“The Quibbler’s rubbish, everyone knows that.”
-- Hermione to Harry, just before learning that Luna’s father was the editor (OP10)
The Quibbler is a tabloid newspaper of the Wizarding World. The current editor is Xenophilius Lovegood (OP10). It publishes an edition every month (OP26).
The Quibbler prints wild, silly, and bizarre stories about famous people, particularly involving conspiracy theories. However, they also printed Harry’s story of the rise of Voldemort. Later, after Voldemort’s ascendancy during the Second Wizarding War, The Quibbler urged the Wizarding World to support Harry Potter at a time when the Voldemort-controlled Ministry of Magic had declared Harry Potter to be “Undesirable Number One” (DH13). This editorial policy led to the kidnap of Luna by Death Eaters, in order to pressure Xenophilius Lovegood to toe the Ministry of Magic/Voldemort line. The pressure worked, in so far as Xenophilius prepared a run of The Quibbler featuring a front-page picture of Harry “emblazoned with the words Undesirable Number One,” although it is unclear whether this issue ever went out by owl post because Xenophilius was captured and imprisoned the day of the print run (DH21).
Typically, the Quibbler is delivered by owl post (OP26).
Known Quibbler Headlines
- Corruption in the Quidditch League: How the Tornados are Taking Control (OP10)
Allegation that the Tutshill Tornados were winning the League through a combination of blackmail, broom-tampering, and torture. - HARRY POTTER SPEAKS OUT AT LAST:
THE TRUTH ABOUT HE WHO MUST NOT BE NAMED AND THE NIGHT I SAW HIM RETURN (OP26)
Written by Rita Skeeter; printed in the March issue during Harry’s fifth year. - How Far Will Fudge Go to Gain Gringotts? (OP10)
Alleges that Fudge’s dearest ambition is to seize control of the goblin gold supplies and that he’s had goblins murdered to further this. - Secrets of the Ancient Runes Revealed (OP10)
Claims that when read upside-down, the runes reveal a spell to turn an enemy’s ears into kumquats. - Sirius Black: Villain or Victim? (also titled SIRIUS - BLACK AS HE’S PAINTED?) (OP10)
Alleges that Sirius Black is actually an alias for Stubby Boardman of The Hobgoblins. - (headline unknown) (OP10)
Interview with a wizard who claimed not only to have flown to the moon on a Cleansweep Six but to have brought back a bag of moon frogs to prove it. - (headline unknown)
Front page of every issue from some time prior to September 2, 1997, over a statement to the effect that “any wizard who’s against You-Know-Who ought to make helping Harry Potter their number one priority” (DH15). - Undesirable Number One (DH21)
“Emblazoned” across a front-page photo of Harry Potter. It is unclear if this issue was ever distrbuted. - (headline unknown)
Over a picture captioned “Hermione Granger, the Mudblood who is known to be traveling with Harry Potter” (DH23).
Commentary
Etymology
To "quibble" can mean to argue (often about a trivial point) or to or to use evasive language to avoid an issue.
Notes
The Quibbler does not appear to directly state anything outright false; it seems to rely on quotations attributed to various sources to actually state absurd claims. The rest of the article uses language that frames those quotations as believable and reasonable.(OP10) -BB
While The Quibbler is wrong to suggest that Sirius Black is actually the singer Stubby Boardman, it is, indeed, true that Sirius Black was innocent and wrongfully punished. -BB
The headline "Secrets of the Ancient Runes Revealed" is an example of foreshadowing, since Xenophilius Lovegood later helps Harry, Ron, and Hermione solve a mystery by informing them about "The Tale of the Three Brothers" (DH21), which was originally written in ancient runes (TBB). -BB
Pensieve (Comments)
Tags: Luna Remembrall odd publishing silly stories