"He looked rather like an old lion. There were streaks of gray in his mane of tawny hair and his bushy eyebrows; he had keen yellowish eyes behind a pair of wire-rimmed spectacles and a certain rangy, loping grace even though he walked with a slight limp."
I think it can be safe to say that J.K. Rowling is talking about the Half-Blood Prince here. The latest clue has led to many different inquiries and theories, but I, myself, have been tangled up in this clue. Many have predicted the way she was using "lion" as an adjective, meaning that this person belonged to Gryffindor. Maybe even GODRIC Gryffindor, perhaps?
However, I had a different perspective about what this little bit of writing could mean. J.K. Rowling was not describing a lion, but rather someone with lion characteristics. So, who else do we know that is physically similiar to a lion? Who else could she mean? The answer that popped into my head was none other than Hermione's ginger cat, Crookshanks.
Crookshanks is definitely one of the more interesting characters in the Harry Potter series. There are so many questions involving this strange and clever cat. If he is not an animagus, then what could he be? The answer according to my theory is simple. These two sentences of the clue have triggered many questions and thoughts, and many answers as well. The following are clues and facts that have been laid in front of us, sometimes even repeated, that can support the theory that Crookshanks is indeed who J.K. Rowling was describing, which I believe may be the Half Blood Prince.
CLUE #1
"...looked rather like an old lion. There were streaks of gray..."
The words "old" and "gray" are describing age. This means, whoever this person is, they are definitely a person with old age. The clue also mentioned that this person wore spectacles. This may also add to the fact that this person has poor vision, maybe because of growing with age. However, it is quite safe to say that Crookshanks may be in the category of old age.
"...Poor Crookshanks, that witch said he'd been in there for ages: no one wanted him." -Hermione, pg. 50, Prisoner of Azkaban.
Is it not odd that Crookshanks -- the saleswoman at the pet store in Diagon Alley commented on how strange it was that a rat has been around for so long? The life of a cat surely does not exceed how long Crookshanks has been around. Looking at Scabbers lived for 12 years. However, isn't it strange that J.K. Rowling did not go too much into the subject of Crookshanks's age? Scabbers did not die because he was not an actual rat; he was an animagus. Both Peter and Sirius' forms of animagi survived, because they were not true animals in the heart. So, other than animagi, what else could last in animal form for long periods of time?
CLUE #2
"... his mane of tawny hair..."
She described this person with TAWNY hair. Tawny is a "light brown to brownish orange." Crookshanks is described to be a cat with that kind of color. Watching out for simple words can lead to many great discoveries, as to be revealed here.
CLUE #3
"...he had keen yellowish eyes..."
In Prisoner of Azkaban, we are told many times that Crookshanks definately has yellow eyes:
"Crookshanks had now settled in an empty seat, his squashed face turned to Ron, his yellow eyes on Ron's pocket." pg.62, Prisoner of Azkaban
"Crookshanks slowly chewed up the spider, his yellow eyes fixed insolently on Ron." pg.110, Prisoner of Azkaban
"Can't you shut that thing up?" he added to Harry, as Hermione strode out of the room, Crookshanks's yellow eyes still fixed maliciously on Ron." pg.168, Prisoner of Azkaban
"But Harry had just seen -- slinking towards them, his body low to the ground, wide yellow eyes, glinting eerily in the darkness -- Crookshanks." pg. 244, Prisoner of Azkaban
These are only a few times his eyes are mentioned in PoA. Rowling is showing an obvious emphasis on his yellow eyes. Why would she mention this bit of information so many times? There is always a reason behind every sentence. So, there could be significance for Crookshanks' yellow eyes; yellow eyes are very rare, and JKR has described almost every character's eyes. Yellow would stand out, one would think.
CLUE #4
"...He walked with a slight limp."
Crookshanks might have been born with a leg that could not function properly, as this line says:
"That cat's ginger fur was thick and fluffy, but it was definately a bit bow-legged and it's face looked grumpy and oddly squashed, as though it had run head long into a brick wall." p.50, Prisoner of Azkaban
Notice how JK describes him as being 'bow-legged.' Now these are a couple of those words people usually overlook. I searched the dictionary, and to be bow-legged, obviously, you have to have bowlegs.
Bowlegs: 1. A leg having an outward curvature in the region of the knee.
2. The condition of such a curvature of the legs
*Curvature: A curving or bending, especially an abnormal one.
This probably means that Crookshanks had some sort of abnormality in his knee. This would definately change the way he could walk. And is it not strange how she mentions this again, in another synonym?
