My Final Prediction

With less than 5 1/2 hours to go until Book 7 is released, I am ready to make a final prediction on Harry's fate. What if Harry lives? It seems impossible given J.K. Rowling has basically said that this book marks the end of all things Harry Potter. But, what if it's just Harry's magical life that ends? I'm thinking that maybe in Harry's final duel with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, Harry uses every ounce of power he has to fulfill the prophecy. Basically, killing Voldemort would release Harry from his magic and he would live out the rest of his life as a Muggle. He would make the "choice" (see quote - top right) to give it all up & sacrifice himself to save the others. All he would have left to remind him of his heroic past would be his "scar" - the last word of the book.

Kreacher's Movie Debut

So it looks like Kreacher will have a role in the movie version of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix after all. Apparently the directors of the movie didn't really see a point in including Kreacher's character. JK Rowling intervened and said that if they didn't include Kreacher, that might make things more complicated in future movies. Interesting.

Perhaps Rowling is saying what many Potter fans have believed all along: that Kreacher has hidden the locket that RAB (Regulus A. Black?) stole from Voldemort's cave - the same locket that once belonged to Salazar Slytheryn himself - and contains one of the seven Horcruxes.

How did the locket happen to end up in the Black house? Perhaps Kreacher was with Regulus in the cave. Regulus wouldn't have been able to retrieve the locket alone - and bringing another wizard wouldn't have worked. Seems like there's more to Kreacher than meets the eye.


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Harry's Family History

It seems that this 7th and final Harry Potter book will finally reveal more about his family. On more than one occasion, Harry has worried that there are many similarities between himself and Voldemort. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince describes Voldemort's parentage. As far as looks go, both Voldemort and Tom Riddle, Sr. are said to have features similar to Harry (dark hair, handsome). Could Tom Riddle Sr. have also been the father of James Potter or possibly one of Harry's grandparents? If so, that might explain the connection between Harry and Voldemort (speaking Parseltongue, how Harry managed to survive Voldemort's killing curse).

Snape: Good or Evil?

Since their first meeting in the first book, Harry Potter and Severus Snape have had an obvious dislike for one another. However, time and time again Harry falsely accused Snape of wrongdoings. Through the books we found that Snape despised Harry because of how Harry's father treated Snape when they were both in school together. Although we, the readers, might not particularly like Snape, we learned to accept him because of the fact that he never really was the bad guy.

Then in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince the unthinkable happened: Snape killed Dumbledore. Granted, Dumbledore was dying anyway...but still...it was a heartbreaking, unforgiveable act. Rumors circulated everywhere after the sixth book was published. Mostly the rumors were that Snape really and truly was a bad wizard, that he had been working as a spy for Voldemort the entire time.

I just don't believe it. Yes, he killed Dumbledore, but if you read between the lines, Dumbledore asked Snape to do so. After re-reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, I am convinced that while he may still be rough around the edges, deep down he is good.

For example, when Voldemort returned to power, he said that of the six missing Death Eaters, three were dead, one was "too cowardly to return" (Karakoff), one remained his "most faithful servant" (Crouch), and there was one more who he believed had left him forever (Snape). (page 651) Voldemort also said that this last person would be killed. So, Snape is more than likely going to die in the last book.

Then, there was that strange conversation between Snape and Dumbledore at the end of the fourth book. Dumbledore asked Snape if he was ready, prepared for what needed to be done next. Snape agreed. All that I can gather is that Dumbledore asked Snape to return to Voldemort and make his excuses for why he didn't return with the other Death Eaters (something along the lines of how funny it would have looked for him to leave Hogwarts at that time - he can't Apparate in or out of there after all). I think Snape is being asked to spy on Voldemort while pretending to spy on Dumbledore at the same time. I guess in 40 days' time, we will all know for sure.

Socks, Socks, Socks!

What is J.K. Rowling's obsession with socks? Did you know that she mentions situations dealing with "socks" at least TEN times (and counting) in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire? Rowling also mentions those woolen or cotton foot garments in the other books as well. Is this some sort of hint or just Rowling's way of having a bit of fun? Personally, I think she just throws in the sock comments to be silly. I mean, who really thinks of socks on a day-to-day basis? Maybe the people at Hanes or Nike might have socks on the brain, but the average person...I think not.

Ginny's Soul

In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Tom Riddle (a.k.a. Voledmort) gains power as Ginny Weasley continues to write in his diary. As Riddle explains this to Harry Potter, he says that he used the diary not only to drain Ginny but also to pour a little of his soul into her.

Could this mean that because of this, Ginny has become one of Voldemort's Horcruxes?

As the Dementors entered the Hogwart's Express in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry was obviously affected the most by their presence. However, it was noted that while most people in the cabin felt strange because of the Dementors, Ginny Weasley was "shaking like mad" during this experience. This occurred after the whole situation with Tom Riddle and the diary.

It has been said that at least two of the main characters will die in the seventh book. Perhaps Harry figures out that Ginny has become one of Voldemort's Horcruxes - which means he will have to sacrifice her in order to save the rest of the world from Voldemort's wrath. Only time will tell...

Dobby's Magical Powers

At the beginning of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Fred told Harry, "...house-elves have got powerful magic of their own, but they can't usually use it without their master's permission." (page28) In multiple instances, Dobby proved this to be true: appearing at the Dursley's house, stopping Harry's letters from arriving, making the pudding fly, blocking the passage to the Hogwarts Express, etc.

