Last minute spoiler-free predictions!
I haven't even read the Scholastic summary because MuggleNet warned me not to. It's apparently very spoilerific :-? Whee!
Anyhoo, I feel a bit daft posting these predictions now, when 50% of my flist could tell me if they're right or not (likely 'not', eh? I'm awful at predicting things correctly :D But don't tell me, obviously!) and the other 50% has abandoned fandom in preparation for tonight. Hee.
1. DARK MARKS! Now that his cover is blown, Voldemort will attack willy-nilly all over the country. But the attacks won't be especially big or dramatic; methinks he'll go for subtler individual stalking, trying to bully or imperius people into joining him. The Muggles will start to notice something's up, but are unlikely to panic or be overly concerned about it just yet. Voldemort's uber-attacks won't occur until Book 7/late book 6.
2. The ring on the UK spine has the Slytherin crest in it and Voldemort's mother bequeathed it to him. He was wearing it when he attacked baby Harry, and the resulting outpour of power cracked the stone. It probably isn't very important to the plot.
3. The opening chapter will be about Hallowe'en 1981, whether in flashback/dream form or (perhaps more likely) someone revealing information about the night the Potters were killed.
4. Non. Stop. Action. There will be less sitting around talking politics in HBP, and more running around waving wands. At least I hope so, because I can't wait for some adventure.
5. Mini-predictions: Harry has a birthday party at the Weasleys. Katie Bell is Gryffindor Captain. A trick/joke/exploding wand from Fred and George's shop is used to great effect on a Death Eater. I don't know about shipping and I don't much care either, so long as there's no H/G please. Some Neville/Ginny would be lovely though, and a little (or a LOT of!) Lily/James info would be much appreciated. Thank-you! :DDD
6. The big death this time is Dumbledore, because, um, tradition and all that. He dies toward the end of the book, after teaching Harry much about the way of the Force, and thus bringing about the darkest days of the war and setting us up for the apparent attack on Hogwarts (US back cover) that I think will occur towards the end. Things will get much worse before they get better, and while I'm certainly not expecting all hope to be lost at the end of hbp, I'm not expecting a terrifically upbeat ending either. If it's not Dumbledore, then it'll be McGonagall (and I will howl like a wounded puppy, woes).
7. Slytherin will win the House Cup. It's an honest victory, and Draco gloats darkly. I also predict Draco will be acting like quite the little junior Death Eater in this book (but he will NOT get the Dark Mark!), especially when his father escapes from Azkaban. But I predicted a Slytherin win in OotP too, so I'm not holding my breath, heh.
8. Snape will teach DADA, because c'mon. He can't not! And he'll be mean and batlike, and push the students so hard in duels, and we'll be all wibbly and fearful because DADA profs don't last long, do they? But Snape will be the exception that proves the rule, and live to see Book 7! Therefore Harry will indeed get into NEWT Potions, despite his lack of O, because the new teacher will accept him. Yay!
9. There will be no new Minister for Magic in this book. I think the political side of things will go on the backburner for a bit. (and if I'm wrong, then it's Amelia Bones *hedges!*)
10. And finally. Out on a limb, the HBP will have nothing immediately to do with the war, so I don't expect to see him wand-to-wand with Voldemort. He is a side-plot, albeit an essential one. His identity is directly related to Harry and Harry's relationship with him will be more important than finding out his name (that is, I do not forsee a quest to discover the Prince's identity). He is a historical figure. I would not be remotely surprised if Harry is descended from him in some way. ... My best guess is Merlin (a la my big crackpot essay thingymabob), but Godric Gryffindor wouldn't shock me either. :) [By-the-by, people who would shock me include Snape, Remus, Hagrid and any member of the Black, Weasley or Malfoy family. So, naturally, it'll turn out to be one of them instead of a dead historic dude XD]
Yays! I wrote most of these ages ago, so I've changed my mind about no.3 since reading the Bloomsbury summary yesterday. But meh. Keep it as it is!
Flist, I love you all so much for using cut tags with your spoilerific posts. Thanks millions and billions and squillions *hearts!* You've made things easier for spoiler-phobic me. OotP was released on the longest day of the year, iirc. Today just feels like the longest day ever :)
All that's left to say is: Happy Reading, everyone! May it be all you've hoped for, and nothing you fear.
<3!
