HBP: Hell'a Bunch of Predictions
Okay, so I'm posting my Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince predictions here as a public archive so I can have bragging rights if I get anything correct once I actually do get to read the book, which is entirely dependent upon my name finially reaching the top of the county library queque (as I am much to cheap to buy the books myself). Most of these were made relatively soon after I read OotP and re-read the other books. A few are borrowed from other users, but most are mostly or entirely my own invention.
Front covers for UK/Canada and the U.S.
Canadian cover:
- blue with green text: symbolizes emphasis on Ravenclaw & Slytherin?
- 'Brandishing their wands, Harry - whose Quidditch playing appears to have contributed to a muscular adolescent physique - and his bearded headmaster stand in the centre of a ring of magical flame.'
- Dumbledore looks angry (the flame looks like its coming from the tip of his wand, like he drew it around Harry and himself for protection). Harry looks frightened. Around them it is dark. What could be happening to them very well could be occurring at the same time as the activity on the reverse American cover.
Adult cover:
- On top of what looks like an old wooden desk, or perhaps a trunk (scratched with age) is a large, thick tome entitled, 'Advanced potions making.' The book is very old and very well-used, with a cover that has been taped along the binding, is frayed at the corners, and certainly has a few pages protruding from where theyhave been stuffed back in. It appears like a very old textbook (perhaps it is a NEWT level textbook, or a book from Hogwarts' library). Potions, of course, brings to mind Severus Snape. Perhaps Hermione or the other members of the trio are taking advanced potions.
- Potions also brings to mind the last time a potion played an integral part in the plot, which was the Polyjuice one in COS.
U.S. cover:
- Mostly swirly green (light and forest dark, which blue shadows and almost yellowish highlights).
The text is darker blue, making the appearance of the book the opposite of the Canadian version, but surprisingly maintaining the same basic colours.
- The words, "...and the Half Blood Prince" are written small under the tradional Hrry Potter title, and appear in a left-leaning, almost black scrawl. They look loosely quill-written, and have sharp points and flourishes, giving a hint of the sinister. Since the adult cover is a book, maybe this writing is somehow related to that.
- Harry and Dumbledore stand above a corinthian pedestal, looking down into what appears to be half-bowl, half-dish. The dish is old with small chips and cracks around the rim. The rim is decorated in what appears to be letters, or runes. The dish emits a faint, glowing mist, which is what illuminates the scene and swirls around the two characters. Most likely the dish is Dumbledore's pensieve. Dumbledore gazes intently into the mist with his brow furrowed in concentration, and appears anxious. he raises his right hand above the mist, most likely calling up a memory for the both of them to view. Harry stands by his side, also gazing intently into the dish. Harry, however, has a look that though equally serious, denotes more a look of determination and summed-up courage. He raises his wand in his left hand, tightly gripping the handle in a stance of readiness.
- I don't know why, by the unique pedestal seems to give off the impression that this is not Dumbledore's pensieve, or that it is his pensieve in a different location. I do not understand why Harry would have his wand out and up if he was comfortably watching Dumbledore's pensieve within his office. Dumbledore also seems to look apprehensive of the pensieve, as if he knows how to handle it, but knows that its use provokes some significant danger.
Deluxe cover:
- green, hazy setting with blue shadows and purple text (some brown for trees)
- appears to be Harry walking through a thick forrest (perhaps the forbidden forest in warmer months), followed by Dumbledore. Harry has a sturdy look of concentration, and stares at some far-off subject. Dumbledore appears more unsure and cautious. He sees what Harry sees, and gazes just as intently. I think it is implied that Harry is showing Dumbledore something in the forbidden forrest (though it could easily be the other way around).
Reverse American cover:
- From left to right--Luna, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny are staring up at a large dark mark looming with menace over the Hogwarts grounds. The school may be seen up in the distance. They are either located somewhere in the vicinity of Hagrid's hut (I have not seen the PoA film, but it is reminiscent of the portion from the trailer where the students are walking down the stone steps), have the shadowy outline of the forbidden forrest behind them in the distance, and/or are standing in the midst of a graveyard, the shadowy shapes behind them being tombstones. The significance of this seen is that the DE's are being summoned to advance on Hogwarts.
- Hints of Snape being evil in Rowling's post OotP interview. Could be either some type of evil action, or being a double agent in the war. Predict we will see evil!Snape in book six, as OotP spent so much time redeeming him, despite JKR saying he is inherently evil in an interview.
- Draco should not be liked, because he is irredeemable
- Neville's Mimbulus mimbletonia has special properties we have yet to learn. The plant is most likely to have properties that would be beneficial to Harry/the others/their cause. It emits stinksap as a defence mechanism (not offence, as a malignant plant would) which is harmless other than the smell. It is also described as looking like a small grey cactus --cacti looking dangerous yet being harmless if you handle them carefully. It also acts almost as an animal/pet, emitting "cooing" noises when Neville strokes it. It is very much the antithesis of the malignant Devil's Snare that is used in PS/SS to protect the stone, and in OotP as a tool for murder. If Voldemort can use a plant for his cause, then cannot Harry use a plant for his cause? In most of the books (not sure about GoF) plants play a key role. In PS/SS as aforementioned they help protect the stone, in CoS the Mandrakes animate the petrified, in PoA the Whomping Willow guards the passage to the Shreiking Shack (where Lupin used to transform), in GoF the
end of the Tri-Wizard cup is held in a maze of plants and the Dark Mark is cast at the Quidditch World Cup over the trees, and in OotP there is the Devil's Snare and the Mimbulus mimbletonia.
