Last chance: my predictions for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

[pegkerr]

Since mizzlaurajean asked:

From what I've gleaned from various interviews that Rowling has given over the years and from various speculations that I've read, this is what I think will happen: Apparently, Rowling was asked back in 1997 or so whether the Trio would all survive the seventh book, and she was less cagey back then and said, "Yes."

The book will start at the Dursleys and then move to the Burrows, where Bill and Fleur will marry. I think Harry will go back to Hogwarts. I don't know if he'll go there for the school year, mind you, but there is Dumbledore's portrait in the Headmistress's office to consult as well as Snape's old text book stuffed into a cabinet in the Room of Requirement. Perhaps something will happen at the Weasley's, at the wedding, to change Harry's mind about going back. Perhaps this will be due to something discovered during a trip to Godric's Hollow (Harry has said he intends to go back there, after the wedding).

Things that will be revealed in this book, according to scraps of things gleaned from Rowling's interviews:

Rowling has said that there is someone who hasn't manifested magic previously who will unexpectedly start using it, and that it isn't Petunia Dursley. Could be Dudley, could be Filch. I don't think it will be Vernon.

I know that there will be dragons. (One of the released covers shows the Trio riding on the back of one). Back in Book 1, there was a reference, when Harry was riding in the goblin carts at Gringotts, to him wondering whether he was hearing a dragon roar in another corridor. The cover of the British edition shows the Trio and a house elf (Kreacher? Dobby?) in what looks like a vault of jewels, with everything being whipped around. A dragon's hoard, perhaps at Gringots?

Rowling has said that something enormously important will be revealed about Lily. It seems glaringly obvious, but the books seem to be leaning more and more toward the idea that Snape loved Lily. We learned in the last book that she was excellent at potions. Being responsible for her death could very well have turned Snape away from the Deatheaters. Snape has railed to Harry about his father numerous times, but he has never mentioned his opinion of Lily. Not once.

John Granger noted on his website recently that he was contacted recently by someone who noted a possible source for Rowling's use of the name "Severus," a 17th century play that she very well might have read as a French major.

There’s a seventeenth century play by Corneille called "Polyeucte" (in English, Polyeuctus.) The play is about a Christian martyr, Polyeuctus, who died during the reign of the Roman Emperor Decius.

There is an important character in the play named Severus (Severe, in French.) Severus, a Roman soldier, pagan, and favorite of the Emperor, is hopelessly in love with a married woman, Pauline, the wife of Polyeuctus. Severus is offered the opportunity to marry Pauline upon the death of Polyeuctus. In an act of unselfish heroism, Severus instead tries (unsuccessfully) to save Polyeuctus for the sake of Pauline. If memory serves me correctly, I think Pauline winds up being martyred also, and Severus comes over to the good side, accepting the truth of Christianity and vowing to defend Christians from the Emperor. Incidentally, there is a character named Albin in this play; he is the wise, but unheeded confidante of the weak and fearful Governor Felix.

The story of "Polyeucte," of course, would be obscure to anyone but a French Lit. major, such as JKR!

Whatever the secret is that is associated with Lily, it may be more than this, though. It may have something to do with her eyes.

Wand cores will be very important. This may have something to do with Ollivander's disappearance.

Horcruxes will be hunted and destroyed. One will be the locket that was at 12 Grimmauld place. Initially, they might think Mundungas Fletcher has pawned it, but probably Kretcher has it. (RAB was Regulus A. Black.) I haven't made up my mind whether Harry's scar is a Horcrux, but there is a very good chance that it is. If it is, it might make them think initially that he has to die to defeat Voldemort, but nonetheless, they will find away around it and he will live. Snape may be giving anonymous help with this, without the Trio's knowledge, although Hermione may put together the clues that perhaps Snape is actually still Dumbledore's man together before the two boys and will possibly try arguing with Harry about it. She will not convince him, until some kind of confrontation.

