Questions Unanswered: The Land of Confusion

What did you want to know that we weren't told? Like where is Florean Fortescue?

And what were we told that still has you scratching your head?

9 comments:

ashley said...

What was it that had Voldemort so focused on James and Lily? And how did they "thrice defy" him? It seemed that their occupations were going to give us a clue to this, but then we were never told what they did. I still want to know what made Voldemort think Harry, not Neville, would be the boy mentioned in the prophecy.

July 25, 2007 12:37 AM

Megan said...

Who did magic late in life?

I thought Rowling alluded to a Hogwart's teacher being married, who?

July 25, 2007 10:20 AM

Megan said...

What is the significance of Ron and Hermione's kids' names? Hugo and Rose?

July 25, 2007 2:54 PM

Megs said...

When Snape made the unbreakable vow with Narcissa, was it before or after he and Dumbledore planned Dumbledore's death? All we have for a time reference is that they discussed D's demise while Snape was trapping the curse in his arm.

I'm confused by the moment in which Dumbledore asks if the plan is for Snape to kill him if Malfoy fails and Snape pauses...has he already taken the unbreakable vow? And if so....

July 25, 2007 3:57 PM

Jessica said...

Yeah, exactly -- what was up with Neville? He sort of fades away in this one. I wasn't sure where the sword came from, for one thing, though I guess it was out of the hat -- it flies to the side of any true Griffyndor and all that -- (forgive me if I spelled it wrong)-- but what about the way Newille's folks died?

July 25, 2007 5:14 PM

Megs said...

Oh yeah. My other confusion. So we're led to believe in HBP that Voldemort (I can't stop thinking of him as Voldy since Peeves's little song) wanted to make 7 horcruxes, being that 7 is such a powerfully magical number and all.

So, if Harry was an accident and he didn't know he was making that horcrux, why weren't there 7 others?

The reasons I never believed that Harry was one of the 7 horcruxes were:
1. Why would Voldemort want his enemy to house a piece of his soul?
2. Voldemort wanted to KILL Harry.
3. Voldemort surely had enough horcruxes already.

So, I'm ok with the idea that it happened by accident, and fine with how that made Harry a parselmouth (maybe my favorite word in the series--oooh! can we do a favorite words thread?) and able to see into Voldemort's mind and all, but I still don't see why there wouldn't have been 7 other horcruxes. I'm not ok with it being: the diary, the locket, the ring, the snake, the cup, Voldemort himself...and Harry Potter. If you see what I mean.

Also, can anyone explain to my dense head what the significance of Voldemort using Harry's blood and therefore inheriting some of Lily's protection is? I just don't get it.

July 25, 2007 6:18 PM

ashley said...

The horcruxes are the diary, the ring, the locket, the diadem, the cup and Nagini with the seventh piece of Voldemort's soul residing in his own body. Harry was an accidental eighth horcrux.

Okay...here's what I think about the blood. The blood doubly bound Voldemort and Harry. Harry housed Voldemort's soul, but Voldemort housed the blood that protected Harry. So even when Harry died to kill the part of Voldemort's soul, he couldn't die because Voldemort still had his blood. Also, Pen said it better like this on Kudzu Jungle...

i had to think long and hard about why harry was still alive after killing voldemort for good, and i THINK it is because when v directed the first killing curse at harry, that severed the horcrux from harry--hence the nasty little scaly baby in the corner at king's cross. dumbledore said that harry's soul was now completely his own. so he was then free to kill v? when he returned to life, he left the baby (v's soul) at the station, literally and figuratively... right?

their blood was still connected at that point because v used h's blood to recreate himself in goblet of fire... but the connection foiled only voldemort, because it meant that he couldn't kill harry; they both must live. except THEN, on top of that, harry was the true master of the elder wand, the most powerful, undefeated wand, so he won the battle in the end--and didn't have to die.

omg, is that right? that took a lot of brain power, and i'm not sure it should have...and i'm still not sure i'm right! anyone?

July 25, 2007 8:06 PM

Megs said...

Thanks, Ashley!

July 25, 2007 9:39 PM

Somebody's Mom said...

Why didn't we learn what happened to Hermione's parents? Did her spell work? Were they thrilled or appalled to learn they had a daughter who was a witch? How could Hermione not have felt competent doing a memory erasing charm at the muggle cafe when she had so recently talked of the memory replacement spell she had done on her parents? And all those other questions... Would love to have watched Percy turn from the dark side. This saying a name and having it lead the dark side to them was a new "technology", given Herione's great skill and knowledge, how wouldn't that have been something she would know about? ok. I'm ranting.... I'll be quiet and center myself now.

