J.K. Rowling has assumed the role of Twitter's riddle queen, posting several cryptic messages that many fans believe are anagrams about her upcoming film, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
Between working on a new book, a screenplay and lumos (her charity group), the Harry Potter author is apparently still managing to keep up with her fans on top of it all.
Rowling was tempted to add a bit more depth to her tweets after seeing one fan's comment, leaving the Potterheads who are anxiously waiting for the film completely spellbound.
.@peruseproject See, now I'm tempted to post a riddle or an anagram. Must resist temptation... must work...— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) October 5, 2014
After 14 hours, she gave into the temptation, following up with a cryptic tweet.
Cry, foe! Run amok! Fa awry! My wand won’t tolerate this nonsense.— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) October 6, 2014
A thread in the Harry Potter subreddit was quickly set up to workshop the clue. The Redditors discovered that the tweet works as an anagram for, "Harry returns! Won't say any details now. A week off. No comment."
Take a second to breathe.
Ready? OK. She then tweeted this.
Something to ponder while I'm away X— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) October 6, 2014
Which could be a reference to the "week off" stated in the anagram found by Redditors. Or, you know, maybe she's just trolling all of us.
Regardless, the author continued her magical wordplay, posting the following.
"Newt Scamander's History of New York Fauna: One town, my tale" Warmer.— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) October 7, 2014
.@VikiCarter_ Much warmer.— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) October 7, 2014
#helpfulhint The solution is the first sentence of a synopsis of Newt's story. It isn't part of the script, but sets the scene.— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) October 7, 2014
Drop whatever you're doing. Solving this riddle is the Internet's job today.
UPDATE, Oct. 7, 5:10 p.m. ET: J.K. Rowling has debunked Reddit's translation, calling it "wishful thinking."
.@troyentyler Yes, wishful thinking. 'Say details' isn't normal English usage and this is about Newt's adventure, 70 years before Harry's.— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) October 7, 2014
She responded to several fans' close guesses, then confirmed the correct translation, "Newt Scamander only meant to stay in New York for a few hours..."
.@EmyBemy2 YES!!!!!!!!!!!! People, we have a winner!— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) October 7, 2014
So, here's what we know: The screenplay focuses on the life of Newt Scamander, magi zoologist and author of textbook Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. The story will take place in New York, 70 years before the events of Harry Potter. Harry will not be there. That dream is dead. Let it go, we have.
With her latest tweet, Rowling confirmed that the film will take place in New York.
Newt only meant to stay in New York for a few hours. Circumstances ensured that he remained... for the length of a movie, anyway. X— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) October 7, 2014
Rowling thanked fans for their participation and claimed that a few guesses were "spookily close to the script."
Thank you, thank you, for being the kind of people who get excited about an anagram #myspiritualhome— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) October 7, 2014
Well, I'm limp, frankly - limp. A few suggestions were spookily close to the script!— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) October 7, 2014
BONUS: 'Harry Potter' in 2 Minutes
Correction: An earlier version of this story stated that Rowling's 'Fantastic Beasts' project was a novel when it is, in fact, a screenplay for an upcoming film.