We will finally learn the entirety of what happened the night James and Lily were killed. We will learn who gave the invisibility cloak to Dumbledore, and what happened during that missing 24 hours in between the Potters' deaths and the point that Harry was delivered to the Dursleys. One of the sources of this information may be Aberforth Dumbledore (I believe he is the Order of the Phoenix member that Rowling mentions that we have met briefly who will now play a larger role). Aberforth is the pub owner at the Hogshead. He was also the person who threw Snape out of the pub when Snape overheard part of the prophecy. If there were any unbreakable bonds that Dumbledore ever made with anyone (Snape is the best possibility, but on the whole I think not), he might have been the bondholder. Aberforth may come to Hogwarts at this year's DADA teacher. He does seem to be the best candidate. (Maybe we'll even find what was the deal with the goat.) This would fit, too, because it's always a secret held by the DADA teacher that prompts the climax. If Aberforth does come to Hogwarts, he may become the new head of Gryffindor. Slughorn, I imagine, will become the new head of Slytherin. Either Flitwick or Sprout might become the Deputy Headmaster/Headmistress.

This book will, structurally, follow the path of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. In that book, a lot of the action was predicated on the assumption that Sirius, the fugitive, betrayed James and Lily, leading to their deaths. The same story, in a way, is being repeated in this generation. In book 7, this role will filled by Snape. Just as in the Shrieking Shack, the truth was revealed about Sirius, the truth will be revealed that Snape was not the traitor, either.

I think the big test for Harry is whether or not to forgive or listen to Snape before throttling the life out of him. He showed mercy to Pettigrew back in Prisoner in Azkaban, and that life debt will come into play in this book (in a way, this might work out as in Lord of the Rings: "The pity of Bilbo [in sparing Gollum] may rule the fate of many." There is a possibility that Harry will be given the opportunity to show mercy to Snape. I know many think Snape will die after a heroic act for the light and Harry will discover the truth too late, and I agree, it does seem like the obvious plot arc, but I hope that Harry will get a clue early enough for Snape to live. It might not happen that way if Harry gains enough maturity to understand what Snape was trying to teach him at the very end of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: to control his emotions. I do think the Stoppered Death theory may be correct, which, when it is discovered, will vindicate Snape. (I love Snape, but alas, the feeling is probably not mutual). Rowling said that she couldn't reveal what Snape's patronus is because "it would give too much away." It could be that Snape's patronus may be revealed to be a phoenix, which would one factor which will eventually convince Harry that he has been wrong about Snape (proof of his essential loyalty to Dumbledore--the phoenix has been a symbol of fidelity throughout the series.)

I also quite like the theory aired at Lumos (can't remember who wrote the paper) that Snape has had the ability to read Harry's mind since the first book, and this is expressed by how he uses his eyes. We will probably learn more about this. Could there be a connection with Lily's eyes, perhaps?

A possible related note: the librarian, Madam Pince (Irma Pince), who is decribed as being "hook-nosed and vulture-like" (she has black eyes, too, doesn't she?) may be revealed to be Snape's mother who has been more or less in hiding from Voldemort, under Dumbledore's protection. Move just one letter, the "r," and "Irma Pince" becomes "I'm a Prince"--i.e., Eileen Prince.

Draco Malfoy will have a chance to redeem himself, justifying Dumbledore's giving him a chance. He will still be a bigoted prat, but willing (grudgingly) to start listening to his conscience and changing his ways.

I hope that Lucius Malfoy gets out of Azkaban prison somehow and is there at the final confrontation for the unworthy reason that I love Jason Isaacs to death and he adores Lucius Malfoy and is dying to play Lucius in the 7th movie and begged Rowling on his knees to do so.

John Granger's book Unlocking Harry Potter: Five Keys for the Serious Reader suggests that Rowling is following the path of the alchemist through the course of the books, where a specific sequence is followed, leading eventually to the transmutation of gold (which represents the purifying of the soul). The fifth book was the Black stage (which is indicated by Sirius Black's death), the sixth book was the White stage (which is indicated by Dumbledore's death--Albus means "White.") The last stage is the "alchemical wedding" (this is the reason for Bill and Fleur's wedding--note that Ginny calls Fleur "Phlegm," which is the name of one of the four humours balanced in alchemy) and then the "Red" stage, which could indicate the death in the seventh book of a Weasley, the red-haired family (one of the twins, perhaps) or Rubeus Hagrid (Rubeus means "red.")

