Sectumsempra

**By Jim**

I remember reading an interview with JKR in which she mentions that Godric's hollow (as in Godric Gryffindor) may have a deeper meaning beyond simply where Lily and James died. There has been so much effort to establish that LV is the heir of Slytherin could Harry be the heir of Gryffindor?

At the end of CoS when Harry is worried that he should have been placed into Slytherin dd says that "only a true Gryffindor could have pulled that out of the hat" referring of course to Gryffindor's sword. At the time it seemed to be that that just confirmed that Harry did indeed belong in the Gryffindor House at school. But what if it was much more. In all of the discussions during OotP with the Black family tree the Potter family is not mentioned. It seems that JKR goes to an effort to mention just about everybody else and how they are related but not any of the Potters.

It would also be interesting because the sorting hat has said that Slytherin and Gryffindor started out as best of friends but parted company in the end. If this is the case then Harry may be able to tap into the power from Gryffindor to help in the final fight against LV just as LV has drawn on the power of Slytherin.

Did anybody see this coming? For me it was totally out of the blue. I was totally taken by surprise. I was personally happy that JKR put these two together. While Tonks may not have been my first choice for a partner for Lupin, I think it is an interesting couple.

Lupin is an old werewolf, who has seen his share of tragedy. Tonks is a young auror who is at least 15-20 years younger. At first glance, these two seem like the most unlikely of couples. But, perhaps, this is exactly what JKR is trying to say. Maybe she's trying to get the point across that different people can come together and diversity is a factor that only makes a relationship stronger. Lupin's hesitation and Tonk's unwavering devotion towards him, gave the story a sweet little twist.

I also remember that in HBP, a character (I think Molly) said that during the last war against Voldemort people began to get married and have kids quickly just in case they wouldn't get the chance later. I think JKR illustrated just how serious this war has gotten by the joining of these two characters.

I think that Tonks and Lupin will be able to last. I think that their love is an uplifting one and a much needed contrast to the darkness of the rest of the story.

What is Snape's biggest fear? That question has been on the minds of many readers since first introduced to the intimidating ex-Potions teacher. I myself have a couple ideas as to what a Boggart might reveal if confronted by Snape, these ideas being A) Harry dead or B) Being alone.
I have sufficient reason to believe that each of these ideas are reasonable in prediction.

Snape is a mysterious character in all respects and this quality is what makes it hard to determine many things about him. Harry dead would be a fear that would surprise many people and would also prove him to be the redemptive character he is. He would be afraid of Harry dying for many reasons, a couple of which are 1) Harry dying would leave the Wizarding world in almost certain destruction and 2) With Harry dead, Snape would lose the last remaining visual reminder of Lily (remember, Harry has Lily's eyes).

Being alone would also suffice as Snape's biggest fear because first of all, many people assume Snape to be one of the most powerful wizards out there. While this may be true, power doesn't negate normal human feelings, which is why something so ordinary being a powerful wizard's fear is rather clever. It shows that Snape truly is a human being. Besides that, I think that Lily's absence had a profoundly negative impact on Snape and he feels that she was "The One." Now that she's gone, he won't have another chance at love, therefore leaving him alone, exactly what he does not want to be.

Those are just what I'm thinking as of now. I honestly think that these are more ingenuitive fears because they evoke emotion on a deeper level and would suit the character better than something like a fear of light bulbs or snakes.

While I have constantly stated my beliefs that Snape is on the side of the Order and is most undoubtedly good, I thought I should at least write a theory for the other side. I think it'd be interesting to discuss the other side of the argument and to get your input and thoughts.

There are, of course, the obvious reasons:

1.) Snape killed Dumbledore with hatred on his face, and perhaps in his heart as well. Nobody can deny the fact that he used the Avada Kedavra, thus causing Dumbledore's sad death.

2.) Snape was attending Death Eater meetings and was keeping loyal to Voldemort. We could even assume that everything he told Bellatrix was correct, thus proving his true loyalties.

3.) Snape made the Unbreakable Vow with Narcissa and was helping Draco all throughout the school year. We don't even know what else he was doing to help Draco complete his task.

