When Fred and George gave Harry the Marauder's map, they said that they stole it from one of Filche's cabinets when they were in there. To use it you have to say "I solomely swear that I'm up to no good", but they never said how they found that out. Thoughts?
"The Leaky Cauldron and Mugglenet interview Joanne Kathleen Rowling: Part Three"
July 16, 2005
Quote:
MA: How did they figure out how to work the map?
JKR: Don't you — well. This is how I explained it to myself at the time, and this does sound glib. Don't you think it would be quite a Fred and Georgeish thing to say in jest, and then see this thing transform?
MA: Yeah.
JKR: Can't you just see them?
ES: But the exact word combination? Is that just a lot of luck, or Felix Felicis —
JKR: Or, the map helped.
MA: Yep, yeah. You can see them sort of answering and joking with each other —
JKR: And the map flickering into life here and there when they got closer and closer, and finally they hit upon the exact right word combination and it just erupts.
"The Leaky Cauldron and Mugglenet interview Joanne Kathleen Rowling: Part Three"
July 16, 2005
Quote:
MA: How did they figure out how to work the map?
JKR: Don't you — well. This is how I explained it to myself at the time, and this does sound glib. Don't you think it would be quite a Fred and Georgeish thing to say in jest, and then see this thing transform?
MA: Yeah.
JKR: Can't you just see them?
ES: But the exact word combination? Is that just a lot of luck, or Felix Felicis —
JKR: Or, the map helped.
MA: Yep, yeah. You can see them sort of answering and joking with each other —
JKR: And the map flickering into life here and there when they got closer and closer, and finally they hit upon the exact right word combination and it just erupts.
"The Leaky Cauldron and Mugglenet interview Joanne Kathleen Rowling: Part Three"
July 16, 2005
Quote:
MA: How did they figure out how to work the map?
JKR: Don't you — well. This is how I explained it to myself at the time, and this does sound glib. Don't you think it would be quite a Fred and Georgeish thing to say in jest, and then see this thing transform?
MA: Yeah.
JKR: Can't you just see them?
ES: But the exact word combination? Is that just a lot of luck, or Felix Felicis —
JKR: Or, the map helped.
MA: Yep, yeah. You can see them sort of answering and joking with each other —
JKR: And the map flickering into life here and there when they got closer and closer, and finally they hit upon the exact right word combination and it just erupts.
Seems a bit far fetched to me...
How would they have guessed 'solomely'?
Remember when Harry goes to teh One-Eyed Wtch's passageway, and he looks on teh map? He see his own dot and a bubble with the incantation on it... perhaps the twins experienced something similar. _________________ ^made by Fiendfyre
"The Leaky Cauldron and Mugglenet interview Joanne Kathleen Rowling: Part Three"
July 16, 2005
Quote:
MA: How did they figure out how to work the map?
JKR: Don't you — well. This is how I explained it to myself at the time, and this does sound glib. Don't you think it would be quite a Fred and Georgeish thing to say in jest, and then see this thing transform?
MA: Yeah.
JKR: Can't you just see them?
ES: But the exact word combination? Is that just a lot of luck, or Felix Felicis —
JKR: Or, the map helped.
MA: Yep, yeah. You can see them sort of answering and joking with each other —
JKR: And the map flickering into life here and there when they got closer and closer, and finally they hit upon the exact right word combination and it just erupts.
Seems a bit far fetched to me...
How would they have guessed 'solomely'?
Remember when Harry goes to teh One-Eyed Wtch's passageway, and he looks on teh map? He see his own dot and a bubble with the incantation on it... perhaps the twins experienced something similar.
i dont remember whether or not it was in the book, but kinda like in the movie where snape tries to figure out what the "blank" parchment is in harry pocket. it comes to live and says something like "misters moon, wormtail, padfoot, and prongs congratulate professor snape... but they advise for him to keep his abnormally large nose out of other peoples business" _________________ An animal's eyes have the power to speak a great language.
"The Leaky Cauldron and Mugglenet interview Joanne Kathleen Rowling: Part Three"
July 16, 2005
Quote:
MA: How did they figure out how to work the map?
JKR: Don't you — well. This is how I explained it to myself at the time, and this does sound glib. Don't you think it would be quite a Fred and Georgeish thing to say in jest, and then see this thing transform?
MA: Yeah.
JKR: Can't you just see them?
ES: But the exact word combination? Is that just a lot of luck, or Felix Felicis —
JKR: Or, the map helped.
MA: Yep, yeah. You can see them sort of answering and joking with each other —
JKR: And the map flickering into life here and there when they got closer and closer, and finally they hit upon the exact right word combination and it just erupts.
Seems a bit far fetched to me...
How would they have guessed 'solomely'?
