The Plot Thickens: Harry Potter Investigated by Fans for Fans
The newest release from Wizarding World Press is a first of its kind: The Plot Thickens is a compilation of the essays written by fans mined from the vast populations of MuggleNet's Chamber of Secrets forums and the official sponsored forums for the discussion of WWP's previous guide, New Clues to Harry Potter: Book Five.
The essays contained within The Plot Thickens are written by an array of people from different backgrounds. Their educational backgrounds range from a few with Ph.D.'s to one still in elementary school. Regardless of author, all of the essays attempt to shed some light on particular theories and explain some of them events and people within the Harry Potter series thus far. The categories and essays included within the book are:
- Magic and the Mind
- Ponderings… Does the Wand Choose the Wizard?
- Unity Inside: The Sorting of Harry Potter
- The Timing of Voldemort's Plans
- Occlumency and Legilimency
- Birds of a Feather
- How is Harry Potter Like a Phoenix?
- Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore: An Interpersonal Chemistry
- Fowl Play with Owl Post
- The Prophecy and the Legend of Godric's Hollow
- Harry's Scar
- The Charming Lily Evans Potter
- How We Know What Happened During the Attack at Godric's Hollow
- The Attack on Frank and Alice Longbottom
- Neville and Harry: Children of the Prophecy
- Bloodlines and Blood Feuds
- Petunia: The Woman Who Knows Too Much
- Something Dursley This Way Comes
- What Has Become of the House of Black? The Disappearing Families in J.K. Rowling's Books
- Phineas Nigellus: Portrait of a Slytherin
- Barty Crouch Jr.: AGood Son Gone Bad
- Knights of Walpurgis
- Wacky Weasleys
- Is Percy a Stupid Git?
- Dragons and Dungeons: Charlie and Bill Weasley
- Fred and George: The Order's Secret Weapon?
- The Twins: A Balancing Act
- Love Potion #9¾
- What Krum Saw
- Lily Potter - "Silly Girl"?
- Girl Talk with Tonks
- Mischief Created: The Marauders
- Marauders-So, What's in a Name?
- School Years of the Marauders
- The Marauders-What Went Wrong
- Travelling Picture Show
- Portraits and Photos: Capturing an Aura
- Phineas Nigellus: Wicked Wit on the Wall
- Arresting Motion
- Shady People and Places
- Bubbles and Bribes (Goings on at St. Mungo's)
- Neville's Gran and the Feathered Crowns of Egypt
- Magical What's-My-Name by Gilderoy Lockhart
- Alastor Moody: Friend or Foe?
- Judge Fudge
- Is Something Going on at St Mungo's?
- The Ministry of Magic: Employees Only
- A Short Insight Into the Short-Sighted Problems at the Ministry of Magic
- Fudge & Machiavelli
- The Tyranny of the Death Eaters and the Spread of Corruption
- The Mysterious Mad-Eye Moody
- Objects of Mystery and Things That Go Bump in the Night
- The Room of Requirement (a.k.a. The Come and Go Room)
- The Clue Men See is the Lake!
- Mirrors and Time
- The Veil of Mystery
- Through the Veil (…and Back Again?)
- The Chamber of Thoth
- Symbolism: Reading the Runes
- Tying Together All the Magical Knots
- Pink Stinks
- Hogwarts Houses
- Geomancy and Alchemy Gems in Harry Potter
- Time… and Time Again
- Time of the Druids and the Legends of our Time
- Voldemort, the Ouroboros Worm, and the Legend of Kronos
- The Problem with Time-Travel
- Time Travelling and Turning
- Bubble, Bubble, Toil and Trouble: The "Potions Master"
- Essence of Snape
- Snivellus, Professor, Death Eater, and Spy: The Four Faces of Snape
- The Sociology of Severus Snape
- Professor Severus Snape: A Case of Cauldron Meltdown
- Professor Snape and the Defense Against the Dark Arts Position
- The Public Snape
- Severus Snape and Molly Weasley: Common Threads
- Snape's Patronus
- Severus Snape and the Cult of Fear
- Voldemort's Pawns
In addition to these many essays, the final section of the book attempts to shed some light on the investigation of who the Half-Blood Prince may be in J.K. Rowling's next book, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. The theories and charts are compiled by many of the authors of the essays seen earlier within the compilation.
The essays contained within The Plot Thickens have been written by fans, for fans. You may ask why these essays have been published in a book rather than put online, and the answer to that question has many facets. Firstly, all authors desire to be published on paper. These authors worked hard and deserve to be supported (not to mention, many of us habitually print things to read them rather than look at the computer screen all day-you know who you are). Secondly, we wanted to expose these authors to much more than the Internet community from which they came. Every day, those who may not have joined us online may pick up the book in their local bookstore, read it, and choose to bring their insights as well.
Don't forget to pick up your copy of The Plot Thickens soon! It is an excellent way to spend the time waiting for Half-Blood Prince to arrive (besides re-reading the the series for the fifteenth, no… sixteenth… no… twentieth time?).
If you would like to order the book from Amazon.com (and support MuggleNet in doing so), you may order at this link. For further information on the book, visit its official site at PlotThickens.com.