Other reasons include:

1.) Snape is good at Occlumency and would be able to fool Dumbledore of his truest intentions.

2.) Dumbledore said that when he makes mistakes, he makes big mistakes. He could have made a mistake about trusting Snape, and this would be one huge mistake, ultimately casuing his own life.

3.) I posted before about a JKR interview where she said that the redemptive streak in Snape was something we should look for and remember in the seventh book. I think a commenter said this but, Snape could be redeeming himself with Voldemort.

4.) Snape has always disliked Harry. What better way to complete it than to team up with his arch nemesis for a chance at getting him dead.

While I think these are all possible reasons for Snape's alliance to Voldemort, something is still telling me that he's good, and he'll prove it to us in the last book.

I've been a bit annoyed with Minister of Magic Rufus Scrimgeour lately. He was always asking Harry about what he did with Dumbledore and he tried to use Harry to up the Ministry's credibility, and perhaps that is all just because he wants to do good- but whatever he is, he's not exactly the MoM that should be in office.

Scrimgeour behaves more like an old war veteran/general than a Minister. I didn't like him for a long time but now, as a character, he's starting to grow on me. I don't like the fact that he's the Minister, but I think he's a person who would be a good military strategent. It's obvious that the Ministry is in crisis. Scrimgeour is described as resembling a lion. The comparision implies the physical strength and power of Scrimgeour, but physical strength is not what the position Minister of Magic encompasses. The Ministry seems to be grasping on to a person who is not well-endowed mentally, but instead a person who seems to thrive on physical confrontations. The limp (which is not much of a physical handicap to said Minister) Scrimgeour exhibits reminds me of that of a sustaining injury a soldier would have. Also, I find that Scrimgeour is clever- not smart, but clever. He pretends to be nice to Harry to try to get what he wants- but I don't find that to be a display of intelligence, I find that to be a display of trickery that a credible Minister shouldn't be using.

Another couple possibilities are that ol' Scrimgeour is under the Imperius or that he's a Death Eater. He was surely prodding Harry for answers about the latter's journey with Dumbledore... Then again, that must could have simply been because the Ministry wants to be involved in activity against Voldemort. I now highly doubt in my mind that he's either of the two but remember that the possibility indeed exists.

So what is Scrimgeour? Is he a well-meaning man hired because of his similarity to a war general? Is he a Death Eater in disguise? A poor man under the Imperius? These are questions that cannot definitively be determined until the seventh book is released. Ultimately though, I believe he's a good man at heart, just the wrong man for the job. He should be on the battlefield, not behind a desk.

Well, in honor of our upcoming one-month anniversary of the birth of Sectumsempra (July 17), Beth and I have been in talks about a new layout as well as buying a domain, which, when it happens, will most likely be www.sectumsempranites.com ("The home for Harry Potter thinkers and questioners alike!") Is there any preferences as to color, character, font size, etc. that you fellow Sectumsempranites have? I myself have been thinking on a broader and more grandiose spectrum.

As opposed to our three leading men that Beth and I have so willingly made a central theme, I was thinking that perhaps for the main page there will be more characters, bigger and different fonts, and more color. I also want it to have the feeling of comfort, like when you walk into an old friend's house. Of course, the fundamental focus of this site is our theories and queries, and that's what it always will be, but I also want to expand knowledge on the Harry Potter series: characters, settings, classes, and so on.

See, what we're aiming for right now is this: Theories/Queries will be separated into categories. Each category (i.e. Ministry-related T/Qs, Voldemort-related T/Qs, etcetera) will have a layout corresponding to the theme! For example, if we are doing Voldemort-related, then we would have something like a Dark Mark-esque layout, with information on Voldemort and things related to him. This will be hard work but hopefully all will turn out well. There will be a surprise of sorts for everyone as well, which won't be divulged until the new site is created.

Our lovely friend Kristina Rodriguez is the creator of this layout and will be working on the next ones, but if anyone wants to assist in making these layouts, e-mail us at tqsectumsempra@yahoo.com. Also, if there are any suggestions or wishes you might have, please comment so we can make this site a more welcoming and warm place to visit when you come to visit!

