Harry Potterpalooza
You would have to be dead to not realize that this is a big month for potterheads. The fifth movie, Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix, arrives in theaters tomorrow. I, of course, will not get to see it until Saturday or Sunday, but believe me: I will see it as soon as possible.
Then, next week - Friday at midnight to be precise - the seventh and final installment in the books will go on sale at booksellers nationwide. This book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, is likely the most anticipated work of literature in a very long time. At long last we will know whether He Who Must Not Be Named dies painfully as he deserves and whether or not The Boy Who Lived will continue to do so.
Both CalTechGirl and SarahK have asked for predictions on the end result of the books. I will do the same. Feel free to leave your predictions in the comments. In the meantime, I'm going to explore what I see as unfinished business/predictions below.
The one that stands out in my mind first is the debt of honor that Peter Pettigrew/Scabbers the Rat owes to Harry for Harry's interceding on his behalf and preventing his quite deserved death. It has long been foreshadowed that Peter would have to pay the piper on this one and I look forward to seeing this resolved.
Next, I think we can expect at least one more important prophecy/vision from Trelawny. She had the big important prophecy that started all of this, of course, and the one where she foresaw Voldemort's return via the return of his servant, Pettigrew. I think this final vision is likely to involve Snape, for better or worse.
Malfoy. Such a bad boy. I see two possible outcomes for Draco. First, that Draco shall redeem himself and begin working for the Order, through some sort of revelation at his treatment at the hands of Voldemort (for although he completed his mission, he did not personally kill Dumbledore, and this may be seen as weakness by Voldemort who was using the boy in the first place, and lest we all forget, there is no hiding the truth from Voldemort who is a skilled legilimens). This could be the Regulus Black symmetry/introduction we've been seeking (more on this below). The other possibility is that Harry will have to kill Draco to get to Voldemort, which is also an intriguing idea. However, J.K. Rowling likes to emphasize that bit about the choices we make, so I'm betting on some variation of the first scenario as Draco chooses the right path.
Regulus Black. Is R.A.B Regulus Black? Did he destroy the horcrux in the locket and is he possibly a hidden allie for Harry? Is it possible that Harry will be able to communicate with him via Sirius and/or the mirror? That mirror has never come back into the storyline, a sure sign that it could.
Ron and Hermione will finally be together, of this I am certain. What I am not certain about, however, is whether Ron will survive the book. Somehow, I don't see Hermione dying. I expect she will end up teaching at Hogwarts when it reopens, but whether or not Ron is by her side remains to be seen.
Percy. I expect the story of Percy to be concluded in some way, though I'll be darned if I know how. I sort of expect him to fall victim to the Imperius curse, but we'll have to see.
Snape. Rowling has toyed with us for so long, equivocating about the true character of Snape. Is he good or is he bad? I've wrestled with this for some time and still can't come to any conclusions. On the one hand, Dumbledore has admitted that he is fallible, but it seems inconceivable that Snape would be able to deceive Dumbledore for 16 years. I mean, Dumbledore is the only person that Voldemort has ever really feared. I was a most powerful wizard. It almost beggars belief that Snape could fool him for so long. We can't really know why Dumbledore trusted Snape so completely, or why if that trust was so complete he waited so long to give him the DADA post. I'm hoping that those questions are answered in this book.
Of course, it would not be surprising to discover that Snape is evil. Rowling has never encouraged us to like the guy, but he has done his part to save Harry a number of times. He is a highly skilled wizard, we know this, and he has skills of occlumency and legilimency which would aid him in keeping his secrets. Moreover, he is described as being batlike and like a vampire, surely these are not positive images. He clearly harbors grudges against Harry's parents and Harry himself as a surrogate.
I half suspect to discover - at the very end of the book of course - that Snape killed Dumbledore at Dumbledore's instruction. Dumbledore did not want Malfoy, who he saw as an innocent child much like Harry, to commit murder at the behest of someone else. I think that Snape was trapped between Dumbledore and the Unbreakable Oath he made to Narcissa Malfoy. Snape told Dumbledore about the oath and they agreed that, should push come to shove, Snape would kill Dumbledore himself and return to Voldemort's side, but largely to insure Draco's safety.
Of course, I could be completely wrong.
But, I have no question about it, Harry lives. If Harry dies, it means that Voldemort won and I don't think that is the end message for these books. We'll know soon, won't we?
Labels: Harry Potter
