Last-Minute Predictions for Year Seven
Having reread the series for the umpteenth time in preparation for Book Seven of the Harry Potter saga to arrive, I’ve consolidated fifty of my past and new predictions into one place. After the book comes out, I will revisit the page to indicate which predictions actually came true.
- There is a connection with Godric Gryffindor and Harry’s birthplace of Godric’s Hollow.
- Harry Potter is related to Godric Gryffindor, maybe even the last heir!
- The fact that Harry has his mother’s eyes will play a significant role. Not sure about this one.
- Love will help destroy Voldemort again. Although I was a bit surprised that it was Snape’s love for Lily.
- Voldemort made a mistake using Harry’s blood during his rebirth.
- Voldemort will destroy himself again by another bounced Aveda Kedavra.
- Harry will falsely believe that he himself is a Horcrux. Well, I got the belief part, just didn’t realize that it was true. Really wished I’d kept the early prediction that I’d labeled insane, since it was right on target!
- Harry will become an Auror.
- Harry will marry Ginny.
- Harry’s scar will not disappear.
- Dumbledore is related to someone significant, even Harry perhaps.
- Dumbledore’s portrait will continue to help Harry beyond Dumbledore’s death (although I am still not entirely convinced he is dead). By continuing to instruct Snape in helping Harry, I guess this qualifies.
- Dumbledore’s memories in his Pensieve will again prove useful. It was Snape’s
- Dumbledore’s suspicions that Nagini is a Horcrux were accurate.
- Dumbledore has a dark side or secret that will be revealed.
- Ron will live.
- Hermione will live.
- And they will marry.
- Bill and Fleur’s wedding will not go quite as planned. I’ll count this as a successful prediction since the wedding reception didn’t go as planned.
- Either Mrs. Weasley will knit her final sweater, or Mr. Weasley will inspect his final eclectical plug.
- Snape was given the order to kill (real or fake) Dumbledore by Dumbledore himself.
- Snape loved Lily.
- Snape’s two other memories from his Pensieve will be revealed. Close enough that I’ll count it anyway.
- Snape is made headmaster by the idiots at the Ministry.
- Snape dies trying to help Harry and betrays Voldemort at the last moment. Mostly right.
- Once everything smooths over, McGonagall is made headmistress.
- Draco will join forces with Voldemort. Stupid prediction, really. Especially since it was already known that he was a Death Eater. Sheesh.
- But then Draco will eventually wimp out. Not sure about this one either.
- Draco will live.
- Sirius will send a final message through the two-way mirrors. It was Harry.
- Neville’s memory has been modified, and we’ll find out what those memories are.
- Neville will settle the score with Bellatrix by killing her. Way to go, Mrs. Weasley!
- Neville will live.
- Neville will become a teacher at Hogwarts.
- Wormtail will help the Order due to his life debt to Harry. Close enough. He helped Harry himself.
- Wormtail will die.
- Percy will redeem himself with his family.
- Percy will snuff it.
- Dobby will collect his final sock.
- Lucius will die early on, causing conflict for Malfoy.
- We will found out more about Regulus Black — thanks to the locket Horcrux in the Black family house.
- Petunia will reveal a secret about Lily to Harry. Not really, although she was involved in a secret about Lily.
- Ollivander will manufacture a new wand for Voldemort. Close. He was forced to make a wand for Wormtail. And Voldemort sought a new wand.
- Once Harry comes of age, the Dursleys will banish him or abandon him. Close. They left him to be in the care of the Order.
- Hedwig will deliver his (her?) last letter.
- The reason for Luna Lovegood’s odd personality and her personal death experience will be revealed.
- Mrs. Figg (a Squib) will perform some defensive magic in a last-ditch effort to save someone. If not Mrs. Figg who performs first-time magic, then it will be *gasp* Petunia!
- Mrs. Figg (or Petunia, whichever one did the magic) will then die.
- Hagrid will live.
- No one at Hogwarts will catch the Snitch during Year Seven.
Neville’s memory has been modified…
What has suggested that? I’ve only read the books once so don’t remember every clue but, like many, am currently going thru the whole set in preparation for the last) and have been trying to note possible hints, etc. Didn’t see this one.
And I like all the death predictions. Snape does something and dies. Percy does something and dies. Figg does something and dies. Weasleys do something and die. Clearly the key to survival is inaction!