July 27, 2007 6:32 PM

Deathly Hallows: Predictions & Questions

SPOILER ALERT: I know some of you out there are trying to stay totally pure before Deathly Hallows hits the shelves. In fact, I might have been shushed earlier this week for starting a sentence, "I read an article..." in fear of spoilage. The truth is, I'm really just obsessed - not clairvoyant. And I have not heard/seen/read any of the leaked manuscript. However, out of deepest respect for my fellow Pottermaniacs, I will clarify that what follows is an account of

a) information that JKR has confirmed will be in the seventh book
b) a few scattered thoughts of what I think will be in the book

Most of this information deals with the return of characters, objects, and questions that will be answered/information to be revealed (on JKR's part) and a few somewhat-educated guesses on my part from all my reading on The Leaky Cauldron and Mugglenet. All of this is based on the existing, already-released cannon that you all have access to and not, in any way, information from an illicit copy of the Deathly Hallows manuscript. In short, I have nothing with which to spoil you, but if you are still wary, look away.

* JKR has confirmed the return of the following characters and items from Potter's past in the final installment: Viktor Krum, Dolores Umbridge, Rita Skeeter, Sirius' motorcycle and the flying Ford Anglia.

* She has also confirmed that we will see Sirius Black again, though she would not say in what form. I nearly wept for joy when I saw this. (Perhaps a portrait hidden in Grimauld Place?)

* Also making a return is the two-way mirror, which she said would not have been as useful as we might have thought it, but that it would be more useful than we might think. How's that for cryptic? I find it interesting, too, that JKR cautioned filmmakers about Kreacher, but did not insist on the mirror being present in the film.

* An Order of the Phoenix member we are aware of but "have not met properly" will become important.

* A staple of the books - Quidditch - has flown its last. But another staple - the annual installment of a new Defense Against the Darks Arts teacher - will be present. Guess that answers the 'will Hogwarts be open' question.

* We will find out something incredibly important about Lily and why it is important that Harry has Lily's eyes. Possibly to remind Snape of who Harry's mother was?

* Expect to get information about Dumbledore in a variety of ways - JKR says family would be a profitable line of thinking. Thus, we can expect to head to the Hog's Head and get friendly with the barman who likes to get friendly with goats. We also know his portrait is in the headmaster's (now headmistress') office, and likely in the Ministry of Magic (although, that's unconfirmed). And there's always the pensieve.

* A question at a recent reading about whether or not any of the professors were married received an evasive answer from JKR, and it was suggested that the answer was both in the affirmative and significant to the seventh book.

* The last word is no longer scar - although it's very near the end.

* Someone does magic late in life under desperate circumstances. I'm pulling for Mrs. Figg.

* Why, why, why, please, tell us why, Dumbledore trusts Snape? Some suggest Snape may have been forced to make an Unbreakable Vow to the Order. If this is the case, someone served as the bond sealer. I would like to say that I think Snape may be able to prove his loyalty by calling Fawkes to him as Harry did in the Chamber of Secrets.

* In a recent interview, JKR was asked if she cried when she finished the book. She said no, but that a chapter very near the end caused her to "howl." I think that makes us all a bit uncomfortable.

* Let it be said that Kim called way back in 2003 with the release of Order of the Phoenix that the Mimbulus Mimbletonia would have its day. And as information often skips a book before coming back, I think she may have it here.

* JKR dodged a question about Harry time-traveling, which is again, an indicator that it might come up.

* I'm kind of wondering - and I have no basis for this - if the Potters were Unspeakables (workers in the Department of Mysteries).

* Mugglenet had a Deathly Hallows Madness (similar to March Madness) that posed 65 questions about the seventh book. I couldn't possibly review all my answers here, but the high points, just for posterity are:

1) Harry, Ron, Hermione & Ginny will live (because I can't really bear to predict otherwise although I secretly, secretly fear that Harry will die).
2) Snape is good. (And loved Lily. And will do something extreme to show his loyalty for the Order. Like taking the old Avada Kedavra for the team.)
3) Draco Malfoy dies.
4) Neville will defeat Bellatrix Lestrange.
5) Nargles are for real.

Let the final countdown begin! Just 48 hours until the momentous occasion!!

