When JK Rowling wrote the Harry Potter series, she managed to hide a lot of hints and clues about different characters and items. Many of these go unexplained and are only really noticeable when a fan goes back and reads the series again.
Redditors were pleasantly surprised when they did just this and found some details that made a whole lot of sense. While some of these are so subtle only the most astute fan would ever notice, others become extremely obvious as the series goes on. Here are just a few of the hard-to-spot details that Redditors noticed about the series on a second read.
The Ministry of Magic Password
When Mr. Weasley takes Harry to the Ministry of Magic, they shove themselves into a phone booth. Once Mr. Weasley types in the secret password on the payphone, the floor lowers them down into the hidden Ministry.
Redditor OlivanderWild noticed something interesting about the password that Mr. Weasley uses to gain access to the visitor's entrance. The code is 62442, and when looking at the letters associated with numbers on a phone's keypad, this code also spells out M-A-G-I-C. This clever code is one of the few times that the Ministry of Magic actually did something right.
Old Wives' Tales That Come True
The wizarding world has a number of old wives' tales, just like the muggle world. A few examples of this given are "May-born witches marry muggles," and "Jinx by twilight, undone by midnight."
Another of these is "when thirteen dine together, the first to rise is the first to die." Redditor Shtabby noticed that this came true at least twice in the books. First in Prisoner of Azkaban, when Dumbledore stood first from a table of 13 and he was the first out of the people at the table to die later on. Second in Order of the Phoenix, when 13 dine together at Grimmauld Place and Sirius is the first to stand and the first to die.
The Vanishing Cabinet
The broken vanishing cabinet at Hogwarts and the one for sale at Knockturn Alley are how Draco manages to sneak Death Eaters into the castle, ultimately leading to Dumbledore's death.
Redditor Trekkie_becky notices that this is not the first time readers heard about the magical cabinet. The cabinet is first mentioned in Chamber of Secrets when Harry hides in the one at Borgin and Burkes, and again in Order of the Phoenix when Fred and George shove a nosy Slytherin in the one at Hogwarts. This cabinet just seemed like a random piece of furniture in both instances, but would later become an important part of the story.
Lupin's Revealing Name
When Lupin is first introduced in Prisoner of Azkaban audiences are sure that he is hiding something, but they aren't quite sure what. Of course, it is later revealed that he is a werewolf.
User NerdFighteriaOrBust noticed that readers probably should have been able to figure out Lupin's secret earlier, simply because of his name. Remus comes from the legend of Remus and Romulus, who were both nursed by a wolf as children, and Lupin comes from the Latin "Lupinus" which means, "of a wolf."
Petunia Mentioning Snape
It's no secret that Petunia was not a fan of the wizarding world. Because of this, Harry was extremely surprised when she knew information about Dementors and the wizard prison Azkaban. When Harry questioned her on it, she said "I heard that awful boy telling her about them years ago."
Harry and readers both assumed that she was talking about James. But a Reddit user's jaw dropped when they read this part a second time. This is because after reading Deathly Hallows, fans know that it was Snape that Petunia overheard telling Lily about Dementors, a detail about Lily Potter that is only in the Harry Potter books. Petunia's comment was small and forgettable, but after a second read, it's clear that it was the first hint about Lily's and Snape's friendship.
Dumbledore's Triumph
After Harry escapes the graveyard in Goblet of Fire, he recounts the events to Dumbledore. Harry tells him that Voldemort used Harry's blood to resurrect himself. Despite the grave and terrible news, there is a moment where a look of triumph flits over Dumbledore's face.
This is a quick and forgettable moment, but a Reddit user noticed that this was one of the most important hints in the entire series. In Deathly Hallows, when Voldemort tries to kill Harry, he is yet again unable to do so. Dumbledore explains that Voldemort and Harry are similar in so many ways because Voldemort transferred part of his soul to Harry, and then by using Harry's blood to create a body for himself, he doubled that connection. Because of this Voldemort could not beat Harry, and ultimately it lead to his own demise.
The Mirror of Erised
The Mirror of Erised is a magical mirror introduced in Sorcerer's Stone that shows the user their deepest desire. Harry obsesses over it for a time, as it shows him a family that he never got to know.
Redditor Snow417 pointed out another clever play from author JK Rowling in regards to the Mirror of Erised. While the name sounds like some sort of ancient Latin, it is actually much simpler than that. Erised is the word "desire" spelled backward.
Womrtail's Gift
Wormtail helps his master return to his human form by sacrificing his hand. In payment for this service, Voldemort bestows upon Wormtail a new silver one in replacement. Three years later, Wormtail tries to kill Harry until Harry points out that he had once saved Womrtails life. When Wormtail hesitates, the silver hand turns on him and strangles him to death.
This was satisfying justice for readers, but one Redditor thinks there is more to it. When Voldemort gives Wormtail this gift, SuperTonisV7 points out that "he said something to the effect of 'may your loyalty never falter'. When Wormtail's loyalty faltered in the form of hesitating to kill Harry, the magical gift turned on him. Turns out, this was a trap meant to eliminate Wormtail if he ever betrayed Voldemort.
The Names of Wizarding Places
JK Rowling loved to play with words, and the magical wizarding world gave her a good excuse to do so. While many characters' names allude to certain personality traits, there are a few other kinds of names that readers might not have noticed were descriptive.
Redditor YourRaraAvis points out that the creepy marketplace of Knockturn Alley sounds like the word "nocturnally" meaning "at night" or "in the dark." and that Sirius's old gloomy house called Grimmauld Place sounds like "grim old place."
Moaning Myrtle Murdered
In Chamber of Secrets, Harry finds Tom Riddle's diary. Not knowing that Tom is Voldemort, Harry and his friends start doing some research and discover that the mysterious Tom Riddle had once won an award for services to the school, long before the events of the First Wizarding War.
Redditor Honastiago couldn't help but laugh when they reread a line from Ron, saying "Maybe he murdered Myrtle; that would've done everyone a favor." Of course, Harry discovers the opening to the Chamber of Secrets by deducing that Myrtle was the student that was murdered by Slytherin's monster, making Ron's statement unknowingly accurate.