Pottermore - The Numbers Game

I've decided to start a new post instead of continuing the earlier thread on Pottermore because I want to investigate better the meaning of the numbers on JKR's YouTube Announcement page.  The length of the old thread and number of updates may be confusing.

There are many numbers on the YouTube announcement page that seem to be frozen in time.  One of this blog's commentators, Anonymous, has been posting in the old thread various theories as to what the numbers could mean. I encourage you to go back and read those comments. I think Anonymous is truly on to something as those numbers are fixed, and knowing JKR, chosen for a reason, but I'm just not sure that I buy into them being page numbers in the books as page numbering changes depending on publisher.

I believe JKR IS releasing clues through the Pottermore Youtube video, and I think she gave us a heads-up with the coordinates on the Street View maps as to how to play this game. Like the StreetView coordinates, this is a numbers game, and we've got to figure out what these numbers mean to unlock her clues.

What I'd like to do here is provide a table of the numbers and then we can all throw out theories as to what they could mean, drawing from how JKR has used them in the prior books.

Numbers on Pottermore Youtube:

50 -- videos
0:09/1:13 -- time video holds at
Feb. 4 or 2/4 -- upload date (notice no year is selected)
217,394 -- page views
122 -- likes
25 -- dislikes
360 p (not sure if this one is under her control)
6/23/11 -- date of release

Owl count by date:

6/16: 5
6/17: 7
6/18: 11
6/19: 15

Plus, if you move your cursor around the image, certain leaves will fall from the tree. I don't know if this has happened on prior days because I only noticed it today. But as of today, 10 leaves fall. (Updated from 9 to 10 because one was hard to see).

One very strong clue -- since you can't click "like" or "dislike" these numbers definitely seem to be fixed.

Also, my daughter pointed out that all the suggested videos are frozen, you cannot click to activate them. Each of those videos has numbers attached to them as well, but since they seem to be real YouTube videos, I don't think that aspect could have been manipulated by JKR and her team.

Here are the clues posted by Anonymous with his/her explanation (I left out the book # ones because I'm just not sure that works):
1. The post date is 4th February, the date Septimius Severus died.
2. The timer says 0:09/1:13, and 9/1, or January 9th, is Severus Snape birthday. Also, in some areas, 9/1 means 1 September, the first day of Hogwarts.

Here are my theories for some of the other numbers:
50 - the number of people mentioned killed in the Battle of Hogwarts fighting Voldemort

(I'll be refreshing these theories throughout the day as I've had time to ponder them).


** Please let me know if I missed anything.

Also, even though I'd love Pottermore to be an interactive encylopedia, which was my first theory, see the earlier thread for more, I'm starting to think those who believe it to be a Multi-player Online Roleplaying Exerience may be correct. Notice the letters. PotterMORE.

Pottermore Trail of Clues

Update 6/19: Each day has increased the owls. I'm going to try to start an owl count to see if there's any rhyme or reason to the number:

6/16: 5
6/17: 7
6/18: 11
6/19: 15

Please let me know if I missed anything.

Also, even though I'd love it to be an interactive encylopedia, I'm starting to think those who believe it to be a Multi-player Online Roleplaying Exerience may be correct. Notice the letters. PotterMORE.


Update 6/17: I do think she's planning on stringing us along for a whole week, revealing one new clue each day. I'm eager to see what today's holds! I bet somewhere down the line she'll include a reaction from one of the fansites who have viewed Pottermore.

I posted this in comments in response to a question on why I thought JK Rowling would give more clues during this week of waiting for Pottermore, but thought more readers may catch it better up here:

JFeijten -- Of course I truly don't know, I'm guessing along with everyone else, it just makes sense to me from my understanding of how JK Rowling works. For many years I've studied her writing techniques, and one of the key things she excels at is slyly hiding clues to her mysteries, stringing them along throughout the stories, and keeping the reader guessing. Back when she was releasing info during the series, like the next book title or a cover, she played a game with the reader to obtain that info, but then the cover or title was released immediately. Why would she play this game and keep us looking at an empty website a whole week before revealing it? My guess is because she has more games to play with us during that time. I could be wrong, but I suspect she'll reveal at least a couple more hints before the big reveal. She builds excitement and tension so much better that way -- just like in the books.

Update 6/16:  JK Rowling has released a Youtube video that essentially just says, wait 6 more days!

http://www.youtube.com/JKRowlingAnnounces

The owls are gathering?  It's all in her name rather than Warner's?  In her world, owls gather to spread the news.  Please let it be something that includes the encyclopedia!

Six more days would be around June 22.  Isn't that the solstice this year?  goes to check...No, solstice on 21st.

So, the colors remind me of right before dawn...the owls are watching...The first sign of magic in Philosopher's/Sorcerer's Stone was an owl. The owls are gathering to carry the news at the dawn of a new day in Potterdom.  But what exactly will it be?

Maybe it's wishful thinking, but I favor the encyclopedia idea myself. I think it will be a virtual, interactive online encyclopedia that will give her fans MORE of all the Potter facts, references, and trivia that she could not work into the books.


Original post started here:
If there's one thing I've learned from studying JK Rowling's writing techniques, it's that she never does anything without a deeper meaning! This StreetView game she's played with her fans today is so typically JKR. And to understand exactly what Pottermore will be, we need to carefully examine each clue. Therefore, I have listed them all below with the notes (my analysis follows below the list!):


Leaky Cauldron: 42.523356,-70.890698 -- "E"
Note: Salem - The Salem Witches' Institute visited the Quidditch World Cup.

MuggleNet: 51.530377,-0.123259 -- "T"
Note: King's Cross - the Hogwarts Express leaves from platform nine and three-quarters.