EDIT: I'm also trying to figure out the way categories will be determined (i.e. determined by character, setting, etc.) I'm thinking that categories for theories such as Teachers, Voldemort/Death Eaters, Otherworldly (meaning Dumbledore, Sirius, anyone else who is dead), is a bit too general, so perhaps popular topics like Horcruxes, The Trio, Dumbledore, Snape, etc. should get their own pages, then we could have a section for Misc. Observations and another section for Questions. I want everything to be as clear as possible so that people aren't tripping over themselves trying to find a specific theory, know what I mean? I'm thinking out loud now so my apologies for using this as a storyboard of sorts!

Is anyone good with graphics?

**By Matt K.**

The following is an observation that confirms many of the theories previously discussed on this site.

Everyone who has read the American editions of the Harry Potter books probably has observed that the phrase "Harry Potter" on each book cover is in a different color. Of course the color of the phrase usually coordinates with the cover art and serves as a flashy, uniform icon of the series. However, the color on each book may have deeper meaning. Each color perceivable by the eye has its own psychology and evokes certain emotions and connotations from the human mind and senses. When analyzed, the color on each book can be interpreted to reflect the content and happenings of the plot. By examining the colors of the six currently published works, insight may be revealed about the seventh and final book.

-Sorcerer's Stone (Gold): Gold is the color of riches and extravagance. This can relate to the Sorcerer's Stone and Elixir of Life and the immortality Voldemort seeks behind them. "Riches" can be interpreted as power-especially to a vicious murderer like Voldemort-which is exactly what is Voldemort's ultimate goal with immortality. Yellow, cousin to the color gold, also contributes to a deeper meaning. Yellow evokes happiness and joy, which are represented in Harry learning of his destiny in the wizarding world and his true love Quidditch (the Golden Snitch). On the other hand, yellow also denotes cowardice and deceit, which was obviously embodied in Professor Quirrell who hides Voldemort on the back of his head throughout the book and is known for his nervousness and twitching.

-Chamber of Secrets (Silver): The color silver itself is difficult-almost impossible-to directly relate to the book. It is the color of modernism, but that theory almost contradicts Hogwarts old reputation of tradition. Perhaps it suggests the radical ideas of Salazar Slytherin and his quest to rid the school of Muggle-borns. The color white, on the other hand, similar to silver, does a better job. White is the color of purity and cleanliness, which can be interpreted in two ways. First of all, purity and cleanliness describe Salazar Slytherin's attempt to purge the school of muggle borns. Purity and cleanliness also reflect the theme of the concept of Pure-Bloods as pure and good...in some people's eyes.

-Prisoner of Azkaban (Green): Green is the color of life and renewal, which for a brief period describes Sirius Black when he believes himself to be a free man, cleared of the charges of which he was wrongly convicted. Green is also the color of envy or jealousy, which can describe Snape. In the third book, the fact surfaces that Sirius and James made fun of Snape in their Hogwarts days and that Snape always wanted to be like them. They never accepted him, so he would therefore be jealous of them for being what he wanted to be but never could. Finally, green is the color of inexperience. This could adequately describe Harry and his attempts at the Patronus Charm. He tries and tries and tries but because of his inexperience and horrific past, he fails. We all know, however, that he eventually produces a successful Patronus.

-Goblet of Fire (Orange): Orange, like its parent colors red and yellow, convey energy, warmth, and the sun. These feelings describe the excitement of the Quidditch World Cup as well as the TriWizard Tournament. Both are exciting and energetic, and are intended for entertainment and international cooperation and friendliness (warmth). Orange is also the color that stimulates emotions. This aspect very well describes book number four. The "stimulating" is significant in Voldemort's return. By returning he is creating and evoking war and bad feelings in the wizarding world and "stimulating" controversy.

-Order of the Phoenix (Blue): The color blue for book five is almost a blatant contradiction of the content of the book. For the most part, the color blue is calming, happy, and friendly. Order of the Phoenix is hardly calming; in fact it is rather stirring and emotional and introduces Harry and other significant characters to the fate that he and Voldemort will ultimately suffer by the end of the series. However, too much of the color blue can result in depression and sadness-which fits perfectly. This aspect really fits well at the beginning of the book when Harry is lonely and anxious for news and contact of happenings in his own world and at the end of the book when Harry is sulky and moody from Sirius' death and his newly found fate. Perhaps this excessive feeling of blue is the reason for the totally blue cover!

