Sorting out the post-DH mess
I'm back with the meme I did before DH's release to check how successful I was in my predictions. Concerning the title and covers, I'll be detailed on what I got right or wrong, while for the other sections I've made up the following "grading system" to keep the whole thing legible: SCORE! obviously means I was right, FAIL that I was wrong, 50/50 that my answer was partly correct (which will be specified) and ? is to indicate that we have no way to be sure. I apologize in advance for how tasteless some of these labels are no doubt going to look right next to the deaths.
Oh, one more thing: SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS FOR THE ENTIRE BOOK!
Before we begin in earnest, I must admit I hate myself right now. I should have stated my suspicion that Ravenclaw's Horcrux would be something to wear on one's head due to the strong faith in intellect and reason this house represents. But apparently, I found that particular theory petty enough to ignore at the time. While I was reading the book and got to the part where it's mentioned, my immediate reaction was, "HA! I knew that...wait, nobody's going to believe me now!" Seriously, what a shame.
Title and Covers
What are the Deathly Hallows? I like to think they're something akin to ghosts. (You know, Halloween and all that.) Voldemort and the Death Eaters' victims, perhaps? In that case, they should be on Harry's side and help him against his enemies at some point in the book.
[Totally wrong except on the account that they do have something to do with death and helped Harry against his enemies in a way.]
US cover (http://gallery.the-leaky-cauldron.org/picture/129927): The final battle between Harry and Voldemort. No idea what the place is; it looks kind of like the Roman Colosseum, and there are apparently some ruins on the ground. Maybe they're fighting in an arena? I'd like to know what the curtains are if they aren't bits of the Veil, which might mean they have somehow gotten beyond it. That would also explain the shadows in background (reminds me of the voices just beyond the veil, as if people were trapped "in there"). But why does it look like they are outside, then? Anyway, both Harry and Voldemort have one hand outstretched as if to summon something or call onto some power. Harry looks almost victorious here, while Voldemort's face (the little bit that's visible of it) shows that he's either really concentrating or aware of danger.
[Yes on the final battle, yes on Harry being victorious, no on the Veil, no on the crowd being the voices beyond the Veil, no on them being outside.]
US deluxe cover (http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=540439737&size=l): The Trio flying on a dragon in the sunset (or is it sunrise?). No clue what the significance of the dragon is, although it seems pretty friendly and possibly useful, even if I can't tell how precisely. The scenery under the hills with the river is unfamiliar, but since it looks like a fairly small and remote village, I'm going to hazard a guess and say it's Godric's Hollow. After all, that's one of the unexplored places we know Harry is going to visit.
[Yes on the sunset, yes on the unfamiliar and remote scenery, yes on the dragon being useful, no on the dragon being "pretty friendly", no on Godric's Hollow.]
UK children’s cover (http://gallery.the-leaky-cauldron.org/picture/129922): Well...this one is crammed with stuff. First, we have the white castle and a full moon. The castle might be Hogwarts, though what's the meaning of the moon I'd really like to know. Then there's the Trio literally swimming in gold. Provided the castle is Hogwarts, it leads me to assume they're there to search for one of the Horcruxes (probably Ravenclaw's or another relic of Gryffindor's aside from the sword), which happens to be buried somewhere in all that treasure. Speaking of which, isn't the sword that house-elf is waving around the Gryffindor one? And is that Dobby or Kreacher? Well, at least Prongs is obvious, even though I wonder if it's still Harry's Patronus or an apparition of another kind.
[Yes on Hogwarts, yes on Prongs, yes on Gryffindor's sword, yes on the Horcrux searching, no on the treasure being located in Hogwarts, no on the Horcrux in the treasure being a Ravenclaw or Gryffindor item, no on the house-elf.]
