But I think the implication there is that while existing stocks were destroyed, the Ministry could produce more, but given the current crisis hadn’t had time. I didn’t get the sense that they were a one-time deal.
I think Snape will be the next Headmaster. I don’t think he’s a good guy, so much as a bad guy who has seen the error of his ways, and is forced by that knowledge to behave ethically, even to his own detriment … which the triple agent role has certainly been.
He’s obviously a very talented wizard, and having faced his own demons and having first hand knowledge of the Dark Arts, would be in a good position to lead Hogwarts in difficult times.
I think Hogwarts could do with a good dose of discipline. The kind of malicious magic that caused Snape’s hatred of James shouldn’t have been allowed. I think Dumbledore took his eye off the educational ball and it didn’t help Hogwarts at all. The excessively competitive house system makes it just about impossible for Hogwarts to act as a team in hard times.
I don’t think Snape would have any trouble over-turning tradition if he thought it was a good idea, and since he’s not used to being popular, it wouldn’t worry him if his changes were unpopular or disruptive.
If it were my school a compulsory class in magical ethics would be introduced in every year and you wouldn’t get an O.W.L or a N.E.W.T if you didn’t get at least a pass in it.
What? How can you imagine Snape as the next headmaster? As McGonagall pointed out, the school might not survive after the headmaster was murdered by a member of staff, namely Snape. He’s slightly more than “unpopular” at the moment. It’s possible that he might be able to convince them that he’s not evil, but that’s not going to be easy.
I also think that Snape is still on the good side. He’ll never be a nice guy, but I think that he did what he needed to do to help defeat Voldemort in the end.
I do hope, however, that the reason he is on D’s side is NOT because of some silly unrequited love for Lily. Really, I would be sorely disappointed, I just can’t think of a way that this could be done without being incredibly cheesy.
I also don’t think Harry will die. I think maybe the last word of book 7 has something to do with his scar disappearing after Voldemort dies, which could have something to do with his scar (but not Harry himself) being a Horcrux.
Do you think the kidnapping of Ollivander will play a part? I’ve always thought there was some type of backstory on him not yet brought out, and of course he does know the link between the two wands (which Voldemort apparently did not).
Narcissa Malfoy referred to Draco as “my only son”, not “my only child” when talking with Snape. Is there a Malfoy girl out there (either too young for Hogwarts or already graduated when Draco and Harry started)?
Well how about a Snape turns on Voldemort in the heat of battle moment and Harry realizes the truth and then Harry gets over his hatred and HE nominates Snape for headmaster? You know, the animosity withers away (somewhat).
Dumbledore is dead. Snape is a good guy. Harry is not a horcrux. Harry made Dobby promise not to save his life again - this will be important, as will the loyalties of house elves in general. This will help Hermione, who founded SPEW.
Harry will survive the end of book seven, but Neville will not. Ron and Hermione will return to Hogwart’s, but Harry will not (until the climatic battle at the end).
And I will spend the next three years making wrong guesses.
I do. I think that the Death Eaters tried to recruit him, but he refused and went into hiding. (Much like Slughorn did.) Olivander was probably a Slytherin; remember his comment that “He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things – terrible, yes, but great.”
Also, I wonder if the Death Eaters tried to recuit Zonko. Certainly, having Hogwarts’ #1 source of illicit goods on their side would be a major help.
Some of this has certainly been said before, but here are my speculations.
Snape is a mean nasty guy… who happened to be madly in LOVE with Lily, but hated James. It was said that Lily’s wand was good at charms, but Slughorn went on and on about how good Lily was in potions, when the master potion maker was the Half Blood Prince. If snape was that good at potions, why would anyone even notice Lily’s ability… unless he was sharing his potions with her and letting her get credit.
It is this LOVE that makes Snape trustworthy. That’s why the big hoo-haa with Dumbledore telling Harry that it is love that makes him different from voldy. Sure, snape not nice, but like Draco, he is not a killer. Draco loves his mother and perhaps even his father. Snape loved Lily
BIG emphasis on silent spells. There is a reason for that. Snape used one… during the killing process.