Meaning behind the name, "Mimbulus mimbletonia":
Mimble: sounds like a combination of 'mumble' and 'nimble'.
Mumble is 1: A low indistinct sound or utterance 2: To utter indistinctly by lowering
the voice or partially closing the mouth 3: To chew slowly or ineffectively without or as if
without teeth.
Nimble is 1: Quick, light, or agile in movement or action 2: Quick, clever, and acute in
devising or understanding
-us as a suffix there is no definition, but it is very close to the suffix -ous (1:
Possessing; full of; characterized by 2: Having a valence lower than that of a specified element
in compounds or ions named with adjectives ending in -ic)
-tonia (suffix) 1: Degree or state of tonicity (tonicity 1: Normal firmness or
functional readiness in body tissues or organs 2: The sustained partial contraction of resting
or relaxed muscles)
> From these definitions I gather that the plant in itself is very indistinctive, yet
is very nimble in the reflex of its actions regarding the functional readiness of it's reflexes. The plant itself makes low utterances, and has quick defensive reflexes.
- The OotP six (Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Neville, Luna) will remain close
- Neville and Luna have key parts in the ending, alongside of the others
- There is more to the death of Luna's mother than meets the eye
- Possible way of communicating with the dead (see: veil)
- Elaboration on the Department of Mysteries
- Harry will somehow harness the power of love (possibly something to do with the locked door in
the Department of Mysteries) to defeat Voldemort
- Rowling's suggestion that Harry might die in the last book is a red herring
- Harry will become further involved in the Order
- The D.A. will continue, with Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff, forming an alliance against Slytherin (houses need to unite)
- The final battle could involve the different magical bretheren (wizards, witches, centaurs,
elves, and goblins alike) uniting together - possibly to help take down the dementors and other
possible evil allies of Voldemort
- Possible Harry/Ginny (a bit more unlikely now), but definitely Ron/Hermione
- The Harry/Cho ship o' doom has sunk for good
- Bellatrix will elaborate on her role of being Voldemort's new sidekick; Neville will have an important role in defeating her
- Draco will attempt revenge on Harry for disgracing the Malfoy name, by landing Lucius in Azkaban. Very likely that he will get aid from fellow Slytherins, whose relatives are D.E (either captured or still free)
- It's just speculation, but mirrors seem to be very powerful objects. Not much use on their own, but are capable of being spelled (see: mirror of Erised, various talking mirrors, foe glasses, the two-way mirror which Sirius gave to Harry to communicate with). Could be a continuing trend.
- Ghosts will take a greater part in the series, possibly helping with the dead/living connection. Could see more of both the Grey Lady and the reason behind the Bloody Baron's blood stains. The Grey Lady appears several times in the CoS film--foreshadowing?
- Definitely will hear more about Phineas Nigellus (former Headmaster of Hogwarts,
great-great-grandfather to Sirius)
- Could see more mentions of Tonks
- Harry's depression trend will only get worse in book 6, possibly going as far as having an obsession with death (Re: "I - DON'T - Want - TO - BE - HUMAN!"). Will have feeling of general lethargy, indifference, and recklessness, towards his life (Re: "I DON'T CARE ANYMORE")
- Could see more of time travel, or something just generally involving the mystery of time. Throughout the books there are many references to time turners.
- Snape might feel that since he informed the Order about Harry's cryptic warning, he inadvertantly saved Harry's life - cancelling out the lifedebt he owed James Potter
- Hermione will become Head Girl
- Ginny as possible prefect (maybe even Luna) in book 6
- Either Katie Bell, Harry, or Ron will be the next Gryffindor Quidditch captain (suggestion in the books that Katie is a year younger than Angelina and Alicia, but not likely)
- Ginny could join the Gryffindor team as a new chaser, while Harry reprises his role as seeker
- Harry will leave the Dursleys early again to stay with his friends (could be at Ron's or at Grimmauld Place)
- Next books will involve delving into the Black family history
- Magical brethren will take a key role. There must be partnership, not defence. In the MoM, Bellatrix attacked the fountain to get to Harry. Harry used it as a shield. Dumbledore implemented the statue magically as a means of attack, as well as a shield for Harry.
- Significance of ancient runes to come up in next book. Hermione takes ancient runes, giving this quote from the question she got wrong on her O.W.L. exam:
'I mis-translated ehwaz,' said Hermione furiously. 'It means partnership, not defence;
I mixed it up with eihwaz.'
Luna also continues to look at the ludicrous runes in The Quibbler, attempting to decipher their meaings. There are runes on the ceiling of the DoM's atrium, above the fountain. Hermione also has a tendency in OotP to carry around stacks of Ancient Runes books. On p.506 she is said to be peering over the top of her copy of "Magical Hieroglyphs and Logograms". Other runes books include "Spellman's Syllabary" and "Ancient Runes Made Easy" (ch.14 CoS). Also, the idea of ancient runes first appears in chapter 14 of CoS when Neville is trying to decide whether runes or arithmancy is easier. Hermione reads the aforementioned runes book in the common room. In PoA Hermione takes the Ancient Runes class.
Runes used in the series are Germanic.
- Remember in GoF when the connected wands forced out shadows of spells? What if Harry could channel the power of love (found in the DoM) and use it to weaken Voldemort? Dumbledore has specified that Voldemort overlooks love, and doesn't understand it's power.
