mirror on the Series, showing how JK Rowling had plotted books five, six, and seven to reflect three, two, and one, with four as the hinge.  In putting that post together, I discovered another game she'd played, that's really more foreshadowing than it is a reflection. Jo foreshadowed key elements for the entire 7-book series at the end of the first.

Don't believe me?  Then take a look at this.

Chapter 16 of Philosopher's/Sorcerer's Stone, Through the Trap Door, takes the reader with Harry on a quest to stop Voldemort from capturing the Philosopher's Stone and obtaining eternal life.

There are several key gates/challenges along the way that Harry, Ron, and Hermione must pass in order for Harry to triumphantly face Voldemort at the end.  And each of these challenges relates, in order, to an upcoming book.

1) Neville, a Toad, and a Chamber of Secrets:

The first challenge Harry, Ron, and Hermione face, before they even leave Gryffindor Tower, is Neville.  But Neville is not alone.  He's carrying his pet toad, Trevor.  In fact, it's so important for the reader to know that Neville has Trevor that Jo mentions it twice.  Neville has gathered up his courage to face his friends and stop them from losing any more house points.  But Hermione casts a Petrificus Totalus spell on Neville, making him go all rigid and fall "flat on his face, stiff as a board."

A book later, we saw some other people struck with magic go all rigid, stiff as a board -- they too had been petrified.  This happened in Chamber of Secrets as students were attacked by Riddle and Slytherin's pet basilisk, who was born of a hen's egg hatched beneath a toad.  Maybe Hermione should have petrified Trevor as well when she had the chance**.

Then, on the way to the third-floor corridor, Harry, Ron, and Hermione run into Peeves, who though he can't see them, knows they're there and threatens to notify Filch.  He is only dissuaded when Harry imitates the Bloody Baron and threatens Peeves.

Ghosts figured prominently into the plot of Chamber of Secrets as well with Nearly Headless Nick's Deathday party and Moaning Myrtle's "guarding" of the entrance to the Chamber.

2) Prisoners of Devil's Snare and Dementors:

The second challenge the Trio faces also comes in a pair.  Hagrid's pet, Fluffy, a three-headed dog, guards a trapdoor that drops them onto Devil's Snare.  To get past Fluffy, Harry must play a bit of music from the flute Hagrid gave him for Christmas.  And when they drop onto Professor Sprout's Devil's Snare, it immediately snakes its tendrils around Ron and Harry's legs and arms, imprisoning them.  Only Hermione, the last to drop and the first to see the danger, can set them free with the light of a fire.

"Devil's Snare, Devil's Snare...what did Professor Sprout say?--it likes the dark and the damp--"
[Hermione] whipped out her wand, waved it, muttered something, and sent a jet of the same bluebell flames she had used on Snape at the plant.  In a matter of seconds, the two boys felt it loosening its grip as it cringed away from the light and warmth.

Sounds almost like casting a Patronus at a Dementor, doesn't it?  A Dementor who also lives and breeds in the dark and damp.

We first meet the Dementors in Prisoner of Azkaban, where Hagrid again has a fearsome pet, Buckbeak, who Harry is able to tame and ride.  And it is through Buckbeak, and the light of truth, that Sirius, a prisoner of lies, is finally set free.

3) Flying Keys and Disguised Villains:

Flitwick's challenge involves hundred of winged, flying keys, disguised as birds, where only one fits the door through which they must pass.  The Trio must fly high among the keys to seek out and catch the one key which will allow them to continue.  In a game of magical cooperation, Harry directs the other two and puts his Seeker skills to the test to identify and capture the true key.

In Goblet of Fire, Harry once again uses his flying skills to capture the golden dragon's egg, which is the key to the next challenge in the Triwizard Tournament.  Furthermore, in this book, we are introduced to some very special keys, portkeys, which carry Harry and his friends to the Quidditch World Cup, and then Harry and Cedric to face a rejuvenated Voldemort in the graveyard.  And finally, Pseudo Mad-Eye's disguise is removed to reveal the true face of Voldemort's most loyal servant, and the true Mad-Eye hidden in a trunk guarded by seven locks.

4) The White Queen of Death and the Noble Knight:

Fanart by glockgal

After Harry, Ron, and Hermione pass through the door guarded by keys, they are confronted with McGonagall's life-size, transfigured chess games.  Harry becomes a bishop, Hermione a castle, and Ron a knight as he directs his friends about the board.  Finally, Ron sacrifices himself to the white queen so that Harry can checkmate the white king and proceed.

In Order of the Phoenix, as the Order faces the Death Eaters in battle, a noble knight is indeed lost to a queen as Sirius is killed by Bellatrix, Voldemort's top female warrior, giving his life to protect Harry.  Harry then confronts Voldemort and, in the end, forces him out of his body.

5) Potions and Memories from a Half-Blood Prince:

The Trio then passes a foul-smelling troll, who has already been knocked out by Quirrell, who'd placed him there anyway.  They enter a room with a table holding seven bottles of potions--Snape's logic challenge.  Hermione figures out the riddle, which allows her to determine which bottle is safe for her to drink to go back, get Ron, and summon the absent Dumbledore, and which one is safe for Harry to drink in order to proceed through the flames and face Voldemort alone.

In Half-Blood Prince, Snape is once again the object of a logic puzzle.  Harry is in possession of Snape's old potions book, but doesn't know who the Half-Blood Prince is to whom it belonged.  Not only must Harry figure out who is the potions master in this HBP challenge, but he is confronted with seven vials.  Instead of potions, however, these vials contain memories providing insight in Voldemort's past to prepare Harry for the ultimate confrontation.

6) Facing the Conflict of Desire and Sacrifice:

Finally, Harry stands face to face to face with The Man with Two Faces.   He looks deep into Dumbledore's Mirror of Erised and sees himself in possession of the Philosopher's Stone.  And when Quirrell/Voldy finally attacks, he cannot touch Harry because of his mother's sacrifice to save her son's life.