And I notice you don’t predict on Ron or Hermione.
As for Harry, when I first read the prophecy I thought the “neither can live…” bit suggested that both would have to die. More “neither can survive without the other” than “one must die if other is to live”.
A number of factors. The prophecy could have applied to Neville, but Voldemort chose Harry instead. Why were Neville’s parents tortured? Neville has historically been poor at magic and has had a terrible memory, but during Book Five he was “improving so fast [that Harry felt] it was quite unnerving.” Is he breaking through a Memory Charm, or is it just maturity? We also don’t know what Neville had forgotten when he first received his Remembrall. Was it just a light comedic moment, or was it an indication of something bigger. Does his grandmother know something? Rowling doesn’t tend to leave details like this loose.
Yeah, that’s why I sometimes wish I had an electronic copy of the books. MUCH prefer escaping into a tome I can heft. But for going back and checking on something having a word search function available would be nice. Typically during the final chapters when things are revealed I have to flip back to the earlier scenes to see what little bits I may not have noticed.
I especially like the one about Snape loving Lily…I’ve wondered about that as well. It further explains and adds depth to Snape’s animus towards Harry, as well as the conflict with which he [Snape] struggles. Seeing Harry is a constant reminder of Lily [he sees her eyes every time he looks at Harry]; Snape is drawn to Harry and has some pride in him because of Lily, but is bitter that Lily chose another. Wouldn’t it be ironic if it turned out to be Snape’s love for Lily that turns the tide?? [Yeah, low on the 'probability meter', but still an interesting thought...]
Only a few days to go until we find out!
side note to Sean: I’ve often said that life needs a “grep” command…
Yeah, no kidding! Try to imagine me frantically rifling through the book minutes before I have to leave for work to find that “improving so fast it was quite unnerving” quote I mentioned in Comment #2…
(Nice ta meetcha, Stacey!)
I actually hope Snape did not love Lily Evans. It’s just too, too cliched.
doffs chapeau at Sean: “howdy!”
I hear you, but then there are so many cliches already that one more wouldn’t surprise me: bad guy keeps returning, a boy’s revered father has a questionable past that challenges his shiny memories, love conquers all, wise grandfather figure, father substitute to provide stability and a sense of family [who then dies in front of our hero's eyes, providing another motivation for vengeance], the fate of the world rests in one person’s hands, boy picked on as a child becomes a bully himself, and so on [and on].
Not that this is bad mind you…obviously not, since I’m waiting anxiously for the book to see just how the cliches play out.
So who do you not want to see die?
Hmmm. Actually, I’m not sure. The obvious answer is I wouldn’t want to see Hermione or Ron or any Weasley (well, maybe Percy but he’s a prat more than evil, so not even him), etc etc.
If I had to choose, I’d rather see Ron die than Hermione. Re-reading all the books together lately I’m impressed again with how smart and just plain perceptive Hermione is. And, to some extent, how little Ron does. He’s a great friend to Harry and those are of value beyond measure (you know who you are). But it’s Hermione who actively helps understand and solve problems. She figured out it was a Basilisk. She had the time turner. She was the one urging him on to understand the Tri-Wizard egg. She came up with the idea for the D.A.
I’m sure there are examples I’m just not thinking of, but what has Ron done that actively helped Harry get to the goal since playing a game of Wizard’s Chess in year 1 and driving him to school in year 2? If Ron weren’t there, what would Harry not have known or been able to do?
On another note, something occurred to me as I finished up Order of the Phoenix. Nearly Headless Nick explains that he’s a ghost because (IIRC, don’t have the exact quote handy) he was hesitant to move on, to accept death. And earlier in the book Voldemort had said “Nothing is worse than death.”
Could Filch have something far worse than Peeves to deal with coming up…
Oooh, my favorite part about blogging: the interesting discussions that all too infrequently ensue!
My predictions are not wishes (especially who I predict will die), but are based on a combination of out-of-the-blue guesses and educated guesses.
For example, Barty Crouch put too strong a Memory Charm on Bertha Jorkins, causing permanent damage. Who’s to say the same was not done on Neville.
And, Rowling herself said in a 1999 interview that Harry would not become a teacher at Hogwarts, although a classmate of his will. That leaves Auror as the mostly likely job for him to take; doubt that the Ministry will take him in other capacities.