- Hermione neglects the opinions of others when hers are in contrast. I suspect she is being set up for a fall in which she will realize how wrong she is (ie: in OotP, almost gets Harry and herself killed by the centaurs by neglecting them and overestimating their sense of comraderie
- The Sorting hat's role: came from Godric himself
- The forbidden forrest holds many secrets
- Some of Harry's blood is now in Voldemort (GoF), making Voldemort mortal. He has the power to
touch Harry now without being burned, but he also has the love of the protection spell flowing
through his veins
- Hidden truth in The Quibbler? Luna appears batty but she obviously has intelligence and is capable of being coherent and observant when she wants to. She has overly large eyes that could be symbolic of the power to see more than just the surface of things. Perhaps The Quibbler is the same way? Perhaps within humourous articles truth is being disguised as fiction? What about its statement that Sirius Black was innocent? What about Fudge and his tricky dealings? There is also the theory that Hermione is only wrong when she lets her emotions/personal opinions get in the way of her exceptional ability to reason. When Hermione comments on The Quibbler, she says, "The Quibbler's rubbish, everyone knows that," in a scathing tone. Could this prove that she's wrong? The title for the ancient runes article is, "Secrets of the Ancient Runes Revealed." Luna is constantly looking at The Quibbler upsidedown in order to look at the runes article which says that, "...if you turned the runes on their heads they revealed a spell to make your enemy's ears turn into kumquats." The Quibbler articles in general appear to be elaborations upon fact. However, the runes article is the only one that doesn't fit (nothing to do with Fudge, the Ministry of Magic, Sirius Black, or the Tutshill Tornadoes who were winning the Quidditch league).
quibble: To evade the truth or importance of an issue by raising trivial distinctions
and objections
> The very definition of "quibble" (root for "Quibbler") is to evade the truth by raising trivial points. The Quibbler articles have truth as the main point, but are comprised mainly of rubbish. The point of the Sirius article was that he was innocent. The quibbling was the Stubby Boardman filler. The point of the Fudge article was that he's dishonest. The filler was the Goblin pies.
- Keep an eye on Fred and George. How did they predict the ending of the Quidditch World Cup? Do they have possession of a time turner that could come in handy later on?
- After their Divination exam, Ron jokes about the tea leaves spelling out his death. We know that Ron is only right when he's joking--has he predicted his own death? JKR mentioned some even more tragic and pertinent deaths in upcoming books, could it be Ron? Ron is made "king" in OotP, is he being set up for a fall?
- p.508 of OotP: Angelina and Alicia are both seventh years and are leaving. Ginny suggests trying out for chaser the following year (foreshadowing?). Quidditch team of sixth year for Gryffindor will include: Harry Potter (seeker), Ron Weasley (keeper), Ginny Weasley (chaser), Katie Bell (chaser/captain), Kirke (beater)?, Sloper (beater)?, (chaser)?
- Stonehenge:
"Dr William Stukely, conjectured that Stonehenge was built circa 460BC, however, whilst it is thought that the Druids used the area, they did not construct the megaliths, which were created much earlier. Carbon dating shows Stonehenge to be at least contemporary with, if not earlier than the the construction date of the Great Pyramid of Cheops."
Stonehenge is in the close proximity of where the books take place, as well as incorporate magical suspicions and astronomical (lunar eclipse tracking) implications. It is a magical location that JKR, being familiar with folklore and ancient studies, might choose to include. Perhaps this would work well with book six, which is predicted to be based upon a location. The Black family comes up many times in OotP, and it is fact that many of the Black family names are related to astrology.
- 'I don't need a cloak to become invisible,' said Dumbledore gently. p. 156, PS/SS. Does Dumbledore have the power of invisibility to mask his watching of Hogwarts? Is that how he appears so omniscient all the time? How did he know about Riddle possessing Ginny in CoS?
- Could the veil be used in the future as a purposeful impliment of demise? Would Voldemort use it, or could Harry use it against Voldemort?
- Tragedy: possibly Shakespearean? Tragic flaw not necessarily demise, but brings incredible and not fully deserved suffering to the audience in order to provoke catharsis (pity/fear)
- Hermiones flaw: fierce intellect, but a complete lack of understanding of how she affects other people
- Ron's flaw: quick to temper, easily jealous, overprotective, feels overlooked, also sacrifices himself in the PS/SS chess game
- Harry's flaw: feels he is always left out, wrapped up in himself so much he is easily capable of not being truly intuned with others (overlooks how Ginny has also been possessed by Voldemort, acts like he is the only one to have to carry the entire burdens of the war)
- The un-cliche bit about the ending is that Harry will find some way of terminating Voldemort using magic without having to do it himself; it could even be by some stroke of luck (Voldemort is sent through the veil?)
- Other wizarding schools will come up again.
- More to Lily than meets the eye. How did she know how to cast such a powerful protection spell? JKR has hinted it will come up. Also has hinted that Harry's grandparents will come up. How did they die? They were not watching over Harry and therefore were not in that particular line of fire. They are not implied to have been in the Order, so were they aurors? And what about his grandparents on his mother's side? If Lily was a muggle-born, then why would they be dead? Perhaps this is a big clue to why Aunt Petunia is so adverse to mentionings of Harry's parents and the wizarding world--not jealously, but anger over how somehow her parents got involved and were killed off? Sirius lived at James's house until he turned 17 and got his own place. James's parents adopted Sirius as almost a second son.
- Luna's mother and Harry's mother are somehow connected.
- Redemption of a Slytherin or two? Hagrid said that there wasn't a wizard who ever went bad that wasn't in Slytherin, but from the actions of Peter Pettigrew (Gryffindor) we know that this statement is incorrect. If Voldemort can have a follower from Gryffindor, then can't Harry have an ally from Slytherin?