Questions & Theories: Half-Blood Prince

* Where are Ollivander and Fortescue? (My mother suggested Fortescue was taken because Voldemort likes ice cream as much as we do.)

* Is there any significance to Slughorn saying there is immense power in obsessive love? And will Slughorn resume his post at Hogwarts, possibly giving Harry further direction on horcruxes and how to destroy them?

* What happened to Dumbledore's hand? Will the memory of this excursion be left in the pensieve for Harry?

* Did Mundungus pilfer anything important from Grimauld Place? I'm going to guess no here, since JKR specifically told film producers they'd better leave Kreacher in OOTP but put up no fight about Mundungus being struck from the film.

* Hogwarts is so important to Riddle. Beyond collecting the items from the founders, was he able to hide a horcrux there?

* Any significance to Octavius Pepper, who goes missing?

* What happened to Dumbledore when he drank the potion? When asked shortly following the publication of HBP what Dumbledore's boggart would be, she said, "Read the book. There's your answer." Is this potion liquid boggart, or, in essence, liquid fear? And still, what did he mean when he said, "Don't hurt them, hurt me"? (Some wonder if the liquid was the Draught of Living Death, but early in the book, Harry's concoction of DOLD is a pale pink - not green - just before Slughorn gives him top marks.)

* Why did Snape and Dumbledore argue over something Snape didn't want to do anymore? (I mean, I guess I'd probably get tired, too, if I were a double-triple-to-the-nth-power agent.)

* Trelawney is shown at two different times with tarot cards. Once she mentions conflict, an ill omen, and a dark young man who doesn't like her - just as she passes Harry. And when she tells him that it was Snape who overheard the prophecy, she's talking about the lightning struck tower. Is Trelawney a truer seer than we think?

* What will happen to Dumbledore's wand?

* Who is R.A.B.? JKR says Regulus Black would be "a fine guess."

* What are the horcruxes? Is, as Andi suggested in the comments on the OOTP post, Dumbledore confirming that Nagini is a horcrux after she attacks Mr. Weasley? In addition to Hufflepuff's cup and Slytherin's locket, are there artifacts from Ravenclaw and Gryffindor? Mugglenet suggests it was Ravenclaw's wand Tom Riddle wanted to recover - is this his connection to Ollivander? And while Dumbledore says that sword of Gryffindor is safe, is the sword of Gryffindor something else...like Harry himself? This may be the epic battle between the Heir of Slytherin and the Heir of Gryffindor, and if Harry is a horcrux (as some think he might be) then we'll get our metaphorical sword.

* Where are the horcruxes? Most people think that the locket is the heavy locket no one could open at Grimauld Place in OOTP and was brought there by Regulus Black, one R.A.B. The other horcruxes are anyone's guess. I've seen theories that one is hidden in the Room of Requirement (where Harry left his Half-Blood Prince textbook). Others have suggested Gringotts. This is one question I think, aside from the locket, we have the least clues to answer.

Questions & Theories: Order of the Phoenix

* What did Dudley see when attacked by the dementors? JKR has said this will be answered, and while Mugglenet predicts that it will be his experience with Hagrid in SS, I'm hoping for something more telling and significant.

* Dumbledore's howler says, "Remember my last" which is an indication that he and Petunia have exchanged more than one correspondence. JKR has said there is more to Petunia than meets the eye, although she is not magical in any way - not even a squib. Will she give Dumbledore's letters to Harry? And is there more to Petunia than that?

* Is the heavy locket that no one could open at Grimauld Place perhaps Slytherin's locket? And was it brought there by Regulus Black? And does it still reside there in dear Kreacher's stash?

* She mentions an auror who looks like Bill in that offhanded way of someone who will be important later...but he may be no one.

* What is behind the door that melted the knife Sirius gave Harry? When asked if we would go back to the Department of Mysteries, JKR said, "No comment" which usually means "yes."

* What is the weird connection between Harry and Voldemort that Dumbledore never completely explains?

* What is the instrument Dumbledore uses after Mr. Weasley is attacked and what does it do? (It produces a smoky serpent to which Dumbledore says, "Naturally...but in essence divided?")

* Why doesn't Snape want Harry to say Voldemort's name?

* Why is Snape's worst memory his worst memory? Is it because he called Lily a mudblood even though he secretly loved her?

* JKR has said we will understand why Sirius had to die. Is it because Harry will have to somehow force Voldemort through the veil to kill him, as their wands can't duel?