@Sean: Good observations about the uselessness of Ron, by the way.
@Stacey: Don’t particularly want any of the trio to die. Would be nice to see Hagrid live, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.
Heh, Sean, well said about Ron. Absolutely a good friend, yes, definitely in Harry’s corner [dot dot dot BUT] …but it’s that passiveness about him that makes him less [looking for the right word] *vital* to everything. Hermione has come through almost as big a journey as Harry, and we’ve seen the changes in her confidence, her attitude, her growing flexibility and willingness to bend [okay, darn near break] the rules to do what is ultimately right.
At this point, I’m figuring anyone and everyone is/are fair game [yeah, I hedged the grammar there...so sue me :^P ]. I’d be incredibly impressed if Rowling has the stones to kill Harry off…a nice, noble death, much wailing and gnashing of teeth. Not that I *want* him to go, mind you, but it would be darned monumental.
Man, the 21st seems so far away. Trying to figure out how to prepare for my parents’ visit early next week whilst holding a book in one hand…
In a June 2006 interview on British television Rowling stated,
Doesn’t necessarily mean she’ll do it, and I don’t want him to go either, but I think she probably has the cojones to do it.
I am not obsessed, I am *not* obsessed!
You know, the first step is admitting you have a problem… :^)
I actually remember that quote [well, I remembered she had said it...can't say that I would have been able to produce it verbatim ], and I remember thinking three things:
1. Awesome. I love that she considered the idea.
2. Oooooo, she’s going to tick some people oooofffff!!!
3. Actually, they *could* bring the character back. They brought Spock back, after all.
Live long and prosper…
I always *was* a Spock girl…
carp, forgot that greater-than/less-thans don’t always render. there should be a > grin < after the spock comment… [assuming that *those* render correctly]
Hey, Mr. Web Designer Guy, a ‘preview’ button would be awesome for us retents who like [nay, *need*] to proofread our post before committing it to the ether… :^)
OK, I’ve updated some predictions above, based on comments/feedback. Will probably make a few more updates, but will not change them after midnight tomorrow — they will then be left in stone to see how accurate I was when the book finally arrives on Friday (or Saturday)…
Some of us don’t need previews. Some of us have edit rights.
So neener, neener.
<grin>
To Sean: Wow, you are so l33t!! I’m not worthy, I’m not worthy!! And nice <grin> [show off] :^)
Loving the updates, Richard…luckily I wasn’t drinking or eating whilst reading, or you would owe me a new keyboard!
RDL: Olivander will manufacture a new wand for Voldemort.
Did Voldemort’s wand break, or is this just so he will have one that works against Harry’s? (Not finished with book 6 yet, so can’t recall if V’s broke or not.)
Stacey: luckily I wasn’t drinking or eating
Yeah, I tend to avoid the Grape Nuts or toothpaste when getting messages from RDL. Of course, he should take the same precautions at times.
If not Mrs. Figg who performs first-time magic, then it will be *gasp* Petunia!
I was thinking about where wizards/witches come from. It’s actually one of the less explained central aspects of Harry’s world. Hermione, for example, presumable knew nothing of the Wizarding World before getting her first Hogwarts letter. (I realize we need to suspend disbelief, but how would you react if your child suddenly got a letter saying they were a witch?)
Muggles can spontaneously produce a witch. Wizard familes can produce a Squib. Seems a mudblood could be the first in a long line of wizards while a squib could be the end of an old pure blood family line. If the squib had magical kids would the pureblood line be considered interrupted?
Anyway, back to Petunia.
Harry’s mother’s family didn’t seem very bothered about it when Lily got her Hogwarts letter. Petunia has said how proud Lily was when she got it. Perhaps Lily’s family weren’t muggles. Perhaps her getting a letter was a natural thing. Perhaps it was Petunia who rejected the family heritage, the way a racist might deny even to themselves that great-grandpa was black. Might explain why Petunia actually knows about dementors and Azkaban.
Of course, I now have a three-foot-wide sign to hang on my Jeep — with a not-so-subtle nod to the wizarding world…
Really, I’m *not* obsessed!
