The “H” Files
The story of Harry, the accidental Horcrux, is set in Hogwarts (near Hogsmeade), where he is taken by Hagrid (who gifts him with an owl named Hedwig). There he befriends Hermione and the boy who gets sent a Howler.
Among all those asked, there is one contemplated and not-quite-yet resolved question about the overwhelmingly complex world of Harry Potter that still refuses to give me rest:
Is there a hidden meaning behind all the “H”’s?
Maybe I am getting paranoid after years of finding new information in the same old pages by one Joanne Rowling, but there must be a reason why so many significant names start with “H.” Most names in the series were chosen for the mythological references, some for their Latin translations, a few because of astronomical origins. While some “H”-starting names have well-known meanings, like Hagrid, the half-giant who’s had a lot of bad nights, or Hermione, the patron saint of high magic, could it be coincidence that “H” seems to follow us throughout the story? Was it randomness that brought Hannah’s relative to be buried in the Godric’s Hollow graveyard? Rowling has said that she thought she had made up the name Hogwarts before realizing it was a type of lily – but is there even the slightest chance that there was more to it?
In the background of my confusion stands Harry, simple, plain Harry, the Boy Who Lived, the man who saved the wizarding world. Sure, the name means “power” (Anglo-Saxon origin), but how is it that our hero’s name can be explained in just a word while secondary characters get complicated names that can only be explained in long paragraphs and after thorough research? Harry’s name starts with the eighth letter in the alphabet, the same Harry who accidentally became the seventh Horcrux, the eighth piece of Voldemort’s soul. Was Rowling, dare I say, hinting toward the end from the very title of her series?
Eight years since the release of the last Harry Potter book, I am left to wonder if the eighth letter of the alphabet was symbolic in its prevalence throughout the series. Then again, it may be my need for a new book driving my “H”-thoughts.
What do you think, do I stand alone with this theory?