P.S. I GOTTA GO TO WATERSTONES IN A FEW HOURS OMG. OMG.
Anyhoo, I feel a bit daft posting these predictions now, when 50% of my flist could tell me if they're right or not (likely 'not', eh? I'm awful at predicting things correctly :D But don't tell me, obviously!) and the other 50% has abandoned fandom in preparation for tonight. Hee.
1. DARK MARKS! Now that his cover is blown, Voldemort will attack willy-nilly all over the country. But the attacks won't be especially big or dramatic; methinks he'll go for subtler individual stalking, trying to bully or imperius people into joining him. The Muggles will start to notice something's up, but are unlikely to panic or be overly concerned about it just yet. Voldemort's uber-attacks won't occur until Book 7/late book 6.
2. The ring on the UK spine has the Slytherin crest in it and Voldemort's mother bequeathed it to him. He was wearing it when he attacked baby Harry, and the resulting outpour of power cracked the stone. It probably isn't very important to the plot.
3. The opening chapter will be about Hallowe'en 1981, whether in flashback/dream form or (perhaps more likely) someone revealing information about the night the Potters were killed.
4. Non. Stop. Action. There will be less sitting around talking politics in HBP, and more running around waving wands. At least I hope so, because I can't wait for some adventure.
5. Mini-predictions: Harry has a birthday party at the Weasleys. Katie Bell is Gryffindor Captain. A trick/joke/exploding wand from Fred and George's shop is used to great effect on a Death Eater. I don't know about shipping and I don't much care either, so long as there's no H/G please. Some Neville/Ginny would be lovely though, and a little (or a LOT of!) Lily/James info would be much appreciated. Thank-you! :DDD
6. The big death this time is Dumbledore, because, um, tradition and all that. He dies toward the end of the book, after teaching Harry much about the way of the Force, and thus bringing about the darkest days of the war and setting us up for the apparent attack on Hogwarts (US back cover) that I think will occur towards the end. Things will get much worse before they get better, and while I'm certainly not expecting all hope to be lost at the end of hbp, I'm not expecting a terrifically upbeat ending either. If it's not Dumbledore, then it'll be McGonagall (and I will howl like a wounded puppy, woes).
7. Slytherin will win the House Cup. It's an honest victory, and Draco gloats darkly. I also predict Draco will be acting like quite the little junior Death Eater in this book (but he will NOT get the Dark Mark!), especially when his father escapes from Azkaban. But I predicted a Slytherin win in OotP too, so I'm not holding my breath, heh.
8. Snape will teach DADA, because c'mon. He can't not! And he'll be mean and batlike, and push the students so hard in duels, and we'll be all wibbly and fearful because DADA profs don't last long, do they? But Snape will be the exception that proves the rule, and live to see Book 7! Therefore Harry will indeed get into NEWT Potions, despite his lack of O, because the new teacher will accept him. Yay!
9. There will be no new Minister for Magic in this book. I think the political side of things will go on the backburner for a bit. (and if I'm wrong, then it's Amelia Bones *hedges!*)
10. And finally. Out on a limb, the HBP will have nothing immediately to do with the war, so I don't expect to see him wand-to-wand with Voldemort. He is a side-plot, albeit an essential one. His identity is directly related to Harry and Harry's relationship with him will be more important than finding out his name (that is, I do not forsee a quest to discover the Prince's identity). He is a historical figure. I would not be remotely surprised if Harry is descended from him in some way. ... My best guess is Merlin (a la my big crackpot essay thingymabob), but Godric Gryffindor wouldn't shock me either. :) [By-the-by, people who would shock me include Snape, Remus, Hagrid and any member of the Black, Weasley or Malfoy family. So, naturally, it'll turn out to be one of them instead of a dead historic dude XD]
Yays! I wrote most of these ages ago, so I've changed my mind about no.3 since reading the Bloomsbury summary yesterday. But meh. Keep it as it is!
Flist, I love you all so much for using cut tags with your spoilerific posts. Thanks millions and billions and squillions *hearts!* You've made things easier for spoiler-phobic me. OotP was released on the longest day of the year, iirc. Today just feels like the longest day ever :)
All that's left to say is: Happy Reading, everyone! May it be all you've hoped for, and nothing you fear.
<3!
P.S. I GOTTA GO TO WATERSTONES IN A FEW HOURS OMG. OMG.