Likewise, in Deathly Hallows, Harry must finally face Voldemort alone, but capable this time, after having passed through the prior challenges, of finally defeating him.  After an internal struggle of facing what he truly desires, Hallows or Horcruxes, an intense challenge forced upon him by Dumbledore, Harry sacrifices himself to save others. As a result, he gives those he loves the same protection from Voldemort which his mother gave him.

I don't know about you, but I find it amazing that JKR had plotted her series so in depth from the beginning, that she was able to include all these clues in the first book.  Foreshadowing like this comes from hard work and preparation.  It is because Jo took the time to plot out her whole series before publishing Philosopher's Stone, and knew intimately what was to come, that she was able to drop these clues in from the very start.

What's more, JKR didn't stop with setting the stage for key elements in each of the books to come, but she also foreshadows the final battle.  Each of the professors who provided a protection at the end of Philosopher's Stone, also provides a weapon against Voldemort during the Final Battle.

Professor	PS/SS Protection	DH Weapon
Neville	himself	himself as resistance leader and beheading Nagini
Peeves	himself	dropped giant worms
Hagrid	Fluffy	Grawp
Sprout	Devil's Snare	Devil's Snare
Flitwick	Winged Keys	Incantations; (a shield charm Protego Horribilis)
McGonagall	Human Chess Game	Mobilized Suits of Armor
Snape	Potion Logic Riddle	Taught Harry to control emotions and provided final memory
Dumbledore	Mirror of Erised	At King's Cross, informed Harry he had choice between joining his family or going back to fight, also forced Harry to examine his innermost desires and deliberately choose to not go after the Elder Wand for himself.

**Although it could be argued here that these points of comparison are more of a wrap-up, where she made the parallel links work at the end rather than having foreshadowed at the beginning.


A couple of other foreshadowed tidbits from the first book:

• Petunia saw Dedalus Diggle in a shop in PS/SS when he bowed to Harry; he is part of Dursley's escort in DH
• The original quidditch team are all at Hogwarts for the Final Battle
• Snape is bitten by Fluffy in PS/SS and bitten by Nagini in DH.

I love how JKR plays with her reader by inserting these clues and making these connections.  She used tricks like this to help set the tone and establish the rules.  Jo wanted her reader to play along with her.  While she wanted the reader deeply invested in the emotional arc of the story and characters, she also wanted their minds fully engaged in analyzing the mysteries and finding the Easter eggs hidden about.

I'm really curious, have any of you ever tried playing a game with your readers like this?  Also, what other links between the ending of PS/SS and the upcoming books did I miss?


** The note about Hermione petrifying Trevor is meant as a joke as the basilisk is several hundred years old. But what JKR is doing here is providing a slight link from one toad to another.  This is an example of her running bit clues.

(Check Out JK Rowling's Newest Release -- Harry Potter and the Cursed Child here!)  
 

There's Magic in Numbers

NaNoWriMo Day 11 Tips from Harry Potter

Today is a significant date, is it not?  Something special, almost magical, should happen on a day like 11/11/11.

Ever since humans started counting, we have searched for and found significance in these units of measurement.  Humans as a whole are prone to supernatural thinking, and as we clearly understand the magic of words, so too do numbers hold sway over our minds.

Specific numbers have come to symbolize certain concepts in our Western mindset.  Consider the forty days and forty nights of the Biblical flood -- a representation of a really long time.  Or the completion hinted at through twelve disciples and twelve constellations.

Marking time seems to have been the first prompting for humans to count.  And with the regular lunar phases, the moon gave ancient people a calendar in the sky.  One hypothesis suggests that the 30,000-year-old markings on a bone tool discovered in the Blanchard rock shelter in France represents phases of the moon.

Notice how the markings are presented in a serpentine image -- even back then a link was made between the monthly renewal of the moon and the regenerative nature of the snake as it sheds its skin.

Coming forward a few thousand years, people continued their fascination with the study of time as they marked numbers and counted astrological events on the passage tombs in Ireland.

Note: This picture has been enhanced to show markings stronger.

This kerbstone at Knowth is theorized to show either a lunar or solar calendar with certain marks indicating days counted.

And we must not forget that good old ancient Ionian Pythagoras (of the triangle fame) who based a whole philosophy based on the universal harmony found in numbers.

Rowling uses numbers for magically symbolical purposes throughout Harry Potter.  Of course, the most obvious is her use of seven.  Seven is the most potent magical number -- seven books, seven years at Hogwarts, and for Voldemort, seven pieces of his soul.  But when old Voldy makes a mistake and accidentally splits his maimed soul into eight with the murder of Harry's mum, he shares his Parseltongue abilities and gives Harry an unintentional tool of insight into his mind, which leads to his downfall.

Other numbers held power throughout the Potterverse as well.  Rowling has said that the Dursley home is at #4 Privet Drive because she never liked the number four.  Throughout the series there are numerous references to pairs and mates and the number two -- perhaps hinting at Neville as the second child of the prophecy, or the bound-but-separate dual nature of Harry and Voldemort's nature.  And perhaps drawing upon Biblical ideas of twelve companions of Jesus, the home in which the Order of the Phoenix first comes to life is at Number 12 Grimmauld Place, where when 13 sit down to dine Harry's first night there, the one who rises is the first to die -- Sirius.  And thirteen is the chapter all of the early books in which Rowling chose to give her hidden villain a cameo appearance (a post for another day!).

Using numbers to hint at deeper meanings is just one tool we as authors can choose to employ in our stories -- if it fits our story and our style.  However, it's good to know that if we choose to, we'll be using a magical tool employed by keepers of time for millenia.

I'd love to add more instances to this post of numbers used magically or symbolically both within Potter and ancient times.  Can you spot some more?  Have you used numbers to convey deeper meaning within your own story?  Please share in the comments if you have!

Blanchard bone picture photo credit.
More on the Blanchard bone markings.