Questions & Theories: Goblet of Fire

Less than a week away from Deathly Hallows...if you're one of those people who just can't wait, The Guardian is claiming to have the first paragraph of the book, snatched from a screen cap from a forthcoming documentary about JKR that was shot while she was finishing the book. You can view it at Mugglenet if you dare. (In case you're wondering, I didn't. I'm trying to stay spoiler-free.)

* In Harry's vision, Voldemort is telling Peter he's to kill someone. Who is it?

* Is Neville under memory charm to keep him from remembering something about his parents' torture? (This is a popular theory on the Potter sites.) He says the sound from the golden egg "sound like people being tortured." How does he know? They also point to the remembrall turning bright ride in SS - what has he forgotten that is that important?

* Fleur Delacour suggests that the final task may be to find treasure in underground tunnels. Is this, by any chance, the tunnel featured on the U.K. cover?

* Harry's watch breaks during the second task, which Rowling draws attention to more than once. Will he inherit the watch Dumbledore wears and what is its significance?

* Trelawney see Mars at the end of GOF as burning red, similar to Firenze in SS. Is she less of a fraud than we think? (More on this coming under HBP.)

* When Harry is shouting at Cornelius Fudge about what he saw, he names Lucius Malfoy as a Deatheater, and Snape "made a sudden movement." Why?

* What was Dumbledore's "gleam of triumph" when Harry said Voldemort had used his blood? JKR says this is "enormously important." There's something about the blood of sacrifice now being in Voldemort's veins that makes him vulnerable to Harry in a certain way, but I can't put my finger on what it is.

Questions & Theories: Prisoner of Azkaban

Prisoner of Azkaban is our first glimpse into Harry's background since the opening chapter of Sorcerer's Stone. Through Sirius and Lupin (and the infamous Three Broomsticks scene), the details of the Potters demise become clear.

Sirius is one of my favorite characters in all of Potterdom - and that's saying something. His story, though, is one of the most frustrating and unjust of the series. And I realized something reading POA this time around that I'd never thought of before and never seen discussed (although I wouldn't go so far as to say I'm alone in my discovery).

We find out in HBP that Snape is who overheard the prophecy and carried it to Voldemort. And all signs point to the fact that when Snape heard that Voldemort was going after the Potters that he might have asked Voldemort to spare Lily. We also know that Peter Pettigrew betrayed the Potters as their secret-keeper. So it follows that if Snape was asking Voldemort to spare Lily, he knew there was a reason to make such a request - because Voldemort had been given the Potters' whereabouts. So Snape knew who had told Voldemort where the Potters were. Which means that Snape knew all along that Sirius was innocent and he did nothing. It seems like the sort of thing that Snape would do...but, ugh. He could've cleared Sirius' name - I mean, as a reformed Death Eater, he could've testified that Sirius was never in league with Voldemort. But instead, he let Sirius rot. Talk about revenge. I still think that Snape will be a good guy in the end, but one of the most twisted, despicable good guys ever.

On to my other questions...

* Was there anything besides the murder of Peter Pettigrew/Muggles that made people so easily believe Sirius was a Deatheater?

* Who initially told Dumbledore that Voldemort was after Lily and James that prompted them to go into hiding under the Fidelius Charm?

* Why, why, why did the Potters not accept Dumbledore's offer to be their secret keeper?

* Why did Lupin and Sirius each suspect the other had turned spy for Voldemort?

* How did Percy get Scabbers/Peter Pettigrew?

* What else did Pettigrew pass on to Voldemort while he was spying?

Questions & Theories: Chamber of Secrets

* Is Hagrid's wand really broken? Ron's broken wand is a right nightmare, but Hagrid's clearly performs as directed.

* What do we learn about how a Horcrux works that will help us identify them in Deathly Hallows? (I admit - I stole this question from The Today Show)

* Did Snape suggest Draco produce a snake during the duel? Did he suspect Harry might be a Parselmouth?

* Are the likenesses we discover between Harry and Lord Voldemort coincidences, or do they indicate Harry has a piece of Voldemort's soul (a.k.a. is a horcrux)?

* Is it pathetic that I am writing this entry at 11:20 on a Friday night? Okay, so that has nothing to do with Harry Potter, but I'd love to hear your theories.

Questions & Theories: Sorcerer's Stone

Over the course of the next week, I'm going to be posting the contents of my nerd notebook for the purposes of discussion and conjecture or just to heighten the frenzy around the release of Deathly Hallows, which is deliciously close at hand. Some of the questions I'm posting come from endless amount of reading on the fan sites and JKR interviews, so I can't take all the credit (or the accusations of an unhealthy obsession).

