Of all of the fan written editorials on Veritaserum this is, in my opinion, the best one. And that includes the four I've written myself. It is one of the few things that left me completely stunned after reading it, and I am surprised it has been so overlooked. I thought I'd help bring it to light, and see what everyone thinks.

"The Triwizard Map" by Anne

Don't forget to leave a comment there! I'm sure Anne appreciates them as much as I do on my editorials, even the critiques. Then you can return here to give and recieve feedback on your own thoughts.

I really like Anne's theory. Its reasonable and fluently explains the components of the Triwizard Tournament in relation to the events after Voldemort's return.
Yet she left something out from her theory which was relevant during the competition: Barty Crouch Jr.-a puppeter of Harry's actions and outcomes to lure Harry to the Dark Lord. Who is it?

i love this editorial!!! it blew my mind the first time i read it. i'm so glad to find a place to FINALLY discuss it. weasel king, you are so right, its the best editorial on veritaserum, yet alot of people dont even know its there... tuitus, i totally agree that this could mean harry has a real life "puppetier". the obvious choice would be dumbledore. just helping harry get through the major events to deliver him to voldemort in the end. it would be a cool twist, but i think i would be pretty upset if it actually did happen. i like to think of dumbledore as the ultimate opposite of voldemort, not on the same side...

lets look at the 3rd task, shall we... here are the things harry has to face, and what i think they COULD mean. i would love to hear what you guys think...

1.dementor (really a bogart)- anne thought that this would mean that harry would have to fight dementors, but he has already done that in books 3 and 5. dementors represent fear. i think that this means that he is going to have to conquer fear. how this will happen, i dont know.

2. mist that turns the world upside down- i like annes explanation that something will happen to turn harrys world upside down. this could be something good or bad. possibly a death, or could even be a romantic relationship (wink, wink... nudge, nudge... )

3. Skrewt- this ones hard. the skrewt is one of hagrids projects. something that harry has had lots of exposure too. i wonder if this is where grawp will come into play? another one of hagrids experiments?

4. Krum attacking Cedric- krum is someone that harry trusts, but not completly. he is being controled by a dark wizard, and is made to attack someone who harry has loads of respect. but krum is ultimately exonorated in the end. applying this to the books, the only person that i can think to apply this to is snape, someone harry has learned to trust, but not completely. could voldemort use snape against the order to make him look like a traitor, but still be good in the end??

5. Sphinx- harry has to use logic to get to the final battle before claiming the prize. i cant even begin to think how this will come into the books, other than harry just having to outsmart his opponant.

6. Giant spider-once again, this one is hard. when i think of spiders, i think of how they are rons biggest fear. could this mean that the final battle has something to do with ron? or could it have something to do with aragog? maybe clues to this paralell will be revealed in book 6.

what do you guys think???

I remember JKR said that books 6 & 7 are like two halves of the same book. Maybe the event that turns Harry's world upside down happens at the end of HBP.
I think the acromantula represents a monstrosity Harry must confront with someone else (Ron/Hermione/Neville/Dumbly-dor/HBP) prior to the final battle. So it might not be a spider or Aragog, but maybe a creature under Voldemort's command or a really powerful DE (Bellatrix?).

Yes I really liked that theory and thinks that it makes perfect sense. I also think that it is the best editorial that I have read. Well done Anne!! I can't imagine how much effort you put into that,

That editorial was, simlpy, amazing. The author obviously put alot of thought into it. Rowling's forshadowings are unfortunately usually noticed when the NEXT book is out. These could provide up until the final book, though.

Sometimes it seemed as SOME if the parallels weren't very significant...but some of them were -very- significant. I have never noticed the

"And to recover what we took,
But past an hour - the prospect's -black-
Too late, it's gone, it won't come back"

Coincidence? I don't know.

Anne, if you are reading this. You have a lovely eye for detail. GREAT editorial

The only opposition I have...is would Rowling really put SO much forshadowing into her book? I know she has little tidbits here and there. But this is alot.

A certain posibility...we shall have to see!

Genius at it's zenith. That is how i describe Anne's editorial.
It's pure red hot tabasco. Pray more such editorials are posted.

Cheers

O my gosh...Anne is so patient! i never noticed any link between book four and the upcoming others...but i have to say, it does seem a little unlikely that JKR would put so much foreshadowing into her previous books...though i voted for 'Good, but i dont know..'

its reall great though how she found all those links...guess some of them were planned but maybe the rest were coincidental? especially the part which says 'prospect is black (blah blah blah) wont come back'... maybe it was coincidental...because black and back do rhyme and Rowling possibly didnt find any other word which would fit in here...we cant take all of them to be planned...(or maybe we can, you never know with Jo)...

POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING!! Sorry, I posted this and realized I forgot to put that in the heading and/or subheading. (And sorry mods about the B,I,U, all caps there. Felt like it really needed to be noticed. If it's too much, I understand your editing.) Now that that's said, let's get on to business.


Hey everyone. I just discovered this essay tonight (well, technically this morning...), and it just gave me goosebumps! What do you think, especially to the connections to OotP and HBP? Here's a link to it. It's a real jaw-dropper and eye-opener.

Looking forward to reading the discussions!

Oh my God it's such a great essay!!!!

First task: Harry will meet Voldemort

Second task: Harry will loose Sirius

Third task: Harry must overcome fear of Dementors,
Harry must overcome the situation, that his world became upside down (that DD is dead and the news about Snape)
Snape-like Krum- cursed DD

OK, I have more time now to edit my post and write more about the third task because the 2 first ones are obvious.

Dementors in the third task: maybe Harry has to overcome his depression after the loss of Sirius.

Then this mist, which caused that Harry's world turned upside down. Is it the thing with Horcruxes, that he has to find so many? Maybe it's connected with Snape, Harry is sure that he's evil and he has to overcome this? because he had to move to be on the ground again and it was difficult...

Then blast-ended skrewts... what would it be??? Voldemort's /Snape's weakest point????

Then Krum under the Cruciatus curse: Harry thought that he's a decent guy, but they weren't best friends... This can be Snape and his Unbreakable Vow and attacking DD, and Harry trusted him but didn't like him.

Then Sphinx's riddle: RIDDLE-> this is a spider. And the spider may be who? Snape of course, who Harry has to overcome together with somebody to finish off Voldemort.

Just a short note to say that I'm moving this into the 'Discuss Columns' forum, which is for all discussion relating to the VTM editorials...

It's very rare we have to move anything into that forum, so this makes a very refreshing change actually!

the idea with Dementors and Harry's world upside down is very good

I just can't decide if Krum is Snape (that was my first thought) or if he's a spider

There's a sentence in OoTP when Snape's described as "He walked in a twitchy manner that recalled a spider", so I don't think that it's about Aragog... Harry didn't care about him...

Hihihihi skrewts... you think that they set the fire

My God, all this is so twisted that I don't know what to think and it ruined my whole conspiracy theory!

I said the skrewts were a forshadowing of the fire in Hagrid's hut, not that they set it. Hee Hee!!!!!

About your quote:

I have no idea what "twitchy" means, I confess... I have only English version in my hands now and not Polish...

I thought that maybe Snape is an animagus- spider or something like that, and that he will be the last obstacle in finishing LV off Read how this spider in Goblet of Fire behaves. In my opinion, it's very Snape-ish...

twitchy is jumpy, making quick jerky movements...

I think that if Snape is an animagus, it's a bat... there are many more references to his sweeping away like a bat. Ron even joked about his hanging upside down to listen in on a conversation once.

Where is that about Ron?

Yeah, I was thinking and thinking and came to the thought that Krum is Snape, that's for sure, but it didn't suit me with the spider, I mean, it shouldn't be the same man, because Krum and the spider are 2 different creatures...

But Krum is Snape, not Malfoy for me, because Krum was:
-the person that Harry trusted,
- the person who Harry admired (and in the book 6 Harry admires this potions book)
- the person who looked as an outsider (he was always alone),
- you don't know what's inside his head,
- he was imperiused, and Snape was under the influence of the unbreakable vow,
- what he did in the maze shocked everyone
- but he wasn't that bad, as it seemed.

And I suppose that the answer to Riddle's riddle is the spider

In the essay, she mentions that the person who is doing the stuff is imperiused. How many of us would have ever suspected Madam Rosemerta? JKR did say that 6 & 7 were two halves of the same book... two halves of the third task? And how do you think the graveyard scene plays in?

Perhaps Harry goes to the graveyard to "talk" to DD... essentially talking to himself out loud.

Madame Rosemerta was a good call, GoGinny!. I missed that one. She was really acting normal, too! I thought you'd be able to detect it more if someone was acting under that curse.

OK, Bubo, you convinced me! Krum and Snape are very similar in the ways that you explained. Very well, I might add!

I think that the section about Ron had to do with Harry's desire to be the hero and make things right. The reason that DD stunned him to keep him from stepping in and trying to save him.

Wait a minute! I'm one of those who thinks DD is dead... but I just realized something... If anne's theory is true... and the imperiused person almost killed cedric, and if my theory that madam rosemerta is the one, then that would mean that DD almost died... DD Lives!!!