@Sean: No, Voldemort’s wand didn’t break, but Olivander was apparently taken by force by Voldemort. The kidnapping of an exalted wandmaker —
– seems just too important to be a coincidence. Either Olivander is tasked to create a new wand or to find a workaround to the Priori Incantatem. The former seems more logical. As a counterargument, “the wand chooses the wizard…”
Picturing Richard and Kim sitting at the sale, reading HP intently, waving hands distractedly at buyers: “Yeah, sure, a buck is good, just put it on the table, ‘k, thanks, bye…”
And there goes the family car for a dollar…
@Stacey: And how sad is it that I misread “waving hands” as “waving wands”? sigh
How does that lead to “Olivander was apparently taken by force by Voldemort”? As a possiblity, sure. But as a conclusion?
You are leaping before you think, padawan.
I had written the comment about Ollivander’s potential kidnapping from memory long before I found the quote. Merely forgot to change the original hypothesis after *finally* finding (and adding above) the hard-to-locate quote in HBP.
longing for that elusive “grep”…
When I re-found the quote, I remember thinking when I first read it that Ollivander was always a bit fishy. Never have gotten over that first meeting in SS when Ollivander seemed to admire the fact that Voldemort had “done great things. Yes, terrible, but great.” Interesting, too, that Ollivander remembers every wand he ever sold. Wonder if that will come into play…
@Sean: At least I’m both thinking and leaping! I have yet to hear any theories from you. So, feel free to espouse a few of your own. And Padawan is a title.
Am I to infer that I’m deficient in some way because I haven’t engaged in speculation? Oh, you wound me, sir. (And on a day when I’m really trying to keep the mind focused on the here/now, too. Oh, if I could only occlumens myself against the past. heavy sigh)
I’ve wondered vaguely about Olivander, too. But chalk it up to my initial impression when first viewing the first movie that John Hurt was also playing Voldemort’s face.
What I found interesting when reading book 6 recently (from whence that quote comes) is the mentions of Olivander leaving and of some shopkeeper being obviously taken by force were followed (on the facing page if memory serves) by Mrs Weasly making some comment that suggested the other shopkeeper had also just closed up shop. Will have to look up the exact quote, but her comment suggested no violence in either case. Notable only becuase of the proximity and JKR is usually more careful about not contradicting.
Fortunately (or sadly), I have The Half-Blood Prince here on my desk:
followed (yes, on the facing page) by:
Yeah, that’s it. Thanks.
As Ron would say: “That’s mental, that is.”
Of course, Mrs W has been under a lot of stress lately (estranged from Percy, having a boggart show her her dead family, taken to carrying that clock around in her laundry basket). Perhaps she just isn’t seeing the world as it is these days….
I don’t doubt that Mrs. Weasley’s comment was pure sarcasm. Do you not see it that way, or am I misunderstanding you?
oh, Sheesh!
No, I honestly missed her sarcasm. Although now that you point it out I’m not sure how. (Mis-read her “did” as “didn’t”, perhaps?)
[nice preview feature!! :^) ]
Snape is made headmaster by the idiots at the Ministry.
After he’s known to have killed the previous headmaster?
I think it will go to McGonagall, maybe (long shot) so some other Ministry adminsitrator.
This is an incredibly long shot, I know. But Voldy might have enough influence to make Snape the new headmaster. Perhaps no one at the Ministry believes that Snape killed Dumbledore, just like when no one believed Harry that Voldemort was back.
Or what if Snape is able to convince or somehow prove to others that he killed Dumbledore on Dumbledore’s own order? Assuming that premise, Snape’s “experience” with the Dark Arts might just convince someone that he would be the right person to fill the position to protect the school.
Eh, if I’m wrong, I’m wrong. But wouldn’t it be an interesting twist if I am right?
Whether or not Snape gets the position, McGonagall will definitely hold the reins before the end of the book.
Not too shabby…30/50 right [or close enough...though the "Snitch" one was a bit of a cheat :^) ]. And [she says, tooting her own horn] did I call Snape’s love for Lily turning the tide, or what??
Toot, toot!!
Just a message for Kim
Awhile back my old computer crashed so have not been able to contact. My mother has passed away this July 16th. In the last couple weeks she was in and out of Dementia and on occassion able to remember old times. She was talking about my high school days and how she missed Kim,Chris,Jeff and others.
If you would please pass this on and if I could i need a way to contact.
Thanks James
@Sean: re: Snape becoming headmaster — neener, neener!
* Snape is made headmaster by the idiots at the Ministry.