* Where is Sirius' motorcycle? Rowling says fans who read carefully will know where it is - it was last mentioned by Hagrid in POA when he said Sirius told him to keep it. So it may well reside with the gamekeeper.

* Who else was in Godric's Hollow the night the Potters were attacked? And how is Godric's Hollow linked to Godric Gryffindor?

* Who retrieved Voldemort's wand?

* What were Lily's & James' occupations that they earned so much gold?

* Why is it important that Lily's wand was good for charms?

* How did Dumbledore defeat the dark wizard Grindelwald?

* Why did the sorting hat hesitate to place Seamus?

* Why is the Bloody Baron bloody? (Not that I think this is a pivotal plot point, but inquiring minds want to know.)

* Will the Mirror of Erised return?

* Why did Dumbledore have the invisibility cloak before James died? JKR has declared this as the one question no one has ever asked her that should have been asked as it is important - even crucial - the story.

* Does Dumbledore realize in through the whole story that Voldemort is close at hand?

What Does It All Mean?

Scholastic released its seventh and final question leading up to the release of Deathly Hallows. The last question is about the title: what are the deathly hallows? But don't get your hopes up - no spoilers here. The question is simply about what part of the book will reveal the answer to the question:

* The beginning
* The middle
* The end

Looking back at old titles, the second part of the title tends to become clear fairly early in the book with the exceptions of Sorcerer's Stone and Goblet of Fire, which both come closer to the middle. Prisoner of Azkaban and Order of the Phoenix are introduced in the opening chapters, and Chamber of Secrets and Half-Blood Prince are both revealed at the beginning of the school year. Perhaps she's throwing us a curveball with this one, but I suspect the deathly hallows will, in some part, be defined for us early in the book. After all, we don't have much room left to work, so if it's that important, we'd better find out right away.

Sixth Question: Voldemort's Fate

Scholastic's sixth question is will Voldemort be defeated? Options are

* Yes and he will live
* Yes and he will die
* No way
* There will be a truce

Right now, 81% are voting that he will be defeated and die. How else could we all sleep at night?

The Crux of the Matter: Part 2

So Scholastic's site was being fritzy this morning, and it seems there are multiple choices to the horcrux question. They are

* Diagon Alley
* Hogsmeade
* Hogwarts
* Only with Death Eaters
* Godric's Hollow
* Azkaban
* St. Mungo's
* Among Muggles
* Elsewhere

This is very curious. I must ponder before predicting.

The Crux of the Matter

More Harry Potter goodness! The fifth question from Scholastic centers around the location of the horcruxes. I'm a little surprised the where question is preceding the what question - as in, what are the horcruxes? No multiple choice answers this time around, so the conjecture is all open ended.

We anticipate that Harry will be traveling to Godric's Hollow early in the book, and Rowling has pretty much confirmed that Godric's Hollow is somehow connected to Godric Gryffindor. We may not find a horcrux there, but I think we might find out what one is. And I expect Luna may be the source of information about the Ravenclaw artifact. Hufflepuff's cup is anyone's guess, although I've begun to wonder if the U.K. cover is a Gringott's vault. As to Slytherin's locket, most people have puzzled out that it may be mentioned in OOTP and therefore is likely to reside at Grimauld Place with everyone's favortie Kreacher. As for Nagini, well, she's withVoldemort, although, I question whether Dumbledore might be off on that guess, depending on whether or not we find a living thing can be a horcrux. (Which we will probably see Harry ferret more information out of Slughorn.) And as to whether or not Harry himself is a horcrux, that's a whole separate discussion entirely. We shall see...

Also, I just want to pose the question about the cover art - is Harry's scar gone? It's so prominently depicted on the other covers but is conspicuously either missing or very downplayed here.

Lastly, a post script on the fourth question - the Harry/Hermione choice is outpacing any of the other suggested relationship at a whopping 60% with more than 125,000 votes. Those are some dedicated (if a bit deluded) readers.

Fourth Question: The Book of Love?

Scholastic's fourth question asks whom love is in the air for in Deathly Hallows. I couldn't help but laugh at the poll results on Scholastic's websites. The poll poses the following couples, and you can only vote for one:

* Harry & Ginny
* Ron & Hermione
* Harry & Hermione
* Lupin & Tonks

I cast my vote for Ron and Hermione, since that's the relationship Rowling has been most clearly setting up from the outset that hasn't quite come to fruition. If something doesn't happen there, talk about a loaded gun left on the wall. My hope is that Harry and Ginny will get their day, too. But the poll results are skewing heavily toward Harry and Hermione with 52% percent of the votes. Granted, Scholastic's site seems to be having technical difficulties and has only recorded 100 votes - so either something is amiss or I'm really on the ball this morning.