UK adult cover (http://gallery.the-leaky-cauldron.org/picture/129925): Slytherin's real locket! It looks rather pretty, and I'm not just saying that - if it really looked like this, I doubt anyone would have just passed over it at Grimmauld Place if it had been there in OotP. (Then again, how important is the cover to the book?) I think this Horcrux is the most important one of all, and probably also the hardest to get a hold of. The surface it's resting on looks a bit like I imagined the stone inside the cave in HBP, so that may be significant as well. Finally, on the back of this cover is the same photo of JKR I already have on my OotP copy. You can never have too many of them, eh?
[Yes on Slytherin's real locket, yes on the locket being in Grimmauld Place, no on the locket being hard to pass over, unsure about the cave.]
Timeline (ie Stuff We Know Is Going to Happen)
What’s going to happen while Harry is with the Dursleys? Something important is bound to happen there, I dare say. There must be some big revelation regarding the Dursleys, most likely about Petunia since we had a little moment of intrigue in OotP when she turned out to be more knowledgeable about the wizarding world than she had seemed and got that Howler. Also, Dudley might become more significant. (I've even heard rumors about him being a wizard, but I think it's going to be something more subtle than that.)
50/50 [There was a minor 'incident' involving Dudley, but the revelation about Petunia came later and didn't make her as important as I'd thought it would.]
What’s going to happen at Bill and Fleur’s wedding? That should be a nice idyllic scene in comparison to the rest of the book. One last bit of peace, I suppose. Although, it might also turn out to be an unexpected bloodbath, but I hope JKR is saving that stuff for other occasions.
SCORE! [It was a last bit of peace followed by an unexpected assault. Not necessarily a bloodbath, but still violent.]
What’s going to happen at Godric’s Hollow? Now that's hard. What could be left of the house so many years after Voldemort killed James and Lily - will even ruins still be there? The whole area could already be changed beyond recognition by newer houses or such. But if it isn't and the remnants of the past habitation can still be found at the location, Harry may experience a deja-vu of sorts. He will be touched by visiting the place, at any rate. His parents' graves had better be there, too. And some eye-opening moment may occur. Hey, maybe there's a clue to the Horcruxes hidden somewhere, or something else that will help Harry against Voldemort.
50/50 [Harry was indeed touched, the ruins were still there as well as the graves, there was a clue to the Horcruxes and a big shocking eye-opening moment, but I hadn't seen a lot of what eventually happened coming.]
What’s going to happen while the Trio search for the Horcruxes? Action! Adventure! Hopefully some emotional twists and insight into the characters' minds. I think they'll need to work together while facing tricky obstacles, and so it's possible for the Death Eaters to try to make them split up so that their chances at success would drop. In any case, it should prove interesting to watch the Trio's interactions and how well they can (or can't?) rely on one another.
SCORE! [Only they didn't even need the Death Eaters to split them up at first.]
What’s going to happen during the final battle between Harry and Voldemort? Hey, wouldn't it be funny if there was no final battle in the end? Seriously, though, Harry had better finally kill Voldemort since according to the Prophecy, at least one of them has to die. I'm guessing they will both play on ability at first, and then Voldemort will start using some dirty tricks and Harry will be left to resist him. This may be where the most important difference between them (Harry knows love and Voldemort doesn't) saves Harry's behind and helps him to victory - because how would Voldemort or even the Death Eaters counter that? Oh, this would be such a Dumbledore-y ending.
SCORE! [This is fairly vague, but the idea is there, at least.]
The Big Questions (Feel free to delete/add questions by checking out http://www.mugglenet.com/books/futurebooks/book7/looseends.shtml)
Will Hogwarts reopen? If yes, will the Trio attend? I'm almost willing to bet McGonagall will do whatever she can to keep the school open in Dumbledore's memory. But how would the Trio attend while Horcrux-hunting? They might stay at Hogwarts temporarily, but I really doubt they could afford regular attendance as it is.
50/50 [For the sole fact that McGonagall apparently didn't have any say in it.]
Snape: good or evil? Good with enormous issues. Or at least not completely evil. How do we know he actually wanted to kill Dumbledore, considering the vow he had made to Narcissa before? Right now, Snape is one big question that still needs a proper explanation.