Remember when Harry goes to teh One-Eyed Wtch's passageway, and he looks on teh map? He see his own dot and a bubble with the incantation on it... perhaps the twins experienced something similar.
i dont remember whether or not it was in the book, but kinda like in the movie where snape tries to figure out what the "blank" parchment is in harry pocket. it comes to live and says something like "misters moon, wormtail, padfoot, and prongs congratulate professor snape... but they advise for him to keep his abnormally large nose out of other peoples business"
They do have that in the book, I think they quote it directly actually.
In book 4 when Barty Crouch showed up on the Map in Snape's office, why did it happen that when Moody took the map from Harry, Barty Crouch did not show up on it? Remember, Moody (Crouch) said something like, "see, he's gone now." Since Moody was indeed Crouch, he (Crouch) should have been visible on the map, as he was when he was breaking into Snape's office.
And, why was it not noticed that the real Moody was always stationary in his office the entire time, the whole semester---as he was locked in that case by Crouch?
In book 4 when Barty Crouch showed up on the Map in Snape's office, why did it happen that when Moody took the map from Harry, Barty Crouch did not show up on it? Remember, Moody (Crouch) said something like, "see, he's gone now." Since Moody was indeed Crouch, he (Crouch) should have been visible on the map, as he was when he was breaking into Snape's office.
And, why was it not noticed that the real Moody was always stationary in his office the entire time, the whole semester---as he was locked in that case by Crouch?
We don't know if Barty Crouch showed up on it. FakeMoody had the map, not Harry. So we, as the reader, didn't know what it said.
Harry would see Moody in Moody's office. Moody was in his office, just locked in a trunk. If Harry saw him stationary, then he would probably just think he was sitting down at his desk, since walking was difficult for him. But Harry didn't spend much time on his map looking at professors... _________________ ^made by Fiendfyre
Hmm I never really thought about that until I read this topic. That does seem a little bit weird that they know how to use it and what words EXACTLY to say.
It's like when Harry tried to get into the room of requirement in HBP to see what Malfoy was doing, he kept trying different phrases (although he didn't succeed); Fred and George must have been doing the same thing, trying different variations until they eventually figured it out. (I can just imagine a frustrated Fred/George whacking the map with his wand and yelling in frustration: "Urgh! I solomely swear that I'm up to no good!" and suddenly the map lights up... )
yeah they probably just tried tons of things and at a point they started just trying silly things and eventully they got it right lol _________________
You are up there!
When people say they were joking around with words to try to get it to open I don't think that would work. I mean...1) they don't know it's a map so why would they just carry a wad of parchment around. 2) you have to point your wand at the map then say the encantation so if they were just joking around it still wouldn't work. And if they didn't know what the map really was why were they pointing their wand at it?
I think it's just one of those things that can't logically be answered. But that's just my opinion. _________________ Unlike some people...I'm still important to this establishment. *sniffs haughtily*
They obviously knew there was something special about it, otherwise Filch wouldn't have confiscated it and kept it in a drawer marked "highly dangerous"...
Just like Snape tried to figure out what it was when he caught Harry with it, so too Fred and George. Snape also tried tapping it with his wand, that seems like something anyone would do when trying to get it to reveal its hidden qualities. _________________ "I can make things move without touching them. I can make bad things happen to people who are mean to me." -- Tom Riddle (HBP movie).
They obviously knew there was something special about it, otherwise Filch wouldn't have confiscated it and kept it in a drawer marked "highly dangerous"...
That is a good point. A blank parchment in a "highly dangerous" drawer. The twins would do anything to find out why it was considered dangerous.
I'll tell you the legit answer to this question:
JK realized that this was a plot hole (insignificant, but a plot hole nonetheless) and had to think of BS coverup. She probably had that answer ready, knowing that she'd one day get asked about it.
It's not a big deal, but rather than just admitting she thought of that AFTER she wrote the book, she chose to take the cookie cutter route. The best answer would have been "Moody, Padfield, Wormtail, and the other guy told it to them because they were worthy of possessing it" or something like that. It is actually believable.
I'll tell you the legit answer to this question:
JK realized that this was a plot hole (insignificant, but a plot hole nonetheless) and had to think of BS coverup. She probably had that answer ready, knowing that she'd one day get asked about it.
It's not a big deal, but rather than just admitting she thought of that AFTER she wrote the book, she chose to take the cookie cutter route. The best answer would have been "Moody, Padfield, Wormtail, and the other guy told it to them because they were worthy of possessing it" or something like that. It is actually believable.
It's not a plothole at all. The question is, how did Fred and George know how to work the map. She gave the most rational answer.. it was a term they'd most likely say. Also, Harry sees teh incantation by his dot, so perhaps Fred and George experienced something similar. _________________ ^made by Fiendfyre
Hmm I never really thought about that until I read this topic. That does seem a little bit weird that they know how to use it and what words EXACTLY to say.
Maybe the map knew when people were up to no good so... when someone wanted to use if for what it was intended it revealed itself.
There may have been no "exact" words to say... just a feeling along with some appropriate words to get it going. _________________
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