All the same, I figure there are those rabid fans out there who will insist that Harry and Hermione are going to end up together. Sorry, guys. Rowling's already debunked you on that following the publication of Half-Blood Prince. I think the only way Harry's going to end up with Hermione is if Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson make out off camera.

Third Question

Scholastic's third question is will Hogwarts reopen in Deathly Hallows? Choices are a straight up yes and no and yes but Harry, Ron and Hermione won't go back. I'm leaning toward the latter. Clearly, Harry has said he won't be going back, but I think Rowling needs Hogwarts as a central location. Even if it's not open, the book will take us back there in some form or fashion. Some folks have conjectured that one of the founders' artifacts may be hidden in the room where Harry dumps his potions book in Half-Blood Prince (Chapter Twenty-Four, "Sectumsempra"). It's getting close. I better get on the re-reading!

Second Question: Good or Evil?

The second of seven questions was released this morning by Scholastic leading up to the publication of Deathly Hallows. Is Snape good or evil? This question has been much debated since he Avada Kedavra'ed Dumbledore and fled. So which is it?

* Good and still a spy for the OOTP

* Good but in too deep with Voldemort

* Evil and has always been a spy for Voldemort

* Evil but only because Voldemort is back

At the moment, the first choice is winning at 45%. I'm surprised. A poll on Mugglenet shortly after Half-Blood Prince was published had Snape pegged as evil. I must agree with the majority here...if there's one thing we should've all learned by now, Rowling's scenes are never quite what they seem. I think there was more to "Severus, please" than a plea for life. And as for the look of hatred on Snape's face, Bellatrix told Harry that you can't succeed with the Unforgivable Curses unless you mean them.

First Question

Starting today, J.K. Rowling's American publisher, Scholastic, is posting seven burning questions about the conclusion of the Potter series leading up to the publication of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Fans can vote on their site and discuss the questions with other Potterheads.

Today's question is one of life or death. Who will survive book 7 and who will meet their end? The characters cited on the Scholastic site are listed below along with my votes. Discuss amongst yourselves.

* Harry Potter - (Lives) Despite rumors that Rowling will kill him to keep anyone else from writing about him, I think Rowling is too dedicated to her story for petty deep-sixing. Besides, in this story of ultimate good and evil, what does it say if good dies?

* Lord Voldemort - (Dies) If I'm voting for Harry to live, I think Voldemort has to die. Duh. "Neither can live while the other survives."

* Ginny Weasley - (Lives) This vote is one of hope more than confidence. Ginny's definitely vulnerable, as Harry pointed out himself at the end of Half-Blood Prince. It's entirely possible Voldemort will use her to get to Harry and then dispose of her. Let's hope not.

* Ron Weasley - (Lives) While the Weasley clan is definitely a target for a death, I don't see Ron being the one to snuff it. He's Harry's best friend, but there are definitely some more likely candidates to get it over Ron.

* Hermione Granger - (Lives) Since Rowling's been prepping us for, oh, about six books now for the love connection between Hermione and Ron, I don't think she's going to waste her groundwork by killing either of them.

* Neville Longbottom - (Lives) Neville's tenure in the Potterverse has been fraught with failure. I think Rowling's setting him up for a heroic conclusion. But, like Ginny, I also have a sneaking suspicion that he's vulnerable for going down in a blaze of glory. Another hope vote from me.

* Severus Snape - (Dies) I'm stealing my prediction on this one from Kim. I think Severus is going to die protecting Harry in some way. I don't think he's necessarily good or evil, but I think the death scene with Dumbledore was too complex to just be what it looked on the surface. I say he bites it, but with honor.

* Rubeus Hagrid - (Lives) Let's face it: Harry's already lost too many parents. Taking Hagrid would be cruel at this point.

* Draco Malfoy - (Lives) She's going to take Voldemort, but leave us with Malfoy. He's got potential for redemption, but I think that might be too sentimental for Rowling. He'll still be pointy-faced and sneering at the end, but intact.

*Peter Pettigrew* - (Dies) Two words: Wizard's Debt.

*my addition for Scholastic's "Other" category