You guys rock! I love writing this column for all of you, and I appreciate to hear back from all of you! A lot of you have written in and asked me questions or offered further feedback from the articles and about myself. I would like to take some time now to respond. You will find the reflections in categorical order so you may skip the parts you do not want to read.

1. Tell us a little more about yourself.

It is a little difficult to tell you all about myself. As of January 1st, I am 21 years old. I attend Simpson College and my hometown is Des Moines, Iowa. I have lived in the city my entire life and know nothing about farming. I am a member of Alpha Chi Omega sorority where I just ended my presidency. I will graduate from college in May of this year with a major in History and a double minor in Political Science and Secondary Education. After graduation I hope to teach high school History and Government or else work at Disney World. I live with two parents, a 12-year-old brother (Sean) and my dog, Daisy. I love pop music and watching foreign film.

2. Regarding Quibbler One: Flying High with Dumbledore.

This is without a doubt the most outlandish theory. A lot of you wrote in that although you did not agree with it at all, you loved hearing a different perspective on this. This theory started with my friend Niki and I talking at lengths about the series. We at first decided that Dumbledore should be the Invisibility Cloak, but later found that it was impossible. When we watched the movies over again, we decided that he should instead be the flying Ford Anglia. So do I really believe that this is possible? No, not really, but I think it would be a lot of fun! Never underestimate the power of Albus Dumbledore. We have much left to learn about him and I definitely believe that he is represented by something in the books, however I do not think that he is represented by Hedwig or Crookshanks. The most probable thing would be on the Chocolate Frog cards, but that seems to be a little too “elementary” for Dumbledore, although it is definitely possible that it is just one of his many means of appearing throughout the book.

3. Regarding Quibbler Two: TrelawneyÂ’s Secret Obsession with RJ Lupin

I still stand by this one! Rowling makes this one obvious to a person who is looking at the facts from a varied perspective. The word choices and the actions of the characters make this a very likely theory. In Prisoner of Azkaban on page 139 of the United States paperback edition, Lupin turns his boggart into a cockroach, resembling the insect-like features that characterize Trelawney. Many of you called me on this saying that you did not remember. Go back and consult your books; it is there. I think that there is potential for this subplot to end up being very important to the series (something like Trelawney sacrificing herself or something of that sort).

4. Regarding Quibbler 3: The Secret Life of Luna Lovegood.

This was more of a run-through of facts than it was a theory. I love the character of Luna and I think that will see a lot more of her in the future books. A lot of you wrote in with the idea that Luna could actually be Tonks in disguise. I researched the book quite extensively to see if there was any merit. Although it is possible, I do not think that this is quite right. As far as I know, Hogwarts does not accept transfers (maybe they do, we do not really know), meaning that Tonks would have had to go to school all four years as Luna. However, it would be a good idea to have a member of the Advance Guard and the Order of the Phoenix around Harry at all times. What seems the most suspicious to me about Luna is how big of a role she played in the fifth book. Even other characters that we have heard about before (Seamus, Dean, Lavender, et cetera) all played minor roles compared to Luna. Perhaps this is only because of The Quibbler and the significance that this might hold in the future books.

5. Regarding Quibbler 4: The Death of Sirius Black: Real or Just A Set-Up?

In all honesty, hearing feedback from this particular one gave me a headache. Some people balked at my insensitivity, others applauded me for not falling into the trap of saying things just to please fans. Well, and let me not forget the literally hundreds who wrote in about my mistake (red jets of light). You were right, Rowling did not specify what color the second jet of light that hit Sirius was. We can make assumptions (which I did, in this case), but we do not know for sure. I still think that the jet of light did not kill Sirius, but I also will not back down that we will not see Sirius again in his human form. I reiterate this when I say that Rowling described this event as the death of a major character. Death is pretty permanent, even in the wizarding world (see James and Lily Potter). As Snape said in The SorcererÂ’s Stone, you can put a stopper in death, but you cannot stop it altogether.

6. Regarding Quibbler 5: Trelawney on the Dark Side.

Ugh. Even thinking about this one makes me cringe. This admittedly was not the best piece of writing in the world, but I will not back down on the affirmation. Rowling uses certain words and phrases for a reason and identifying Voldemort as the Dark Lord is enough for me to think that there is some dark stuff going on here with SybillÂ’s predictions. Okay, so maybe Voldemort did not control Trelawney (otherwise that whole Department of Mysteries sequence would not have happened), but I really do believe that someone close to him may be playing a role (where was Wormtail in Order of the Phoenix? And do not say Percy! [That is a whole different Quibbler!]). Honestly, Wormtail is in debt to Harry and may be trying to protect him in some way. Before I get too far away speculating, letÂ’s leave this one to lie out in the sun (I wish it would disappear!).

7. Regarding Quibbler 6: Harry as a Tool for Power.

I really like this one, I have to admit. There is so much evidence in the books of time travel that it is difficult to think that there are powerful wizards that do not know HarryÂ’s fate. I never meant that Arthur Weasley was using Harry as a tool for power in a negative way, it just happens to be one of those added bonuses. If a person makes friends with the right people, power can sometimes fall into their laps. That is what I meant in this case. I would have elaborated more on DumbledoreÂ’s use of Harry, but I figured that I would get too far off the focus and just end up making more people confused, frustrated, and angry (which is never my intention!). Very seriously consider, though, the use of time travel. Whenever someone pops up out of nowhere or has some unusual advice or news, it might be safe to assume that some sort of time travel took place. I did have several people ask if traveling to the future was possible because Harry and Hermione were only able to move backward. The answer is, um, I do not really know. Maybe the whole thing is a flashback (enter Dumbledore as one of the main characters trying to change the course of events from a hundred years in the future). That is an entirely new article that I will not elaborate further on here.

Overall, I appreciate the feedback. It is so fascinating to me to know that these theories reach so many people from so many different countries; it really constantly amazes me. Thank you to all the people who are supportive and honest with me. I really like to look at the facts from a different perspective and put them back together with a different spin. It really makes the books even more enjoyable and interesting to reread (I have read the books at least 15 to 20 times each, except maybe Order of the Phoenix and I have to think of ways to keep it fresh and new!).

Be sure to watch for the next Quibbler which should be up sometime next week. Remember the topic is going to be: What we can learn by comparing Harry and his scar to Frodo and his ring.

1/2/04