Deathly Hallows Predictions

k ok I broke down and preordered the new Potter book. Normally I’d wait a week and end up buying it at a grocery store while waiting in line with my gallon jug of Bolthouse farms Cappuccino Protein drink—seriously, they are normally cheapest at the grocery store. Then I fly through the book in a week or two and hand it off to Alex who I can then taunt with the “secrets” for the next month or 4 it takes him to chip away at the plot. But hell it’s the last one, and it is great that people are excited about books, even if this one author is literally one of the richest people on the planet while most fiction writers struggle with crumbs. And lets face it, it’s the movies and the marketing that made her a billionaire. The books just made her rich.

Two things I have always loved about this series is that Rowling never writes down to children (except for the lame rehashes of the previous plot at the beginning of each book). These are children’s books that do not

So here’s the reiteration of my predictions for the last Harry Potter book, made when I finished the penultimate volume:

1) Dumbledore is alive. He is the Hermit/Father-figure/ Mentor of the series and this character always comes back from the dead in some form or another. Think Obi Wan Kenobi, Gandalf, and even Jesus. At the very least his ghost or some version of him remains to help Harry and the gang through the rough times, though my money is with a full on faked death scenario or some “good” version of Voldemort’s spells that divided him into different parts. Remember that withered arm? I will actually have more respect for Rowling if she keeps Dumbledore dead, and we only see him in the pensive or pictures or flashbacks, but that funereal was too big a deal, and don’t forget Dumbledore had just finished telling

2) Snape is a good guy, and never turned. I don’t mean he’ll switch sides again, I mean he is on the good guy’s side and this whole switch is some undercover deal that has something to do with Dumbledore’s death.

3) Draco is redeemed. Draco was never a villain and is more of a rival for Harry than an enemy. Rowling has two choices with him if she is to keep the integrity of her story: a) have him be punished for choosing Voldemort’s side, b) have him change his mind and help Harry when it really counts.  I predict he will end up siding with the good guys all along sending the message that no matter what your upbringing is or what you have done in the past, you can still make the right decisions— which is in line with the philosophy of the rest of her books.

4) Harry dies at the end. Assuming Voldemort is permanently destroyed, and this really is the end of the series, then balance demands that Harry also is destroyed in some way. Sacrifice is a big motif in her books, and so is death. Maybe Harry will simply lose all his powers at the end, but something significant of that nature has to happen to him in order for there to be real closure on the story. Remember how the Soprano’s just ended at a diner?  That’s not an ending, and Rowling knows it. 

5) One last nutty one.... that last chapter... which has already been reported to be basically "what happens to the survivors"?... After Harry's death Ginny will give birth to a baby... with a scar. That's what that whole "last word" drama is about.

esm

Comments

[Tina]

I took Angela to Borders at 10:00 last night to wait for the new book to come out. She's already on page 313. She said she'd be farther but her batteries in her flashlight died. We didn't get home until 1:30 this morning.She had such a good time! I was actually hoping the book would have come out on her birthday 7/7/07 it's her lucky number and she turned 11. So I told her we could go and I bought her the deluxe edition for her Birthday! She's such a Harry Potter freak. I'm finally reading the first book and it's killing her 'cause she said she needs someone to talk to about the people who've died so far. She's so funny! Anyway she says the new books great. I bet she finishes by bed time. Tina

[Dan]

Not a perfect score, but I think Harry would have had an easier time of it if he'd had your prophecies rather than Trelawney's. :-)

[e]

HA. Tina, Let Angela know she can call me if she wants, though she is already further than I am with the last book. I'm kinda surprised Nicky and the boys aren't reading it. Did you check with them?

Great, now im competing with my roomate AND my niece. Wonderful. I should be finished by tomorrow.

e

[Rude Boy]

I have to agree on the "respect for keeping Dumbledore dead" statement. I think it's cheesy to bring back characters that are thought to be among the dearly departed.

I also agree that Snape is probably one of the good guys. I have always trusted Dumbledore's judgement and he has kept believing in Snape against everyone else's protests, so there has to be a higher reason for it.

Now for the disagreements: I don't think that Ginny will have a baby with a scar. I am pretty sure that if Rowling ever wants to do another young adult book (and I hope she does, even if it's not going to be a "Potter" book), then she will not venture down the path of sex between teenagers. Parents just can't condone stuff like that, if if they had done it themselves.

The end of the Harry Potter series brings up the same feelings that I had when I was a kid and my best friend down the street moved away--you learn to move on, but there is that place in your heart that won't ever be the same again.

And that kinda sucks.