SCORE! [At least, Snape is good with issues. The reasoning was pretty off, but the fact that Snape wasn't on Voldemort's side is just too important on its own.]
Who is RAB? Either Regulus [something beginning with A] Black or someone who hasn't been properly introduced yet. Personally, I hope it's Regulus because it's unlikely the sole purpose for his existence in the books had been to give Sirius more family background. He must have played some part in the war, and I have the feeling he'd been a little more significant than Sirius gave him credit for. Besides, it would explain why RAB couldn't be found in any "famous wizards" books, or why that "heavy locket none of them could open" at Grimmauld Place might be the real Horcrux.
SCORE!
Who helped RAB in the cave? If he (or she, but let's use just one pronoun for the sake of legibility here) was powerful and informed enough to take the real Horcrux, replace it with a fake one, and then arrange everything as it had been before, there is the possibility that he hadn't even had to drink that horrid potion, and therefore hadn't necessarily needed anybody's help. I think the key factor for succeeding without assitance in that cave is to avoid getting tangled up in Voldemort's scheme (no potion-drinking -> no need for water -> no Inferi-awakening). But if anyone did help him, my nonexistent money is on Snape, who could already have been enough of an outsider to collaborate with someone that was obviously plotting against Voldemort and getting in his way.
FAIL [I would have liked this explanation, but I seriously overestimated poor Regulus. And I was totally mistaken about Snape. Though it is true that nobody helped Regulus get out.]
How will Peter Pettigrew repay his life debt? He rebels against Voldemort and dies for Harry! That really is the only way for him to prove that he's not a spineless wimp and used to be a Marauder for a reason.
50/50 [The 'rebellion' barely existed, but it was symbolic. And he did die for Harry, even though I'm not so sure about his remaining Marauder qualities.]
How and why did Dumbledore have James' invisibility cloak? What is the significance of this? (Keep this question! JKR said it was the most important question she was never asked) Hmm...we know Dumbledore was close to James and Lily, so my guess is that James wanted him to keep the cloak safe as it must have been one of his most valuable possessions. From the first book we know that he'd left it with Dumbledore "before he died" - how close to his death had that been? Considering the use of the Fidelius Charm, James had known Voldemort & co. had been after him, so the logical action to take would be to make sure the things he believed to be important were safe (and Dumbledore must've been one of the few completely trustworthy people at the time). Maybe he'd thought that the cloak would be useful for Harry if he survived longer than his parents. Don't have anything more precise, sorry.
50/50 [They were close and the cloak was James's most valuable possession, but the rest of the reasoning isn't as poignant as it could be.]
Where and what are the Horcruxes? Slytherin's locket is at Grimmauld Place (unless Mundungus ended up stealing it - then it's either still with him or lost in some unpleasant place), Nagini is with Voldemort, Ravenclaw's whatever is in Hogwarts, and Hufflepuff's cup is wherever Voldemort left it. No idea about that one.
SCORE! [I admit I avoided the cup as much as I could, but the rest is pretty respectable while the cup isn't actually wrong.]
Will the two-way mirror that Sirius gave to Harry come up again? Maybe. It remains pretty unresolved, doesn't it? But I can't see anyone getting in touch with Sirius that way.
50/50 [It was unresolved and didn't let Harry communicate with Sirius, but otherwise there's no real information in my answer.]
Why was Voldemort going to allow Lily to live after he killed James at Godric's Hollow? Perhaps he was still at least slightly in contact with his human side and didn't want an unnecessary death. Or her death just wasn't included in his plans, and therefore a waste of effort. Or Snape had the hots for Lily and Voldemort had the hots for Snape and didn't want him to be sad. The history of power is a history of sex. XD
50/50 [Though I've covered all the possibilities.]
What is the significance of Harry having his mother's eyes? Um, genetics? Okay, Harry is an image of his father with that one crucial difference. It irritates Snape, apparently, because he still holds a grudge against James. Anyway, Lily has already saved Harry's life once by sacrificing herself for him, so it's possible that being related to her will be useful for Harry once again. I don't think the fact that he has Lily's eyes would be mentioned so often if everyone saying it to Harry was just being sentimental.
