References to "Real Life" in HP as CLUES to the end of the series

[Megg001]

Ok, I am new to this but I have noticed a VERY interesting bit of discussion in some other threads relating "real" events, places, people. literature...etc. to the HP series. I think it might be interesting to take these bits of information one step further and use the "real" information to speculate on the outcome of the HP series. Let's see how many actual references we can research and come up with. We know that J.K. has a great knowledge of history and literature, so I think if we want to speculate at all on the end of the series we need to "think as she thinks."

I can't wait to see what everyone comes up with!!

[EMx4617]

I always thought Harry Potter was like World War 2.

Lord Voldemort is Hitler
Harry Potter/Order is The Allies
WW2 is The Second War in Harry Potter
The Jewish population in HP is Muggleborn witches and wizards

Lord Voldemort is doing what Hitler did and try to 'purify' world. So if JK is basing HP on WW2, then Harry Potter will defeat Lord Voldemort.

[Megg001]

Those are very good points...many people have brought up these ideas...let's expound upon them a bit...

I have read in some other places that the the night Hitler died is known as Walpugisnacht (Walpugis Night) and is thought to be the night when witches "come out"...I am guessing sort of like a Halloween type thing...(?)

Now, JK said in an interview (forgive me for not having the acutal quotes on this) that the Death Eaters were used to be known as the Knights of Walpurgis when they were serving Grindewald...

Hmmm...interesting...coincidence? I doubt it...

[xnataliex]

I think they're are major coincindences in the book ......when HBP in the UK it was only a short time after the bombings in London and in the first chapter they talk about natural disasters etc....and 2005 was plagued with natural disasters. The natural disaters turn out to be events caused by the deatheaters which in a sense are terroist attacks

[EMx4617]

she must get her ideas from things that happen in the world.

[Megg001]

Well, I think Jo has said in some of her interviews that she does not intend to include events such as 9-11 or the London Subway attacks into her stories, however there are probably many inferences we can make to tie the books into what we are currently dealing with...

What about the historical references...literary references...geographical refences...etc.

[Niamara]

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned this one yet. Dumbledore defeated Grindlewald in 1945 - the year the second World War ended.

I can't think of any more off the top of my head.

[saz]

Getting back to the natural disasters while their have been many in the past, the ones that happened last year can't have influenced HBP as it was published then.

[Megg001]

Hmmm...what about Beowulf...Dumbledore's middle name? Wulfric. Who does Beowulf defeat? Grindle...any thoughts on that? Can anyone take that a step further?

[Weasel_king7]

Originally Posted by EMx4617

I always thought Harry Potter was like World War 2.

Lord Voldemort is Hitler
Harry Potter/Order is The Allies
WW2 is The Second War in Harry Potter
The Jewish population in HP is Muggleborn witches and wizards

Lord Voldemort is doing what Hitler did and try to 'purify' world. So if JK is basing HP on WW2, then Harry Potter will defeat Lord Voldemort.

very true, harry potter has many parrelles with so many things that has happend in history.

[firebolt57]

I got one.... I heard this from my friend who was reading 'the mysteries of harry potter' book.... It said that there is a person in mythology whose name was percy. He was responsible for his mothers death. It didn't neccesarily say he murdered her, but that he was responsible for her death.......... horrible concept....... I know...... but something to think about..........thats a terrible thing to say......never mind..... I'm no seer and I don't know if it will actually happen, but just so we are clear, this percy story is in mythology.

[queserasera]

Originally Posted by EMx4617

I always thought Harry Potter was like World War 2.

Lord Voldemort is Hitler
Harry Potter/Order is The Allies
WW2 is The Second War in Harry Potter
The Jewish population in HP is Muggleborn witches and wizards

Lord Voldemort is doing what Hitler did and try to 'purify' world. So if JK is basing HP on WW2, then Harry Potter will defeat Lord Voldemort.

Here's another, Hitler/Voldemort were trying to take over Europe/the Wizarding World.

[LunarSlave]

Hmmm...what about Beowulf...Dumbledore's middle name? Wulfric. Who does Beowulf defeat? Grindle...any thoughts on that? Can anyone take that a step further?

Albus Percival Wulfric BRIAN Dumbledore

I may have misspelled Percival, but there is definetely no Beowulf in Dumbledore's name. I like the reference to WW2 the best, though Hitler wasn't the first man to try to "purge" a population. I'm wondering if J.K. Rowling's ever reveals the story behind Grindewald. She's kinda secretive about it, but it would be weird to have something not brought up in five books brought up once more

[JimmyPotter]

Another possible World War II parallel is that in GOF and OOTP Minister of Magic Fudge bears some similarities to Neville Chamberlain. However, Rufus Scrimgeour is certainly no Winston Churchill. It would have been nice for there to have been a Churchill type. Perhaps there can still be one.