- Significance of the veil:
Nearly Headless Nick said afterwards in OotP that death is studied there. We know that the veil is associated with death and lies in the death chamber, but what is behind it?
- A tool of demise, an ancient method of execution much like a wizarding guillotine
- Limbo
- A portal to the afterlife
- Death itself. If the locked room can hold love, then why can't death itself be hidden behind an old archway? If Sirius came into contact with death then would he not die?
- "It seemed to take Sirius an age to fall: his body curved in a graceful arc as he sank backwards through the ragged veil hanging from the arch... he fell through the ancient doorway and disappeared behind the veil, which fluttered for a moment as though in a high wind, then fell back into place."
Notice the choice of diction. Veil = synonymous with obscurity and disguise, as well as being an
arrangement of the word "evil". Arch = leading to a passageway. Doorway = leads to a room or a
chamber of sorts (some kind of entryway). The cloth is initially described as a curtain. The
term "curtains" can be be made synonymous with death, as in the phrase, "it's curtains for you!"
A curtain covers up a stage/window, a veil can be worn to disguise the face.
- Since the "veil" between the spiritual realm and the earthly realm is the thinnest on
October 31, could lead to something involving it on that day. James and Lily died on October 31.
"Because October 31 lies exactly between the Autumnal Equinox and the Winter Solstice,
it is theorized that ancient peoples, with their reliance on astrology, thought it was a
very potent time for magic and communion with spirits..."
(http://www.witchvox.com/holidays/samhain/1031_samhain_history.html)
- Harry is not ready yet for a new relationship, and will not date during his sixth year. On the other hand, others close to him will form an open relationship (I hypothesize Ron and Hermione). This will aid to Harry's feeling left out and abandoned.
- Voldemort will use the Dementors to attack Hogwarts (having them swarming around uncontrolled during the Quidditch game was foreshadowing)
- Buckbeak will prove useful again
- A Weasley will die. All are good candidates, but Arthur has already been attacked. Killing off Molly would be ironic after the Boggart incident, but she would not be able to die until the very end of book seven.
- Ron will perform some courageous/dignified act, while both Harry and Hermione are powerless.
- Ginny reminds Harry in OotP that she is the only other person who has been possessed by Voldemort and lived. Is the "new and improved" OotP Ginny and her role in the DoM foreshadowing for further involvement in the plot? Will her connection to Tom either prove bad for her, or good for extracting information on how to defeat Voldemort?
- The "Hand of Glory" in CoS and the other strange objects in Grimmauld place may allude to the treachery of magical objects, used for evil purposes
- Under dire circumstances (most likely attack from Voldemort) someone who has been previously considered to be a muggle/squib (most likely one of the Dursleys, either Dudley or Petunia) will be able to perform magic late in life (after the age of eleven).
"Will there be, or have there been, any "late blooming" students in the school who come
into their magic potential as adults, rather than as children?"
JKR: "No, is the answer. In my books, magic almost always shows itself in a person
before age 11; however, there is a character who does manage in desperate circumstances to do
magic quite late in life, but that is very rare in the world I am writing about."
> http://www.quick-quote-quill.org/articles/1999/0399-barnesandnoble.html
>http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/tv_film/newsid_3758000/3758101.stm
- the graveyard is near this other wing of the castle and it's going to play an important part in number six because such and such and such.
- a sundial: She says: 'That makes perfect sense because when the castle was built it was on an ancient Celtic site.
>jkrowling.com
- Mark Evans has no significance whatsoever
- The link I mentioned between books two and six does not, in fact, relate to the 'Half-Blood Prince' (because there is no trace left of the HBP storyline in 'Chamber'.) Rather, it relates to a discovery Harry made in 'Chamber' that foreshadows something that he finds out in 'Prince'
- The veil in OotP is the wizarding world's equivalent of a guillotine.
> My interpretation is that Hermione who usually has a correct gut feeling, sensed the true evil of the veil and thus tried to pull the others away from it. Ginny has not seen anyone die, unlike Harry, Luna, and Neville, but has come close to death herself and thus remains transfixed by it. Neither Ron nor Hermione had ever come that close to death yet (Hermione had merely been petrified, not had her life ebb away from her), and therefore were not under the veil's powerful spell. The veil is located in a room called the "death chamber" and is possibly the old fashioned method of how executuions were carried out in the wizarding world before dementors and the Avada Kedavra were used. Avada Kedavra would generally not work because good witches/wizards are generally not capable of casting them. Sirius was not killed by the curse that Bellatrix hit him with because it gave red light, rather than green (which would indicate Avada Kedavra). Lupin may have been the only other person to witness the death directly, but he made no idication that he believed for one instant that Sirius was still alive.
- Harry's parents may have been unspeakables (OotP, second sentence in chapter ten):
"His parents wove in and out of his dreams, never speaking; Mrs. Weasley sobbed over Kreacher's dead body, watched by Ron and Hermione who were wearing crowns, and yet again Harry found himself walking down a corridor ending in a locked door."
> My interpretation: Possible that not only Lily and James were Unspeakables, but Luna's mother as well (brilliant witch, dies under suspicious circumstances). Lily and James specifically targeted, but is it just because of Harry and the prophecy? Their whole house was put under a special protective charm (fidelius). Unspeakables mentioned haphazardly at the World Quidditch Cup and never really brought up again. Lupin makes no pretense to believe that Sirius is alive (despite not being hit by Avada Kedavra), thus hinting that he could know more about the veil than he is letting on.
