Regarding the Rita Skeeter prank. The leading hypothesis now seems to be that she was memory charmed, though this didn’t seem obvious to me when reading.
Something else that didn’t seem obvious to me until recently is that there is a character who is both skilled enough to pull off such a convincing memory modification, and secretive enough to require that the twins be obliviated. It isn’t entirely clear that he remains so skilled and in character in HPMoR, but Madeye’s description points toward those remaining similar enough to canon that I’m seriously considering the possibility that Fred/George/Floom hired Gilderoy Lockheart to modify Rita’s memory.
Of course, I was so unobservant that I only caught Dumbledore’s slight of hand in his first meeting with Harry on my latest rereading (whish is, like, the fourth or fifth). I’m also considering an insane conspiracy theory in which Dumbledore gave Harry his father’s rock and his mother’s potions book specifically so he could set fire to a chicken, probably for some rituals/soul magic/horcrux/really evil chicken-related reasons. But I’m less confident in that one. :)
Regarding the Rita Skeeter prank. The leading hypothesis now seems to be that she was memory charmed, though this didn’t seem obvious to me when reading.
Something else that didn’t seem obvious to me until recently is that there is a character who is both skilled enough to pull off such a convincing memory modification, and secretive enough to require that the twins be obliviated. It isn’t entirely clear that he remains so skilled and in character in HPMoR, but Madeye’s description points toward those remaining similar enough to canon that I’m seriously considering the possibility that Fred/George/Floom hired Gilderoy Lockheart to modify Rita’s memory.
Of course, I was so unobservant that I only caught Dumbledore’s slight of hand in his first meeting with Harry on my latest rereading (whish is, like, the fourth or fifth). I’m also considering an insane conspiracy theory in which Dumbledore gave Harry his father’s rock and his mother’s potions book specifically so he could set fire to a chicken, probably for some rituals/soul magic/horcrux/really evil chicken-related reasons. But I’m less confident in that one. :)