(Check Out JK Rowling's Newest Release -- Harry Potter and the Cursed Child here!) 

Hermione Sneaks a Clue

We've been looking at a lot of examples for how JK Rowling plotted her mysteries and hid her clues.  However, most of these have involved examples of very important clues toward the primary plot mysteries.  I thought it might be fun to look at an example of a simpler clue that gives a hint toward a secondary plot to show how Rowling works these mysteries across various levels of plots and characters.

Today's example comes from Order of the Phoenix (Bloomsbury edition) Chapter 16, "In The Hog's Head," page 309, where the group that will soon become known as Dumbledore's Army is meeting for the first time.  They are all rather nervous, what with Umbridge's crackdown at school, meeting in a dodgy place, and a nearby heavily veiled witch whom Harry fears may be Umbridge.  The atmosphere is set for a risky venture and Hermione is about to provide an important clue.

She rummaged in her bag and produced parchment and a quill, then hesitated, rather as though she was steeling herself to say something.

'I - I think everybody should write their name down, just so we know who was here. But I also think,' she took a deep breath, "that we all ought to agree not to shout about what we're doing. So if you sign, you're agreeing not to tell Umbridge or anybody else what we're up to.'

Bolds and italics are my addition.

In this short passage, JKR laid a critical clue that there would be a traitor within Dumbledore's Army and how Hermione would reveal her.  Of course, in hindsight, we all know that this is the parchment Hermione had placed a binding oath upon, which later pox-marked Cho's traitorous friend. None of that is obvious here.  However, with subtle wording, JKR played fair with her reader that something was afoot, giving three words/phrases showing Hermione's reluctance for asking people to simply sign a roster. Hermione even warned the students, and thus the reader, that they were signing an agreement--she just never said it was bewitched.

Another hint of what is to come lies a few paragraphs further into the text.  JKR diverts her reader from the true traitor with Ernie Macmillan's reluctance to sign.:

Curiosity Killed the Cat but Captured the Reader

As I was coming in my backdoor last night returning home after a meeting, I heard a frantic meow out of nowhere. I listened, trying to pinpoint which of my three cats it was and where he was at. It took me a while to realize he was trapped inside our backporch shoe cupboard. When I opened the latch, he shot out, yowling at me for having left him in there for who knows how long. He must have wandered in when I was getting my shoes out earlier in the day, he's done it many times before, and I'd failed to notice.

Curiosity almost got Crookshanks killed!

But what can be lethal in a cat is the most important characteristic of a reader that a writer needs to embrace. Curiosity truly is the most potent magic for keeping your reader's attention.

For the last few weeks on this blog, we've been looking at techniques JK Rowling employed to hide her clues. To me, these are some of the most powerful techniques we can learn from studying JKR's work because 1) she did it so well, and 2) she has shown over and over again how loyal fans will be if you capture their curiosity and never let it go.

It's simple, really. Readers (aside from your mom) stay with your story only as long as their curiosity is engaged. The minute they cease to care to discover what happens to your character, or their curiosity is satisfied, the book goes down. That's why you must build a story question from the very first, and keep a story question going until the very end, never letting that curiosity waver.

A story question, simply defined, is a question presented to the reader early on in the story that drives the characters and the action forward in order to answer it. Examples of some story questions include:

1. Will Dorothy get back home?
2. Will Indiana Jones recover the lost Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis?
3. Will Katniss survive?
4. Will Robert Langdon and Sophie discover the Holy Grail before the "Teacher?"

With Dorothy, her main story question did not begin until we were several scenes into the story and she'd landed in Oz. However, the viewer's interest was captured immediately by a couple of preliminary questions -- would Miss Gulch take Toto away from Dorothy? And then, would Dorothy get back safely to her Auntie Em?

Similarly, in Raiders of the Lost Ark, the viewer is presented with the first question of whether Indiana Jones will escape with the golden idol and his life, before we are presented with the primary story question of the film.

Dan Brown works with yet another compelling story question technique. Although the question listed above is the overall question in that story, it is presented by way of a step-by-step progression of consecutive smaller story questions. Each question is presented in the form of a clue, that when solved, leads to the next one, and so on, so that the reader is never left without a burning desire to know the answer to a current riddle or clue.

As writers, we can work with single, double, preliminary-subsequent, or multiple story questions, in whatever way works best for our particular story. But what we have to be sure of is that even if one question is answered, another must be already in place, grabbing the reader by the eyeballs so that they MUST find out what happened.

But, what kind of questions work? And how do you creatively work these into your story?

For some specific examples, I thought it might be fun to look at the story questions JK Rowling employed in each of the 7 Harry Potter books:

PS/SS:  Why did Voldemort try to kill baby Harry?

Notice that this is the first question proposed in the series and one of the last ones answered. It's therefore more of a series question than this story's question. As JKR has no intention of answering this question off the bat, she quickly proposes another one:

Who is sending all those letters to Harry?

Like in Wizard of Oz and Raiders of the Lost Ark, this question is a preliminary one that is answered quickly and designed to lead us to the point where the main story question takes over.

What was in that package in Gringotts that is now at Hogwarts? And who is trying to steal it?

You'll see from this first example and those that follow that JKR generally uses the two-question approach to each story. She has an introductory question that first presents itself at Privet Drive. This preliminary question lasts long enough to get Harry to Hogwarts, when the main story question takes over.


CoS:  Preliminary: Why does Dobby not want Harry to return to Hogwarts?

Main: What lies within the Chamber of Secrets and who opened it?


PoA:  Preliminary: Who is Sirius Black and why did he escape from Azkaban?

Main: Why is Sirius suddenly out to get Harry?  And what made him betray Harry's parents years ago?


GoF:  Preliminary: Who is Voldemort using to trap and kill Harry?

Main: Who set-up Harry to be a champion? And, how will Harry suvive the tri-wizard tournament?


