J.K. Rowling has confirmed that another character will die in the new Potter. I’m thinking Dumbledore. Any dissenters?
A Rowling quibble: just what does she have against Americans? She won’t allow the casting of American actors in the movies and on the extras for Chamber of Secrets expresses her huge consternation that the screenwriter for the movies was American (though she says she likes him now). I’m surprised this hasn’t caused more controversy (especially considering how many hundreds of millions of dollars she’s earned from over here).
I am pulling out the big guns and just going nuts with my guesses:
Hagrid has worn out his usefulness, but he is comedy relief.
Lucius Malfoy bites the big one and dies by Voldemort. Giving Draco a reason to turn into a semi-nice guy.
That is all I can think of right now.
Ooh, this is a good one. Considering how badly Lucius screwed up at the end OofP, it wouldn’t surprise me if V took out his anger on him.
It seems that Draco would have a hard time staying in school with everyone knowing his dad was a Deatheater. But if his dad was killed by V and he changed his ways, well, that would be a different.
That’s a thought. I’ve always seen Draco turning good guy in the end (and I’ve always seen Snape turning out to be as evil as he seems).
I’ve even wondered if perhaps the Dursleys might get smoked in Voldemort’s attempt to kill Harry.
I wouldn’t allow Brits in my movies, if I had any.
They say “Margle forf garsk” and you turn up the TV and they say “MARGLE FORF GARSK”.
The English invented a language they cannot speak. Of couse, I imagine it is a relative thing. 
Part of The charm of the world of Harry Potter is it’s Britishness. Introduction of American thought or face into that risks devaluing it. American’s play everything, It’s nice to have a break from Americans in Box Office films.
Hey, Sampiro, I don’t mean to rain on your thread, but you know, your thread title is kind of a spoiler. Is there any chance of convincing you to ask a mod to change it?
I doubt Rowling dislikes Americans. I haven’t seen the footage from Chamber of Secrets, but all things being equal, I’d think a British screenwriter would have a better feel for British dialogue and setting. I dunno. How could she hate what has made her utterly, fabulously wealthy instead of just really rich?
And a question: Why is everyone always rooting for Lucious Malfoy to become good in the end? He’s an awful little snot, present only to be a dramatic foil for Harry that’s his age and level. I can’t see why there’s such interest in his change of heart.
And by “Lucious Malfoy” I mean “Draco Malfoy.”
Once the book is released, every tv station and news piece on it is going to be revealing that fact, just like they did before Goblet of Fire. Rowling wanted her young audience (and their parents) to be prepared for such an occurence. Despite learning about it in Sampiro’s thread title, there’s not a chance in the world you would have been able to avoid the news next year.
Rowling has said that the Dursleys only appear for a very very short time in the Sixth book. Maybe that’s why.
Re: Americans
Why cast Americans for a British school? The United States has it’s own wizard school. I agree that Americans are in everything and that it would be ruined.
But I can pointedly avoid reading the arts and literature section of the newspaper or watching the news until I finish the book to avoid this kind of thing. I’m willing to put myself in a news blackout for the two days that will take. Reading thread titles in a non-HP specific forum a year in advance ought to be safe. I just think revealing the tidbits from JKR’s site in the thread titles is a bad habit to get into.
I think turning on the television between the hours of 4:30pm and 12:30am six months up until the release of the book are going to be the only way for someone to avoid that spoiler information. It’s not a “tidbit”. It wasn’t two years ago, and it won’t be next year. But YMMV.
By the way, has the book’s publication date been established yet?
Yep, it’s all over the news. I don’t really a press release to be a spoiler as such.
Ugh, make that “I don’t really consider…”
My Mileage Does Vary, that’s the whole point of the request.
That’s my last word on the matter; I didn’t intend to hijack the discussion.
As for the casting of the movies, I agree with Lobsang.
Another vote for Dumbledore, though I’m really expecting him to die mid-way through the seventh book. Otherwise a student who’s been mentioned, and assumes a more prominent role in the 6th book.
Neville takes out Bellatrix, but also dies in the act…
Oh that’s good! I want that to happen!