# Harry Potter book seven speculations **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 22, 2005, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-book-seven-speculations/313567 "2005-07-22T01:19:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2005, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-book-seven-speculations/313567/101 "2005-08-03T18:27:57Z")
> [@Fretful Porpentine](#): > > I wonder who the new Head of Gryffindor is going to be? In the scene where they’re discussing the ultimate fate of Hogwarts, it looked like _Hagrid_ was being set up to take over, but I’m having a really hard time picturing it. I don’t have my books handy, but I’m pretty sure that Hagrid was in Hufflepuff, which would preclude him from becoming head of Gryffindor. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2005, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-book-seven-speculations/313567/102 "2005-08-03T21:08:32Z")
> [@Rhiannon8404](#): > > I don’t have my books handy, but I’m pretty sure that Hagrid was in Hufflepuff, which would preclude him from becoming head of Gryffindor. Actually, what **Freful Porpentine** was referring to was the vibe that Hagrid would replace Dumbledore as Headmaster, not McGonagall as Head of Gryffindor House. I’m thinking that assigning a Head of House to Gryffindor is going to be among the least of Rowling’s concerns. Maybe they’d get the late Sir Nicholas de Mimsy Porpington to do it. That said, I don’t believe Hagrid’s House has been specified in the canon. Perhaps **Hamish** has interview-related information on the issue. ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2005, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-book-seven-speculations/313567/103 "2005-08-03T21:13:59Z")
> [@fruitbat](#): > > I am convinced that Percy Weasley is more than just a bit of an ass. I think he will be on the wrong side during the final battle. It would set up an interesting Weasley v. Weasley confrontation. [Percy] Dumbledore never told you what happened to your brother, Ron… [Ron] He told me enough, he told me _YOU_ killed him! [Percy] No Ron, \ _I_…AM your Brother! [Ron] Noooooo!!! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2005, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-book-seven-speculations/313567/104 "2005-08-03T21:41:07Z")
Fretful: > [@](#): > > I wonder who the new Head of Gryffindor is going to be? Assuming it will be from the ranks of current teachers, there are several named, who seem reasonably on-the-ball (i.e., ignore Trelawney, Binns, who’s rumored to not even have noticed that he’s dead, and probably Hagrid as well, who’s smart but doesn’t seem to have much sense of propriety) (and I think it’s safe to say that Firenze is out of the running as well) whose House we don’t know and may take over Gryffindor. There’s Sinistra, the Astronomy teacher, and Vector, who teaches Arithmancy. I don’t recall if the Ancient Runes teacher was ever named. Or they might call in one of those O.W.L. examiners from the Ministry, who seem to have the “Professor” title (e.g., Professor Tofty). I suppose that there will have to be a new Transfiguration teacher as well; Dumbledore doesn’t seem to have taught a class while also being Headmaster. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2005, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-book-seven-speculations/313567/105 "2005-08-03T21:58:52Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Actually, what **Freful Porpentine** was referring to was the vibe that Hagrid would replace Dumbledore as Headmaster, not McGonagall as Head of Gryffindor House. I disagree. There is no vibe that Hagrid will be headmaster. At the end of HBP, McGonagall has already taken up residence in Dumbledore’s old office. It seems pretty clear she’s replacing him as headmistress. > [@](#): > > That said, I don’t believe Hagrid’s House has been specified in the canon. Perhaps **Hamish** has interview-related information on the issue. I don’t know where I got Hufflepuff from, but sure enough I found a transcript of the [interview](http://history.250x.com/vaults/c103.htm) where Rowling says he was in Gryffindor. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2005, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-book-seven-speculations/313567/106 "2005-08-03T23:52:24Z")
> [@Rhiannon8404](#): > > I disagree. There is no vibe that Hagrid will be headmaster. At the end of HBP, McGonagall has already taken up residence in Dumbledore’s old office. It seems pretty clear she’s replacing him as headmistress. Well, I gues I shouldn’t speak for **Fretful Porpentine** , but I inferred his ( **F P** ’s) meaning from the passage where Hagrid states that he will be returning to Hogwarts, even if McGonagall and the others decide to close the school, and that he will teach any students who show up wanting to learn. > [@Rhiannon8404](#): > > I don’t know where I got Hufflepuff from, but sure enough I found a transcript of the [interview](http://history.250x.com/vaults/c103.htm) where Rowling says he was in Gryffindor. Well done. I knew someone would know how to find it. BTW, if Hogwarts were to be closed, I wonder what would become of more than one hundred unemployed house elves? ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2005, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-book-seven-speculations/313567/107 "2005-08-04T01:03:22Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Well, I gues I shouldn’t speak for **Fretful Porpentine** , but I inferred his ( **F P** ’s) meaning from the passage where Hagrid states that he will be returning to Hogwarts, even if McGonagall and the others decide to close the school, and that he will teach any students who show up wanting to learn. Ah, Ok, I see what you’re getting at. I couldn’t figure out why anyone would think the govenors would appoint Hagrid. I totally forgot the bit where he says he’ll teach even if Hogwarts is closed. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2005, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-book-seven-speculations/313567/108 "2005-08-04T01:50:34Z")
Quick clarification: while I still suspect Snape was in Love with Lily, I’d never use the term “triangle.” That would imply Lily had some feelings for Snape beyond pity or just the same general benevolence she had for everybody. If Snape had ever tried to express romantic feelings for Lily, I’m guessing she’d have tried to smile, would have forced herself to say something like “That’s sweet, Severus, but I really only like you as a friend,” but would have found the idea rather repulsive. My theory (and my theories are wrong all the time, so I won’t bet any money on this) is based on this: Snape told Voldemort about the prophecy, but regretted it so much that he turned against Voldemort. He regretted it so much that he was able to persuade Dumbledore that he’d renounced his past. What changed in the meantime? The death of James Potter wouldn’t have affected Snape that much, even if Snape weren’t a killer at heart. But the death of Lily might have, if Snape had been smitten with her. ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2005, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-book-seven-speculations/313567/109 "2005-08-04T02:47:45Z")
> [@](#): > > Actually, what Freful Porpentine was referring to was the vibe that Hagrid would replace Dumbledore as Headmaster, not McGonagall as Head of Gryffindor House. Um, no, I mean Head of Gryffindor House. (Hagrid as Headmaster would be _hilarious_, but certainly not plausible – the man never even finished his own schooling, and in any case I think it’s obvious that McGonagall will be the next Headmistress.) And Hagrid was definitely in Gryffindor, not Hufflepuff; JKR said so in an interview. The reasons why I think he may end up as Head of House are: 1) McGonagall consults him, along with Flitwick, Sprout, and Slughorn, about whether she should keep Hogwarts open, and she doesn’t consult any of the other professors; and 2) we don’t have any _other_ developed professor characters who were in Gryffindor, apart from Lupin, who no longer works at Hogwarts. (Of course it’s totally possible that some of the more obscure professors – Muggle Studies, Ancient Runes, and so on) were Gryffindors, but if Rowling were planning to make one of them a Head of House in Book Seven, you’d think she would have developed their characters a bit more by now.) ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2005, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-book-seven-speculations/313567/110 "2005-08-04T04:28:54Z")
Harry, Ron and Hermione said they weren’t going to return to school, so it’s likely that little of the book will take place at Hogwarts. I’m sure that Harry is happy that he had to live with the Dursleys for only a few more months, since he’s seventeen before the end of the summer. (Actually, I think he only needs to spend one more night there.) My guess is that he’ll move to The Burrow full-time. Since he did inherit 12 Grimmauld Place, he could live there, but I think The Burrow was more of a home to him. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@Captain\_Carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Carrot)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2005, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-book-seven-speculations/313567/111 "2005-08-04T15:41:03Z")
Well, since Hagrid has been at Hogwarts for most of his life, and I’m sure he lives there year-round, and the students (and grounds) are his life, wouldn’t Hogwarts closing affect him more than anyone else? McGonagall-definitely next Headmistress… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-book-seven-speculations/313567.md?page=5)