Dobby also visited Harry in the Hogwarts hospital wing when Harry was regrowing his arm bones after a Quidditch match. How is it that Dobby could get into Hogwarts in the first place? Isn't Hogwarts supposed to be protected by a number of spells that make it impossible for anyone (or anything) to find the school or to get in? At the beginning of this second book, Fred told Harry, "...house-elves have got powerful magic of their own, but they can't usually use it without their master's permission."

In later books, Rowling mentions that a "popping" sound occurs just before/after Dobby appears/disappears at Hogwarts. This sound is associated with apparating and disapparating. But it is said again and again that no one can apparate or disapparate inside of Hogwarts. So how does Dobby do it?

It seems that perhaps the magical powers of Dobby the house-elf are yet to be discovered. They could play a very important part in this final book as the long awaited battle between good-vs-evil takes place.

Loyalties

Albus Dumbledore's death at the end of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince left many fans nothing less than depressed. However, it may be possible that Dumbledore will still be connected to Harry and friends in the final book. For example, in Chapter 14 of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Dumbledore says, "...I will only truly have left this school when none here are loyal to me. You will also find that help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it." (pages 263-264)

Yes, this reference was written so that Harry would get help when battling Tom Riddle and the Basilisk at the end of the book, but could it be an indication for what lies ahead? J.K. Rowling has a history of writing clues or introducing characters that become important in later books. An example would be the mention of Sirius Black in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Sirius later becomes a significant person in Harry's life beginning in the third book.

Malfoy's Secret Chamber

In Chapter 12 of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Draco Malfoy shares an important secret: there is "a secret chamber under the drawing-room floor" in the Malfoy manor (page 224). The Malfoys have already created havoc with illegal magical items such as Tom Riddle's diary. And with a known close relationship between Lucious Malfoy and Voldemort this secret chamber could possibly be the location of one of Voldemort's hidden Horcruxes.

The first chapter of the first book

Supposedly, J.K. Rowling has said that a clue for how the Harry Potter series will end is mentioned in the first chapter of the first book. I'm not sure whether or not this is actually true, but I must say it has caused me to re-read that chapter (and let's face it - the entire series) about a billion times. Every time I read it, I have a different idea as to what the clue might be. My latest theories are:

Chapter 1 is called "The Boy Who Lived". Coincidence?

On page 17 (the last paragraph in this chapter), the story reads, "A breeze ruffled the neat hedges of Privet Drive, which lay silent and tidy under the inky sky, the very last place you would expect astonishing things to happen." This leads me to believe (for now) that the final chapter of the final book will end where the first book began - back on Privet Drive. Something is up with Harry's Aunt Petunia. I can't forget the Howler that Dumbledore sent her. It seems like she's been hiding something throughout all of these books. Perhaps she isn't a Muggle after all. Could she possibly be what saves Harry from his fate? Every book goes back to Harry's life on Privet Drive. Since this final book isn't supposed to begin there, I have a feeling that even if the story doesn't end there, Harry will have to go back at some point.

He Can Fly!

Some of Harry's magical abilities are mentioned in earlier books and not seen again. One of those abilities is introduced on page 25 of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Without even knowing he's done it, Harry avoids being captured by Dudley & crew by flying - and if not flying, then what? Harry is being chased on the ground and ends up on the top of the school building. Now, it is widely known that Harry is a good flyer - but always on a broom. Could it be that Harry has the ability to fly without the aid of magical items? Is this special power going to appear in the final book?

His Mother's Eyes

"Yeh look a lot like yer dad, but yeh've got yer mom's eyes." -Hagrid ~ Chapter 4 ~ page 47 ~ Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
"You have your mother's eyes." -Mr. Ollivander ~ Chapter 5 ~ page 82 ~ Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

This phrase is repeated throughout the entire series of Harry Potter books. Why is J.K. Rowling so focused on the fact that Harry has his mother's eyes? Is this supposed to be taken literally or figuratively? Normally when someone says, "You have your mother's eyes.", it means that their eyes look similar to their mother's. However, the fact that Rowling repeats this over and over again leads me to believe that something more important is going on here.

Now this is a stretch, but...after Harry's parents were killed by Voldemort, there was possibly a 24-hour period before Harry was delivered to the Dursley's doorstep. Could Harry's scar be a link to the fact that he actually has his mother's eyes? Could Voldemort (or someone else) have replaced his eyes with his mother's? And if so, what happened to Harry's eyes? Are they a Horcrux? Can he see differently as a result?

I'm still working on this theory because it really does sound ridiculous, but in an interview with the Boston Globe in 1999, Rowling says, "Harry has his father and mother's good looks. But he has his mother's eyes and that's very important in a future book."

So while it may not be taken that Harry literally has his mother's eyes, Rowling did specifically mention it time and time again for a reason.

The Number Eleven

It just seems appropriate that today is the eleventh day of May. I've been re-reading (once again) the entire set of Harry Potter books to (once again) attempt to put together the pieces of this very intriguing puzzle. One thing I've noticed is J.K. Rowling's repeated use of the number eleven. It shows up everywhere: Harry and his father each had an eleven inch wand, Harry was eleven years old when he started at Hogwarts, Voldemort was in power for eleven years, Harry stayed in Room Eleven at the Leaky Cauldron, everything seems to happen at eleven o'clock... The list goes on and on. What significance this number has in the final book is still unknown to me.

The one thing I do know is that Rowling has been meticulous with the details in the Harry Potter books. It seems like every little thing that's mentioned has something to do with an event that happens later. So, the number eleven could mean...that there are really eleven books??? Wishful thinking, I know...but wouldn't that be fantastic?!