1952 Meta

by Mark Halpin

ANSWER: JOE'S NAMED VP

 

The answers from this round are:

PuzzleWitchAnswer
Casting SpellsBaba YagaJOCK
DiscwordEsme WeatherwaxFINANCE
For Whom the Bella ToilsBellatrix LestrangeVIAL
100% ReliableAgnes NutterSHADING
TemptationsJadis, the White Witch of NarniaDOGES
Absolute PowerWillow RosenbergCEO
Disappearing ActEndoraMODE
Stick Manthe Blair WitchMISTED
SummoningsPaige HalliwellEND UP
Puritan TestWilhelmina W. WitchiepooBOSOM
ShapeshiftingSerafina PekkalaMINK

A witch hunt in 1952, in a hunt devoted to American history and the flavor text references (including "scary note" in the round page and "no relation to those Rosenbergs" in Willow's puzzle) might suggest the Red Scare.

Each answer in this round "hides" a Red by replacing it with a single letter (a "seemingly innocent character concealing its true colors"). Ordering letters chronologically by the first appearances of the fictional witches gives the answer JOE'S NAMED VP.

WitchDate / originAnswerLetter
Baba Yagaca. 1600, Russian folk talesREDOCKJ
Jadis, the White Witch of Narnia1950, The Lion, the Witch, and the WardrobeDREDGESO
Endora1964, "Bewitched"MODREDE
Wilhelmina W. Witchiepoo1969, H. R. PufnstufBOREDOMS
Esme Weatherwax1987, Equal RitesFIRE DANCEN
Agnes Nutter1990, Good OmensSHREDDINGA
Serafina Pekkala1995, Northern Lights/The Golden CompassRED INKM
Willow Rosenberg1997, Buffy the Vampire SlayerCREDOE
the Blair Witch1999, The Blair Witch ProjectMISTER EDD
Bellatrix Lestrange2000, Harry Potter and the Goblet of FireREDIALV
Paige Halliwell2001, Charmed (Season 4)ENDUREDP

Upon completing this meta, the following link to supplementary information is revealed on the index page: