I mentioned in the last post the new Harry Potter book. That’s because it’s slated to come out three days before mine. As far as my book goes, this is both a blessing and a blow. It will be nigh-on impossible to advertise my book in the face of the onslaught of Deathly Hallows posters, but it means there will be a great deal of foot-traffic that week in the stores.
Admittedly, I am a Potter fan. I resisted for a couple years, but right around the time Goblet of Fire came out I read them all in a week. What I admire most about Rowling is her plotting – things like the breaking of the vanishing cabinet in book two, setting up the usefulness of it in book six. Also, she has created a very thorough world, one in which the customs, history, and rules are all pretty coherent and cohesive. Huge kudos.
So, instead of railing against the gods for making me do publication battle with their annointed author of the age, I will digress for a moment to make some predictions about the Deathly Hallows:
- I’m tired of discussing this, but here it is one more time – Snape is a friend, not a foe. He doesn’t like it, but Harry’s dad saved Snape’s life, so Snape owes him a debt. That’s why he regretted that the information he passed to Voldemort led to the Potters’ deaths, that’s why he switched sides, and that’s why he’s been trying to keep Harry alive all these years. He doesn’t like it, but as Dumbledore told Harry in Azkaban, when a wizard saves another wizard’s life, there is a bond between them. As for his killing Dumbledore, he did it on the headmaster’s orders. It was the only way to save Malfoy, and Dumbledore would gladly give up his life to save a student. Any student. Snape didn’t like the job, but as always Snape did what had to be done.
- Peeves is important. Voldemort’s father claimed that their family ring had been handed down from the "Pevensy" family. If that’s not Peeves, I’ll eat the sorting hat.
- Mundungus Flecther has the real locket/horcrux. Or at least, he did until he sold it. It’s the locket that was in the drawer in Sirius’ house in book five, the drawer they couldn’t get open. The reason it’s there is that it was stolen by Sirius’ brother, who was a Deatheater until he defected. Sirius’ brother is the R.A.B. from the note – Regulus Black. Mundungus has now stolen the locket, and Harry will have to track it down.
- I think Harry’s scar is the final horcrux. Which means it must be destroyed. This is the belief I am least certain of, but if a piece of Voldemort’s soul is residing in Harry’s scar, doesn’t that really explain everything? The visions, the parselmouth, the line about "neither can live while the other survives," – all of it. Now, when I say that the scar must be destroyed, I’m not sure that means Harry must die. Though I kind of think he will – and won’t. There is a ressurection motif through the series. So, unlike Dumbledore’s demise, I don’t think Harry’s death will be final.
- We’ll get a lot of nice revenge in this one – Greyback taken down by Lupin, Bellatrix taken down by (of all people) Neville. But we’ll also get a nice redemption from Malfoy. That’s something I’ll truly enjoy. I loved him at the end of the last book.
That’s it, for the moment. I’m sure she has many surprises in store, and speculating is half the fun. Like the two years we all spent wondering who Yoda meant when he said, "There is another." But I’m certain I’m right in the first three, pretty sure about the last two. And I wanted to be on record saying so.
C’est bon. Back to Shakespeare, and the novels. I can only hope that someday some people are speculating about my stories just like this.
DB