OotP:  Preliminary: Will Harry get expelled?

Main: What is the weapon Voldemort seeks that he did not possess in the last war?


HBP: Preliminary:  What is Draco's mission that Snape has made an Unbreakable Vow to protect and assist?

Main: Who is the Half-Blood Prince? And is he good or evil?

You'll notice that with this preliminary question, it is not solved early on as the prior ones were, but continues and folds into the main question.

One thing that's really cool about this main question is that even though the reader does not know who the HBP is, the question about his true nature is the same one readers are asking about Snape throughout this book and the series.


DH: Preliminary: Now that Harry's blood protection has worn off, how will he safely leave Privet Drive?

Main: Where are the Horcruxes? And why did Dumbledore hide so much from Harry?

Even if Harry is able to kill all the Horcruxes, How will he defeat a wizard more powerful, more experienced, and much less noble than he is?

You'll notice that, as this is the last book, there are several critical story questions remaining to be resolved.


JK Rowling's reader is never left without a compelling question to propel their interest in the story until it is answered very near the end.  While curiosity may kill the cat, it's the lifeblood for an author.

I read a story once where the author started off with a great story question which I was very curious to have solved. So, I read non-stop, until about half-way through the story, when the question was answered. My curiosity was assuaged and I set the book down to never finish.

Now the author, of course, did not intend this reaction. She had introduced a second question that was supposed to carry forward until the end, but the problem was that she only introduced it AFTER answering the first, and since my curiosity had not yet extended to the new question, and I did not find it as appealing as the first, it was very easy to set the book down.

Don't do this!

If you must answer one question before the book ends, be sure you already have the second one well under way and that it is more captivating than the first.  Like with The DaVinci Code, subsequent story questions should become increasingly more compelling and complex.

Finally, one more note about story questions -- it's usually not sufficient to want to know in a mystery will the murderer be caught, in a romance will the hero or heroine end up together (duh!), or in a fantasy, will the Light Side defeat the Dark Side.  These are foregone conclusions.  What is compelling is the specific question that makes YOUR story unique from all the others of your genre.  And your unique story question will be more powerfully portrayed if it comes forth from your main character's own personal goals, motivation, and conflict.  Thus, your story question should not resemble any others.

Capture your reader's curiosity from the very beginning with a powerful, fresh, engaging story question, and never let it go until the very last page! This is the way to keep your reader's nose in your pages and have them coming back for seconds.


What is your story question in your current WIP? Are you using a single question, or multiple? At what point is it resolved? (Hint: should be as close to the end as possible!)



(Check Out JK Rowling's Newest Release -- Harry Potter and the Cursed Child here!) 

Never Trust a Character! (If You Want to Find a Clue)

This post is part of the Mystery Plotting series, in which we are examining, one by one, techniques JK Rowling used to hide clues and plot her mysteries.

As a writer, how do you feed misinformation to your reader?  Not everyone or everything in life is straightforward and honest, nor should it be in our stories.  We need those red-herrings and those twists and turns of a surprising plot to keep our audience on edge and reading at a fast pace.  But readers also feel cheated if an author deliberately misleads them without properly motivating the "lie" or providing clues that they have done so.

Enter the voice of your characters.  Characters can lie any time for various reasons -- but they MUST be well motivated.  Whether through an outright lie, sly misdirection, or inherent misunderstanding -- adversaries, friends, and even the main characters themselves can misrepresent the truth through what they say or what they think.  As writers, it is our job to ensure that their reason for lying or misleading the reader is a good one.  As always, JK Rowling provides wonderful examples of all these.

Perhaps the easiest, and therefore most obvious method of character lies is through the mouth of the villain.  However, if the villain is clearly marked as such and his antagonistic position against the hero clearly defined, any words he utters will always be suspect.

No, it's much more subtle to have well-intentioned characters feed misinformation due to their own lack of knowledge or false perceptions. How often did Ron and especially Hermione poo-pooh Harry's growing belief that Draco had become a Death Eater in Half-Blood Prince.  Draco was too young, they said.  Harry was just letting his own hatred of his nemesis persuade him to see something that was not there.  And, yet, Harry was right.  But if the reader had listened to the logical but wrong perceptions of Hermione and Ron, they were in for a surprise.

We also saw in an earlier example how Percy fed the reader the clue that Ginny was very upset about Harry being accused of opening the Chamber of Secrets.  At the same time, Percy distracted us as to why his sister was truly upset through his own wrong understanding of the situation.  Of course, how in the world would sixth-year Prefect Percy understand first-year shy Ginny's inner turmoil?  Who would have suspected that she was upset about setting the Basilisk loose herself?

Mad-Eye Moody, as impersonated by Barty Crouch, is the chief antagonist throughout Goblet of Fire.  However, this semi-mythical retired Auror is brought onto the scene through other characters' POVs, which while they may not be false, are definitely leading the reader away from the truth in this situation.

First, Cedric Diggory's dad, who works at the ministry, informs Mr. Weasley, and the reader, that the day before Mad-Eye is to take up his new position (at Hogwarts), that an intruder tried to get into his house and was attacked by his charmed dust-bins.  But, notice Mr. Diggory's influential POV regarding Mad-Eye:

"Arthur, you know Mad-Eye," said Mr. Diggory's head, rolling its eyes again.  "Someone creeping into his yard in the dead of the night?  More likely there's a very shell-shocked cat wandering around somewhere, covered in potato peelings...I'll bet he leapt out of bed and started jinxing everything he could reach through the window."

Mr. Diggory definitely doesn't believe that Mad-Eye might have truly been attacked, does he? So, neither does the reader.

A few minutes later, around the breakfast table, the rest of the Weasley clan's POVs add to our perception of Mad-Eye:

From George -- "Isn't he that nutter--"

An while Charlie asserts that "Half the cells in Azkaban are full because of him," he also states that "I heard he's been getting really paranoid in his old age.  Doesn't trust anyone anymore.  Sees Dark wizards everywhere."

