Harry Potter and the Grand Finale

So unless you live in the M31 Andromeda galaxy, you've probably hear about Harry Potter. You also may have noticed that the 5th movie (Order of the Phoenix) came out ...meh.....but the big news is really about the 21st of July when the Grand finale == HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS...will be out.

For true Potter fans i.e. yours truly and many more out there, the movies are shallow attempts at re-creating the undoubtedly magical atmosphere, plot and characters of the record-breaking. (For typical views of true Potter fans see my cousin Hardik's blog entry at http://hardikkothare.blogspot.com/2007/07/movieobliviatedeletriusavada-kedavra.html )

The read deal is going to be Book 7. For me, this is not just the literary event of the year but a moment I will remember my entire life. I've grown up with Harry and like everyone else saying goodbye is going to be really hard. People argue that with two movies remaining and a plethora of merchandising the journey isn't over. But for me it well and truly is........... its always been about the books.

The incredible plots, the ludicrous yet utterly believable magic and the infectious humor have captured me and millions others in ways no books ever have. I scour the net for the latest theories and discussions on sites like mugglenet and The Leaky Cauldron. So I think with the greatest series ever coming to an end, the time is appropriate for my official predictions for HP 7:-

So......im not as good as Firenze or Trelawney ...but ----

Predictions a.k.a. stuff I really want to happen:-

1) Snape is good in a way. I still think Snivellus is an evil git but I also think he's loyal to Dumbledore when his aims and Dumbledore's aims coincide e.g. in his survival. Snape's a slytherin and so i'll be he's more concerned with self-preservation than simply blindy following Voldemort. Plus from a literary point of view Snape if purely evil can only ever be Voldemort's number 2, two centres of evil cant work. Look at all the great fantasy masterpieces - Lord of the Rings, STAR WARS. Saruman was self-preservative while Darth Vader was redemptive. Snape's definitely more complex than both these no 2s.

2) Malfoy helps Harry a bit, grudgingly.....I can't help but feel sorry for Malfoy. I believe Dumbledore when he said that Malfoy wouldn't kill him. The world isn' t divided into good people and death eaters. Malfoy is never going to become honorary member of the D.A. but he isn't going to do everything Voldemort says too. I think Malfoy crying was probably the second most emotive scene of HBP after Dumbledore's murder.

3) Fred and George use their incredible magical innovation to make gadgets like Q in James Bond that eventually help Harry, Ron, Hermione and the Order fight against the Death Eaters and their army of Dementors and Inferi.

4) Grawp squishes a Death Eater......enough said.

5) Neville gets Bellatrix Lestrange......it's personal and Neville's improved beyond recognition now. Hopefully Granny will consider that proof of how exceptional Neville is.

6) Lupin eliminates Fenrir Greyback - I hated whatever little we say of Fenrir and so did Dumbledore. Fenrir bit Lupin as a kid and well..........this one's personal too.

7) The door that Harry couldn't open in the ministry when looking for the Chamber of Prophecies is absolutely integral to the plot. I just can't shake off this gut feeling, something in that locked door that Sirius's knife couldn't open in the Department of Mysteries is intriguing me.

8) Hogwarts is subjugated by Voldemort. Half Blood Prince showed how much Voldemort desires Hogwarts and all that is connected to it. There's definitely more than meets the eye. Also Hogwarts is where Gryffindor's sword is, and unless im mistaken the sword is powerful enough to destroy anything, including Horcruxes so Harry might want to go back as well.

9) Wands arent going to be much use against Voldemort. Its not just Priori Incantatem..Harry just isn't good enough. He's not even qualified, and if its going to be a duel he certainly can't even beat Snape so forget Voldemort.

10) Phoenixes will be huge somehow. Harry's wand core, the Order, Dumbledore's patronus, The Phoenix song - there is certainly more coming there.

11) Mimbulus Mimbletonia - a password and a highly visible object in OOTP. Special powers like stinksap and possible even more potent ones there........

12) Hagrid dies and so does Molly Weasley. Hagrid doesn't have any more story responsibilities besides helping out in any final fight. I thought he would go in OOTP but that was before Grawp, I don't think he has much more left unless he's going to marry Madame Maxime. As for Mrs. Weasley - it'll be extremely sad if she dies but her collapse against the revealing Boggart at Grimmauld Place made me feel that somehow she's in danger. She's scared for everyone else including Harry just like the reader. Im loathing saying this but I think the Dark Mark could be over the Burrow after Bill and Fleur's wedding and that might be enough to coerce Percy into reconcilliating.

13) Looking at the covers it seems like a house-elf (Dobby? Kreacher?) and a sword are involved - looking at the Bloomsbury cover. The amount of gold suggests Gringotts to me. The scholastic cover probably verifies that wands ain't no good here as both Harry and Voldemort are missing their phoenix feather core wands. The USA Scholastic deluxe edition has the trio riding on a dragon...........Im excited because i'm almost certain that its Norbert the Norwegian Ridgeback. I bet the Death Eaters don't have anything close to a tame dragon !!!!!!!!!

14) And the big one.....HARRY WON' T DIE. It's too obvious and too cowardly, an inappropriate way to end the series. My guess is he goes through the Veil and joins Sirius and Co. OR he sacrifices his magical powers for the benefit of wizardkind and goes on to become a Quidditch coach for the Chudley Cannons after a successful career as a seeker where he leads them to a treble of domestic league W.A. (Wizarding Association) Cup and the E.Q.A..(European Quidditch Association) Champions League.

Phew....long post........

I know im probably going to look like an idiot as usual after JKR completely overturnes all my predictions on July the 21st. But heck, thats why I love her work. So....thanks for the incredible journey Joanne Kathleen Rowling , its been great reading your work ...... I doubt we'll ever see anything like this ever again.

P.S. Weasley is our King.