I believe that Voldemort having a Muggle father parallels Hitler quite likely having a Jewish grandfather.

The books take place over the 7 year period from 1991-1998. In Book 7 the Hogwarts Express will be leaving Kings Cross station on September 1, 1997. On that day in real life Britain was in mourning over the death of Princess Diana. It will be interesting to see if her death is mentioned in the book. My guess is that it will not be.

[Languish]

Originally Posted by JimmyPotter

In Book 7 the Hogwarts Express will be leaving Kings Cross station on September 1, 1997. On that day in real life Britain was in mourning over the death of Princess Diana. It will be interesting to see if her death is mentioned in the book. My guess is that it will not be.

now there's a crazy-*** conspiracy in the waiting...

[VMorticia]

Hmmm, I like the theory that Grindewald has a connection to WW2, like maybe he had Hitler under Imperius, or was (more likely) conspiring with him. Something of that nature.

I also have another (rather less likely) connection to "real life". The Weasleys had a Squib cousin who ran away to be an accountant. I heard somewhere (my father told me, don't count on it being 100% accurate) that John Major (Prime Minister for a time) "ran away from the circus to become an accountant"... what if the Weasleys are related to the "Muggle Prime Minister"? I mean, did we ever get an accurate description of him in "The Other Minister" chapter? Meh, stupid theory.

Also, did anyone see the Death Eater robes in the GoF movie? They look familiar...

[Wolfbanewhistle]

What do the Robes look like, Im ashamed I havent seen the Movie GOF, Just read the books

[HorcruxFilms]

I think the parallels being drawn between Voldemort and Hitler are probably acurate. Rowling is notorious for giving the readers glimpses into the personalities of characters in how she names them. One might have determined the identity of Prof. Lupin early in book 3 if they knew that lupin is latin for "wolf". Professor Trelawney's first name is Sybill, which might be in reference to the Sibyls of ancient Greek mythology, who would make predictions that no one could understand or interpret until they have already "come to pass"...sound like Trelawney to you? With this in mind, is it too far of a stretch to think that Rowling might have given the dark lord his name as a reference to the german word for genocide...der Völkermord? I think not. Sounds a bit like a reference to Hitler to me.

[MrsMollywobbles]

Originally Posted by Wolfbanewhistle

What do the Robes look like, Im ashamed I havent seen the Movie GOF, Just read the books

I almost hate to say anything about it here for fear some might find my description offensive, but I certainly don't mean it that way...nor do I offer the information from direct knowledge or any remote agreement with the beliefs of the group referenced...but since you asked...

In my opinion, the Death Eaters costumes in the film (and even the book description) were very similar to the attire worn by the KKK (Ku Klux Klan), except their robes and masks were white. From what I've read or seen on television about the KKK (thankfully I don't actually know anyone who was or is a member) they were much like Hitler in that they were also targeting people they deemed unworthy...primarily black/African-American people, but I think also Jewish people and probably some others. They were sometimes also known as White Supremecists.

[Cadia]

Originally Posted by MrsMollywobbles

I almost hate to say anything about it here for fear some might find my description offensive, but I certainly don't mean it that way...nor do I offer the information from direct knowledge or any remote agreement with the beliefs of the group referenced...but since you asked...

In my opinion, the Death Eaters costumes in the film (and even the book description) were very similar to the attire worn by the KKK (Klu Klux Klan), except their robes and masks were white. From what I've read or seen on television about the KKK (thankfully I don't actually know anyone who was or is a member) they were much like Hitler in that they were also targeting people they deemed unworthy...primarily black/African-American people, but I think also Jewish people and probably some others. They were sometimes also known as White Supremecists.

Yeah, that was pretty scary...I don't remember the exact description from the book, but I definitely never assosciated the Death Eaters with KKK until the movie. It made them a whole lot more creepy.

By the way, I agree with the parallel between Voldemort and Hitler. It makes great sense, and, so far, it is the only very important reference to the real world that I have found in HP. Of course there are other, little things. HorcruxFilms, I agree that JK certainly gives us alot in the names of her characters. There's a huge list of names that mean something having to do with the character in HP. That is quite interesting about the word "Völkermord!" That makes so much sense.

About the Wulfric/Beowulf/Grindle thing: I haven't read Beowulf (yet), but I am assuming from Megg001's post that you are drawing a comparison beween the words Beowulf and Wulfric? That is interesting, seeing as it is someone named "Grindle" who is defeated. Hmmm...I don't know enough about Beowulf to elaborate, but I think it's possible that JK could have taken some inspiration from this, although it might not have been a direct, deliberate reference.