Hmmm... Rosmerta=Krum doesn't suit me somehow, especially that she's a woman and Krum was a boy

I stick by the theory that Krum = Snape, both dark and did something that was a shock, what makes me wonder is was Snape under Imperius curse? I don't think so, because if Krum didn't make Cruciatus curse properly, maybe Snape didn't kill Dumbledore... but in the book 4 Harry stopped Krum before he killed Cedric, so I don't think this is impotrant to the story in the book 6.

Then this riddle, Riddle's riddle which answer is a spider. And here I'm stupid like hell. Who's this? Spider's reactions in the book 4 were fast, it was fighting with biting, and I wonder if it's YOUNG Snape maybe? So the answer for it all, the last obstacle, will be Snape again? Young Snape- because in book 4 he ws described as a spider... but this spider didn't behave in a nice way, did it? And when the spider is stunned, Harry'll manage to finish off LV....

This graveyard is maybe Harry visiting his parents in the cemetery, but I don't think it counds, because it isn't a task of the Triwizard Tournament.

can i ask you a question?

who is the half blood prince in the new harry potter book as i need to know for a compettion from ginny2 :rolleyes:

You're kidding, right?

Erm, okay....working on the assumption that you're not, I'm taking it that you haven't read the book yet for whatever reason. I suggest you do or else you're going to have it spoiled for you, but the answer is here.

And your post is off topic here, I'm afraid. This section of the forums is only for discussion of the VTM columns (or editorials). If you take a few moments to have a read through the rules that are linked in my signature, they'll help you find your way around the forums.

If you have any questions not answered through those links, then please feel free to PM me or any other moderator or Prefect. The staff here are all listed in the 'VTM Staff' thread in the Lounge forum.

Hiya

I've been following this topic for a while, and I had also read Annes theory and thought she presented a very interesting scenario, and now I finally have something to add to it.

While re-reading OoTP I came across this in the chapter A Peck Of Owls, Bloomsbury Ed pg 39

No need to say sorry, I'm puzzled too Yeah, Dementors will be important, I agree, and it's Harry's biggest fear. The riddle said by the Sphinx ends: "Which creature wouldn't you want to kiss" or something like that which shows that Dementors will be important Poor poor Harry

The dementors themselves are not Harry's biggest fear. The dementors symbolize that the thing Harry fears most is fear itself. Lupin commented on this when he taught the boggart lesson. He said that it was very wise.

Yeah, but it doesn't change the fact that he doesn't crave to meet them

I'm wondering what would happen if the dementors sucked out the rest of Voldemorts soul. Because in my opinion the riddle tells about dementor's kiss in the end.

It would be great It's maybe a stupid idea, because it was said that Harry has to do it himself, but wouldn't it be wonderful if Dementors stopped listening to Voldemort and sucked out his soul? Wouldn't it be more simple than poor Harry's attempts?

And I'm sure that I'm reading too much between the lines, but aunt Petunia knew who dementors are and that James was talking to Lily about them, and Rowling said that professions of Harry's parents will be important in the last book...

i cant get the link...whats the url?

A great idea! Dementors would be really able to finish Voldemort off or to help Harry to finish him...

Do you think we can think about Dementors when we analyze Ann's theory and the Sphinx's riddle?

This riddle is difficult to understand, I mean I'm not sure if the main part of it is the answer to the riddle or the parts of the riddle

Because "a spy' is obvious, then 'the middle of middle and end to an end"- it brings Horcruxes to my memory because the locket was lying in the middle- but this also can be Voldemort, because he's an end to an end.

Then you must put it all together- and think about Dementors?
And the answer is a spider

I am really impressed with this topic and many many kudos to you all Anne for writing the theory and to you guys for coming up with so many enlightening ideas!
After reading your thoughts about the dementors, it just occured to me; didn't Dumbledore say the third book that dementors can't distinguish those they seek and those who get in their way? (or was that in the movie?) At any rate, it still fits.
Wow!

Breeding like making kids- in this sense?

I don't know... the mist was caused by dementors when Muggles didn't see them... they saw them as a mist...

So, I'll stay by the theory about Krum=Snape and then the spider should be somebody different, I think... maybe Bellatrix... she's fast and can do harm and is mean like Snape too. They should be a couple

and together we did the perfect ending Jo only must write it like we said

Hee hee Do you have any ideas how Voldemort could be killed by Dementors? I mean, how come they listen to him, how do you think they recognize him?
Maybe it will be one extremely hungry Dementor In the book 5 a Dementor escaped from the Ministry control and attacked Harry in Little Whinging... so maybe there'll be Dementors who'll escape from Voldemort...