Moody becomes the coolest Defense Against the Dark Arts professor ever.  Students line up outside his door to ensure they get a good seat in his class.  Thus, because we've been told he's paranoid for good reason, and in the students' POV he's the coolest thing to hit Hogwarts this year, when in the Three Broomsticks Harry notices Moody drinking from his flask yet again, the reader is properly prepared to believe along with Harry the falsely planted reason:

Moody had told them all during their last Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson that he preferred to prepare his own food and drink at all times, as it was so easy for Dark wizards to poison an unattended cup.

Who would such a man of the ultimate deception?  Through all this build up and then the final revelation, JKR has masterfully manipulated her characters' POV in the direction she wants to influence our own perception of her prime, hidden antagonist.  And notice, the characters' all believe what they say because these perceptions are true for the real Mad-Eye!  Because they are convinced, we are as well.

Throughout Goblet of Fire, JKR continues to utilize false perceptions from the characters to both reveal and conceal clues.  In an example pointed out to me by a participant in one of my workshops (thanks Suzanne!), we're going to look at a more subtle example from Chapter 27, after the second challenge of the Tri-Wizard Tournament.  Snape confronts Harry during Potions class about stealing ingredients from his cupboard, which Harry angrily denies.

    "Don't lie to me," Snape hissed, his fathomless black eyes boring into Harry's.  "Boomslang skin.  Gillyweed.  Both come from my private stores, and I know who stole them."
    Harry stared back at Snape, determined not to blink or to look guilty.  In truth, he hadn't stolen either of these things from Snape.  Hermione had taken the boomslang skin back in their second year -- they had needed it for the Polyjuice Potion -- and while Snape had suspected Harry at the time, he had never been able to prove it.  Dobby, of course, had stolen the gillyweed.
    "I don't know what you're talking about," Harry lied coldly.
    "You were out of bed on the night my office was broken into!" Snape hissed.  "I know it, Potter!  Now, Mad-Eye Moody might have joined your fan club, but I will not tolerate your behavior!..."

Then Snape threatens Harry with the truth potion, Veritaserum, to which Harry "wondered whether he ought to take a leaf out of Moody's book and start drinking only from a private hip flask."

Look at all the clues JK Rowling works into this short passage.  Snape is missing ingredients in his private stores for Polyjuice Potion.  We know, because the Trio brewed it up two years ago, that Polyjuice Potion allows one wizard to impersonate another.  Snape's office was broken into on the night some of these ingredients were stolen.  And who else was up that night, as JKR so slyly has Snape remind us? Mad-Eye Moody, who also just happens to drink solely from that private hip flask already mentioned and seen repeatedly.

An overwhelming amount of clues, is it not? And yet, how many of us slipped blithely by this because of the false perceptions from both Snape and Harry that fed us these clues?  Snape believes the culprit to be Harry, which Harry confirms by remembering that Hermione did steal the boomslang skin two years ago.  But notice that a time-frame is not specified by Snape.  Why would he be talking about boonslang from two years ago right next to the gillyweed that Harry acknowledges is recent?

Or, in the words of Suzanne who pointed this out to me, the reader "naturally skipped  right over all the Polyjuice ingredients -- BECAUSE HERMIONE DID STEAL THEM TWO YEARS AGO!!! -- and it never dawned on me that Snape undoubtedly meant THIS YEAR, when of course fake-Moody was having to replenish his supplies. It wasn't until just today that I realized this was a huge clue I had always overlooked because I always focused on the Gillyweed being stolen by Dobby for the second task. Brilliant!"

Indeed. That's quality sleight-of-hand!

Also, Snape's assumption that Mad-Eye was up and about to help cover Potter's tracks and Harry's earlier revealed perception about why Moody drinks from his hip flask persuade the reader to believe the same.  Still, Mad-Eye is juxtaposed into this scene twice, and we know how JKR uses juxtaposition to place clues.  So, in this example, JKR uses juxtaposition to hint at the person who is stealing ingredients and brewing Polyjuice, but uses false perception to distract from these same clues.

In the words of Mad-Eye -- Constant Vigilance!

As writers, we need to always remember that our characters do not always need to tell the truth, whether from telling an outright lie to believing untruths.  But there's a very fine line between an unfair lie and a well-played twist.  The "lie" or false information must be both well-motivated and a clue, subtle thought it may be, must be left toward the truth. These are tools we can use to not only create character conflict and deepen character development, but also to help reveal and conceal any mysteries we have within our text.



Have you used a character's false POV to hide a clue for your reader?  How did you motivate your reader to either lie or misunderstand the truth?


Mad-Eye Kitty photo credit.

A Juxtaposition of Clues

This post is part of the Mystery Plotting series, in which we are examining, one by one, techniques JK Rowling used to hide clues and plot her mysteries.

One nifty trick for sneaking a clue past your reader is to juxtapose your villain with the scene of the crime.  Or, even more simply, you can place two apparently separate thoughts or actions next to each other that by their mere proximity hint at a relationship.  I gave you an example of how this simple form of juxtaposition can be used in Drifting Off to ClueLand.  There, Harry's dream of doors is juxtaposed with his next thought of his scar, as if unrelated, but the reader is supposed to catch the connection between his dreams and Voldy.

For another simple example of how to juxtapose two supposedly unrelated ideas to hint at a relationship, let's look at Goblet of Fire.  Early on, JKR tells the reader, straight-up, what to look-out for in this book.  In Chapter 9, The Dark Mark, after the Quidditch World Cup, when some unseen person near the Trio has cast the Dark Mark into the air, and wizards pop in all around shooting stunning spells at Harry, Hermione, and Ron:

"Do not lie, sir!" shouted Mr. Crouch.  His wand was still pointing directly at Ron, and his eyes were popping -- he  looked slightly mad.  "You have been discovered at the scene of the crime!"

Discovered at the scene of the crime!  Get that?  We're supposed to watch out for it.

