How will the Harry Potter series end?

Cafe Society
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Unboxed Spoilers, for those who have not read through The Order of the Phoenix.
Rowling has been coy as to whether Harry will survive the series. I don’t think he’ll die. The prophesy said with regards to Lord Voldemort that “either must die at the hand of the other”. While this doesn’t mean that both of them survive, I think Harry will.

Harry Potter is one of the most beloved characters in literature. The books are read by countless children. Can you imagine the trauma they’d go through it Harry snuffed it? Rowing would become The Most Hated Woman In England. Parents would be clamouring for her head on a silver platter, with a side of fries. It could destroy her career.

But is Harry “The One”? Neville Longbottom also fits the terms of the prophesy, with one exception: “[T]he Dark Lord will mark him as an equal…” Neville hasn’t been so marked. (i.e., Voldemort hasn’t recognised him as a threat.) He has Marked Harry, and he has marked Harry. Consider this, though: Rowling has been very careful in her stories; from the choosing of names, to continuity between the books. In The Order of the Phoenix she mentions Neville as possibly being the one who will vanquish Voldemort. Why would she mention it, if she wasn’t going to use it later? It would certainly fit with her style of having people be other than they appear.

I’m guessing that somewhere along the line, Voldemort will notice Neville. He’ll “mark him as an equal”. Then we will not know if Harry will kill Voldemort, or if Neville will. Either one of them could be expendable. As I said earlier, I don’t think she’d kill Harry. Too many readers have been vicariously experiencing his adventures, and they have invested too many emotions in the character. But Neville being the hero would fit with her “twists”, as I said. I think that Neville will kill Voldemort, saving Harry in the process. Since the prophesy doesn’t say whether one will live, it’s possible that Neville will die in the act. But I don’t think so.

I think both Harry and Neville will live. When Neville becomes the hero, Harry will lose a lot of the unwanted attention he’s been getting over the years. He’ll be able to live a “normal” life, free of much of his celebrity status. Neville, the clumsy lad people make fun of, will get the glory he’s missed out on all through school.

Harry has said that he’d like to be an Auror. Hm. If Voldemort’s dead, what’s the point? Mopping up? His real love is Quidditch. Maybe he’ll go on to be a professional player. Maybe not. I can’t see him being happy doing that. He’ll be too young to be the Headmaster after Dumbledore dies (which I think will happen at the end of Book Six). I have an idea that he’ll become a Professor at Hogwarts. I think Dumbledore will be replaced by Professor McGonagall.

What about the relationships? Ron and Hermione seem destined to be together. I can see Hermione and Harry together too; but I don’t think it likely. Maybe he’ll wind up with Ginny? Or maybe someone else will be introduced. I have a hunch it will be someone we’ve already met though.

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It’s an intriguing theory, but I also think it’s kind of a letdown to have Neville step in for the Big Final Climactic Battle and save the day when we’ve been following Harry around for the last five books. I mean, I’d love to see Neville do something incredibly heroic, and I, too, think he’ll play a major role in the upcoming books, but I don’t think he’ll be the one to vanquish Voldemort. It’s… disappointing, in a way. (Also not part of the hero cycle, but that’s a different story.)

Relationships: like you said, Ron and Hermione are pretty much good as together. (Although, Rowling has hinted–vaguely–that one of them might not survive the series.) Harry won’t go with Ginny; the whole infatuation on Ginny’s part was a childhood crush, never returned by Harry, and she’s pretty much over it by book four. I think Cho is also out of the picture.

If Harry’s going to have any relationship, I think it’s going to be with someone new, as much as I’d like it to be someone we know.

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And Ginny now has her eye on Dean Thomas, which horrifies Ron and Harry, as Dean is a roommate of theirs, along with Seamus Finnegan and Neville Longbottom.

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No way-I think Harry will end up with Ginny. It’ll be the perfect way for him to officially become a member of the Weasely family-after all, Molly Weasely is the closest thing he has to a mother.
However, if he doesn’t, I wouldn’t mind seeing him with Luna Lovegood-I love her, she’s just so weird.

As for being an Auror after Voldemort, surely you realize there have been other Dark wizards, and most likely there will be so again. Dumbledore defeated one during WWII-some speculate that this one was behind the rise of Hitler.

I believe Neville will become a hero-but I think he’ll perish in the effort, and become a martyr to the fight against dark wizards.

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Guin, it’s just not mutual between Harry and Ginny anymore–never was. I honestly don’t think they’ll ever end up together.

Luna is a nice possibility, but doubtful right now–she seems to be much more of a fringe character. J.K. might expand on her, but it doesn’t look hopeful.

Where was it said Dumbledore defeated the wizard behind Hitler? confused

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Harry will get ol’ Voldy with the help of his Gryffindor classmates. Neville will save Harry’s life and become a hero. Harry may end up with Luna, can’t say for sure yet, but Hermione and Ron will be together and you can mark my words on this last one… Ginny will end up with Neville.

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I don’t remember Hitler being mentioned, but there was something about Dumbledore doing something in 1945.