Harry Potter Xperts: -34.410362,150.900671 -- "O"
Note: Australia - The Wollongong Warriors are a Quidditch team referenced in the book 'Quidditch Through the Ages.'

HPANA: -29.239004,24.507602 -- "T"
Note: The Erumpent - whose horn contains a deadly fluid that can make objects explode at the slightest touch (one of which destroyed the Lovegood house) - is originally from Africa.

BlogHogwarts: 34.730748,137.383786 -- "O"
Note: Japan - Toyohashi Tengu is a Quidditch team referenced in the book ‘Quidditch through the Ages.’

UniversHarryPotter: 29.952313,-90.067849 -- "P"
Note: New Orleans - The Phoenix Rising Convention in New Orleans. One of the largest Harry Potter fan conventions.

Clubedoslugue: -23.547149, -46.520266 -- "E"
Note: Brazil - The location of an eagle-eyed fan site which spotted a recent trademark registration.

Snitch Seeker: 51.781383,-2.56844 -- "R"
Note: Forest of Dean - The beautiful forest where Harry & Ron reunite in the Deathly Hallows.

Portus: 43.640408,-79.388795 -- "R"
Note: Toronto Skydome - Where J.K. Rowling achieved the world record for a public reading event.

PotterMore twitter (@Pottermore): 53.476311,-2.22971 -- "M"
Note: Manchester Station - The train line between Manchester and London is where J.K. Rowling first conceived the idea of Harry Potter.

If you put all these clues together we have:

1. fansites from all over the world in various languages
2. in places that hold meaning to JKR's story or career, with notes on
3. information about the books
4. information about JK Rowling and her publishing career
5. information about extra pieces to her work (Magical Creatures and Quidditch Through the Ages)
6. information about fandom

To me, all of these spell out ENCYCLOPEDIA. What would you expect to find in a Harry Potter encyclopedia? All of the above!!

JKR once said in an interview that fans wanted way MORE info on her world and characters than she could provide in a book. I think she's found a fun and entertaining way to make this more detailed information readily accessible. It sounds to me like Pottermore will be an interactive virtual world filled with all the details JKR could not fit into her massive tome.

I know the trademark site lists Pottermore as something like a social media or RPG site, but I have a hard time believing that JKR would have a website dedicated to social media and RPG'ing in HER name.  To me, that sounds like something that would come from Warner.  However, all of the above could be included in Pottermore alongside the encyclopedic information.

In other words, PotterMore could be Potter Forever More!

But I'm only guessing, of course. What do you think? Where does this trail of clues lead you?

Let the Games Begin!

Speculation Time (Update 3): Ok, the puzzle has been solved, but we still don't know what Pottermore is. For some reason, because it has JKR's signature on the website, I do not see it as being an RPG or social media or theme park. The registration could be a red herring. Could it be the Harry Potter Encyclopedia but released as an interactive website rather than a book?

Think about how JKR released the clues -- various fansites from across the world in many languages each containing a note that related to the books, magical creatures, or fandom -- all of which would be part of an encyclopedia!

JK Rowling said that fans wanted MORE details than she could have provided through the books. Is she putting it all there in a virtual environment?


Puzzle Solved (Update 2): It is Pottermore and fans are directed to view this website:

PotterMore.com (though there is nothing currently there but a placeholder)

and follow this Twitter feed: @PotterMore





UPDATE (1): Looks like enough letters have been revealed that it's POTTER MORE or MORE POTTER however you want to look at it.

Does that mean more books to come? I'd guess if so that it would follow the trio's children, not Harry himself.

Or is it an upcoming Potter social media?

Or could it be a Potter RPG?

What would you most like?

I like Twitter and my kids love RPGs, but nothing will satisfy me as much as #MorePotter books!

It looks like it's the social media thing. One of the last clues is: "E" for "Brazil: The location of an eagle-eyed fan site which spotted a recent trademark registration."

For more, see this link, sent by Brooke Johnson


Started here:
JK Rowling is up to her old tricks! She's got something to announce, but she's not going to make it easy on us fans.  No, she has to hide clues with locations from all over the globe and use her multitude of fansites to point us toward them.  We must search out ten letters and put them together to form some sort of word which will announce a surprise to come.  But, it's not a book. :-(

What could it be?

Go to Leaky or Mugglenet to find the coordinates and hunt the clues, but come back here and let's piece them together!

So far, coordinates announced:

51.530377,-0.123259 on Mugglenet - at King's Cross, found a "T"
Note: King's Cross - the Hogwarts Express leaves from platform nine and three-quarters.

42.523356,-70.890698 on LeakyCauldron - at Salem Witch Institute, found an "E"
Note: Salem - The Salem Witches' Institute visited the Quidditch World Cup.


-34.410362,150.900671 on Harry Potter XPerts - at Stuart Park, North Wollongong in New South Wales, got an "O"
Note: Australia - The Wollongong Warriors are a Quidditch team referenced in the book 'Quidditch Through the Ages .'

29.952313,-90.067849 on L'Univers de Harry Potter, found a "P"
Note: New Orleans - The Phoenix Rising Convention in New Orleans. One of the largest Harry Potter fan conventions.

-29.239004,24.507602 on HPANA, found another "T"
Note:  The Erumpent - whose horn contains a deadly fluid that can make objects explode at the slightest touch (one of which destroyed the Lovegood house) - is originally from Africa.


34.730748,137.383786 from BlogHogwarts, found anothr "O"
Note: Toyohashi Tengu is a Quidditch team referenced in the book ‘Quidditch through the Ages.’

43.640408,-79.388795 found an "R"
Note: Toronto: Where J.K. Rowling achieved the world record for a public reading event.
List of letters found: T, E, O, P, T, O, R


Playing, JK Rowling's StreetView game!