50/50 [It is more important than to make everyone sound sentimental, but I missed the whole Snape/Lily unrequited love thing here.]
The Pairings That Will Endure
Ron/Hermione SCORE!
Harry/Ginny SCORE!
Bill/Fleur SCORE!
Deaths (Minimum 5 - and if you can't think of anyone: http://www.hp-lexicon.org/wizards/wizards_list.html)
1) Who? Rubeus Hagrid Why? Because he's been around for a long time and has been doing dangerous business lately. And he is frequently mentioned in people's speculations regarding DH deaths. Also, he's another father figure to Harry, and since Harry's story is, among other things, a tale of coming of age, all the paternal figures are sort of supposed to bite it. Sirius already has and now Dumbledore too - who does that leave us besides Remus?
FAIL [But he came so close! Not that I'm not glad he survived, him being so nice and all.]
2) Who? Peter Pettigrew Why? So that justice is finally served! Really, it's just depressing that Sirius and James are already dead and this stinking rat is still alive and kicking. On a less biased note, he should do something important in DH if he has been allowed to make it so far, and that something may well turn out to be sacrificing himself in order to help or save Harry.
SCORE!
3) Who? A Weasley Why? Can you see that whole family surviving? At least one of them has to go. Fred and George are the most likely candidates since they don't seem to care about the danger as much as their relatives. Maybe Percy will snuff it as well, but I hope he redeems himself first.
SCORE! [Okay, I didn't single Fred out, but there's just no way to be half-right about a death.]
4) Who? Remus Lupin Why? Because if he lives, he is going to be either miserable (not outwardly, of course, but I can't see him just forgetting about the past) or an out-of-character, happy family guy. Also, it would be lame if he were the last surviving Marauder. Other arguments for his death would be that he's constantly on dangerous missions where he can easily become a victim of an ally of Voldemort's or even of a fellow werewolf, he's not essential for the main plot anymore, and he's obviously getting more and more exhausted as the conflicts drag on. He would honestly be better off dead. Last but not least, people like him, and JKR can be cruel when she wants or needs to.
SCORE!
5) Who? Luna Lovegood Why? Because I think she's going to be important, but she's so dreamy that a moment of lacking attention resulting in getting hit by an AK isn't completely out of the question with her. Besides, I like her, which is a frighteningly powerful magnet for character deaths.
FAIL [And I'm so glad for that.]
6) Who? Bellatrix Lestrange Why? She's so insane and devoted to Voldemort that she has probably lost all sense of self-preservation by now. Not to mention Harry will be after her because of Sirius's death.
SCORE! [I'd never have guessed Molly would be the one to finish her off, but again, how can I be half-right about someone snuffing it?]
7) Who? Alastor Moody Why? Because half the Death Eaters have unfinished business with him and want revenge, as stated as early as in GoF. Also, you know he's going to be involved in some of the most ridiculously dangerous actions the Order takes in the future. (And he's another of my favorites. Let's see if it has the effect I think it will have.)
SCORE! [Though it was a real shock this came so soon.]
8) Who? Kreacher Why? My best hope is that he will do something useful and then do us all a favor and die. Because he's old, hated and it's only a matter of time before he is killed either by that or in some history-making event. Oh, and Harry can order him to do things that are too risky for the Trio or some others to try.
FAIL [Kreacher redeeming himself was the last thing I'd have expected of him! But it was a lovely little twist.]
9) Who? Lucius Malfoy Why? He's the "slippery friend" Voldemort may come to see as a threat. And he's not exactly well-liked even among the Death Eaters.
FAIL [He's just that lucky. Or was it slippery?]
10) Who? Neville Longbottom Why? Because he's getting a bit too courageous for his own good. If he's going to fight the Death Eaters, chances are his own clumsiness will be the end of him. I also wonder if he can live in case Harry survives, what with the Prophecy and stuff (although that's supposedly concerning either Harry or Neville and Voldemort, I know).