-Half-Blood Prince (Purple): Purple is difficult to analyze to book six, but doable. Purple, like black, is the color of mystery. Mystery perfectly describes Tom Riddle/Voldemort and the life that Dumbledore tries to biography for Harry. Nobody really knows about Voldemort's life and it was very difficult for Dumbledore to collect memories that would aid them on their quest. Also mysterious is the introduced concept of the horcrux and Harry's inherited hunt for the remaining pieces. He has little to no idea where they are and must piece together the mystery to defeat Voldemort. Purple is the color of royalty, which adequately describes Dumbledore. He is like a god (or king) to wizards of his time, as seen by the vast number of people who attend his funeral. Anybody who matters attends, much like if a famous king or queen died. Finally, like blue, purple can result in sadness and moodiness, which again describes Harry and the end of the book as well as the entire community mourning from Dumbledore's death.

Now with the exception of JKR and the publisher, it is almost impossible to be totally sure what color the seventh book will be, but I predict that it will be red. Artistically it is the last main color to be used, but its meaning I think will fit the plot of the last book. Red has a range of emotions. It is the color of war and blood, which will probably (almost obviously) be the battle between Harry and Voldemort that must happen. Red is the color of anger and blood pressure-a tense battle between Harry and Voldemort. Red is also the color of love, which may signify (as previously suggested on this site) romance. Finally, on an interesting note, red is the hottest of the warm colors (red, orange, yellow) so perhaps (and probably) book seven will be the most intense and exciting of all the books. Hopefully it will be!

This isn't so much a theory, but more of an observation.

JKR had said in a interview that she didn't believe that the books were getting darker. She said all the books were equally dark and that the 6th book was just as bad as the 1st, with Quirrel and Voldemort sharing the same body. I think I would have to disagree here. I think that books are, indeed, darker as the story progresses. I think that the first few books were almost like a fairytale and established the story and the essential Good vs. Evil scenario. There was apparent scary and dark parts of the first few books, but I think as the series progressed, the story just became so much darker and deeper.

I think as we are able to further connect with the characters and learn about them and find out what makes them tick and breathe and live we are able to better empathize with the characters. I think it is these feelings which cause the books to become darker. While I'm sure we could all empathize with Harry from the very beginning, it seems that bad situations just keep getting thrown his way and we get to experience it alongside him, which gives us a greater compassion for his situation. This compassion is what makes the books seem darker, in my opinion. Once we start to feel for and with the characters we become emotionally involved and wrapped up in whatever JKR writes.

So I think the last book will be the darkest of them all, obviously.

Does anybody agree?

I was mulling over potential character deaths in the next book, and realized that a lot of characters are going to die. With that said, here are my predictions of the characters who will die.

x Ron Weasley (One of the trio must die and it will be the one Harry is closest to.)
x Fred or George Weasley (The Weasley family is so big that it will be hard to believe if the entire family makes it through the war unscathed. Seeing as how the twins are essentially a copy of each other, JKR will get rid of one.)
x Severus Snape (He will prove himself to be good by risking his life for an important reason, and Harry will feel guilty for thinking Snape bad.)
x Lucius Malfoy (Voldemort'll be out to get him. Simple as that. I feel that Narcissa and Draco will live because of Snape.)
x Bellatrix Lestrange (I think that since she has been escaping death too much, it'll finally get her. I'm assuming by Harry because he'll want revenge for Sirius's death.)
x Voldemort (I'm grasping the notion that Voldemort will die because of the essential "good always wins" theme. Plus, like Bellatrix, he's cheated death too many times.)
x Rufus Scrimgeour (He isn't the Minister-type. He's more like a general, which is why I think he was appointed. Generals either live or die in a battle, and I feel that he will die. I also get a strange feeling about Scrimgeour. Imperious?)
x Peter Pettigrew (I hate Pettigrew. I just want him to die. Plus, he's a pretty stupid guy in general. He has no common sense.)
x Kingsley Shacklebolt (At least one of the Order members has to die and I think it'll be Kingsley because Lupin and Tonks will fill in Harry's parental gap and Bill just got married. Charlie we know absolutely nothing about, so him dying really wouldn't affect readers too much. I've ruled out Arthur Weasley because I know that if any of the children die, Arthur will be key in keeping Molly together.)