- Hermione may already be--or may in the future--experiment with spells/potions outside of the others' knowledge that may have adverse consequences
- Harry/others will visit Fred and George's shop over the end of summer before school begins.
Front covers for UK/Canada and the U.S.
Canadian cover:
- blue with green text: symbolizes emphasis on Ravenclaw & Slytherin?
- 'Brandishing their wands, Harry - whose Quidditch playing appears to have contributed to a muscular adolescent physique - and his bearded headmaster stand in the centre of a ring of magical flame.'
- Dumbledore looks angry (the flame looks like its coming from the tip of his wand, like he drew it around Harry and himself for protection). Harry looks frightened. Around them it is dark. What could be happening to them very well could be occurring at the same time as the activity on the reverse American cover.
Adult cover:
- On top of what looks like an old wooden desk, or perhaps a trunk (scratched with age) is a large, thick tome entitled, 'Advanced potions making.' The book is very old and very well-used, with a cover that has been taped along the binding, is frayed at the corners, and certainly has a few pages protruding from where theyhave been stuffed back in. It appears like a very old textbook (perhaps it is a NEWT level textbook, or a book from Hogwarts' library). Potions, of course, brings to mind Severus Snape. Perhaps Hermione or the other members of the trio are taking advanced potions.
- Potions also brings to mind the last time a potion played an integral part in the plot, which was the Polyjuice one in COS.
U.S. cover:
- Mostly swirly green (light and forest dark, which blue shadows and almost yellowish highlights).
The text is darker blue, making the appearance of the book the opposite of the Canadian version, but surprisingly maintaining the same basic colours.
- The words, "...and the Half Blood Prince" are written small under the tradional Hrry Potter title, and appear in a left-leaning, almost black scrawl. They look loosely quill-written, and have sharp points and flourishes, giving a hint of the sinister. Since the adult cover is a book, maybe this writing is somehow related to that.
- Harry and Dumbledore stand above a corinthian pedestal, looking down into what appears to be half-bowl, half-dish. The dish is old with small chips and cracks around the rim. The rim is decorated in what appears to be letters, or runes. The dish emits a faint, glowing mist, which is what illuminates the scene and swirls around the two characters. Most likely the dish is Dumbledore's pensieve. Dumbledore gazes intently into the mist with his brow furrowed in concentration, and appears anxious. he raises his right hand above the mist, most likely calling up a memory for the both of them to view. Harry stands by his side, also gazing intently into the dish. Harry, however, has a look that though equally serious, denotes more a look of determination and summed-up courage. He raises his wand in his left hand, tightly gripping the handle in a stance of readiness.
- I don't know why, by the unique pedestal seems to give off the impression that this is not Dumbledore's pensieve, or that it is his pensieve in a different location. I do not understand why Harry would have his wand out and up if he was comfortably watching Dumbledore's pensieve within his office. Dumbledore also seems to look apprehensive of the pensieve, as if he knows how to handle it, but knows that its use provokes some significant danger.
Deluxe cover:
- green, hazy setting with blue shadows and purple text (some brown for trees)
- appears to be Harry walking through a thick forrest (perhaps the forbidden forest in warmer months), followed by Dumbledore. Harry has a sturdy look of concentration, and stares at some far-off subject. Dumbledore appears more unsure and cautious. He sees what Harry sees, and gazes just as intently. I think it is implied that Harry is showing Dumbledore something in the forbidden forrest (though it could easily be the other way around).
Reverse American cover:
- From left to right--Luna, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny are staring up at a large dark mark looming with menace over the Hogwarts grounds. The school may be seen up in the distance. They are either located somewhere in the vicinity of Hagrid's hut (I have not seen the PoA film, but it is reminiscent of the portion from the trailer where the students are walking down the stone steps), have the shadowy outline of the forbidden forrest behind them in the distance, and/or are standing in the midst of a graveyard, the shadowy shapes behind them being tombstones. The significance of this seen is that the DE's are being summoned to advance on Hogwarts.
- Hints of Snape being evil in Rowling's post OotP interview. Could be either some type of evil action, or being a double agent in the war. Predict we will see evil!Snape in book six, as OotP spent so much time redeeming him, despite JKR saying he is inherently evil in an interview.
- Draco should not be liked, because he is irredeemable
- Neville's Mimbulus mimbletonia has special properties we have yet to learn. The plant is most likely to have properties that would be beneficial to Harry/the others/their cause. It emits stinksap as a defence mechanism (not offence, as a malignant plant would) which is harmless other than the smell. It is also described as looking like a small grey cactus --cacti looking dangerous yet being harmless if you handle them carefully. It also acts almost as an animal/pet, emitting "cooing" noises when Neville strokes it. It is very much the antithesis of the malignant Devil's Snare that is used in PS/SS to protect the stone, and in OotP as a tool for murder. If Voldemort can use a plant for his cause, then cannot Harry use a plant for his cause? In most of the books (not sure about GoF) plants play a key role. In PS/SS as aforementioned they help protect the stone, in CoS the Mandrakes animate the petrified, in PoA the Whomping Willow guards the passage to the Shreiking Shack (where Lupin used to transform), in GoF the
end of the Tri-Wizard cup is held in a maze of plants and the Dark Mark is cast at the Quidditch World Cup over the trees, and in OotP there is the Devil's Snare and the Mimbulus mimbletonia.
Meaning behind the name, "Mimbulus mimbletonia":
Mimble: sounds like a combination of 'mumble' and 'nimble'.
