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

[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?