The Number Six

Editor: Michele L. Worley

I have stretched this list to include some instances of numbers containing the word “six”.

“Thirty-six,” he said, looking up at his mother and father. “That’s two less than last year.”
[counting birthday presents, (PS2)]

…while Harry and Uncle Vernon watched Dudley unwrap the racing bike, a video camera, a remote control aeroplane, sixteen new computer games, and a VCR.
[birthday presents, (PS2)]

The repaired alarm clock rang at six o’clock the next morning. (PS3)

Nobody said a thing while the giant was working, but as he slid the first six fat, juicy, slightly burnt sausages from the poker, Dudley fidgeted a little. (PS4)

“Rubeus! Rubeus Hagrid! How nice to see you again…Oak, sixteen inches, rather bendy, wasn’t it?” (PS5)

Chapter Six of book 1 is “The Journey from Platform Nine and Three-Quarters”, which introduces the Weasleys, Hermione, and the key clue to the later identification of Nicolas Flamel.

“I’m the sixth in our family to go to Hogwarts. You could say I’ve got a lot to live up to.”
[Ron to Harry, (PS6)]

“No, I’ve got Morgana again and I’ve got about six of her… do you want it? You can start collecting.”
[Ron to Harry, (PS6)]

“Slytherins have got the cup six years in a row!”
[Nearly Headless Nick, (PS7)]

It was standing quite still, all six eyes staring at them (PS9)

As the owls flooded into the Great Hall as usual, everyone’s attention was caught at once by a long, thin package carried by six large screech owls. (PS10)

“What did you say you’ve got at home, Malfoy, a Comet Two Sixty?” (PS10)

“So—that’s sort of like basketball on broomsticks with six hoops, isn’t it?” (PS10)

Marcus Flint, a sixth year (PS11)

Gryffindor had won by one hundred and seventy points to sixty (PS11)

Mr. Flamel, who celebrated his six hundred and sixty-fifth birthday last year, enjoys a quiet life in Devon with his wife Perenelle (six hundred and fifty-eight). (PS13)

“He’s not exactly recent if he’s six hundred and sixty-five, is he?” (PS13)

“But we’re not six hundred years old,” Ron reminded her. (PS14)

“Ravenclaw has four hundred and twenty-six” (PS17)

“Third—to Mr. Harry Potter…” said Dumbledore. The room went deadly quiet. “For pure nerve and outstanding courage, I award Gryffindor House sixty points.” (PS17)

…Quidditch, the most popular sport in the wizarding world (six tall goal posts, four flying balls, and fourteen players on broomsticks) (CS1)

He jumped the last six steps, landing catlike on the hall carpet, looking around for Dobby (CS2)

“See, they’re not too bright,” said George, seizing five or six gnomes at once. (CS3)

After a quick half a dozen bacon sandwiches each, they pulled on their coats and Mrs. Weasley took a flowerpot off the kitchen mantelpiece and peered inside. (CS4)

Harry couldn’t see how eight people, six large trunks, two owls, and a rat were going to fit into one small Ford Anglia. (CS5)

“Six or seven Muggles in all. I believe your father works in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office?” (CS5)

“Fred and George must’ve flown that car five or six times and no Muggle ever saw them.” (CS5)

Chapter Six of book 2 is “Gilderoy Lockhart”.

Nothing seemed to give Colin a bigger thrill than to say, “All right, Harry?” six or seven times a day (CS7)

“Oliver,” Harry croaked. “It’s the crack of dawn.”
“Exactly,” said Wood. He was a tall and burly sixth year and, at the moment, his eyes were gleaming with a crazed enthusiasm. (CS7)

And from behind the six large figures before them came a seventh, smaller boy, smirking all over his pale, pointed face (CS7)

“Six solid months at the top of the best-seller list!” (CS7)

“Slytherin lead, sixty points to zero—” (CS10)

It was Nearly Headless Nick, no longer pearly-white and transparent, but black and smoky, floating immobile and horizontal, six inches off the floor. (CS11)

Five of their precious sixty minutes had already passed. (CS12)

Snape had given them so much homework, Harry thought he was likely to be in the sixth year before he finished it (CS13)

“And may I thank the forty-six people who have so far sent me cards!” (CS13)

“Please, Hermione, tell me you weren’t one of the forty-six,” said Ron as they left the Great Hall for their first lesson. (CS13)

A boy of about sixteen entered, taking off his pointed hat. (CS13)

“All students will return to their House common rooms by six o’clock in the evening.” (CS14)

The Gryffindor common room was always very crowded these days, because from six o’clock onward the Gryffindors had nowhere else to go. (CS15)

Head hanging, Harry saw that what had hold of him was marching on six immensely long, hairy legs, the front two clutching him tightly below a pair of shining black pincers (CS15)

Tom Riddle had been at Hogwarts fifty years ago, yet here he stood, a weird, misty light shining about him, not a day older than sixteen (CS17)

“I decided to leave behind a diary, preserving my sixteen-year-old self in its pages” (CS17)

“Riddle wrote it when he was sixteen…” (CS18)

Plump little Mrs. Weasley; tall, balding Mr. Weasley; six sons; and one daughter (PA1)

“There were no seats; instead, half a dozen brass bedsteads stood beside the curtained windows.” (PA3)

Chapter Six of book 3 is “Talons and Tea Leaves”, in which we meet Professor Trelawney, Harry neglects to listen to a lesson on Animagi, and the chain of events leading to Buckbeak’s condemnation by the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures is set in motion.

“Incidentally, that thing you are dreading—it will happen on Friday the sixteenth of October.” (PA6)

“When they went upstairs to the crowded common room, it was to find Fred and George had set off half a dozen Dungbombs in a fit of end-of-term high spirits.” (PA11)

Chapter Six of book 4 is “The Portkey”.

“…given that the tournament tasks will still be difficult and dangerous, whatever precautions we take, and it is highly unlikely that students below sixth and seventh year will be able to cope with them.” (GF12)

…the article (continuing on pages two, six, and seven) had been all about Harry, the names of the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang champions (misspelled) had been squashed into the last line of the article, and Cedric hadn’t been mentioned at all (GF19)

“‘you need about half a dozen wizards at a time to overcome a dragon—'” (Sirius, GF19)

Ron hovered behind the bookshelves for a while, watching Krum, debating in whispers with Harry whether he should ask for an autograph—but then Ron realized that six or seven girls were lurking in the next row of books, debating exactly the same thing, and he lost his enthusiasm for the idea (GF21)

“Half a dozen mermen were pulling him away from Hermione, shaking their green-haired heads, and laughing.” (GF26)

“Half a dozen house-elves came hurrying forward, looking disgusted.” (GF28)

Chapter Six of book 5 is “The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black”, in which a locket that nobody could open is casually mentioned as an item discovered during the cleaning.

Six people (counting Harry himself) had breakfast in the kitchen of Number Twelve the morning before Harry’s disciplinary hearing. (OP7)

The sky was darkening, and Harry doubted he would be able to see the sixth and seventh people at all (OP13)

“I reckon we had abou’ six or seven o’ them convinced at one poin’.”
” Six or seven?” said Ron eagerly. (OP20)

‘Well, Potter, this meeting is to talk over any career ideas you might have, and to help you decide which subjects you should continue into the sixth and seventh years,’ said Professor McGonagall (OP29)

Harry turned: no fewer than six or seven Thestrals were picking their way through the trees (OP33)

Six members of the D.A. (counting Harry himself) set out for the Department of Mysteries in (OP33).

Six members of the Order of the Phoenix—counting Dumbledore—participated in the battle at the Department of Mysteries (OP35).

Six members of the D.A. (not counting Harry himself) helped him deal with Malfoy’s ambush on the Hogwarts Express at the end of his fifth year (OP38).

6. Should the Dark Mark appear over any dwelling place or other building, DO NOT ENTER, but contact the Auror office immediately. (HBP3)

Chapter Six of book 6 is “Draco’s Detour”, in which Remus mentions Regulus Black in passing, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione follow Draco to Borgin and Burkes.

They returned to the common room, which was empty apart from a half dozen seventh years (HBP9)

And so the following weekend, Ron joined Hermione and the rest of the sixth years who would turn seventeen in time to take the test in a fortnight (HBP21)

“But firstly, no, Harry, not seven Horcruxes: six.” (HBP23)

six or seven of them crumpled (HBP26)