[tesao]

consider it wishful thinking on my part, if you wish, but i think that sirius will somehow be able to communicate - if not actually pass back --through the veil. this will make harry's life somewhat less empty.

so, what are we going to learn about harry's parents? and what about his aunt? what is up with her??? anyone care to speculate?

[culturehandy]

So aside from the obvious of who is going to die, does anyone else have any plot ideas?

[llamas]

July's gonna be a freaking HP orgy...woohoo!

[bunnyb]

mine's pre-ordered too; OoTP the film is out the week before.

[culturehandy]

You have just made my day Jasmine77!!! I was in such a shit mood at work, and now! Hurrah!

[jasmine77]

Just thought I'd mention that Harry Potter 7 comes out July 21st!!!! YAY!!! I already preordered my copy!

[prophecy_grrl]

OK - I'm offically a dirty old lady. Holy crap.

thanks, redhead!

[theredhead]

Just thought I'd mention this... hope you're sitting down!

Yowza!

[llamas]

Tes, a couple of my coworkers and I have had extensive discussions on that question! Rowling said that two characters will die that she didn't intend to die; so does that mean that more than two characters will die, but the rest will be according to her original plan? If you go with that, then it kinda eliminates from the said two what I consider to be the more obvious choices that I kinda assume are going to snuff it, like Wormtail and any or all of the Malfoys. Also Hufflepuff Justin, for some reason. I can definitely see her killing off Harry to preserve the integrity of the series, but if he dies, Voldemort has to die too. I can't see Rowling leaving Voldy alive with Harry dead, as I'm sure the ending will be classic good-conquers-evil, one way or another. But you could consider Voldemort to be one of the obvious deaths, too. Too many possibilities in that statement!

So I've been coming at it from the angle of, who definitely needs not to die to ensure a proper happy ending, not nessesarily for Harry but for the wizarding world as a whole? So far I've got McGonagall, the Weasleys (except for Percy, he's an obvious death for me), Hermione, and Tonks and Lupin; McGonagall will be the new headmistress of Hogwarts, the Weasleys will finally be influential in the Ministry of Magic and otherwise, in a nice, Muggle-born and Muggle-friendly way, and the last two need to have their own personal happy ending! Also, at least 2 of the trio need to survive, as it would be psychologically cruel to leave only one alone.

Wow, dissertation much?

[culturehandy]

I still think that it is Harry and Voldemort who are going to die. I think that they are a part of each other, no matter what, and what happens to one happens to the other. I don't think that Voldemort is going to live. I think it will be the fina showdown.

I really do think that Harry will die.

[tesao]

regarding who will die in the next/last book: i believe that the latest word is that two people will die.

1. i don't think that it will be harry. rowling has set in motion a classic hero story; heroes in that situation don't ever die.

2. i think that it will be harry. rowling has specifically mentioned that she hates seeing other authors take up where the original had left off. NEVER with any success. think scarlett in gone with the wind. then think scarlett in that travesty of the literary equivalent of remaking previously successful movies by turning them into a franchise.

so, who else?? if we follow the classic untried hero logic, it would have to be hagrid -- or one of harry's best friends (ron or hermione). in the classic storyline, all of the heroes allies would be picked off one by one until a situation has reached explosion point.

what do others think?

[octobersky]

Apologies if some has posted this already or if any of you have seen this before. It's a Harry Potter spoof from Robot Chicken - I died laughing the first time I saw it...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjLBCH6VTvQ

[culturehandy]

I used to work at a book store, and the Harry Potter launch party was so much fun! I remembering having to work at my other job when OOTP came out, and I came into work that night, and we got to dress up, and we had games and activities, it was so wonderful!

[sidecar]

Polly, I went to a midnight release party at Women and Children first for the sixth one and it was so fun.

[bunnyb]

ooh polly, that would be so good! I'm thinking that the new minister of magic (in book 6) -can't remember his name and don't have book to hand, the one who looks like a lion- should be played by Stephen Fry; he is so good at reading the books on audio (bunny sis is currently listening to them after I bought them for her for Christmas) and I love him so.

[wombat]

I just want this book 7 to come out -- pleezpleezpleez.

I will block my ears against all media, and any jerky people, go buy it, and shamelessly throw everything aside that day/night for however long it takes to read it.

Favorite so far: 5. close seocnd: 3.

Can't wait for movie of #5!!

[pollystyrene]

(cross-posting in the Buffyverse thread) I was reading the IMDB message boards for Tony Head (who played Giles on Buffy) and someone suggested that they should cast him as the muggle Prime Minister (he doesn't actually have a name, does he?) in the 6th movie. Mmm, that would be good.

[culturehandy]

Tes, go to Mugglenet.com, it gives complete instructions of how to get the title. I would be delighted to discuss who dies in the next book!

[pollystyrene]

I've only been a big fan of HP since a little before the 5th book came out, so I'm a relative newcomer. I haven't done the midnight release thing yet, but I'm planning on doing it with this one with a bunch of friends and some family. We're going to go to what's supposed to be the best release party in the Chicago area, at The Magic Tree, a children's bookstore. Here are pictures from the release party for the 6th book. They get the whole neighborhood they're in into the party.

[maryjo]

From the classic-heroic genre it seems to me clear that JKR is doing, I say tha Dumbledore is definitely dead and Harry will live. But many will die and the Wizarding World will change beyond recognition... these feel to me like incontrovertible facts, and only the details remain to be determined.

I hope to go to a bookstore at midnight too pick up this one....