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.

[dr_whom]

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

[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.

[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.

[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.