Mumble is 1: A low indistinct sound or utterance 2: To utter indistinctly by lowering
the voice or partially closing the mouth 3: To chew slowly or ineffectively without or as if
without teeth.
Nimble is 1: Quick, light, or agile in movement or action 2: Quick, clever, and acute in
devising or understanding
-us as a suffix there is no definition, but it is very close to the suffix -ous (1:
Possessing; full of; characterized by 2: Having a valence lower than that of a specified element
in compounds or ions named with adjectives ending in -ic)
-tonia (suffix) 1: Degree or state of tonicity (tonicity 1: Normal firmness or
functional readiness in body tissues or organs 2: The sustained partial contraction of resting
or relaxed muscles)
> From these definitions I gather that the plant in itself is very indistinctive, yet
is very nimble in the reflex of its actions regarding the functional readiness of it's reflexes. The plant itself makes low utterances, and has quick defensive reflexes.
- The OotP six (Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Neville, Luna) will remain close
- Neville and Luna have key parts in the ending, alongside of the others
- There is more to the death of Luna's mother than meets the eye
- Possible way of communicating with the dead (see: veil)
- Elaboration on the Department of Mysteries
- Harry will somehow harness the power of love (possibly something to do with the locked door in
the Department of Mysteries) to defeat Voldemort
- Rowling's suggestion that Harry might die in the last book is a red herring
- Harry will become further involved in the Order
- The D.A. will continue, with Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff, forming an alliance against Slytherin (houses need to unite)
- The final battle could involve the different magical bretheren (wizards, witches, centaurs,
elves, and goblins alike) uniting together - possibly to help take down the dementors and other
possible evil allies of Voldemort
- Possible Harry/Ginny (a bit more unlikely now), but definitely Ron/Hermione
- The Harry/Cho ship o' doom has sunk for good
- Bellatrix will elaborate on her role of being Voldemort's new sidekick; Neville will have an important role in defeating her
- Draco will attempt revenge on Harry for disgracing the Malfoy name, by landing Lucius in Azkaban. Very likely that he will get aid from fellow Slytherins, whose relatives are D.E (either captured or still free)
- It's just speculation, but mirrors seem to be very powerful objects. Not much use on their own, but are capable of being spelled (see: mirror of Erised, various talking mirrors, foe glasses, the two-way mirror which Sirius gave to Harry to communicate with). Could be a continuing trend.
- Ghosts will take a greater part in the series, possibly helping with the dead/living connection. Could see more of both the Grey Lady and the reason behind the Bloody Baron's blood stains. The Grey Lady appears several times in the CoS film--foreshadowing?
- Definitely will hear more about Phineas Nigellus (former Headmaster of Hogwarts,
great-great-grandfather to Sirius)
- Could see more mentions of Tonks
- Harry's depression trend will only get worse in book 6, possibly going as far as having an obsession with death (Re: "I - DON'T - Want - TO - BE - HUMAN!"). Will have feeling of general lethargy, indifference, and recklessness, towards his life (Re: "I DON'T CARE ANYMORE")
- Could see more of time travel, or something just generally involving the mystery of time. Throughout the books there are many references to time turners.
- Snape might feel that since he informed the Order about Harry's cryptic warning, he inadvertantly saved Harry's life - cancelling out the lifedebt he owed James Potter
- Hermione will become Head Girl
- Ginny as possible prefect (maybe even Luna) in book 6
- Either Katie Bell, Harry, or Ron will be the next Gryffindor Quidditch captain (suggestion in the books that Katie is a year younger than Angelina and Alicia, but not likely)
- Ginny could join the Gryffindor team as a new chaser, while Harry reprises his role as seeker
- Harry will leave the Dursleys early again to stay with his friends (could be at Ron's or at Grimmauld Place)
- Next books will involve delving into the Black family history
- Magical brethren will take a key role. There must be partnership, not defence. In the MoM, Bellatrix attacked the fountain to get to Harry. Harry used it as a shield. Dumbledore implemented the statue magically as a means of attack, as well as a shield for Harry.
- Significance of ancient runes to come up in next book. Hermione takes ancient runes, giving this quote from the question she got wrong on her O.W.L. exam:
'I mis-translated ehwaz,' said Hermione furiously. 'It means partnership, not defence;
I mixed it up with eihwaz.'
Luna also continues to look at the ludicrous runes in The Quibbler, attempting to decipher their meaings. There are runes on the ceiling of the DoM's atrium, above the fountain. Hermione also has a tendency in OotP to carry around stacks of Ancient Runes books. On p.506 she is said to be peering over the top of her copy of "Magical Hieroglyphs and Logograms". Other runes books include "Spellman's Syllabary" and "Ancient Runes Made Easy" (ch.14 CoS). Also, the idea of ancient runes first appears in chapter 14 of CoS when Neville is trying to decide whether runes or arithmancy is easier. Hermione reads the aforementioned runes book in the common room. In PoA Hermione takes the Ancient Runes class.
Runes used in the series are Germanic.
- Remember in GoF when the connected wands forced out shadows of spells? What if Harry could channel the power of love (found in the DoM) and use it to weaken Voldemort? Dumbledore has specified that Voldemort overlooks love, and doesn't understand it's power.
