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The Mysterious Septology Symbol

by David Haber

One month ago, on March 28, fans finally got to see the artwork for the covers of the final book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and intense debate about the meaning of the imagery on the covers immediately ensued. But there is one small, obscure bit of the new images of the Book 7 cover art we haven't yet discussed.

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Reader Comments: (Page 6)

i agree with most of you i think the symbol means that the four houses and the four elements. I also think that aberforth and albus is also a part of it. and flat out lilly is not a seer nor is harry.

Posted by sheepy from dayton ohio on May 7, 2007 10:29 AM

Javed from Vancouver,

I think that the line might be a clue for Abeforth, as he is speculated to have a special relationship with water, as his brother Albus had with fire.

Patty from Quincy,

I had also thought that if Dumbledore had planned to , he must have previously taken the necessary steps to insure that he would be able to help Harry one way or another. I definitely do not think Albus would turn into a Ghost, because we know that he was not afraid of , but if his spirit is "Summoned" then it is a different story, and a different type of being or manifestation that we have not yet seen. This would fit nicely with Albus not �Pulling a Galdalf�, as he would not be coming back to life, it also fits with not being a ghost, because Albus was not afraid of , but he could still be of assistance to Harry and friends, although with limited or no mobility, if the summoned spirit must remain within the drawn circle or triangle.

Something that just occurred to me is that if the triangle and circle are used to summon a spirit, and contain it, might the line drawn through them let the spirit out of it�s �Confining� space?

Posted by Emiio from Mexico City, Mexico on May 7, 2007 11:14 AM

You know, people don't just become ghosts because they are afraid of but also if they have unfinished business on earth.

Posted by Claudia on May 7, 2007 12:51 PM

Personally, I'd be inclined to agree with the link to Alchemy. That was the first thought through my head when I saw it. We have barely to see any Alchemy in link to Albus, don't we? All we've had so far was the passing mention on the back of his wizard card. Just an excuse to introduce Flamel so Hermione can look up the Stone? Maybe.

There is also the possibility that the symbol may not have anything to do with Albus or Harry of any member of the Order either. Perhaps it's something in relation to Voldemort that we do not yet know.

Posted by Monkeeshrines from orlando fl on May 7, 2007 4:59 PM

like jason from california said on april 30th. the phoenix fawkes is indeed related to dumbledore. albus dumbledore was a transfiguration teacher before he became headmaster right? I think that you can expect that he is an animagnus then. and the relation with fire and fawkes all the time... could this mean that dumbledore can change in a Phoenix? but again, If he's truly , and i think so, we don't need this information. but the other elements? is it related in some kind of way to Ron or hermione? They play a major role in HP after all. They join Harry on his quest in Book 7 don't they? and what about the Order?

another thing what came up to me when I saw the new cover of HP (british version, child edition). Is it possible that this scene take place in the room of Hepzibah Smith... the one with all the artifacts who was ed by voldermort after he saw the cup and the locker...

Posted by mark from the nehterlands on May 7, 2007 5:05 PM

Maybe the spirit to be enclosed within the pyramid be the piece of soul currently residing within Voldemort's body. If his body is ed while the remaining horcruxes are still intact, the spirit-Voldemort would have no physical manifestation again, as when he first attacked Harry. Instead of allowing it to escape, Harry could have a horcrux, or something like it, ready to trap him. A fate worse than indeed.

Posted by Patty from Quincy MA on May 7, 2007 5:38 PM

The symbol represents Voldemort more than Albus or Aberforth Dumbledore because of Voldemort's obsession with the number 7.

Posted by Javed from Vancouver, Canada on May 7, 2007 5:59 PM

me again i disagree with you javed i think that aberforth is represented way more than voldemort.

Posted by sheepy from dayton Ohio on May 8, 2007 10:04 AM

I just wanted to add a comment to explain why I believe Harry is possibly a Seer.

There are various instances throughout the novels where Harry does things that he 'just knows' how to do.