"Crookshanks skidded to a halt, crouched low on his bandy legs and started making ferocious swipes beneath the chest of drawers with his front paw." pg. 111, Prisoner of Azkaban.
Again, I checked up the meaning of this peculiar word: "BANDY."
Bandy: 1. of legs: bowed outward at or below the knee
2. BOWLEGGED
Now, we're onto something. When does JKR ever use the same meaning over again but in different words? It is definately a clue that she is hinting at something. A lot of us have not heard words such as "bow-legged" or "bandy," so it is simple for Rowling to include those words.
CLUE #5
Use of words that describe an animal.
J.K. Rowling mentions that this person has the characteristics similiar to that of a lion. And she mentions the words "mane" and "rangy." She also mentions those "bushy" eyebrows. This may only be a weak theory, but where have we heard bushy many times before? Crookshanks's tail!
CLUE #6
Crookshanks was on Sirius' side before anyone else was.
"[Harry] peered out at the grounds again and spotted it. It was skirting the edge of the forest now... It wasn't the Grim at all... It was a cat... Harry clutched the window ledge in relief as he recognized the bottle-brush tail. It was only Crookshanks...
Or was it only Crookshanks? Harry squinted, pressing his nose flat against the glass. Crookshanks seemed to have come to a halt. Harry was sure he could see something else moving in the shadows of the trees, too.
"And the next moment, it had emerged; a gigantic, shaggy black dog moving stealthily across the lawn, Crookshanks trotting at its side." pg. 223-224, PoA
Crookshanks had been communicating with Animagus Black for a while before anyone else found out. This means that Crookshanks wanted to help him, and knew that Black wasn't just a normal stray dog. Crookshanks also performed a courageous act when he sprung himself on top of Black's heart, in fear of Harry trying to kill Black. But, how could have he have known it was Black? And how could he have known Black was on the good side? This may mean that Crookshanks might have known of Black beforehand.
CLUE #7
Crookshanks is NOT a "pure" cat.
In the World Book Day Chat, when asked why Crookshanks never caused Hagrid to sneeze (because Hagrid mentioned that he was allergic to cats), she simply replied:
"He's never around Crookshanks very much. I'm allergic to cats and I can be in a room with one briefly. But of course, Crookshanks isn't all cat. Read 'Fantastic Beasts'..."
This has been one of the more difficult mysteries in the books. Many of us have asked ourselves at one point in time, "Is Crookshanks an animagus?" However, recently, all our hopes were shattered as J.K. Rowling told us that Crookshanks is not an animagus but rather half-kneazle.
"The Kneazle was originally bred in Britain, though it is now exported worldwide. A small catlike creature with flecked, speckled, or spotted fur, outsize ears, and a tail like a lion's, the Kneazle is intelligent, independent, and occasionally aggressive, though if it takes a liking to a witch or wizard, it makes an excellent pet. The Kneazle has an uncanny ability to detect unsavory or suspicious characters and can be relied upon to guide its owner safely home if they are lost. Kneazles have up to eight kittens in a litter and can interbreed with cats. Licenses are required for ownership as (like Crups and Fwoopers) Kneazles are sufficiently unusual in apperance to attract Muggle interest."
Notice that the description of a kneazle includes "a tail like a lion's..." Perhaps this is a little clue foreshadowing the description of the man in the excerpt?
But wait! There is one more thing she did not mention. Simply because Crookshanks is not an animagus, it does not mean that he is not part wizard, or, in fact, a wizard. We remembered all but one person, Remus Lupin. Yes, I know that Remus was bitten by a werewolf, and therefore, he has become a werewolf. However, this event has changed his life, and has acted as a curse on him for eternity. Even if Lupin did take the potion Snape had made for him, Lupin would STILL transform into a werewolf; he would just be able to control himself.
Lupin's curse would only activate in the moonlight of a full moon. Thus, he was free to act normally in daylight, and could somewhat control himself when in werewolf form. Now, let's think about Crookshanks. If he could not control his animal form, what curse would he be under? Or, more likely, what kind of curse?
This brings me to my next theory:
Crookshanks may be under some sort of curse or enchantment.
This may sound a little outrageous, but it may be true. J.K. Rowling has yet to reveal many curses and magic spells in the following books. I think that Crookshanks may be some kind of curse that makes him stay a cat for the rest of his life. It is clear Crookshanks knows much more than a cat ought to know. It seems like he actually understands what the people say at times and shows slight movement, purring or hissing. But, if you think about it, Crookshanks may be a wizard who was trapped in a cat's body. Wouldn't it make sense to curse a Half-Blood Prince? Who knows what powers the HBP possesses? It does seem to make sense that a HBP would be cursed because of his stature into an animal that no one would care to look for or want (as mentioned in the 3rd book). It is the perfect way to hide someone from the public and make them believe that the HBP may have died or gone missing.