- Hermione neglects the opinions of others when hers are in contrast. I suspect she is being set up for a fall in which she will realize how wrong she is (ie: in OotP, almost gets Harry and herself killed by the centaurs by neglecting them and overestimating their sense of comraderie
- The Sorting hat's role: came from Godric himself
- The forbidden forrest holds many secrets
- Some of Harry's blood is now in Voldemort (GoF), making Voldemort mortal. He has the power to
touch Harry now without being burned, but he also has the love of the protection spell flowing
through his veins
- Hidden truth in The Quibbler? Luna appears batty but she obviously has intelligence and is capable of being coherent and observant when she wants to. She has overly large eyes that could be symbolic of the power to see more than just the surface of things. Perhaps The Quibbler is the same way? Perhaps within humourous articles truth is being disguised as fiction? What about its statement that Sirius Black was innocent? What about Fudge and his tricky dealings? There is also the theory that Hermione is only wrong when she lets her emotions/personal opinions get in the way of her exceptional ability to reason. When Hermione comments on The Quibbler, she says, "The Quibbler's rubbish, everyone knows that," in a scathing tone. Could this prove that she's wrong? The title for the ancient runes article is, "Secrets of the Ancient Runes Revealed." Luna is constantly looking at The Quibbler upsidedown in order to look at the runes article which says that, "...if you turned the runes on their heads they revealed a spell to make your enemy's ears turn into kumquats." The Quibbler articles in general appear to be elaborations upon fact. However, the runes article is the only one that doesn't fit (nothing to do with Fudge, the Ministry of Magic, Sirius Black, or the Tutshill Tornadoes who were winning the Quidditch league).
quibble: To evade the truth or importance of an issue by raising trivial distinctions
and objections
> The very definition of "quibble" (root for "Quibbler") is to evade the truth by raising trivial points. The Quibbler articles have truth as the main point, but are comprised mainly of rubbish. The point of the Sirius article was that he was innocent. The quibbling was the Stubby Boardman filler. The point of the Fudge article was that he's dishonest. The filler was the Goblin pies.
- Keep an eye on Fred and George. How did they predict the ending of the Quidditch World Cup? Do they have possession of a time turner that could come in handy later on?
- After their Divination exam, Ron jokes about the tea leaves spelling out his death. We know that Ron is only right when he's joking--has he predicted his own death? JKR mentioned some even more tragic and pertinent deaths in upcoming books, could it be Ron? Ron is made "king" in OotP, is he being set up for a fall?
- p.508 of OotP: Angelina and Alicia are both seventh years and are leaving. Ginny suggests trying out for chaser the following year (foreshadowing?). Quidditch team of sixth year for Gryffindor will include: Harry Potter (seeker), Ron Weasley (keeper), Ginny Weasley (chaser), Katie Bell (chaser/captain), Kirke (beater)?, Sloper (beater)?, (chaser)?
- Stonehenge:
"Dr William Stukely, conjectured that Stonehenge was built circa 460BC, however, whilst it is thought that the Druids used the area, they did not construct the megaliths, which were created much earlier. Carbon dating shows Stonehenge to be at least contemporary with, if not earlier than the the construction date of the Great Pyramid of Cheops."
Stonehenge is in the close proximity of where the books take place, as well as incorporate magical suspicions and astronomical (lunar eclipse tracking) implications. It is a magical location that JKR, being familiar with folklore and ancient studies, might choose to include. Perhaps this would work well with book six, which is predicted to be based upon a location. The Black family comes up many times in OotP, and it is fact that many of the Black family names are related to astrology.
- 'I don't need a cloak to become invisible,' said Dumbledore gently. p. 156, PS/SS. Does Dumbledore have the power of invisibility to mask his watching of Hogwarts? Is that how he appears so omniscient all the time? How did he know about Riddle possessing Ginny in CoS?
- Could the veil be used in the future as a purposeful impliment of demise? Would Voldemort use it, or could Harry use it against Voldemort?
- Tragedy: possibly Shakespearean? Tragic flaw not necessarily demise, but brings incredible and not fully deserved suffering to the audience in order to provoke catharsis (pity/fear)
- Hermiones flaw: fierce intellect, but a complete lack of understanding of how she affects other people
- Ron's flaw: quick to temper, easily jealous, overprotective, feels overlooked, also sacrifices himself in the PS/SS chess game
- Harry's flaw: feels he is always left out, wrapped up in himself so much he is easily capable of not being truly intuned with others (overlooks how Ginny has also been possessed by Voldemort, acts like he is the only one to have to carry the entire burdens of the war)
- The un-cliche bit about the ending is that Harry will find some way of terminating Voldemort using magic without having to do it himself; it could even be by some stroke of luck (Voldemort is sent through the veil?)
- Other wizarding schools will come up again.
- More to Lily than meets the eye. How did she know how to cast such a powerful protection spell? JKR has hinted it will come up. Also has hinted that Harry's grandparents will come up. How did they die? They were not watching over Harry and therefore were not in that particular line of fire. They are not implied to have been in the Order, so were they aurors? And what about his grandparents on his mother's side? If Lily was a muggle-born, then why would they be dead? Perhaps this is a big clue to why Aunt Petunia is so adverse to mentionings of Harry's parents and the wizarding world--not jealously, but anger over how somehow her parents got involved and were killed off? Sirius lived at James's house until he turned 17 and got his own place. James's parents adopted Sirius as almost a second son.
- Luna's mother and Harry's mother are somehow connected.
- Redemption of a Slytherin or two? Hagrid said that there wasn't a wizard who ever went bad that wasn't in Slytherin, but from the actions of Peter Pettigrew (Gryffindor) we know that this statement is incorrect. If Voldemort can have a follower from Gryffindor, then can't Harry have an ally from Slytherin?
- Significance of the veil:
Nearly Headless Nick said afterwards in OotP that death is studied there. We know that the veil is associated with death and lies in the death chamber, but what is behind it?