Then Bagman pops onto the scene:

"Where have you been, Barty?" said Bagman.  "Why weren't you at the match?  Your elf was saving you a seat too --"

Take note!  Although "Barty" was at the World Cup, he had his elf saving him an empty seat that he never used.

Bagman's comment reminds us of what Winky had told Harry, and the readers, back in the stands.  She was a good house-elf, not a shameful one like Dobby.  Winky always obeyed her master...even to the point of saving a seat for him in the highest box when she was deathly afraid of heights.

So when Mr. Diggory asks her impatiently, "Elf? Did you see anyone?"

Winky began to tremble worse than ever.  Her giant eyes flickered from Mr. Diggorty, to Ludo Bagman, and onto Mr. Crouch.  Then she gulped and said, "I is seeing no one, sir...no one..."

Ludo Bagman is placed in that sentence for a purpose.  He is a reminder, though his comment above, that Winky's belief above all is to obey her master, who her eyes flicker to next before she gulps and fudges the truth.  The juxtaposition of Bagman to Crouch in this sentence is supposed to remind the reader as to where Winky's loyalties lie...and how committed she is to carrying his orders out.


JK Rowling uses the second, more complex juxtaposition technique quite wonderfully throughout Goblet of Fire with Pseudo Mad-Eye Moody.  He's always Johnny-on-the-Spot when something goes wrong with Harry.  But do most readers suspect him because of that? No, because JKR offers as diversion the fact that Moody is the coolest teacher of the year and Harry's secret ally in winning the Tri-Wizard Tournament.  Of course, we all know now WHY pseudo-Moody wanted Harry to get that cup, but at the time -- who would have suspected the most celebrated dark-wizard catcher of all times to be in league with the most feared dark wizard in recent memory?

Here's a couple of scenes where JKR hinted, through juxtaposition, of Mad-Eye's involvement in the crime.

First, from Chapter 25, The Egg and the Eye, Harry has just finished his dip in the Prefect's bath, and is returning, after hours, to his dorm with his golden egg when he checks his map:

Peeves was not the only thing that was moving.  A single dot was flitting around a room in the bottom left-hand corner--Snape's office.  But the dot wasn't labeled "Severus Snape"...it was Bartemius Crouch.

Earlier, Harry had heard through Percy that Mr. Crouch (who of course he assumes this is) has been ill and not able to even go to work.  So why was Crouch at Hogwarts sneaking around Snape's office?

Deciding to find out for himself, Harry sets off down the stair and his leg plunges through the trick step.  The egg wails, Filch bounds into the scene determined to catch Peeves, who he is sure is to blame, and then Snape shows up.  Harry is all a quiver under his invisibility cloak while Filch and Snape argue as to what's going on:

   "--Peeves threw it, Professor--"
   "--and when I passed my office, I saw that the torches were lit and a cupboard door was ajar! Somebody has been searching it!"
   "But Peeves couldn't--"
   "I know he couldn't, Filch!" Snape snapped again.  "I seal my office with a spell none but a wizard could break!"

As Filch and Snape continue to argue about Peeves and the intruder, with Harry sending silent and inept Legilimency demands for them to leave, a "Clunk. Clunk. Clunk" approaches.  Mad-Eye!

Filch explains to Mad-Eye about Peeves and that someone has broken into Snape's office.  Snape hisses at him to "Shut up!"

Moody sizes up the scene, including Harry trapped in the stairs beneath his invisibility cloak, and then rounds on Snape and confronts:

   "Did I hear that correctly, Snape? he asked slowly.  "Someone broke into your office?"
   "It is unimportant," said Snape coldly.
   "On the contrary," growled Moody, "it is very important. Who'd want to break into your office?"

Can't  hear that emphasis on the word "your?"

Snape suggests students, because, "It has happened before.  Potion ingredients have gone missing from my private store cupboard...students attempting illicit mixtures, no doubt...."

As the reader should very well be aware!  Just two books ago we watched the Trio do this exact same thing as they stole ingredients to make the Polyjuice Potion....Wait....Are we supposed to be thinking of how Polyjuice allows one wizard to become another right now?? :-)

But no, we wouldn't suspect Polyjuice, at least not of Moody, because JKR, I mean, Snape, expertly distracts any suspicion of covert actions from Moody when he says, "You know I'm hiding nothing, Moody," he said in a soft and dangerous voice, "as you've searched my office pretty thoroughly yourself."

Moody's face twisted into a smile.  "Auror's privelege, Snape, Dumbledore told me to keep an eye--"

And then we get into the whole bit of Dumbledore being a trusting man and spots that don't come off and Snape grabbing his "left forearm" where his Dark Mark is burned into his flesh.  Snape is quite neatly thrown into the red herring soup!

Yet...clues abound in this scene!  And one of the prime techniques is juxtaposition.  JK Rowling juxtaposed Mad-Eye to the scene of the crime by bringing him onstage after the precise moment that someone had been searching Snape's cabinets.  She even gave us the further clue to remind us of the Polyjuice pretenders of years' past.

BUT, Jo almost never gives a clue without providing more compelling sleight-of-hand distraction.  Here, she provides several.  First, Moody is on the offensive -- forcing Snape to talk about the break-in against his will rather than having Snape accuse Moody and confront him of snooping -- which would have been too easy and way beneath JKR.  Second, Snape acknowledges that Moody already searched his office, which, when Moody parries as an Auror's privilege reminds us not only what a totally cool guy he is, but on which side his loyalties lie.  A distinction which is totally brought home by Moody's distrust of Snape, his intimating that Dumbledore told him to watch out for Snape, and the hint of Snape's dark and murky past.

Finally, we're getting all this from Harry's POV, and we know which of these two men Harry trusts and respects the most. Moody, to seal his image as good-guy-protector-of-Harry, even helps Harry escape Snape's notice as the oily Potions Master seeks his least favorite student out on the stairs.

