Books

Someone Solved J.K. Rowling's Anagram Tweet!

by Caitlin White

UPDATE: Someone solved it! And Rowling confirmed it! Take a look:

UH-MAY-ZING. The only thing more amazing? THIS:

Excuse me whilst my heart melts. (Is there a spell to put that back together?)

EARLIER: If there's one thing on Earth that can send Twitter into a bookish frenzy, it's hints at more Harry Potter. And thanks to J.K. Rowling, that's exactly what's happening. After tweeting out that she was busy "tweaking a screenplay," fans rightfully were full of excitement that it was for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the Harry Potter spin-off by fictional author Newt Scamander.

The book has made an appearance already in the original Harry Potter series, as Harry’s textbook that teaches him about the magical creatures that populate the world, both past and present. The original meta novel was released in 2001, and the first movie of the new series is set to be released in 2016. As Rowling has not so subtly announced, she’s currently working on the screenplay. But fans, needless to say, are hungry for information.

Luckily Rowling didn't leave us hanging with just one tweet — but she’s not going to let us know that easily, either. Excitement from the fans only fueled her fire, and she was just getting warmed up with her sneak peeks and riddles. Rowling then tweeted out an anagram hint, which she has said will give a clue about synopsis of Newt's story in the screenplay.

This is everything we have all been working toward using the Sunday paper jumble our entire lives.

What could it be?! Considering most of Twitter then just collectively gave an escalating scream in her direction as we threw crumpled up paper after crumpled up paper in our wastebasket, she then hit us with a hint.

OK, OK, something we can work with! What do we know about Newt's story? Right now, we know five main things:

  1. Newt Scamander is a magizoologist (which I imagine is an early ancestor of Dr. Doolittle)
  2. His story will take place in New York in the 1920s, 70 years before the Harry Potter series
  3. In the story is a secret community of wizards and witches
  4. The title is the name of the textbook these wizards and witches use to study magical creatures
  5. The new story is part one of a trilogy

What can we think of now?

Hmm. That doesn't seem right. Luckily, one intrepid Potterhead jumped in with a solution to the anagram before we totally lost our minds.

Oh! We've got New York in there. That checks something off the list! Fauna, fancy word for animals, that works too. And Rowling herself gave it some love, but she says it's still not correct.

Now just wait for this one. You better sit down.

(Excuse me while I frantically check its correctness.)

Oh. My. God. Could it be? J.K., we are all looking at you! Say it's true!

The author herself has so far been mute on this rumor and doesn't seem to be giving anything else up. But you have our attention, Rowling, and needless to say, we'll be watching your feed.

Image: Giphy