- A tool of demise, an ancient method of execution much like a wizarding guillotine
- Limbo
- A portal to the afterlife
- Death itself. If the locked room can hold love, then why can't death itself be hidden behind an old archway? If Sirius came into contact with death then would he not die?
- "It seemed to take Sirius an age to fall: his body curved in a graceful arc as he sank backwards through the ragged veil hanging from the arch... he fell through the ancient doorway and disappeared behind the veil, which fluttered for a moment as though in a high wind, then fell back into place."
Notice the choice of diction. Veil = synonymous with obscurity and disguise, as well as being an
arrangement of the word "evil". Arch = leading to a passageway. Doorway = leads to a room or a
chamber of sorts (some kind of entryway). The cloth is initially described as a curtain. The
term "curtains" can be be made synonymous with death, as in the phrase, "it's curtains for you!"
A curtain covers up a stage/window, a veil can be worn to disguise the face.
- Since the "veil" between the spiritual realm and the earthly realm is the thinnest on
October 31, could lead to something involving it on that day. James and Lily died on October 31.
"Because October 31 lies exactly between the Autumnal Equinox and the Winter Solstice,
it is theorized that ancient peoples, with their reliance on astrology, thought it was a
very potent time for magic and communion with spirits..."
(http://www.witchvox.com/holidays/samhain/1031_samhain_history.html)
- Harry is not ready yet for a new relationship, and will not date during his sixth year. On the other hand, others close to him will form an open relationship (I hypothesize Ron and Hermione). This will aid to Harry's feeling left out and abandoned.
- Voldemort will use the Dementors to attack Hogwarts (having them swarming around uncontrolled during the Quidditch game was foreshadowing)
- Buckbeak will prove useful again
- A Weasley will die. All are good candidates, but Arthur has already been attacked. Killing off Molly would be ironic after the Boggart incident, but she would not be able to die until the very end of book seven.
- Ron will perform some courageous/dignified act, while both Harry and Hermione are powerless.
- Ginny reminds Harry in OotP that she is the only other person who has been possessed by Voldemort and lived. Is the "new and improved" OotP Ginny and her role in the DoM foreshadowing for further involvement in the plot? Will her connection to Tom either prove bad for her, or good for extracting information on how to defeat Voldemort?
- The "Hand of Glory" in CoS and the other strange objects in Grimmauld place may allude to the treachery of magical objects, used for evil purposes
- Under dire circumstances (most likely attack from Voldemort) someone who has been previously considered to be a muggle/squib (most likely one of the Dursleys, either Dudley or Petunia) will be able to perform magic late in life (after the age of eleven).
"Will there be, or have there been, any "late blooming" students in the school who come
into their magic potential as adults, rather than as children?"
JKR: "No, is the answer. In my books, magic almost always shows itself in a person
before age 11; however, there is a character who does manage in desperate circumstances to do
magic quite late in life, but that is very rare in the world I am writing about."
> http://www.quick-quote-quill.org/articles/1999/0399-barnesandnoble.html
>http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/tv_film/newsid_3758000/3758101.stm
- the graveyard is near this other wing of the castle and it's going to play an important part in number six because such and such and such.
- a sundial: She says: 'That makes perfect sense because when the castle was built it was on an ancient Celtic site.
>jkrowling.com
- Mark Evans has no significance whatsoever
- The link I mentioned between books two and six does not, in fact, relate to the 'Half-Blood Prince' (because there is no trace left of the HBP storyline in 'Chamber'.) Rather, it relates to a discovery Harry made in 'Chamber' that foreshadows something that he finds out in 'Prince'
- The veil in OotP is the wizarding world's equivalent of a guillotine.
> My interpretation is that Hermione who usually has a correct gut feeling, sensed the true evil of the veil and thus tried to pull the others away from it. Ginny has not seen anyone die, unlike Harry, Luna, and Neville, but has come close to death herself and thus remains transfixed by it. Neither Ron nor Hermione had ever come that close to death yet (Hermione had merely been petrified, not had her life ebb away from her), and therefore were not under the veil's powerful spell. The veil is located in a room called the "death chamber" and is possibly the old fashioned method of how executuions were carried out in the wizarding world before dementors and the Avada Kedavra were used. Avada Kedavra would generally not work because good witches/wizards are generally not capable of casting them. Sirius was not killed by the curse that Bellatrix hit him with because it gave red light, rather than green (which would indicate Avada Kedavra). Lupin may have been the only other person to witness the death directly, but he made no idication that he believed for one instant that Sirius was still alive.
- Harry's parents may have been unspeakables (OotP, second sentence in chapter ten):
"His parents wove in and out of his dreams, never speaking; Mrs. Weasley sobbed over Kreacher's dead body, watched by Ron and Hermione who were wearing crowns, and yet again Harry found himself walking down a corridor ending in a locked door."
> My interpretation: Possible that not only Lily and James were Unspeakables, but Luna's mother as well (brilliant witch, dies under suspicious circumstances). Lily and James specifically targeted, but is it just because of Harry and the prophecy? Their whole house was put under a special protective charm (fidelius). Unspeakables mentioned haphazardly at the World Quidditch Cup and never really brought up again. Lupin makes no pretense to believe that Sirius is alive (despite not being hit by Avada Kedavra), thus hinting that he could know more about the veil than he is letting on.
- Hermione may already be--or may in the future--experiment with spells/potions outside of the others' knowledge that may have adverse consequences
- Harry/others will visit Fred and George's shop over the end of summer before school begins.