In Philosopher's/Sorcerer's Stone the hints may be subtle and not very important. We are told of a dream Harry has (uk pb, p.97) which is, on its own a pretty pointless passage - and we are informed that Harry does not remember it at all. When Harry first rides a broomstick his immediate s is explained by 'Harry knew, somehow, what to do' (PS uk p.111). He just knew? James Potter being a Qudditch player doesn't explain how Harry knew how to fly a broom with no instruction at all. There are other examples throughout this book of Harry just 'knowing'

CoS and again we have Harry having the feeling he has been there/heard it before:
'Harry couldn't explain, even to himself, why he didn't just throw Riddle's diary away. The fact was that even though he knew the diary was blank, he kept absent-mindedly picking it up and turning the pages, as though it was a story he wanted to finish. And whilst Harry was sure he had never heard the name T.M. Riddle before, it still seemed to mean something to him, almost as though Riddle was a friend he'd had when he was very small, and half-forgotten...' (CoS uk, p.174)

'Then, without thinking, without considering, as though he had meant to do it all along, Harry siezed the Basilisk fang on the floor next to him and plunged it straight into the heart of the book' (CoS uk, p.237)

Just how does Harry 'know' how to defeat Riddle and his diary, gut instinct? Or perhaps because he has seen it before...

If we consider PoA, when Harry expels the Dementors with his Patronus he is able to do it because he has seen it before (in the very complicated time travel bit of genius).

GoF and the opening chapters, the scenario with Voldemort, Wormtail, Nagini, & Frank Bryce. Because we have all since read OotP and realised that Harry can scan into Voldemort's thoughts and vice versa we have a tendency to link the dreams together. However, the dream Harry has in GoF is completely different to those he experiences in OotP. In Ootp Harry sees through Voldemort's eyes, he feels what Voldemort feels, in GoF Harry is a third party - he watches the scenario not through Voldemort's eyes but through his own, he SEES the event taking place. He sees Voldemort (or what there is of him) in the chair, he is not one with Voldemort he is a 3rd party witness to the event.

There are other moments. But what I also find interesting is the idea of parallels between novels, if we are to follow the pattern then DH have parallels with PoA. PoA is where we are introduced to Trelawney and her 'art' is much maligned, to the degree that when Tonks asks Harry if there is any Seer blood in his family in OotP Harry feels insulted at the very idea of it.
Perhaps where in PoA Seer ability is mocked by Harry, in DH Seer ability come to his aid. It would also offer a further moment of Harry and Voldemort being two sides of the same coin. If we assume Lily was a Seer, we can guess this is why Voldemort wanted her alive - he wanted use of a power he did not have, then there is Harry, he perhaps as a power he does not want, and has not used with intent as of yet.

Posted by Orlando from England on May 8, 2007 2:04 PM

This symbol could possibly be connected to the Sorcerer's/Philosopher's Stone, and could mean that Nicolas Flamel's stone was either duplicated or not destroyed like dumbledore told harry. This could also mean that Nicolas Flamel and/or Dumbledore could still be alive from drinking Elixir of Life, although I'm not sure if this type of immortality guards against the ing Curse, but it is still a possibility.

Posted by brett from salem, NJ on May 8, 2007 4:50 PM

Claudia on May 7,

You wrote "You know, people don't just become ghosts because they are afraid of but also if they have unfinished business on earth."

Ghost lore might tell us that, it also tells us that once the ghost has taken care of what he has to do, it can move on.

But, in this particular series, we must take Nearly Headless Nick's word, as he is a ghost.

Sir Nicholas tells us that you become a ghost when you fear "Moving on", your spirit remains "Neither here nor there", and once you have become a ghost, you remain one forever.

Orlando from England,

I am not particularly for the Harry is a seer theory, but you make a very good point with all the references that you give. I have to think about it.

Posted by Emilio from Mexico City, Mexico on May 8, 2007 5:12 PM

It just wouldn't make sense if the symbol represents Aberforth - unless someone sees a goat somewhere on the symbol. Aberforth is supposed to have something to do with goats - it's even mentioned in one of the books that he smells like a goat. It was never mentioned in any of the books that Aberforth's speciality is water - I'm pretty sure that this is nothing but another rumour - just because Albus Dumbledore's speciality was fire, it doesn't mean that Aberforth has to be the opposite and have a connection with water. By the way, the most important point is that Aberforth would not make a horcrux.

The Triangle of Evocation is meant to call spirits or souls, which means that it is connected with horcruxes as they store portions of soul. If this symbol actually is a triangle of evocation and if the vertical line represents the number 7, then it probably leads to a way to access Voldemort's horcrux(es).

We're also going to find out 'why some wizards become ghosts?' in ly Hallows. Remember what Nearly-headless-Nick says in Order of the Phoenix, "I know nothing of the secrets of , Harry, for I chose my feeble imitation of life instead. I believe learned wizards study the matter in the Department of Mysteries -". So this could mean that there is going to be another visit to the Department of Mysteries in ly Hallows!

Posted by Javed from Vancouver, Canada on May 8, 2007 6:07 PM

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