OK, I was way off on this one, although it was more the villains at the Ministry rather than the idiots since the whole place was corrupt rether than inept at that point.
* Draco will join forces with Voldemort.
* But then Draco will eventually wimp out.
One of the oddest parts about how it all wrapped up for me. None of the Malfoys had a redemptive moment. Narcissa didn’t reveal Harry was still alive and she and Lucius spent the final battle searching for Draco rather than helping Voldemort (Parental love in the Malfoy household. Who’da thunk it?). But none of them turned on him or challenged him or helped Harry (exception Narcissa, but that was more for her benefit so she could enter Hagwarts with conquering army).
* Neville will settle the score with Bellatrix by killing her. Way to go, Mrs. Weasley!
Ðámn right. Anyone get a quick mental picture of Sigourney Weaver in a forklift suit?
* Petunia will reveal a secret about Lily to Harry. Not really, although she was involved in a secret about Lily.
Sean: Perhaps it was Petunia who rejected the family heritage
Not really for my speculation, either. Althought I think we both had something right in the thought that Petunia was more involved with the wizarding world than we’d known so far.
* The reason for Luna Lovegood’s odd personality and her personal death experience will be revealed.
Kinda. I mean, lacking any hint at there being a reason it’s conclusive that it’s jsut the way she is.
With the compression that takes place translating the novels to screen (no Peeves, no mention of S.P.E.W., etc.) I’ve wondered what bits will eventually get left out. This book surely had a lot of bits that I’m really looking forward to seeing brought to life.
Biggest letdowns in the latest movie were Dumbledore not seeming in absolute command whenever he was present (yelling at the students to get back to work shows frustration, not someone capable of standing up to Umbridge) and the fight in the Ministry (mostly kids running and swirls of black smoke).When the time comes for the last movie I really hope they include some of the kick-ášš set pieces. If the final battle isn’t a absolutely truly jaw-dropping knock-you-on-your-ášš visual fest complete with an absolutely in command General McGonnagall and a bìtçh-štømpìn’ Molly Weasly you wouldn’t believe then I am going to be sorely disappointed.
On the off chance anyone reading this far still hasn’t read the book SPOILERS ABOUND.
I wasn’t looking forward to having some character we like died, but Rowling had been clear that this is true evil we are talking about and it don’t pûššÿ foot around.
So I’m disappointed that nobody who died went out in a blaze of glory and, with the exceptions of Fred and Dobby, all deaths were off screen. (Yes, Hedgwig, but despite Harry’s anguish I don’t count the owl as a major character.)
Neville could have had a great death (Terrible, yes. But great.) fighting off the curse, blasting thru the thick of fighting to Voldemort’s side and killing Nagini before dying himself.
While I enjoyed the ending and felt it was a satisfying conclusion, it did seem a bit more muddled as to what was happenin at points. Rowling has usually been very clear on who was where and what they were doing and it was easy to get lost in the flow. But there were bits in the end that brought me out of it because I had to stop and re-read to get what was happening. From the point where Harry is still playing dead and “several things happened at once” I found it harder than I would have liked to keep straight just what/who was where.
- Neville’s in a no man’s land between the Order and V’s army, then he’s suddenly close enough to get Nagini.
- Some crowd comes over the unseen walls. Then the giants arrive and Centaurs start fighting. Was the crowd the giants, or some other group has joined the battle? Seemed less clear than Rowling’s usual.
- With Order in the doorway and Voldemort outside, how did he get backed into the Great Hall?
- And what happened to all the corpses that had been laid out there?
- Why didn’t the “hundreds” watching the final fight with Bellatrix help out? Yes, dramatic confrontation, but it seemed odd. Once it was down to H vs V I could understand it becoming a spectator sport, but not until then.
RDL: @Sean: re: Snape becoming headmaster — neener, neener!
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I got to that headline in the book and my immediate thought was “OK, so Richard was right.”
Same thought at the very end for Professor Longbottom.
Don’t think it hasn’t escaped notice, BTW, that there is something might suspicious about the pronounciation of your initials, “RDL”.
I was known as “Riddle” once upon a time…
Thinking about it a bit more, I wish more major characters had ended up dead. Rowling said in enough interviews that she wasn’t hesitant to do it. So, while not necessarily wishing ill on any of these characters, I’m finding it really does bother me that there wasn’t a higher price paid to beat Voldemort.
