In case you hadn't heard ... (Harry Potter)

[clauclauclaudia]

I'm sure some people's friends lists are afire with the news, but amazingly few people have said anything on my f-list and besides, I wanna talk about it!

So. Harry Potter book 7's publication date has been announced: July 21, 2007. A mere fortnight after the rumored 7/7/7, but this way it comes out more than a week after movie 5 rather than several days before. I assume the movie side of things is just being inflexible. Oh well.

(But ya see, 21/7/7 = 3x7/7/7, which is equally nifty in its own way. See the 3, and the three sevens? Okay, I'll put the prime factoring subprocess back in de box for now. Don't be scared.)

I don't want to quote J.K. Rowling about what will or won't happen in the book. Go ahead and do that in comments if you like--I just don't follow her interviews closely, nor do I care to. I just read the books. And the fic. And play the RPGs*. ;-)

And I just want to talk about what I want to see, and what I think I'll see.

What I want:

• Harry lives.
• It is shown that Snape was working for Dumbledore all along, not just hedging his bets.
• Something dramatic "on screen" reveals this. (Okay, I think this is a pretty sure thing.)
• Harry goes "oh!" and realizes Snape was working for Dumbledore all along. (Ditto.)
• Snape lives. (oh hush--this is what I want)
• Precious little time devoted to any romances at all.
• Remus is gay! (All right, maybe not really. He's got metaphorical AIDS already--that might be laying it on a bit too thick. I'll settle for some sympathetic character being gay. This is actually not a huge deal for me, because the books are doing so much else more subtly regarding otherness. But as long as I'm making a wishlist.)
• Dumbledore is really dead. (Live with it!)
• Neville comes into his own.
• Draco... hrm. What do I want for Draco? That's a puzzler. I guess I want him redeemed. Not so much for his own sake (I do feel sorry for the boy we saw crying in the bathroom, but that only goes so far) as for Dumbledore's death to have redemptive power, not just strategic worth.
• Luna to play some really startling crucial role.

What I predict:

• Dumbledore is really dead.
• Someone close to Harry dies.
• Snape dies.

SOB

* Oh yeah, my RPG is still looking for a Bellatrix and other characters, though I know there are applications pending for some characters. Come play! Personally, I want to see more Death Eaters and more older characters, but the more the merrier! *bats eyes*

Comments

[heavenscalyx.livejournal.com]

I'd love to see GayRemus too. Or gaySomeonePositive. GayTonks would be nice. (Tonks and Remus get together, realize there's no spark, and decide to both come out and be best friends.)

And ImportantLuna, rather than ComedyReliefLuna. That would be nice.

I expect that either Ginny or Neville will die, and I cynically expect it to be Ginny, because of Rowling's past dealings with girl characters, her continued need to thanatomotivate Harry, and a possible need to reassert Harry's manliness (after motivating him with three dead male characters) without getting him entwined in a relationship. Neville's also a good possibility, possibly going out with a bang that includes him coming into his own in a less than satisfying way that the fans can go, "Um, yay?"

What would be really satisfying for me is if it turned out that Harry was a complete red herring, and Neville has been the Chosen One all along. Heh.

Oh, I'd also like to see Hermione suddenly manifest into something other than a shrew. She had such possibilities early in the series.

[clauclauclaudia]

I'm okay with Ginny dying in terms of whether I'd miss the character (not so much), but on the other hand I don't think she's well-loved enough that it's dramatically worthwhile to kill her off. And I agree with you about the problematic nature of JKR's girl characters. I'm skeptical that she feels a need to (re)assert Harry's manliness, though. *cue Equus pictures*

My problem with either Harry or Neville dying is that they've both had such a poor lot in life so far. I really don't want the series to come down to "life sucks, then you die", and I strongly feel that is what it says if Harry dies in book 7. And to a lesser degree if Neville dies.

I don't feel Hermione has been portrayed as shrewishly as some think. But it would be nice to see some assertiveness not of the cheap movie variety.

[heavenscalyx.livejournal.com]

Well, okay, you have a point about the manliness. And about Harry or Neville dying.

I think the main reason I feel that Hermione has gotten a bum rap was the number of times the "Hermione said _________" lines had fairly pejorative adverbs in them in the last book. It felt like JKR was using "waspishly" at least often as Harry "fired up."

[leora.livejournal.com]

I don't think it'd be life sucks and then you die.

It'd be life sucks and then you accept death because while everything will always suck for you, you will make the world better for others by doing so.

I think Harry has to die. I'll be surprised if he lives.

[jheaton.livejournal.com]

I'm OK with Ginny dying too, because she needs to be out of the way to clear the way for Susan Bones, but my preferred resolution is that Ginny and Luna end up together. They'd make a cute couple, don't you think?

[cassandrasimplx.livejournal.com]

What would be really satisfying for me is if it turned out that Harry was a complete red herring, and Neville has been the Chosen One all along. Heh.


Seconded. There's plenty of wiggle room for it in the prophecy thingy, and it would be satisfying on a gut level to see Harry's role transmuted to "distracting Valdemort to give the real hero time to get his feet under him".