4,a) Dumbledore is alive. Well, re-born. Kinda. Not totally, completely dead anyway… Was my copy of HBP the only one that had Dumbledore telling draco that the death-eaters can’t kill him if he is already dead? If -everyone- thinks Dumbledore is dead, then not only is Dumbledore free to move about without death-eaters trying to spy on him, but also all death-eaters have utmost trust in snape… a handy, more trusted mole.
4,b) But but but, you say snape was in the unbreakable vow or whatever. And exactly what was that vow? Look after draco… yes yes… and then what? Do what? Finish it if Draco couldn’t. Say the curse? He said the words.
4,c) Dumbledore knew that draco was trying to kill him. Said so in the tower. And he would have done nothing to take measures, at all? Dumbledore was involved with Flamel in making the sorcerers stone. He knows a bit about long life.
4,d) That whole evening seemed too convenient. Dumbledore seemed to know all too well and too easily where everything was in the cave and how to get it. And he always seemed to have enough strength when he needed it. One moment he is writhing in agony, next he is setting the place afire to keep the inferi off of Harry. My my, what a quick recovery.
Really -wild- speculation: Percy will turn out not to be such a bad guy. He, like Harry, is Dumbledore’s man. The bad people know Arthur’s fondness for mud-bloods and muggles. But the good guys need someone decently high up in the ministry to get the dirt. Someone that the bad guys may not trust, but the generally clueless will tell things to.
Snape is a sadistic bastard. No one who was a decent human being could hate someone so much just because he hates his father. Especially not when the poor kid is an orphan, an orphan because his family died so that others might live. The love triangle between Snape, James and Lily doesn’t fly, in my book. It just doesn’t make sense.
Dumbledore is dead. Really. He’ll still be around for advice, but not in person.
Ron and Herminone will stay together. Ginny will not let Harry get away.
Percy may betray himself into an early grave, or he may be redeemed.
I still wonder about Dumbledore’s insistence that Harry find a security question to ask him and then it was dropped. “What’s your favorite kind of jam?”
Harry will defeat Voldemort. There’s a chance Neville will do it, but only 10%.
Snape may redeem himself (50-50). Draco won’t. (70%)
The final chapter will be Harry teaching his first Defense Against the Dark Arts class (90%) or his retirement after a long career of teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts (10%).
I’m not sure that Ollivander’s disappearance has any deeper significance, because he’s supposed to be the best wand-maker out there and so it makes sense that the DEs would want him anyway, but I wonder about Florean Fortescue, the ice-cream shop owner. Harry discovered in PoA that he knows quite a lot about medieval history – I’m wondering if he might know where certain of the Founders’ relics are located?
Harry will address Voldemort, to his face, as “Tom.”
Oh, and Sampiro, Harry can’t find anything in the nursery of the house where Lily died; that was blown to smithereens on 10/31/81. OTOH, if Voldemort was in Godric’s Hollow with the intention of creating a Horcrux, one may easily imagine the intended vessel being found among the ruins (although the sixteen-year gap might make that a somewhat optimistic prediction).
Hmph. Not only did Dumbledore say in Book 6 that his screwups, though rare, tend to be massive, but mayhaps you recall the end of Book 5, in which Dumbledore confesses he royally screwed up by not telling Harry of the prophecy earlier, thereby causing the chain of events that led to Sirius’ death?
JKR has made it very clear that Dumbledore does not have perfect judgment. Hell, Dumbledore hired Lockhart, fer crissakes. Not the action of a man with perfect judgment.
Ah, yes, but if they find one of the things that Dumbledore expected to be a horcrux…that leaves a possiblity for the actual horcrux to b something else…
-Joe, thiking she can’t do a good job in a single book
Ministry seems to not like werewolves, I doubt they’d let one be headmaster, and as Snape will probably head of the hills after killing Dumbledore, there will be no one to make his anti-wolf potion.
Lupin certainly isn’t going to be in line for Headmaster – he’s far too young, he has a grand total of one year of teaching experience, and he doesn’t even work there any more. It’ll be McGonagall, with Flitwick or Sprout as Deputy Head.
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.