So for now, these are the ones on my list of potential characters to die. What do you think?

What shall become of our beloved Harry Potter after Hogwarts, or more appropriately, after the Wizarding War? So far we've been presented with three different theories: Minister of Magic, Auror, or Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.

Minister of Magic
Minister of Magic would be Harry's least likely choice for a profession. The Ministry has always been his "allied foe," if you will, throughout the books. It was only recently that the Ministry started believing Harry, and judging by Harry's reaction, he was not pleased with them. I think that to Harry, becoming Minister of Magic would be like becoming a traitor of sorts, and he wouldn't subject himself to the rules and regulations that he's despised for so long.

Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher
Harry is naturally attracted to trouble, danger, and adventure. A sedentary position as a teacher would not be something that Harry would find himself liking. While he loves DADA as a class itself, why not get into a field where you would actually use the lessons learned? This leads me to the final theory.

Auror
This is what Harry wants to be. This job has it all: danger, freedom, action... Simply put, everything that Harry is pulled towards. Of course, Harry was never that articulate in Potions, and Slughorn's lesser requirements made it easy for Harry to get into the Advanced Potions class (quite the scheme old Dumbledore pulled, I must say). But my problem with that lies in the fact that Harry would have done pretty atrociously if it weren't for the Half-Blood Prince. I mean, where would he have been if he hadn't of received that book? Or even if he didn't have the book, where would he have been if Hermione decided not to take that class? Hopefully he's not as bad at Potions as he let on- that 5 years of Snape just made him a little sluggish and he'll soon be a whiz .

See, Harry did get an E on his O.W.L. exam for Potions, but his performance the rest of the year wasn't too spectacular. Snape was only making sure that the best of the best, the capable people, were in his class. In a job like being an Auror, you can't do awesome 1/10 times, if you get what I mean. I don't know, from an educator's perspective I would say that Harry doesn't have it when it comes to Potions, but from my real perspective, I think an Auror would be the choice job for Mr. Potter.

**By Katie H.**

At this point, just about everyone thinks R.A.B. isRegulus Black. It makes sense, certainly: Death Eater leaving the flock knows he's going to get whacked, so he sticks it to The Man one last time before they send him beyond the veil. Getting from R.A.B. to Regulus Black is easy. Too easy. Its so easy that its starting to feel like a red herring.

So I went back and scoured the books to find anybody and everybody else who could possibly be R.A.B. I tried every possible R, A, and B in the whole set and I've come up with a favorite: Borgin of Borgin & Burke.Its a long shot, I'll grant (we don't know his full name) but he's got a lot going for him:

1) The guy knows a thing or two about magical artifacts, particularly the dark ones. If anyone can tell a horcrux from a hole in the ground, its thisguy.

2) Formerly Tom Riddle's employer. This is significant, since the note reads "be a mortal once more". There's a feeling that whoever wrote the note would remember Voldermort from when he was a Regular Joe the first time. Most of the Death Eaters are too young, but Borgin & Burke hired an 18-year-old Tom Riddle. They'd rememeber ...

3) Borgin is partly responsible for cheating Voldemort's mother of her most prized possession. What possession, you ask? Nothing less than the very locket that's now gone missing.

4) There's a good chance Voldemort off-ed his partner,Burke. That would explain why he's expecting to be dead soon. Goodness knows he gets nervous enough around Death Eaters.

5) If Burke is dead, Borgin woul dbe the first to know. He'd also probably know that Hepzibah Smith was dead. He'd notice that his salesman has dissappeared,and he'd also probably be aware that the locket is gone. (Antiques dealers are known to scan obituaries and will readings for estate information.) So: guy who sold locket = dead, woman who bought locket = dead, lock = missing, and salesman = missing there's a good chance the locket is significant. Borgin's probably smart enough to put it all together.