I think that John Granger's speculation that there will be a big revelation that someone is not who they seem to be makes sense (mistaken identity). There may be another secret Animagus who is revealed in the seventh book. We may go through the Veil in the Ministry of Magic (to the land of the Dead?) In that case, the cracked mirror that Harry has that was supposed to help him communicate with Sirius may be important. We may enter the locked room (where Love is studied) at the Ministry of Magic. Rowling will certainly pull off some surprising twists, using narrative misdirection.

We will see Umbridge again. We will see Dumbledore again, either through flashbacks (perhaps through the Pensieve) or through the portrait.

Someone will stay as a teacher at Hogwarts and Rowling says "it will be someone you don't expect" and it won't be Harry. The obvious choices seem to be Neville, teaching Herbology, or Hermione teaching . . . anything. So someone unexpected? How about . . . Ron, teaching Divination? He has made some unexpectedly spot-on predictions over the course of the series. Luna might be another candidate--she might teach Care of Magical Creatures.

If you are thinking alchemy again, the purpose of the series is transmutation of the parts into the whole, coming together. The Gryffindor/Slytherin split will be healed, by Harry forgiving Snape and/or Malfoy, and by their combining forces to defeat Voldemort. It could very well be that the Sorting Hat will be retired, and it will be decided that the students' education should not be overshadowed by inter-house competition.

Lupin may get the chance to complete unfinished business with Pettigrew, and Neville with Bellatrix.

Harry will end up with Ginny, and Ron with Hermione. Oh yeah. And Voldemort will be defeated. We will discover the reason for the "gleam of triumph" in Dumbledore's eye in Goblet of Fire--perhaps that part of Harry was now in Voldemort.

The word "scar" is no longer the last word of the book, but it is probably somewhere in the last paragraph or the last sentence.

And as for my emotional reactions: I will probably cry over certain points. I will defend it to the Potter naysayers. I expect to love it and will thoroughly enjoy reading it.

And I'll probably want to immediately read it all over again.

What are your predictions? If you've posted about it in your own journal, leave me the link in the comments.

Comments

[silme.livejournal.com]

Totally off topic, but have you seen the commemorative stamps yet??? :)

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

I know that France issued some. Are those the ones you are referring to?

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

Oh! The British ones, I just saw them. They're beautiful!

[silme.livejournal.com]

No, the UK ones that were just issued today at post offices across the country.

http://www.royalmail.com/portal/stamps/content1?catId=55000695&mediaId=55100695

I have a spare set and would be willing to send them to you. You've been through a lot lately and deserve something nice! :)

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

That would be wonderful! I would love to receive a set. Thank you so much!

The address to use is:

Peg Kerr
P.O. Box 2128
Loop Station
Minneapolis, MN 55402-0128

[silme.livejournal.com]

It went out today!

[splagxna.livejournal.com]

re: night the potters were killed; i've heard a fascinating theory that when harry hears in his memory 'stand aside, you silly girl' - that voice is snape's, not voldemort's. (after all, when has voldemort ever had any use for mercy?)

[naomikritzer]

I would add a couple of predictions to this:

1. Some years back, one of the frequently asked questions that JKR addressed was, "was Lily a Death Eater?" Her response was, "How dare you?" Which as my husband pointed out, is really not an answer at all. This has had me wondering ever since.

2. A few months ago I saw a fairly lengthy essay theorizing that McGonnagal is actually evil and working for Voldemort, and has been since the very first book. I found it pretty compelling reading, and I think her theory is correct.

If someone unexpected is going to take a job at Hogwarts, I bet Neville stays on to teach Defense Against Dark Arts. I'd have bet on that job as Harry's ultimate fate, but you know, Neville has the potential to be a fabulous teacher as he would be coming at it from the perspective of a student who had to learn everything the hard way. Either that, or Lupin will return to Hogwarts to teach Transfiguration after McGonnagal dies with Voldemort in the climactic battle.

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

It's an idea, but . . , I'm not sure McGonagall would have fought Umbridge so hard for Harry's right to become an Auror if she were on the side of evil.

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

And no, I absolutely do not think Lily was a Deatheater.

[skylarker.livejournal.com]

I don't believe McFonagall is on the side of evil, either. She's too cool.

[naomikritzer]

So was Moody. The fake Moody. Remember the bouncing ferret?

[splagxna.livejournal.com]

i'm very with you on the neville-dada teacher idea!

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

Yes, that is a good idea. The funny thing is that once Voldemort is defeated, the curse on the position would be broken, and so Neville could have it permanently.

