Ok, so this hasn't popped up over here yet but in the recent Kansas City signing JB mentioned the following:

Source: http://www.jimbutcheronline.com/bb/index.php/topic,36681.0.html?PHPSESSID=jj3q6na9p1g3en714s6f4kjer7 and http://www.jimbutcheronline.com/bb/index.php/topic,36658.0.html?PHPSESSID=jj3q6na9p1g3en714s6f4kjer7

There are a couple of other people who expanded (and speculated) on this a little bit at other places on his forums. It was mentioned by someone who was also there that JB said that Hades is running a bank of some sorts. In some mythos, Hades (Greek God of the Underworld) is also Plutus (God of Wealth) so this actually makes a fair bit of sense. So the gist of things seems to be that we have a God of the Underworld running a bank that Harry, Nicodemus and Co. are going to be ripping off. What could possibly go wrong?

Also, in the thread I linked there are a lot of other goodies. Including what happened to Molly's soul, why Mother Winter hasn't gone to get her stick back and some information on the previous Winter Lady and the Starborn that was running amok at the time.

Edit: Youtube Links http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0u1p0n9r6Ro and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtAFU5VWeuI

 

Spoiler

book 1 was written from the perspective of a guy who has already finished his story, **unintelligible**, you get to book 1, and Harry says “My name is Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden, but conjure by it at your own risk” which, you know, there’s a reason for that. Figured I’d just throw that in there. Really, Harry’s one of those guys whose name is more dangerous to other people than it is to him, in a lot of ways, a lot of people would be vulnerable by doing that, he’s not. We’ll get to see that in the future.

Just reading this made the thread worth it. I never stoped to think about this scene after reading the books.

 

Spoiler

Harry says “My name is Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden, but conjure by it at your own risk” which, you know, there’s a reason for that. Figured I’d just throw that in there. Really, Harry’s one of those guys whose name is more dangerous to other people than it is to him, in a lot of ways, a lot of people would be vulnerable by doing that, he’s not

So in essence, he's turning into He Who Must Not Be Named? Excellent.

 

Spoiler

Yeah, I found that whole thing interesting. Its been well established (generally atleast once per book and usually several times) that when someone (wizard, sidhe, etc) has your full name, they can really screw you over with it.

What would make Harry so special that apparently having the entire wild hunt hear him speak out his full name outloud is not a disaster of epic proportions. I mean there were lots of people/sidhe/monsters there who all heard Harry speak his name.

One would expect that the sidhe atleast will go crazy bargaining with everyone and selling the full name of the new winter knight to anyone and everyone. And given the reputation Harry has developed, there will be lots of buyers.

So basically if there is a timeskip, then during the next book we should expect literally everyone of any significance (including Nicodemus and all the denarians) to know Harrys full name.

I wonder what makes Harry so special. For most wizards, having their full name out there like this would basically be game over. Maybe if someone uses Harrys name, he gets to return the favour. Thats basically what happened in CD with the outsider. Harry spoke his name, and the outsider was then forced to do the same, and it was said that for a brief moment this gave Harry perfect understanding of HWWBf.

Might be interesting if thats how it works. Nicodemus is almost certain to have acquired Harrys name and will most likely try to use it. That might be a clever way to make Nicodemus even more multi-dimensional by having Harry (and the readers) learn about Nicodemus this way. I mean there is no way Nicodemus would ever willingly reveal anything of his true origins or history so if they will be revealed, it has to be something like this.

 

Considering the way mortal Names work, I don't think that's very likely. In a year, he's likely to have changed enough that at least part of it won't work any longer.

I'm pretty sure the quote Kthr has means that by the end of the series, Dresden is sufficiently badass enough that people simply aren't willing to try to use his Name against him. It'd be kinda like having Mab's name. Sure you could use it, but then your eyeballs would be frozen solid, so no one's dumb enough to try it.

 

It's more the fact that when you use a Name to attack something, they can attack back. Kind of like how shouting Mab's name three times will summon her; using a Name forges a connection that they can use to do all sorts of nasty things.

So yeah, if you're willing to risk using someone's Name against them, you'd best be sure that you're not going to be vulnerable to their counterstrike if you do.

 

The thing is, I am 99% sure this is not how it has been said to work when it comes to humans. If using a Name to attack someone left you vulnerable in turn, it would surely have been mentioned before. Instead, in every prior case in every book, its implied that if an enemy has your Name, you are screwed. For example, Mab is not really the full Name that would allow you to attack her (just like Harry Dresden lacks the two middle names). There is a WoG that states that if the White Council had her true full Name, they could take her down.

So either this is a massive retcon from Butcher (unlikely), or this formed connection that allows you to attack back is something completely unique to Dresden.

Oh and Agayek, I don't think mortal names change that quickly. A year is not sufficient. In White Night, Harry uses Elaines Name to establish somekind of mental connection to warn her that a Wcourt vampire is attacking her, and that Name was something he learned when Elaine was a teenager. The fact that demons like Chauncey also trade in names makes it clear they don't go obsolete THAT fast.

If we assume that there is only a 1 year timeskip between this book and the next, and if we assume that Nicodemus has got his hands on Harrys Name (almost certain), then that Name SHOULD be incredibly crippling to Harry. If it won't be, then its because there is something unique going on with Harry.

 

Considering that that year was spent with the Winter Knight mantle attacking his very nature on every level? I'm not so sure it wouldn't change.

And Names are not dangerous (to the speaker) because they open a channel between the speaker and the target. They're dangerous because they draw the attention of the target. Dresden says repeatedly throuhout the series that having a Name is great, but you gotta be careful when using it or the target shows up and pulls out your entrails. See: Titania in Cold Days. If you don't have the chops to tangle with whatever your naming, invoking them is a stupid idea.