While some people may continue to believe that Snape is a traitor and an evil man, I still have my beliefs that he is working for the Order in some way. I was searching online recently and found some more evidence of this, straight from JKR's mouth.

There's an important kind of redemptive pattern to Snape.

JKR: He, um, there's so much I wish I could say to you, and I can't because it would ruin. I promise you, whoever asked that question, can I just say to you that I'm slightly stunned that you've said that and you'll find out why I'm so stunned if you read Book 7. That's all I'm going to say.

This is from a chat in 1999, before book 4 was released. So I think JKR obviously had this all planned out and we will find out that Snape's true loyalties lie with the Order. His "redemptive pattern" will be continued when he redeems himself with the good side. Everything about Dumbledore's death will be explained thoroughly.

I was even thinking about how Snape could convince the Order of his true loyalty and thought that maybe he could show them one of his memories via the pensieve. Dumbledore and Snape could be there and their whole plan could be easily explained. Dumbledore would be seen planning his own death and perhaps even giving the Order members a message. I don't know if this could work out, but I think it could be a possible way for the Order to believe Snape. The pensieve never lies and always shows the viewer the truth, not the perspective of the memory holder.

I just know that Snape could never fully be evil. I know that his loyalties always will lie with the good side.

**The chat transcript can be found at this address http://www.quick-quote-quill.org/articles/1999/1099-connectiontransc.html **

Now this might have been blatantly out in the open but in the second book, what exactly did Harry learn/discover in the Chamber of Secrets that related to what he discovered in "Half-Blood Prince?" I'm suspecting that it has something to do with Horcruxes, but I'm honestly not sure and would like some ideas on this.

So far, we know Percy to be a conceited, pompous, arrogant blowhard with no respect for his family or for what his family has done for him. He works at the Ministry of Magic and is pretentious enough to come to the family only if it helps out the Ministry (i.e. in book six when Percy visits with Scrimgeour). All of this family turmoil between Percy and the rest of the Weasley family makes me wonder if there is any hope for this self-serving office boy.

In my opinion, it would be too predictable if Percy returns to the Weasleys. I don't believe that the family and the Ministry are enemies, in the broader sense of the term, so technically, Percy isn't on the Dark side- yet.

There's been a lot of speculation that Percy will become a Death Eater. This claim kind of makes sense to me, seeing as how Percy likes to be on the "team" with the most potential success. I can picture it now: "Oh mother, it is quite obvious that the Dark Lord will fare better than the Ministry. I could become much more accomplished and successful if I work with the him. The Ministry has been losing immensely, and how would that look if I was part of a sinking ship?"

Then again, Percy is also very intelligent, and clearly has common sense, so although he is incredibly hungry for success, it's also very feasible that Percy will remain on the Ministry's side. I'm only posing possibilities, because Percy here is a sticky wicket.

Voldemort is one of the most intelligent and powerful characters in the entire book. He is smart and charismatic enough to get what he wants, when he wants, and from whom he wants it from. He recruits people on a daily basis and does wonders for the Dark wizarding community. Voldemort also happens to be the biggest hypocrite in the book. He pushes to "purify" the wizarding world of Muggle-borns and half-bloods, but he himself is a half-blood. Does this remind you of anybody?

Hitler himself was quite an intelligent and charismatic man back in the days of World War II. He, like Voldemort, recruited people as Nazis everday and did amazing things for the German economy. He got nearly everything he strived for but his problem (besides being a war-mongering dictator) was that he always wanted more. Another interesting parallel between said Hitler and Voldemort is that neither are what they want others to be. Like I said, Voldemort wanted to cleanse the world of Muggle-borns and half-bloods, but he himself was a half-blood. Hitler was one in the same; he wanted an Aryan race- blond hair, blue eyes, definitely not Jewish. Ironically, Hitler was a brown-haired, brown-eyed Jew.

Where I'm trying to get at is that the similarites between the two tyrants shouldn't go unnoticed because, all ideas aside, the resemblance could very well be a clue to whether or not Voldemort survives in the end of book seven.