Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Harry Potter Predictions

I cannot resist a good game of ‘predict the future’, so here comes another one. Mind you, my record for sporting events is quite bad; thus, I will join the crowd and make my predictions about Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I have read all 6 previous books, but I am not a crazed fan and will not be buying this book when it comes out. I borrowed the previous ones and I will try to do the same with this one at some sane time. So, someone out in the blogosphere may have to tell me if my predictions are right.

First, many Christian fans of the book think that it will have a bit of Christian ending. They posit that Harry will die to protect some character often the unlovable Draco Malfoy, or Potter’s muggle aunt and uncle, but occasionally his friends Ron and Hermonie. This always leads to the defeat of Voldermort, although few postulate how. Perhaps in a similar fashion as the sacrifice of Harry’s parents did for him the first time around. I do not think that this is how it will end. This seems a bit of Christian wishful thinking. I reject this ending despite the symmetry it provides with the beginning of the story.

Second, Rowling has told us that two characters will die in the final book. We can safely assume that one is Voldermort. After all no one is thinking that she is going to end a Children’s Book series with the bad guy winning. That leaves only one other death to pin point. It would not be much of a shocker if a minor character bites the dust, so we can put aside those and focus on the major players.

In the end, I do believe that Rowling is going for some familiar themes of sacrifice in her novels, but I also think there is a thread of redemption. The longest running debate in the books is about Professor Snape. Harry always thought he was a bad person, Dumbledore did not. In the last book, Snape, seemingly answering the question, killed Dombledore. I think then the best guess at the end of the books is that Snape is the second death foretold by Rowling. Snape will die a hero. Snape is going to give his life to protect Harry Potter or be killed when he is destroying a horocrux that keeps Voldermort alive. This will show that people can be redeemed, which I think is what Rowling is attempting to do. Harry will rid the world of Voldermort forever, but he will need the help of his friends to do it. Expect Nevile to play a crucial role in this book as much has been hinted about Nevile, who started off a bumbling fool and will have his own redemption of sorts when he becomes a hero. The Malfoy clan will end up behind bars, and Gandalf will have some sort of Obi-Wan Kenobi moment where he directs the steps of young Potter.

There you have it, my bold predictions for the book. You no longer need to buy it.

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