 

Maybe, but that would imply that the mantle has managed to significantly change Harry to the point that he is not really the Harry Dresden we have been reading about. I have my doubts that this is going to happen.

I am not sure if thats how it works with humans. The impression I have, is that having someones full name is like having their blood. Infact I recently re-read GS and in there we have a scene where Harry encounters an angel of death, and said angel speaks Harrys full name exactly correctly, and Harry goes on to think that this means any opposition would be hopeless as a result. Its clearly suggested that if your opponent has your name, you are at an incredible disadvantage.

So Harry is pretty much fucked then? Or are you saying that the 2 millennia old Nicodemus aided by Anduriel does not have the chops to utterly fuck Harry up with his full Name? If everyone that was part of the wild hunt heard Harry speak his Name outloud, then from this moment onward anyone who is willing to pay something can get Harrys name from a sidhe or whatever that must have been a part of the hunt.

Sure, I can buy that nobodies with limited magical skills could not take proper advantage of Harrys full Name. But Harry is the current winter knight, Warden to a prison of gods, Starborn with a very rare ability to screw with outsiders and possibly the only human with the ability to wield soulfire. Oh, and the guy who died and came back. If there is any realism, then very soon Lara, Marcone, Mavra, Nicodemus, Lasciel, Naagloshi, Nemesis, Merlin, Titania, Fix, and every other even remotely significant character will have Harrys Name.

The opponents he is facing do indeed have the chops to tangle with Harry, and having his full Name would give each opponent a massive advantage that Harry simply should not be able to overcome. Not unless there is something unique going on with his name.

Oh, and Titania is not the Name of Titania, anymore than Mab is the Name of Mab. That was confirmed by Butcher in a WoG where he states that anyone who tried to control Mab using nothing but that would be utterly screwed. Mab has another secret true name that is unknown to everyone. What Harry said to everyone to hear however, WAS his full Name.

EDIT:

I did a quick look and I have to admit I did find something to support both views.

In the first book, its implied that if you have someones name, its like having blood or such. So any wizard could use Harrys name as though they had his blood or hair or something. Track him, send curses to him, etc.

However in small Favor, there is this tidbit:

I guess the implication there is that Harry has become powerfull and skilled enough to "reverse track" it if someone uses his name.

However he does also state that its not all good in Ghost Story.

While I would say that a fight against an angel would be hopeless anyway, the way its written there suggests that its the angel knowing Harrys Name that convinces him that fighting would be futile. The obvious implication being that if your opponent knows your full Name, they have a significant advantage.

It is somewhat interesting that Uriel does talk about Names at the end of Ghost Story, and explains to Harry how they have much more power than mortals truly understand. Uriel compares the way humans use Names as infants juggling with grenades.

And one more mention, Ferrovax was able to use Harrys partial name (Harry Dresden) to basically bitchslap him off his feet. Though its been confirmed that Ferrovax is basically a godlike entity so maybe that does not mean much.

 

You're missing my point. With something's Name, you have a direct thaumaturgical link to that person and can do terrible things to them, but you also draw their attention, and there's several beings out there that will crush you like a bug for daring to utter their Name. That's why Dresden says "conjure by it at your own risk" in Storm Front. Post-series, everyone's too damn scared of him to be willing to use his Name.

As for right now, how would they get his name? I don't remember him ever saying his full name in dialogue.

 

Umm, he said his full name to the outsider in Cold Days, and apparently in the recent signing Butcher confirmed that everyone in the entire Wild Hunt (lots of humans, sidhe, spirits, Erlking, Odin, etc) all heard it.

I am sure every sidhe that took part was already selling Harrys name to the highest bidders before the book had ended.

That means that if there is the slightest bit of realism, in the next book every badguy knows Harrys full Name and are more than willing to use it against him.

Thats what I mean by all of this. It should be a major problem to the Harry in the next book, and in every book that follows until perhaps the final trilogy where Harry could have become strong enough that the danger is too great.

But right now, at this time point in the series, Nicodemus for example should be able to get Harrys name and easily kill him with it.

Thats the problem kinda. Harry at this point in the series should not be so strong that he can just shrug off the fact that everyone now knows his full True Name.

So why did Butcher have everyone hear it. Is there something special about Harry that makes using a name less effective against him? Something to do with the whole starborn thing maybe?

 

How about this: What happens in the Wild Hunt, stays in the Wild Hunt?

I am mostly joking but I would buy it if it was so that everyone in the Wild Hunt was only going on the thrill of the hunt and doesn't really "remember" all that much that happens during it, at least not small fry of random fae and humans and whatnot. Things like the Erlkind and Odin/Santa may remember but I doubt those two would sell Harry out like that.

 

The Erlking almost certainly still has a grudge against Harry.

 

I think "everybody there" means everybody in Dresden's head, but I could be wrong.

 

That possibility did come to mind, but it does not really fit in with the rest of his answer. I mean why start talking about Harry not being so vulnerable to naming as others (and that we would see more about that in the future) if the only people who heard it were Harry himself and the outsider who got killed/banished shortly afterwards.

 

I think because it's not much of a problem to summon this Outsider again and then at least the Back Council will know Harry's name.

 

Did you not read Small Favor?

Nicodemus is not only afraid, but Harry has the reputation that he always comes back from everything and demolishes anyone in his way. Given those two "facts", why would he antagonise someone who will live through it and seek vengeance?

 

To be fair, Nicodemus is the type to try it once he's sure it'd work.

The fact that Dresden, to all appearances, came back from the dead would absolutely give him pause, but he'd try something if he was convinced it would work.

If only to remove the threat he fears so much. You don't live 2,000 years without dealing with threats ASAP.

 

He failed to follow the evil overlord list in book 5. He's not super genre-savvy, despite appearances.