Still...Moody was there...next to the scene of the crime.  And Harry had just seen in his Marauder's Map, which never lies (remember Pettigrew) -- that Bartemius Crouch was searching Snape's office.

Lastly, I want to point out what JKR has Filch call the golden egg in this scene -- not a  golden egg, not a dragon's egg, but a Triwizard CLUE! Filch is seeing clues in this scene, and we're supposed to as well!

Three chapters later, in chapter 28, The Madness of Mr. Crouch, just to make sure we take notice of who is nearby when something goes wrong, JK Rowling repeats her juxtaposition technique.  The senior Bartemius Crouch stumbles onto the Hogwarts grounds, semi-crazed and insisting upon talking to Dumbledore.  Harry leaves Krum with Crouch as he goes to collect Dumbledore, and when they return, they find Krum stunned and Mr. Crouch vanished.

Just as Dumbledore is sending Hagrid (brought by a Patronus) to go fetch Mad-Eye Moody...who should stumble up, "limping toward them, leaning on his staff, his wand lit" but Mad-Eye Moody himself.

"Damn leg," he said furiously.  "Would've been here quicker...what's happened? Snape said something about Crouch--"

Instantly, he provides an alibi for his presence.  But, once again, he's Barty-on-the-Spot when that Spot has involved a crime.

Sill, JK Rowling provides distraction.  Harry mentions to Dumbledore how he had just been talking to Mr. Bagman right before Crouch appeared.  We know that Bagman is a slimy character.  Plus, Kakaroff is also hinted at, and Krum himself believes that Crouch attacked him from behind.  Well....Crouch did.  Just not Senior.

For readers, unanswered questions and hidden secrets keep them glued to the page.  As long as they are actively involved in their quest to know more, wondering and worried about what's to come, we have their page-turning interest.  Therefore, as writers, we should be careful to employ a  variety of techniques to hide clues to our ongoing mysteries.  Juxtaposition is one such technique which JK Rowling showed us delightfully how to employ.

Have you ever used juxtaposition in either its more simple or complex form to hide clues or tease with red herrings?  Do you think this technique could be used outside a mystery to hide secrets your characters keep from each other?

(Check Out JK Rowling's Newest Release -- Harry Potter and the Cursed Child here!) 

Drifting Off to ClueLand

This post is part of the Mystery Plotting series, in which we are examining, one by one, techniques JK Rowling used to hide clues and plot her mysteries.

Dreams play a prominent role in the Harry Potter series, illuminating both Harry’s fears and dropping clues for things to come. Many dream scenarios revealed vital information. Because dreams can take on an abstract, disjointed quality, they’re an excellent tool for hiding images and hints of what is yet to come.

It was obvious to most readers from the start that the dream of Wormtail and Voldemort in “The Riddle House” in GoF was a vision of a scene actually taking place, and thus it was riddled with clues. Others were not quite as obvious. Harry dreamt about doors upon doors before he and the reader understood that there was a particular door in the bowels of the Department of Ministries that Voldemort desperately wanted access to--and why.

Indeed, it is within the pages of Order of the Phoenix where dreams take on a starring role. By way of dreams, Harry experiences scenes happening through Voldemort's eyes, as well as Nagini's, and even one false scene planted deliberately for Harry as a lure to trap him deep within the Hall of Prophecy.

In his dreams, Harry repeatedly experiences a door at the end of a deep long corridor, one he is compelled to open. Of course, readers of the series know how all these dream scenarios ended -- with Harry and friends speeding off to the Department of Mysteries within the Ministry of Magic to save the life of Sirius Black who was never threatened to begin with…but ended up dying as he fought to save his godson's life.

To learn how JK Rowling set up her dreams to both hide and reveal clues, I'd like to look at a few specific examples and how they were framed within the story.

Because JKR uses limited 3rd person POV throughout most of the series, she utilized dreams to help enlarge the reader's view of Harry's world. But it's not just a simple matter of having Harry dream something he cannot see. He experiences these dreams because of a central plot device for the story -- Harry has part of Voldemort's soul lodged inside him, which provides the powerful connection between his mind and the Dark Lord's.

Note: Not all of Harry's trips into Voldemort's mind are presented as dreams. Some happen quite violently when he's wide awake. But they all have a similar dream-like quality.

In the meantime, he had nothing to look forward to but another restless, disturbed night, because even when he escaped the nightmares about Cedric he had unsettling dreams about long dark corridors, all finishing in dead ends and locked doors, which he supposed had something to do with the trapped feeling he had when he was awake. Often the old scar on his forehead prickled uncomfortably, but he did not fool himself that Ron or Hermione or Sirius would find that very interesting any more. (p. 14, Bloomsbury)

From the very start, JKR alerts her reader, rather subtly though it may be, that dreams are going to play a part of this story.  Even though the next thought concerning the prickling of his scar is presented as unconnected to his dream, the juxtaposition of it directly after the dream tells the reader that Voldemort may be involved.

Harry's dreams are spaced far apart early in the story, but continue steadily, especially after emotional scenes, such as when Harry witnessed Mrs. Weasley unable to expel the Boggart which had taken the shape of her dead children, husband, and Harry.

Harry had a troubled night's sleep. His parents wove in and out of his dreams, never speaking; Mrs Weasley sobbed over Kreacher's dead body, watched by Ron and Hermione who were wearing crowns, and yet again Harry found himself walking down a corridor ending in a locked door. He awoke abruptly with his scar prickling to find Ron already dressed and talking to him. (p. 163)

This dream reference above I find interesting because not only does it once again juxtapose Voldemort to the dream through the prickling of Harry's scar, but with Ron and Hermione wearing their "Prefect" crowns, Jo also hints toward the Red King and White Queen of Alchemy (Alchemy being a strong theme running through the series).  It is in Order of the Phoenix, after all, when the feelings between Ron and Hermione become quite strong, and Ron as keeper is finally declared, "Weasley is our king!"

