get by with a little help

[aruan]

I'm doing a project for a university class regarding canon-based speculation about the Harry Potter books, whether the source is Web authors or LJers or fiction writers. It's a very anything goes free-for-all of the best and weirdest fandom's come up with. I'm looking for any special/eclectic resources and also have a few canon-based questions, as it's admittedly been a few months since I re-read the books.

- Any sites devoted to theories - conspiracy, speculation, or otherwise - relating to canon as set forth within the books. Everyone knows about Knight2King, but I'm sure there are heaps more out there. It doesn't matter how outlandish the proposition, I'd just love some off-the-beaten-path sources.

- Any sites that take an in-depth look at the books for whatever purpose, whether character development, hints for possible future events, to check facts (i.e. the population of Hogwarts, the ages of the Weasley siblings) etc.

- Any sites with archived interviews with J.K. Rowling, as I'm willing to consider what she says about the books and events as good as the words within them.

Canon Questions:

- I seem to be operating under the impression that Snape resents Dumbledore. Is this canon or simply something I pulled out of the clear blue (or perhaps fic, as we all know those lines sometimes blur)? If so, have we been given any sort of justification for it? (Or is it just the same as James, that he resents owing his life to someone other than himself?)

- And speaking of Snape, do we have any canon for why Dumbledore hasn't appointed him to his coveted Defense post? Has Snape applied for it every year he's been at Hogwarts? In my head, it shouldn't be any issue of trust, as Snape would be above any sort of suspicion as far as loyalties to be working at Hogwarts, no? (thanks amberdiceless)

- Do we know if the Order of the Phoenix is a rogue vigilante group (essentially) or if they were sanctioned by the Ministry?

- Do we have any instances of Dumbledore lying to anyone, or does he simply leave questions unanswered or only partially reveal the truth (as he deems revelant with regard to whom he's speaking and the situation, of course)?

- Did Sirius not get a trial? All signs point to yes, but he had to have been convicted of a crime to be sent to prison for it (or am I just being too technical)? And for that matter, was killing Peter the only reason he was locked up? In the Shack, he says he wants to commit the murder he was locked away for, which seems to disregard the twelve Muggles who died. (thanks meinnim)

- In CoS, Hagrid was briefly sent to Azkaban. Was it under suspicion of harboring whatever was attacking the students? Or because the Ministry again suspected he was the one to open the Chamber, as he was accused and expelled for early in his Hogwarts career as a student?

Resources I've gathered so far...

MuggleNet
Willow's Harry Potter Character Guides
The Harry Potter Automatic News Aggregator
The Leaky Cauldron
The Hogwarts Galleries
The Harry Potter Lexicon
J.K. Rowling.com
Hogwarts World
The Daily Snitch

I'm fairly new to HP fandom and don't have very many people of that persuasion on my f'list, so any crossposting and/or links back here would be much appreciated, as, of course, is any advice and suggestions of anything mentioned here or that you think I may have missed. Sources used will be appropriately credited, as well as any contributors, should they wish to be. Thanks in advance!

Comments

[meinnim.livejournal.com]

You're welcome. Mwah!

Also, do we know if the Order is a rogue vigilante group or if they were sanctioned by the Ministry?

The Order isn't sanctioned by the Ministry.

In Chapter 36 in GoF [The Parting of the Ways], Dumbledore declares a break with the Ministry since Fudge refuses to believe Voldemort is back and doesn't want to take any action.

"If your determination to shut your eyes will carry you as far as this, Cornelius," said Dumbledore, "we have reached a parting of the ways. You must act as you see fit. And I - I shall act as I see fit."

Dumbledore's voice carried no hint of a threat; it sounded like a mere statement, but Fudge bristled as though Dumbledore were advancing upon him with a wand.

"Now, see here, Dumbledore," he said, waving a threatening finger. "I've given you free rein, always. I've had a lot of respect for you. I might not have agreed with some of your decisions, but I've kept quiet. There aren't many who'd have let you hire werewolves, or keep Hagrid, or decide what to teach your students without reference to the Ministry. But if you're going to work against me -"

"The only one against whom I intend to work," said Dumbledore, "is Lord Voldemort. If you are against him, then we remain, Cornelius, on the same side."

That parting of the ways leads Dumbledore to take action on his own. He makes a reference to the Order, although he doesn't call it that openly.

"That will do to be going on with," said Dumbledore, stepping between them once more. "Now I have work for each of you. Fudge's attitude, though not unexpected, changes everything. Sirius, I need you to set off at once. You are to alert Remus Lupin, Arabella Figg, Mundungus Fletcher - the old crowd. Lie low at Lupin's for a while; I will contact you there."

In OotP, chapter 4, Hermione explains to Harry that "It's a secret society." and "Dumbledore's in charge, he founded it. It's the people who fought against You-Know-Who last time."

In the same chapter, Fred says, "Dembledore's name's mud with the Ministry these days, see." [I doubt they sanctioned the Order, especially with the break from the Ministry and Dumbledore's role as the head of the Order.]

I've got more to add on Sirius not having a trial [and no one demanding a trial for him] and the Order members possibly using Unforgivable curses but I've got to do some research on it first. :)

[gjstruthseeker.livejournal.com]

GoF is one of the two HP volumes I didn't bring with me to my dorm this semester, a move I've been lamenting for the past three weeks. I forget just how much is in that book. There's a world of reasons why I love it lots. Remus Lupin in the third and the Occlumency lessons in the fifth notwithstanding, it's probably my favorite so far.

Hm. What to teach your students without reference to the Ministry. And yet with the streak of incompetent Defense teachers (again, Lupin notwithstanding). What's up with that? I'd figured it was part of the Ministry's denial campaign in dealing with what they insist is the non-threat of Voldemort. And really, come now, if anyone, Dumbledore should be able to sense bad mojo, so what was with hiring the twitchy freak with Voldemort growing out of the back of his head in Harry's first year, eh? Or are we still holding with his hiring incompetent teachers to make Voldemort believe he doesn't view him as a threat? Or whatever that reasoning was, for which I don't of course remember the source.

Thanks so much again for doing my work for me. I'll have to check my volumes and write down page numbers, but you rock so righteously for going to all the trouble. I appreciate it immensely.

[mandrill.livejournal.com]

There exist PDF file versions of the five Potter books. The PDFs do contain a few typos (since they were typed up by fans), but they're handy for research purposes since they are searchable and you can select text to cut and paste into other documents.

[gjstruthseeker.livejournal.com]

Hm. I've found the character guides really useful for that, but I'm sure that has its shortcomings as well. Do you happen to have a link to these files? I'd mostly be searching them by keyword, then looking them up in my own editions of the books for citing page number purposes.

[mandrill.livejournal.com]

Do you use AIM?