Because of Crookshanks' huge amount of knowledge, he surprises us quite a few of times. He does things that normal cats would not do, and knows of things normal cats would not know. By reading the Prisoner of Azkaban, there are several scenes in which Crookshanks acts in a manner that a normal cat would not.
"Crookshanks darted forwards. He slithered between the battering branches like a snake and placed his paws upon a knot on the trunk."
"Crookshanks!" Hermione whispered uncertainly. She now grasped Harry's arm painfully hard. "How did he know?"
"He's friends with the dog," said Harry grimly. "I've seen them together." Pg.246, PoA
"This cat isn't mad," said Black hoarsely. He reached out a bony hand and stroked Crookshanks's fluffy head.
"He's the most intelligent of his kind I've met. He recognized Peter for what he was straight away. And when he met me, he knew I was no dog. It was a while before he trusted me. Finally, I managed to communicate to him what I was after, and he's been helping me."
"What do you mean?" breathed Hermione.
"He tried to bring Peter to me, but couldn't... So he stole the passwords into Gryffindor Tower for me... As I understand it, he took them from a boy's bedside table..." Pg. 267, Prisoner of Azkaban
This intelligence may just be a characteristic of being half-kneazle, but this also might not be true. Crookshanks was put into the books to a serve a purpose. In the Prisoner of Azkaban, he was determined to protect Sirius against anyone who tried to hurt him. Crookshanks also seems to understand what the people around him are saying.
As for the piece of writing that was locked in the "Secret Roomâ of jkrowling.com, we have come to conclusion that it was probably a part of the sixth book. Now, it would not make sense to talk about Crookshanks if he is still in cat form, would it? But, if we think differently, this could be a description from the past, or a memory in the Pensieve, before Crookshanks was a cat. Since the description made it clear that the man was old, it could mean Crookshanks is even older now. Another suggestion could be that maybe a powerful witch or wizard breaks the curse or changes him back for a short period of time so that Crookshanks is set free. Anything could be possible at this point.
The clues are laid in front of you, as are the facts and evidence to support it. Crookshanks may indeed be the man in that part of writing, and it may be that he is the Half-Blood Prince. But, there are many other questions we must ask ourselves, like "Why is Crookshanks under such a powerful curse? If the man in the description was taken from the Pensieve, who's memory is it from? What deed did Crookshanks perform to deserve this entrapment? Who cursed him?"
All this may be up to the mind of J.K. Rowling herself. We will just have to wait for it to be revealed.
Kheya would like to thank her sister, who helped develop the idea and find the quotes. |
User reviews
Review this Editorial |
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| Proffeser Wickens. |
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| 2006.06.01 |
i think dat the man was transfigured as we saw on malfoy in gof. if he is t...
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| Squidward |
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| 2006.01.22 |
Intersting theory; Crookshanks definitely is an important character. In res...
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| reviewer |
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| 2005.12.26 |
SPOILER WARNING
okay, i have to agree with you that crookshanks might be u...
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| That Guy Who Reviewed this thingo |
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| 2005.12.18 |
:-:SPOILER WARNING:-:
u musn't hav read the HBP when u wrote this. As u kn...
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| Anonymous |
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| 2005.11.26 |
Hmm..I wasn't sure how to rate this one. Nice thoery, but havent we been re...
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| trini_baby2 |
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| 2005.10.08 |
KHEYA............you-r thoery is intresting enough to warrant a comment fro...
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| Kheya |
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| 2005.07.23 |
Hiya guys! Thanks for the reviews but its about time we figured out who the...
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| melie |
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| 2005.07.05 |
i agree with this and i think that maybe this new McClaggan character might...
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| Kristen |
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| 2005.06.29 |
I must first say that this was a very well thought out article, bravo. You ...
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| Morgan |
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| 2005.06.21 |
It's also interesting to note that the name "Crookshanks" may actually mean...
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| Alexa |
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| 2005.06.20 |
Well written, but not gonna happen. Crookshanks is part kneazle. Any wizard...
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| Christine |
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| 2005.06.13 |
Very creative theory. That sounds just like somthing Rowling would do. The ...