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I want to see Neville dust Bellatrix LeStrange. It would be poetic justice. I wouldn’t even mind if he snuffed it in the process, although I’d much, much, MUCH rather him live a happy, successful life, teaching Herbology at Hogwarts.

I do love Luna, and Rowling has said that she really enjoys Luna’s character. That being said, however, I’m not too sure I’m eager to see her hook up with Harry. What about Neville? They seem oddly appropriate for each other.

Ron and Hermione need to be together. And if Ron snuffs it, I will be most unhappy. Rowling really needs to let the trio triumph, I think.

I really, really, really wish she’d hurry up and finish Book 6!!

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A horrible bloodbath?
Check out www.fictionalley.org
All sorts of HP stuff
And the only thing I want in the film is for Hermione to get her kit off…
Hmmm an X rated Harry Potter. I’m sure someone’s done it already. If I look in the right section at the video store :stuck_out_tongue:

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Ginny was a WAG. Very wild. I still have a hunch it will be someone we’ve met. Either that, or someone unlikely. Guin’s guess that hooking up with Ginny would “officially” bring him into the Weasly family is good; but I’m not really seeing it.

I’d say that guess is close to the mark.

I’d like to think that it will be done with help from all of the Houses, keeping in line with the Sorting Hat’s warning that the Houses should join together.

What about the Dursleys? Some wizards get a late start. (Neville, for example, showed no magical aptitude until he was accidentally dropped out of a window.) Might be interesting if Dudley suddenly showed signs of magical ability. On the other hand, he’s really thick – maybe more than Crabbe and Goyle. It would be a good slap at his parents, but that’s about it. (Or is he really all that thick? He’s good at manipulating people.)

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I like it. :slight_smile:

Erm… You know she’s underage, right? That’s a little… disturbing.

[sub]Someone once posted a website where a guy PhotoShopped Hermione’s head on a naked body. Let’s put that guy on a list… [/sub]

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I think that Harry, Ron, and Hermione all survive - 'twould bee too much of a letdown if they didn’t. (And R & H end up together by early Book 7.)

Beyond that, my projections are:

I agree that Dumbledore is dead at the end of Book 6; it forces Harry to be completely on his own for the final fight againt Voldemort.

A Weasley bites it in Book 6 - probably Arthur or Molly, but possibly Percy. Having Arthur die with Percy estranged would be an excellent minor tragedy for the series.

Harry doesn’t end up with anyone. At the end, there may be an indication that he ends up with one character or another (my money’s on Luna, with Fleur as a dark horse), but nothing will actually happen.

Tonks is a traitor - but that won’t come out 'til Book 7.

We find out that one of Harry’s maternal grandparents was a witch/wizard who married a muggle - that would explain why Aunt Petunia knows more than she lets on about the wizarding world, while still allowing her to be a muggle herself (as well as her having excessive hatred of wizards).

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I really think Rowling is setting Harry up as a future Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. McGonagall’s efforts to make sure Harry qualifies as an Auror would probably also qualify him as a Professor.

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Prediction

Dumbledore will die, only to resurrect himself, like his phoenix.

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No! You take that back!!! :mad:

(;))

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I haven’t read any of the books but I did see an interview with J K Rowling when the last book came out and she was already writing the last one . She made some cryptic allusion to Harry possibly meeting his end. The interviewer was shocked and said ‘Surely you wouldn’t kill a character beloved of so many???’

She just chuckled evilly and said something like ‘these things can happen sometimes’. It sounded during the interview that she was a little sick of Harry and might take a small bit of pleasure in killing him (so he can never come back again…). Anyway that’s my contribution. Apologies if it seems a little gloomy.

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Harry and Ginny will end up together. Ginny became part of Harry’s circle of friends in book 5; it will grow–they may not be “together” at the end of book 7, but it will clearly be going that way. They have both been possessed by Voldemort and they are both great Quidditch players; they’ll have more in common as time goes on. Harry and Hermione will both marry into the Weasley family, which will be a happy ending.

Harry will almost certainly be Hogwart’s Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. I hadn’t thought of Neville teaching Herbology–the post isn’t really open, unlike DATDA.

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It’s obviously all set up for a “the evil is within yourself” ending, along the lines of the Earthsea Trilogy. There’s a lot of Christ mythology in there, too. I tend to believe that if Voldemort keeps getting resurrected, eventually Harry will have to be, too.

I hope not too many characters get killed, because Rowling seems to do it gratuitously. I don’t think we need Cold Mountain to come to Hogwarts.

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Agreed that the post isn’t really open. However, I doubt Madame Sprout will continue teaching forever. Neville could make a really good Herbology professor. He’s obviously gifted in the subject, and he knows enough about being put upon by other students that he could be a very sympathetic professor.

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No time to add much to the discussion right now, I just wanted to say that although Rowling would probably want to avoid being The Most Hated Woman In England, I don’t think she needs to worry about her career. She’s made a huge amount of money off the first five books already. She may have some kind of contractual obligation to complete the series, but other than that the only reason for her to continue publishing would be because she wants to. I’m sure she doesn’t need the money anymore. So she could kill Harry, although she might have to take the hubby and kids and run off to some remote tropical paradise before the last book hit the shelves!