It would be too delicious if the position that Snape had wanted so much went to one of the student he despised the most.

[tinymich.livejournal.com]

2) Ooo, interesting - have you got a link?

[naomikritzer]

http://goldenmoonrose.livejournal.com/535899.html

[moony]

I am almost convinced that Kreacher is a Horcrux.

They cut them out of the new movie, but I like to think that the mirrors Sirius gave Harry will come into play somehow.

The dragon is totally Norbert. :D

[chelsearoad.livejournal.com]

Not much to add but I loved reading your ideas.

[dichroic.livejournal.com]

I posted here - nothing new and profound, mostly about why I really don't think Harry will die.

[aome.livejournal.com]

You should have entered my newspaper's contest to write the most creative, thought-out ending for DH. I scribbled something out in 10 mins, but it's pretty open and doesn't have the same exhaustive thought that you've given it.

I never posted it in my journal, but I can C&P what I wrote for the paper:

After Bill/Fleur’s wedding, Harry, Ron and Hermione, working together, will find an important clue at Godric’s Hollow. They will, through luck and hard work, find the remaining Horcruxes (Horcri?). Along the way, Ron and Hermione will finally cement their relationship. Midway through the fall, they decide to return to Hogwarts – greatly diminished but still open – after all, using it as a base for their research. Harry voluntarily resumes Occlumency, asking Hermione to practice with him.

Final Showdown Option A) Harry will face Voldemort alone, and, after all the practice he’s had at previous encounters and DA meetings, finally triumph against Voldemort. Ron, unfortunately, will die in that final conflict (the Weasleys have gone on so much about how Harry has saved so many of them, it figures that he’ll fail to do so at some point in DH.) Although Harry cares very much for Hermione, Ron’s death is a greater blow than Hermione’s would have been, Ron being the “thing Harry would miss the most” (as per GoF). Other deaths along the way include Hagrid and Snape – who will die before we can ever know for sure if he was truly friend or foe. Despite his devastation over Ron’s death, Harry is determined to go on, so Ron’s death will not be in vain. He’s taken his NEWTs just before the final showdown, and the results are enough to allow him to pursue Auror training as he’d hoped. “He stared at his fading scar in the mirror, at all it had cost him, then squared his shoulders. ‘All right,’ he said to Hermione. ‘Let’s see what a normal life is like.’

Final Showdown Option B) After all the Horcruxes are destroyed, Harry faces Voldemort, and successfully kills him. However, a moment after he manages it, Bellatrix LeStrange kills Harry. And then Snape kills Bellatrix – and we finally see his true colors, that, despite his less-than-sunny personality and any disparaging remarks he makes about Harry post-mortem, he did, truly, live up to the trust Dumbledore placed in him all that time. Ron and Hermione are devastated, of course, and Remus Lupin shares in their loss; yet they are all honored to have been a part of Harry’s life for so long. Professor McGonagall conducts the memorial service, remembering the beginning of his life, the part we see in Ch 1 of the very first book, and how she saw him throughout his short but remarkable life, comparing it to how Dumbledore saw him (as discussed in conversations between the two over the years, before his death). And we see the wizarding world go on in peace, the peace Harry won. “And they reflected on how a boy with a scar had drawn them together, the Boy Who Lived ... and Died.”

[faithhopetricks.livejournal.com]

Wow, I love hearing your thoughts on structure and planning wrt this book -- even if I don't plan to read it myself. You really have that Writerbrain.

My HP Predictions, no spoilers, just guesses

[bohemianspirit.livejournal.com]

And probably pretty amateur guesses, compared to your detailed analysis... ;-) but here goes:

First, my serious scenario, what I think has a reasonable chance of really happening.

Second, a few wild cards that I don't think have a snowball's chance in hell of happening, but were too much fun not to throw out there for perusal.

[zhasper.livejournal.com]

Wow. Well done!

On thing befuddles me though: How did you know that Alberforth was the pub owner at the hogshead?

[satakieli.livejournal.com]

The strong smell of goat and the fact that he looks very familiar to Harry? We've known since OotP, I believe.

[zhasper.livejournal.com]

Now that you mention it, I remember seeing a goat walking out of the room at the first Dumbledore's Army meeting in the OotP movie...