Did J.K. Rowling give us a major hint about Fred and George’s fates the minute we met them?
We already knew that J.K. Rowling thought of everything when she wrote Harry Potter. Like, everything—every last detail was precise and purposeful. And slowly, through the years, we’ve begun to discover more and more them. Between things Rowling has confirmed herself and fan theories that Potterheads have discovered and shared online, there’s always more to learn about the wizarding world. (Warning: Spoilers ahead)
The Internet’s latest fan theory involves Fred and George Weasley, Ron’s mischievous twin brothers. It suggests that Rowling foreshadowed Fred’s devastating death based on—wait for it—character names. You see, the Weasleys have very telling first names. Most of them are named after either British royalty or Arthurian characters: Arthur, Ginerva, Percival, Frederick, George. And one fan made an interesting observation about them.
Whoa. Fred’s death was one of the most devastating of the entire Harry Potter series. It felt like losing a close friend. But based on this theory, we should have seen it coming from the moment George lost his ear. Or even the moment we first met the twins, really.
If J.K. Rowling had this in mind all along, it’s a testament to just how much detail she put into the story and her characters. One thing is clear: The author didn’t just write Harry Potter. She created an entire universe.