FAIL [At least someone can lead a nice peaceful life now!]
11) Who? A lot of minor characters Why? Because it's inevitable in a war.
SCORE! [Even though anyone could have said this.]
12) Who? Lord Voldemort Why? I can't see Harry biting it after all this time. And if the Prophecy is to come true, then Voldemort is the one to go.
SCORE!
The Significant Survivors
1) Who? Harry Potter Why? See above.
SCORE!
2) Who? Ron and Hermione Why? Because at least one young couple has to come out of this, and I think the Trio is mostly safe.
SCORE!
3) Who? Ginny Weasley Why? She was in mortal peril in CoS. Killing her now wouldn't be shocking enough.
SCORE!
4) Who? Severus Snape or Draco Malfoy Why? I really believe at least one of them has to survive. And it's also likely that one of them dies, but I don't dare say which.
SCORE! [I'm so very proud of this one.]
Stuff I Want to Happen
1) A whole lot of previously unknown information on Snape is revealed.
SCORE! [More than one could have asked for!]
2) How the Veil works is explained, so that we finally know how exactly Sirius died. Besides, I need it for a fic.
FAIL [Wonderful. Could have told me I was free to just come up with my own explanation right away, eh?]
3) Dumbledore's portrait says witty and useful lines.
FAIL [I was so looking forward to him being an advisor! But we got the real afterlife!Dumbledore, so it's all good.]
4) McGonagall takes over the Order.
? [It doesn't say either way.]
5) Harry and the Trio thoroughly discredit the Ministry.
50/50 [They certainly flustered all those Ministry people, but I'd hoped for the Ministry to be forced to take back all its bullshit. Then again, it became a Death Eater nest and then it probably fell and was reestablished...but how do we know? Hello, epilogue!]
6) Bellatrix and Wormtail answer for their crimes. Better late than never!
SCORE! [Although both happened differently than I'd envisioned. Oh well, at least it was all surprising.]
7) Remus/Sirius doesn't get disproved. After HBP, things are nicely ambiguous and everybody can believe whatever he/she chooses to because actual evidence is neither here nor there. (I'd go into more detail on my reasoning here, but that's not relevant right now - unless anyone feels like asking.) If the situation stays as it is, I'll have absolutely nothing to complain about. If it doesn't...I will go down with this ship. Aside from the fact that it's one of the most wonderfully complex pairings I know, I would hate for it to be sacrificed in favor of a couple that's somewhat less than fascinating. And I don't think JKR is obligated to mess with it anymore, unless she's directly aiming to destroy the entire R/S fandom. (Why would she want to do that, though? If I were to speak from experience, the majority of R/S fans strike me as very mature and well-informed on HP - I realize it sounds predictable coming from me, but it's still true - and several of the absolutely best stories I've ever read fall into the category of R/S fanfiction. I am being dead serious. And that's not to mention we R/S people really aren't asking for much. Just let us keep what we already have and most of us will be content with it.)
SCORE! [If anything, we have even more canon support now. I'd been such a terrible pessimist...]
Stuff I'd Put Money On (Minimum 3)
1) Draco will continue the trend set in HBP and become more significant than before.
50/50 [We can't say he was insignificant, but I'd expected there to be more.]
2) Snape is going to be integral to the plot.
SCORE!
3) Major characters are going to die.
SCORE! [Or 50/50 in case someone thinks they weren't major enough.]
4) Some important revelations will be taking place in this book since it's expected to tie up loose ends.
SCORE! [Not everything was closed, but most of it was.]
5) Something almost nobody has been able to predict is about to happen.
SCORE! [Dumbledore's past and that whole Dumbledore-Grindelwald connection? The Invisibility Cloak being one of the Hallows? Snape the Headmaster? The Gray Lady turning out to be Ravenclaw's daughter? I'd say this is more than enough to make a point, and that's not to mention the rest of all those bigger or smaller unexpected discoveries.)
Next up: My analysis of what DH's canon means for Remus/Sirius. Hopefully I'll get that done soon!