I dunno. I guess I've been getting a bit anti-Harry ever since he started turning into a whiny chosen-therefore-entitled git. I mean. Since he got really adolescent. Given it's a function of age, not stunted development, it's not really his fault he's adolescent. But boy is he sure adolescent. *sigh* Meanwhile, Neville's just sort of sweet and uncertain. He deserves a break.

[clauclauclaudia]

He's very much adolescent. But I really don't get much sense of "chosen-therefore-entitled" from him, except in the limited OotP sense: "I'm going to be fighting therefore you'd better keep me informed about the fight".

Really, I don't think the unreliable narrator perspective really lets us get a good picture of how entitled he may feel, as that's such a very subjective thing.

[dr_whom]

All I'm sayin' is, one of the Horcruxes had better be Rowena Ravenclaw's wand.

[clauclauclaudia]

Yes sir!

Apparently one gloss of "Hallows", in the context of Arthurian legend, is the four tarot-deck-suit objects, so I'm thinking you won't be disappointed in this.

[wolfheart17.livejournal.com]

She has the damned suits mixed up. Ravenclaw should have totally been air (which was already given to Gryffendor, Hrmph). Not that I am actually bitter, any reference to the Treasures give me glee.

[juliansinger.livejournal.com]

I have no predictions because I like being surprised by books.

And wah. Last time it came out in time for Calluna's birthday. Hmph.

[heavenscalyx.livejournal.com]

This time it's in time for Akycha's birthday!

[clauclauclaudia]

"A very merry unbirthday to you!"

[lil-brown-bat.livejournal.com]

My guesses:

• Dumbledore stays dead
  
• A Weasley dies
  
• Cornelius Fudge comes to a sticky end
  
• Snape is vindicated
  
• Nobody's gay
  

...but most of all...the involvement of magical creatures becomes very, very important.

[clauclauclaudia]

I think you're right. House-elves or centaurs or giants or... some non-human sentients are going to be very important. If she pulls it off well, that's better than the literal gay character. More thematically appropriate, at any rate.

I was hoping Fudge was a non-entity by now. Maybe he's a sekrit Death Eater, that'd be okay.

And... okay, a Weasley can die. But not Ron and not one twin without the other. (Have you heard? Ron has to go back in time and become Dumbledore! Courtesy of archive.org: Weasley is our King! )

[miss-bowtruckle.livejournal.com]

Not one twin without the other???

Not one at all!!!

gah....

[clauclauclaudia]

*tries to click the little +icon and fails*

Yes dear. :)

But there are few angst-fics more angstful for me than when one of them dies and the other lives on.

[miss-bowtruckle.livejournal.com]

*sobs*

I know!! I've read some real tear-jerkers...so anyone can die but them.

[lil-brown-bat.livejournal.com]

I think you're right. House-elves or centaurs or giants or... some non-human sentients are going to be very important. If she pulls it off well, that's better than the literal gay character. More thematically appropriate, at any rate.

Yeah, and she's been leading up to it: Harry's reaction to the fountain sculpture, all the references to the goblin wars, Hagrid's expedition to the giants, the centaurs, Lupin...it's going to be a big part of book 7 is my guess.

I was hoping Fudge was a non-entity by now. Maybe he's a sekrit Death Eater, that'd be okay.

Those five were actually kind of off the cuff, and this one was more...I wonder how the wizarding world is going to deal with the former fence-sitters and whatnot when push comes to shove?

And... okay, a Weasley can die. But not Ron and not one twin without the other. (Have you heard? Ron has to go back in time and become Dumbledore! Courtesy of archive.org: Weasley is our King! )

It'd be okay if Percy died. Okay, Percy prediction: either a)he comes running back to the fold early on, and finally stops being a weenie and redeems himself by doing something heroic-like, or b)sticky end.

I'm in favor of bringing back the phrase "sticky end", can you tell?

[clauclauclaudia]

Sticky sticky sticky.

Yes, Percy needs some clear resolution, but I find I don't much care which sort it is.

[emmacrew.livejournal.com]

I thought the Dumbledore = Ron back in time thing was remarkably well put together from a literary analysis sort of tack, even if the idea itself didn't resonate for me (and JKR hadn't shot it down).

I'm not sure why so many folks think she's going to off Snape. Maybe they see that the only way for him to be redeemed? I'm just not sure what it would serve. I think it's more likely to be Molly (or maybe Arthur) than one of the Weasley kids that dies. I also vaguely want Hermione to say "what was I thinking, dating Ron?" though of course I know JKR would *never* let her end up with Snape one day.

[clauclauclaudia]

I'm not sure why so many folks think she's going to off Snape.

It just seems to me to be the way she reveals things to Harry: when it's too late for him to do anything about it. Also, nothing's quite so convincing as dying for a cause to convince people you were earnest about it.

[silver-fic.livejournal.com]

I can so totally see Seamus being gay, but that just might be inner wishful thinking fangirl :)

As for the rest of it, yeah sounds about right.