Off the top of my head I would list as 1st-tier characters:
Harry himself
Friends and Classmates
Ron
Hermione
Neville
Luna
Ginny
Fred - killed
George - injured
Seamus
Dean
Cho
Teachers and Adults
Hagrid
McGonnagall
Mr. Weasely
Mrs. Weasely
Lupin - killed
Mad-Eye - killed
Others and less major
Dobby - killed
Uncle Vernon
Aunt Petunia
Dudley
Tonks - killed
Sprout
Flitwick
Bill
Fleur
Percy
Not even that many serious injuries among the principal cast.
Dumbledore and Sirius died in erlier novels, of course. And there are several other named characters (Colin Creavy, Bathilda Bagshot) who where killed and at least 50 unnamed corpses in the Great Hall during the break in the battle, but I wouldn’t consider them “major” characters.
The “bad guys” seemed to get off lightly also, mostly as none of the Malfoys seemed to pay any real price.
On the plus side (since I did enjoy the book and don’t want it to look like all I can do is complain) I very much liked:
- The departure from Privet Drive
- That every Horcrux was destroyed by a different person (would like to know which murders V. used to create each Horcrux)
- That Ron got to face a real test and pass it (locket Horcrux)
- That Ron finally did something (albeit mostly offscreen) by opening the Chamber and getting the basilisk fangs. (Although, since making my earlier comment about Hermione rather than Ron being the one who actually does things, I noticed that really being the case over and over again in this book.)
- That Neville lead the resistance and sincerely has had the best coming of age arc of any character.
- McGonagall calling the suits of armor to life (definately a rousing moment I want to see in the film.)
- Of course, Molly “Gonna own you, bìtçh!” Weasley. (The moment I’ll most be looking forward to. They better not shortchange that fight.)
Good day to you’s (RDL, Sean, Stacey)
Great predictions Richard; Stacey has been mentioning this site to me for a couple of weeks now, but was kind enough to withhold the link until I finished book 7. I would say the best predictions were about Snape as it was really difficult to put a finger on his allegiance. And although it was hinted at in book 5 and 6, I just didn’t see the depth of feeling he had for Lily (btw, amazing prediction Stacey about it’s effect). I’m glad JKR included all that back story in the pensieve bit at the end.
As for the lack of price paid for in deaths Sean, I disagree. My fear as I was going thru book 7 was the typical body count mentality that writers/screenwriters get when they’re near the end of a story. I understand people have to die in battles (and for causes) but if it’s not in the natural flow of the story, it can seem arbitrary and capricious. This can lead to reading the story with a different point of view than originally intended due to overtly negative feelings. I think she did a good job of not getting carried away with writing off her characters.
And finally, a big thank you to Stacey for suggesting I read the series as a placeholder until the final Dune novel is released. I loved the first few movies, but after reading the series, the movies pale in comparison in scope, depth and execution.
Roy H.
Interesting to hear you say that. It wasn’t until I read your comment that I realized that every prediction I made about Snape was accurate, but I didn’t completely nail down any of the other characters.
Perhaps I am further along on my studies of the Dark Arts than previously thought…
As for the lack of price paid for in deaths Sean, I disagree. My fear as I was going thru book 7 was the typical body count mentality that writers/screenwriters get when they’re near the end of a story.
Again, I wasn’t looking forward to a high “just because I can” body count either. That would have felt somewhat forced. But the low count seemed a bit of a force, also.
Granted, this book has probably had more expectations to live up to than just about any in history, but JKR ws frequently quoted as saying that this is serious evil we’re dealing with and it doesn’t mess around.
The filght from Privet Drive, for example. Yes, Moody dead and George lost an ear. But 12 other participants facing a couple Death Eaters each and not a one of them gets hit with even a JellyLegs hex. It just feels as if Rowling was holding back a bit on the consequences.
And of those that did die, not a one got a heroic finish. Fred was killed abruptly and every other death happened off screen. So even where a price was paid, it felt like Rowling might not have been able to bring herself to really write about it.
I have to admit that the entire time I was reading, I was thinking “Okay, she said a major character would die”…then with each death, I wondered “Um, were they major?”
