For Day 7 of the "12 Days of Pottermore Christmas," author J.K. Rowling shows fans a peek of Professor Minerva McGonagall's past. The riddle for the day reads:
"Wilkie Twycross orders students to persevere, in their futile attempts to turn and disappear, but regardless of whether the students can do it or not, what is it called when a wizard appears on the spot?"
The answer for today is the word apparition.
Today's post is the longest yet in the website, as it discusses how Professor McGonagall grew up with a witch mother and a Muggle father. Her career in Hogwarts is also discussed, as well as the love angle between her and a non-wizard Dougal McGregor and her late marriage to a wizard named Elphinstone Urquart. The bond between her and Professor Albus Dumbledore is also mentioned in her biography.
Yesterday's riddle, on the other hand, was a reference to vampires and a past Christmas party. Day 6's riddle says:
"With vampires and authors and a gatecrashing Malfoy, Slughorn's Christmas party was one for almost all to enjoy. Much to the surprise of fans, friends and the rest, which loony Ravenclaw does Harry bring as a guest?"
This may appear as a simple riddle, but it turns out that answering the riddle could give fans an exclusive invite to this year's merriment in Hogwarts. And the answer? It's Luna Lovegood!
But aside from Professor Slughorn's highly talked about Christmas party which was only meant for the popular students of Hogwarts, one of the long-running rumors about Professor Snape is also addressed in Day 6's edition of "12 days of Pottermore Christmas."
According to the best-selling author, "While it is true that he has an unhealthy pallor, and is sometimes described as looking like a large bat in his long black cloak, he never actually turns into a bat, we meet him outside the castle by daylight, and no corpses with puncture marks in their necks ever turn up at Hogwarts. In short, Snape is not a re-vamped Trocar."
So it is finally clear: Snape is not a blood sucking wizard. The rumors saying otherwise can finally be laid to rest.
However, the author admitted that she earlier thought of including a vampire character named Trocar in the books, but scraped it completely. The only vampire mentioned in the best selling "Harry Potter" series is Sanguini, who also happens to appear during Slughorn's Christmas event.
The "12 days of Pottermore Christmas" began on Dec. 12, and it is Rowling's gift to loyal Potter fans. It aims to provide short backstories about some of the characters in the book as well as other exclusive holiday gifts for the subscribers of the website.
Pottermore will post its holiday exclusives until Dec. 23.
