You probably missed this tiny, but important detail in the fifth ‘Harry Potter’ book

It’s time to re-read the Harry Potter series (again) because we missed one teeny tiny/very important detail in Book #5, and Buzzfeed brilliantly found it for us.

OK, so Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is the longest book in the series — so don’t feel bad if you missed this hidden detail. After all, there is a lot of ground to cover in that novel. That would explain why most of us came across a Horcrux without even KNOWING it. Go figure!

First, let’s recap: in order to create a Horcrux, one must kill someone and then place part of their soul into an object. Voldemort did this seven times with seven different objects.

In Rowling’s fifth book, there’s a passage that reads:

This all happens in Grimmauld Place, the Black family’s home. And yes, a heavy locket that cannot be opened might seem familiar. Because it totally is.

Now, we’d like you to remember the part in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Princewhere Harry and Dumbledore are exploring a seaside cave in search of Horcruxes. That’s where they found… a locket!

This locket came with a letter:

As you’ve probably guessed, this means that the locket was hidden in plain sight. Right in Grimmauld Place. Meaning that Harry came across a Horcrux without even knowing it.

Okay, J.K. Rowling is a genius.

To further prove the writer’s creative power, let’s discuss some other Easter eggs you may not have noticed in the Harry Potter series.

First of all, a lot of stuff happens on October 31st.

So. Much. Stuff. On All Hallow’s Eve, Harry’s parents were killed by Voldemort, the Goblet of Fire produces Harry’s name, the mountain troll was let into Hogwarts, and Sirius Black broke into the school and slashed the Fat Lady’s portrait. Since Harry’s birthday is July 31st, he may even have been conceived on this date as well.

Remember when Dumbledore gives Gryffindor enough points to win the House Cup at the end of The Philosopher’s Stone?

Well, it turns out he didn’t do it because he hates Slytherin. In fact, he awarded Neville those points because he understands how difficult it can be to stand up to one’s friends. Because he had to stand up to his friend Gellert Grindelwald when he became a powerful dark wizard. MIND BLOWN.

There was also major foreshadowing in the books when it came to Harry being a Horcrux.

In the Chamber Of Secrets, Dumbledore tells Harry that he’s connected to Voldemort because of what happened at Godric’s Hollow. That’s why he can speak Parseltongue and see bits and pieces of the Dark Lord’s life. Then, in The Prisoner Of Azkaban, Professor Trelawney asks Harry if he was born in the middle of winter. Harry wasn’t – he was born on July 31st, just like J.K. Rowling herself – but Voldemort was. He was born on December 31st, which means that the professor couldn’t tell the two apart in her vision.

Also, we could have predicted that the Vanishing Cabinet would help the Death Eaters enter Hogwarts.

In The Chamber Of Secrets, there’s a part when Nearly Headless Nick convinces Peeves to drop the cabinet above Filch’s office – so that he won’t be able to catch Harry. That’s when the Vanishing Cabinet breaks and needs to be repaired. If you think about it, the Battle of Hogwarts could have happened much sooner. Nonetheless, it seems as though Rowling always had the magical piece of furniture in mind when planning her future novels.

The very last Easter egg we’ll be sharing is our personal favorite because it basically means that J.K. Rowling will live forever and ever…

Voldemort had seven Horcruxes to keep himself alive for all eternity, but so does Rowling: her seven Harry Potter books. Throughout the novels, she killed off many a beloved character, so she now has a bit of her soul in each book.

Long live J.K. Rowling. And long live the Easter eggs that surprise us each and every time.

[Images via Warner Bros., Giphy]