Unless she counted Voldy as the major death…in that case, I feel like it’s a cop-out [aside to Richard: hyphen there or no?]; the classic good-versus-evil plot requires that good perseveres and evil is vanquished, so it was the expected resolution for the series, what it was all building towards.
Totally random thought: How awesome [and earth-shattering] would it have been if she’d said “sod it all, I’m killing Harry and Voldemort can live”?? Now *that* would have taken major cojones [and most likely have led to someone else taking up the reins so as to give the public the happy ending they craved]. :^)
Yeah, I was thinking the same thing, too! *rolls eyes*
She said in June 2006:
I expected terrible things. Great, yes, but terrible!
Based on the death toll, the only “main characters” that died were Fred, Lupin, and Mad-Eye. All are really kind of minor, and Fred is the most major minor character. Fred’s death did take me by surprise, though. I expected a joke or two at the end about Molly being *finally* able to tell the twins apart, thanks to George’s missing ear.
Well, Harry did die, sort of. I need to reread the end, because isn’t there still a bit of Voldy left in Harry?
Having only read the last book once so far, IIRC, when Harry gets hit by Voldy the first time, it kills the Horcrux that was in Harry. Don’t think we can consider the Horcrux a character though.
As for the level of the characters dying, she couldn’t have been perfect no matter what she did. I just read a review that reminded me of how many teens and pre-teens read her work. The reviewer felt that she killed too many people, if you can believe that. While I disagreed with Sean about the quantity, I wouldn’t have been put off if a couple more had died. And I certainly think it’s a valid statement to say the body count was on the low side, considering the nature of the conflict.
As an aside Richard, your name is awfully close to Delacour. Nice coincidence, or a recent legal procedure to show your love of the work?
Funnily enough, our original family name was Delacour, but it evolved several centuries ago to its current spelling. Imagine my own shock reading Goblet of Fire and seeing Fleur’s name for the first time. Not exactly common.
And on a different-yet-related note:
Heh.
I think you can check at least one more off. While not stated in the book, Rowling has recently said in post -release interviews that Harry became an Auror. He’s Head of the Department and occasionally might guest lecture for DADA. Ron’s also an auror and Hermione works in Magical Law Enforcement (despite her comment about lawyers).
On other thoughts, if Harry was a horcrux and basilisk venom destroys horcruxes, why wasn’t the one inside Harry destroyed in Chamber of Secrets? Was it because Harry didn’t actually die (wasn’t actually destroyed) at that point? Did Fawkes inadvertantly help preserve a bit of Voldemort?
Answer to another questions I’ve wondered about. She’d said some one got reprieve and two others died instead.
“Lupin and Tonks were two who were killed who I had intended to keep alive. … It’s like an exchange of hostages, isn’t it? And I kept Mr. Weasley (Ron’s father) alive. He was slated to die in the very, very original draft of the story.”
Apparently Mr W was lucky to make it thru Order of the Phoenix, too.
Big thanks for that, Sean…I’ve been wondering about the reprieve as well. Still say that Lupin and Tonks weren’t *major* characters…I think having Arthur Weasley die would have been more major [majorer :^) ].
Agreed. And I still feel like all who did die got short shrift, dying off screen.
I really wish Neville had died. Not because I didn’t like him. Quite the contrary, he was one of my favorite characters. But Rowling really, really had a chance to have him go out in a blaze of glory (especially since he didn’t get to be the one to take out Bellatrix). Fighting thru to Voldemort’s side, killing Nagini. A fine end for Neville, a truly major character who died, and a sample of the faith they had in Harry since Neville did it solely because Harry told him it was important.
Oooh, I like that reasoning. Would have been quite touching.
I was actually quite disappointed that Neville didn’t get to take out Bellatrix. Mind you, I’m glad he got his moment in the sun [he has been my favorite character through the series], but I really wanted him to have that moment of revenge/justice against the killer of his parents.
Though if we couldn’t have that moment, having him risk his life out of utter loyalty and belief in Harry and everything he stood for was a good alternative…and having the Sigourney Weaver moment with Mrs. Weasley was also pretty darned awesome.
[Random thought: was that the first real swear word in the books?]
So now that he’s been outed, I’m curious about your thoughts on Dumbledore. And why you didn’t predict that one!
Roy.
Sadly, this is now old news. No more Harry Potter books in the foreseeable future, even a future predicted by Professor Trelawney. Closing comments.