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| Spencer |
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| 2005.06.12 |
I think your post is very well thought out. For all of you haters saying th...
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| Mat |
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| 2005.06.12 |
You have my vote! You have explained everything in the clue and more. This ...
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| Carolina |
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| 2005.06.11 |
Well, you gave us your point of view, but Crookshanks is a cat, not a pure ...
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| Chaya |
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| 2005.06.11 |
Well I think you have some good points..But almost everybody saying that HB...
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| Mega n |
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| 2005.06.10 |
Hasn't JK Rowling already said Crookshanks is not an animagus? Besides, Cro...
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| exasperated |
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| 2005.06.10 |
Though I completely disagree, I love that you fully made your point and wro...
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| Lily Anne |
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| 2005.06.09 |
What an interesting editorial! I agree with you, that Crookshanks may be t...
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| Zanado |
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| 2005.06.08 |
Wonderful editorial! You truly did your reasearch. Though I strongly disagr...
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| Drippy |
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| 2005.06.08 |
That was an interesting point of view I myself o not think that Crookshanks...
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| Tenya |
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| 2005.06.08 |
While I have my own theory about who the half blood prince is, I still thin...
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| Phoenix |
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| 2005.06.06 |
That was well written, as the others said. I think it is a possibility tha...
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| hp fan416 |
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| 2005.06.06 |
I thought this was great. I think it's possible for Crookshanks to be the ...
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| random hpfan |
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| 2005.06.05 |
I seriously doubt it, it doesn't seems to fit. but you wrote/edited well. P...
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| Ron's Girlfriend |
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| 2005.06.05 |
Very good editorial. it was well researched. however, i have to agree with ...
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| Alicia |
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| 2005.06.05 |
I thought that was an awesome theory, Kheya. You researched well, and thoug...
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| Sarit |
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| 2005.06.05 |
Hi Kheya, how are you? I really like your editorial.I've just read and it m...
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| a person |
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| 2005.06.04 |
good job but....you did almost all of ur reasearch... almost. Hermione got ...
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| Phillip Adams |
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| 2005.06.03 |
Very Far fetched this theory is. I think it is well written and well resea...
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| Jokey Latina |
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| 2005.06.03 |
Well that was a very convincing editorial! well researched and has a point!...
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| Missnatti |
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| 2005.06.03 |
CORRECT! I beleive he is either an animagus AND knows Sirius, or is cursed ...
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| Julie |
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| 2005.06.03 |
Though the essay is a very interesting read, I'm not convinced that Crooksh...
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| ai |
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| 2005.06.03 |
Nice one.. An excellent theory..I also though about it.. I hope you're...
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| GotQuidditch |
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| 2005.06.01 |
This is definitely an interesting theory and you have done great research! ...
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| jewal |
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| 2005.05.29 |
Excellent Theory. I had thought that the description could apply to a human...
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| Mia |
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| 2005.05.29 |
You have done an excellent job. Clearly you have gone through each and ever...
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| patterverse |
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| 2005.05.28 |
Very good theory. I have thought the same thing myself. But I don't think h...
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| Prema |
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| 2005.05.28 |
thumbs up for the research theory. it really fits in. further there are a ...
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| hedwig-la |
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| 2005.05.28 |
Great essay.
Is anyone curious about the possibility of Trevor the Toad...
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| Angela NY |
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| 2005.05.28 |
Very nice job! My theory to is the mystery of Crookshanks. I also believe...
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| Laura |
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| 2005.05.25 |
Nice job on your research! You really went to great lengths to prove your p...
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| Ashley |
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| 2005.05.04 |
Or maybeeee....(dramati-c music) that excerpt was describing the new charac...
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| Ashe |
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| 2005.04.23 |
Crookshanks doesn't make an appearance in Chamber of Secrets. The cat cann...
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| Zeenie |
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| 2004.12.31 |
Earlier I said, "If Crookshanks was a man trapped in a man's body" I meant ...
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| Zeenie |
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| 2004.12.31 |
Interesting theory. I believe your theory of Crookshanks reminds me of the...
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| PanzA1370 |
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| 2004.12.20 |
Some say that this is a red herring, but I disagree. In JKR's post on Squi...
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| HermyOwnPuckle |
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| 2004.12.11 |
I agree with Mary on this one. You're assuming a bit too much, and I think ...
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| Mary |
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| 2004.12.07 |
This is an interesting theory but I'm not convinced. If Crookshanks were a...
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| mika |
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| 2004.12.06 |
I loved your theory! Finally someone is talking about crookshanks! I think ...
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