One last note: I don't think it coincidental that Kreacher replaces the Weasley children as the dead body in Harry's dream. JKR provides a subtle link at this point to Kreacher and a death.

Back at Hogwarts, the dreams, and clues, continue.

'You know what?' Harry said to Ron and Hermione as they entered the Great Hall. I think we'd better check with Puddlemere United whether Oliver Wood's been killed during a training session, because Angelina seems to be channelling his spirit.' (p. 238)

Yes, this quote above is a bit out of place as it is not a dream.  However, the notion that one person can channel someone else's spirit with them not being present is quite important to this story.  Reader -- constant vigilance!

   He was walking once more along a windowless corridor, his footsteps echoing in the silence. As the door at the end of the passage loomed larger, his heart beat fast with excitement ... if he could only open it ... enter beyond ...
   He strettched out his hand ... his fingertips were inches from it ...
   'Harry Potter, sir!' (p. 341)

Until Dobby's interruption, Dream Harry is drawing closer to the door, his excitement increasing, and it is becoming clear to the reader that the need to enter this door is imperative, which sets up the later vision Harry has of Nagini attacking Mr. Weasley.  Harry-Nagini is enraged to find Mr. Weasley guarding the door he most wants to enter and attacks to kill.

Now that Dumbledore has been alerted to Harry's dreams, he assigns him to Occlumency lessons with Snape.  During one lesson Snape brings forth a memory of Harry's trial at the beginning of the story, and Harry realizes that the long corridor and hall he has been repeatedly dreaming about are within the lower levels of the Ministry of Magic.

From this point on Harry, as well as the reader, becomes actively engaged in examining these dreams for clues.  Dream after dream, what Harry sees at the end of that corridor progresses, from standing in front of the plain black door, to entering it and finding "himself in a circular room lit by blue-flamed candles and having multiple doors," until he finally enters a "dimly lit room full of shelves, each shelf laden with dusty, spun-glass spheres."  At last, he even approaches and identifies row 97.

Harry, and the reader have all the information they need now as JK Rowling prepares to drop her biggest dream yet. While taking his OWLS, Harry drifts into a daydream. This time he is walking with "a firm and purposeful tread...determined to reach his destination at last."

He enters the DoM, passes through the Time Room, and enters the cathedral like Hall of Prophecy. Except this time, he finds someone else there:

   But there was a shape on the floor at the very end, a black shape moving on the floor like a wounded animal...Harry's stomach contracted with fear...with excitement...
   A voice issued from his own mouth, a high, cold voice empty of any human kindness...
   'Take it for me...life it down, now...I cannot touch it...but you can...'
   The black shape on the floor shifted a little. Harry saw a long-fingered white hand clutching a wand rise at the end of his own arm...heard the high, cold voice say 'Crucio!'
   The man on the floor let out a scream of pain, attempted to stand but fell back, writhing. Harry was laughing. He raised his wand, the curse lifted and the figure groaned and became motionless.
   'Lord Voldemort is waiting...'
   Very slowly, his arms trembling, the man on the ground raised his shoulders a few inches and lifted his head. His face was blood-stained and gaunt, twisted in pain yet rigid with defiance...
   'You'll have to kill me," whispered Sirius. (p. 641)

It it real? Or is it just a dream?

This is a question Hermione asks along with the reader. JK Rowling has so expertly played with the reader all along until we ourselves are unsure.  But Harry, who has experienced all these dreams himself, is not willing to risk his beloved godfather's life to wait for long to find out. They do try, but Umbridge interferes until a desperate escape from Hogwarts is the only means by which to ensure that Sirius is not at that moment being attacked as Mr. Weasley had been earlier.

What is Harry to believe? The plot has put Umbridge in charge at Hogwarts and taken Dumbledore away. Snape is the only person available to help, and Harry doesn't trust him one bit.

He is left on his own to find out the truth, and that is what brings him neatly into Voldemort's trap deep inside the Ministry.

Notice how JKR skillfully plotted the increase in her dreams.   They went from simple mentions that the reader was easily distracted from, to increasing in intensity and importance where we, along with Harry, were sure we needed to examine each one in detail, to culminating in a dream that forced the devastating climax.

By having Harry experience a dream in which he saw Mr. Weasley attacked and nearly killed, she set it up that he must take the false attack on Sirius siriusly! :-) But, with numerous mentions and reminders made by Hermione, Dumbledore, and Snape that Voldemort would attempt to use this mental connection to his own advantage, JKR also cast serious doubt into the reader's mind. Finally, by using a technique which emphasized the connection between Harry and Voldemort's minds, she prepared the reader for one of the greatest revelations to come in Deathly Hallows -- Harry as Horcrux.

As writers, we can challenge ourselves when working with dreams, especially when used to hide and reveal clues, to make sure the dreams we create are woven deeply into the structure and fabric of our story, and not merely a quick and easy technique to hide and reveal clues.  Too many writers misuse dreams in this manner -- as a quick and easy method for revealing hard to plot information.

When evaluating for yourself as to whether a dream is your best method, ask yourselves these questions:

• Is there a reason innate to the story as to why your character would be experiencing this type of dream?
• Did you plot the dreams and their consequences from the beginning to the end with ever increasing complexity and meaning?
• Can you throw red herrings as well as clues into and outside your dream world?
• And when your dream clues are brought to real-life fulfillment, will it all make sense to the reader in the end, or leave them with a disjointed sense of a tool tacked on which did not really fit the story?

Dreams, like names, have long been a popular tool of writers for weaving secrets and deeper meaning into stories. Done in a subtle manner, they can foretell action to come without sacrificing your surprise ending. Keep in mind that dreams highlight emotions and patterns, but don’t always need to make sense superficially. They are best kept short and mysterious and not used to drop heaps of angst and introspection.

Have you used dreams in your story? Have you used them to hide or reveal clues? Why were dreams your best choice of technique for that particular