Cover Art
Okay, so I just re-looked at the cover art for Deathly Hallows, both US and UK.
And I've been in a few discussions about it, but I don't remember at all anyone mentioning the fact that either a house elf, either Dobby, Kreacher, or Winky, or a goblin is holding the sword of Gryffindor and also trying to pull Harry back into whatever void is behind them that Ron and Hermione are falling into, as well.
Ron and Hermione are both looking in different directions from each other and Harry, both off the sides of the cover, and both look ridiculously scared. Harry, however, is sitting there in the middle looking straight on, looking more amazingly curious than anything. There's something going on in the reflection of his glasses, but what is it, whether fire or more iridescent treasure, I can't tell.
Both Ron and Hermione are wearing dress robes, while Harry's in a beat up sweatshirt-looking thing. Which, incidentally, looks like the shirt he's wearing in the US cover. (But more on that later).
None of them have their wands, which also correlates into the US cover, but while there we have a pretty good reason to assume why neither Harry nor Voldie have their wands, there's no reason whatsoever for Ron and Hermione to not have theirs.
There are rubies EVERYWHERE in the vault that they're in (assuming, of course, their in a vault) which makes me think immediately of Godric. But there're animals on the armour in that vault that look like dragons and ostriches, or some sort of bird. I don't think it's a phoenix, although that's the first thing I thought of.
So, in recap, my main annoyances on the UK cover are definitely what they're looking at, or what three things they're looking at, why Harry isn't in robes, who the hell is holding the sword of Gryffindor and why, and why they don't have their wands. Oh, and what's up with the little, triangle-line-circle symbol on the spine? Why was it in the Door on her website? Is it important at all, or just something personalized to JKR?
The US cover doesn't leave me as curious, although the more I look at it the more I doubt that it has anything to do with either the Veil or the Death Chamber in OotP. First of all, that chamber is definitely inside the MoM, and the cover looks like it's outside. Could the MoM be destroyed? Sure, but I don't think to that degree. Also, the Veil is black. And the archway definitely doesn't have any wood to speak of. And there is wood and stone ruins on the cover which is itself outlined with an orange curtain.
Plus, the Death Chamber was definitely a vaulted room, like the courtroom of the Wizengamot, so I don't see why they'd be in a Coliseum-looking room that looks completely level all the way around.
And I don't see how those people around them are DEs or supporters, seeing as they're not wearing robes, and if they weren't evil people, where the crap are Ron and Hermione? And where's our house-elf-goblin-with-the-sword-of-Gryffindor? I have my whole Chaos theory about the Veil, and those shadowy figures fit in rather well with that theory, but since I don't really think that's where we are to begin with, I don't see why that matters.
Although, the same questions remain as always as to why Harry's wearing that pouch thing and whether or not Voldie's looking at Harry, and whether or not they're summoning something, although without their wands. And let's face it, since Harry can't even do nonverbal spells, I highly doubt that Harry's going to have enough magical prowess to learn wandless magic, if there's even such a thing. (I know that wizards can do small stuff without wands, instinctual magic and stuff, but everything big where there's actually a charm or incantation also seemed to need a wand).
So yeah, while a lot of this has been addressed already, and it's a little late to be theorizing about the cover art, I just never saw that thing holding the sword with the Trio in the UK cover before. I don't know why, but I never did. And then it got me thinking about everything else I don't understand, and thus this post is now here.
And I've been in a few discussions about it, but I don't remember at all anyone mentioning the fact that either a house elf, either Dobby, Kreacher, or Winky, or a goblin is holding the sword of Gryffindor and also trying to pull Harry back into whatever void is behind them that Ron and Hermione are falling into, as well.
Ron and Hermione are both looking in different directions from each other and Harry, both off the sides of the cover, and both look ridiculously scared. Harry, however, is sitting there in the middle looking straight on, looking more amazingly curious than anything. There's something going on in the reflection of his glasses, but what is it, whether fire or more iridescent treasure, I can't tell.
Both Ron and Hermione are wearing dress robes, while Harry's in a beat up sweatshirt-looking thing. Which, incidentally, looks like the shirt he's wearing in the US cover. (But more on that later).
None of them have their wands, which also correlates into the US cover, but while there we have a pretty good reason to assume why neither Harry nor Voldie have their wands, there's no reason whatsoever for Ron and Hermione to not have theirs.
There are rubies EVERYWHERE in the vault that they're in (assuming, of course, their in a vault) which makes me think immediately of Godric. But there're animals on the armour in that vault that look like dragons and ostriches, or some sort of bird. I don't think it's a phoenix, although that's the first thing I thought of.
So, in recap, my main annoyances on the UK cover are definitely what they're looking at, or what three things they're looking at, why Harry isn't in robes, who the hell is holding the sword of Gryffindor and why, and why they don't have their wands. Oh, and what's up with the little, triangle-line-circle symbol on the spine? Why was it in the Door on her website? Is it important at all, or just something personalized to JKR?
The US cover doesn't leave me as curious, although the more I look at it the more I doubt that it has anything to do with either the Veil or the Death Chamber in OotP. First of all, that chamber is definitely inside the MoM, and the cover looks like it's outside. Could the MoM be destroyed? Sure, but I don't think to that degree. Also, the Veil is black. And the archway definitely doesn't have any wood to speak of. And there is wood and stone ruins on the cover which is itself outlined with an orange curtain.
Plus, the Death Chamber was definitely a vaulted room, like the courtroom of the Wizengamot, so I don't see why they'd be in a Coliseum-looking room that looks completely level all the way around.
And I don't see how those people around them are DEs or supporters, seeing as they're not wearing robes, and if they weren't evil people, where the crap are Ron and Hermione? And where's our house-elf-goblin-with-the-sword-of-Gryffindor? I have my whole Chaos theory about the Veil, and those shadowy figures fit in rather well with that theory, but since I don't really think that's where we are to begin with, I don't see why that matters.
Although, the same questions remain as always as to why Harry's wearing that pouch thing and whether or not Voldie's looking at Harry, and whether or not they're summoning something, although without their wands. And let's face it, since Harry can't even do nonverbal spells, I highly doubt that Harry's going to have enough magical prowess to learn wandless magic, if there's even such a thing. (I know that wizards can do small stuff without wands, instinctual magic and stuff, but everything big where there's actually a charm or incantation also seemed to need a wand).
So yeah, while a lot of this has been addressed already, and it's a little late to be theorizing about the cover art, I just never saw that thing holding the sword with the Trio in the UK cover before. I don't know why, but I never did. And then it got me thinking about everything else I don't understand, and thus this post is now here.