Your theories for Harry Potter Book 7 (spoilers, obviously)

Cafe Society
161

Has anyone who supports the Snape loved Lily theory ever been a teenager? I mean, is there anyone here post-high school who would ever make a life-changing decision based on the fact that they crushed on someone super bad when they were in high school? You’d be lucky to get me deciding to try a new brand of toothpaste based on a high school crush, let alone switch allegiances in a major battle.

Besides, the “love” in Harry Potter has always been the universal “do good to your fellow man” type, or the familial type. It’s never been the “I want to take you to Lookout Point in the backseat of my Caddy” type. Snape making any kind of decision based on a Lily Evans crush would make no sense. As an ending, it would be weak.

162

In an interview before the opening of the first movie (shortly after the third book), Rowling confirmed that she had written the last paragraph already, and that it was “someplace secure.” She wrote so she would know that the story would end, and that she was writing towards that point. Now that she’s written the last book, I think she’s simply changed the ending because the book needed to end in a different way.

163

What saoirse says is right, I think. She didn’t say there was anything in particular that had changed that specific thing. She did, OTOH, say that she had to change the overall ending somewhat because she decided two people she’d planned on keeping alive would end up dying also.

164

I think what pushes the Snape-loved-Lily contingent (of which I may be one… sorta) is not that he changed his mind on a whim, but that Snape was horrified at realizing that Voldemort’s reign of terror was actually affecting someone Snape cared about. Snape doesn’t seem to care about anyone but himself and perhaps Dumbledore, begrudgingly. If he did have feelings – of friendship, of love, of admiration – towards Lily, they were surely pretty deep and strong. He may have loathed James and not really minded if Voldie Avada’ed the guy into oblivion, but if Voldie revealed himself willing to kill Lily too, Snape may have, um, snapped.

As far as my general thoughts on what may happen: I do not think we’ll see the bloodbath that so many on the Web are predicting. I’ve read predictions where the entire cast is decimated, or all Weasleys, or Ron/Hermione/Lupin/McGonnagall/Neville/Ginny/Moody/basically every other character. But I disagree. I think there will be two or three deaths that have a major impact on Harry, but by and large, the book ends with our gang bloody but unbowed and triumphant.

165

Here are my predictions on Book 7:

  1. A large chunk of the planet will throw book seven across the room in disgust at how it all panned out and who died. The intertube will be afire with such holy indignation that web riots with break out and virtual book burnings will be seen from virtual Uranus.

  2. A smaller sector of the planet will smugly point and laugh, " Ha ha! I knew it all along." and be even smugger in an epic battle of words on the web over " How could you be so blind, Helen Keller coulda seen this ending a MILE AWAY!!!111!!You n00b!"

  3. A smaller segment of population will melt down the fanfic pages with a continuing story or rewriting eveyrthing for* their * book 7 with the ever popular Potter-Malfoy gay love theme or Ginny and Hermione Girly shower scene. Speling and punkuachun are opchunal.

  4. Booksnobs will proclaim the 7th book as a *Fine Finish to a Grand Series *and promptly be stoned to death by nerds and dweebs in utter frustration over not being able to stone to death Rowling for the travesty that is Grawp or Dobby and whomever dies in 7 ( not that they really care because the book would have never ended the way they thought it should. with a Malfoy-Harry love scene and everyone being beamed aboard the Enterprise.

  5. There will be some Ignorant and Indignant Moral Leader shown on CNN and FOX encourange all Christians to ban this book that is a gateway to the devil and teaches witchcraft.

  6. Other Moral Leaders from Other Places will give the thumbs up to the series, saying, " It’s just a book. What’s all the fuss about?"

  7. By July 24th, the ALL HARRY -ALL THE TIME Media frenzy will be replaced by Today’s Missing White Woman story.

  8. By January, all Harry Potter merchandising will be 60% off.

166

I predict 100% success for all your theories.

I also predict Harry, Ron or Hermione will die. To those who say it’s children’s literature and JK Rowling wouldn’t kill a main character … you’re forgetting that to die would be an awfully big adventure.

If I had to put money on who dies, it would be Harry. Let’s face it, it’s one of the few shockings endings Ms. Rowling has left in her armoury, that hasn’t been suggested, discussed and rejected on the interweb a million times.

167

I dunno, Harry’s death has most certainly been suggested, discussed and rejected on the interweb a million times! Probably moreso than any other, except perhaps for Voldemort’s.

I still think the kid’s got a good chance of surviving this series. Of course, you just know thousands of critics and bloggers will bitch if Harry doesn’t end up on the wrong end of a wand. “Not realistic! Not cathartic! Too childish! Too chicken!”

Oh internets.

168

Oh dear, Neville’s gonna die. I don’t like to say it, but I think so. Let’s wait and see.

169

I know. And that will break my heart. I might like Neville more than Harry. I wouldn’t mind Ron dying as much as Neville. (but then what to do with Hermione?)

170

Harry’s death would be “shocking?” And it hasn’t been “suggested, discussed and rejected on the interweb a million times”?

Which interweb are you reading?

171

I was chatting with my husband the other night, and we suddenly realized how Harry can destroy the horcruxes. I predict he will chuck them through the veil. If he is a horcrux himself, he will off himself by diving through the veil after killing V.

172

Didn’t you read Shirley Ujest’s theories? She hits the showers with Ginny. :smiley:

173

Prediction: Something that Dumbledore has said or done in the previous six books will prove to have been a gigantic mistake, resulting in the unnecessary death of one of the major characters. (For the record, I don’t think Dumbledore trusting Snape is the mistake - I, like most here, think Snape is really on the side of the good guys.)

At least once, and I think more than once, Dumbledore says that he is as capable of errors as anyone else. I don’t think JKR would have had Dumbledore say that if she didn’t intend him to make a big blunder. Since Dumbledore is no longer around, he must have already made the blunder - it’s just not become apparent yet.

Oh, and getting himself killed doesn’t necessarily count as a blunder - not if he decided it was necessary to serve the greater goal of defeating Voldemort.

174

I’m with those who thinks Snape is truly evil. It’s just so easy to predict that he was acting on Dumbledore’s orders, and it’s so… cloying and neat and perfect. I think Rowling is a better writer than that.

175

Has anyone found the Las Vegas Odds on the outcome of 7?
I’d be curious.

176

After book 6, I’m absolutely, 100% convinced that Snape is working against Voldemort. I also agree with you. The two are not mutually exclusive. Snape just wants Voldemort out of the way so he can replace him.

177

You won’t find that line in Vegas. I’ve tried Bodog, but they don’t have it either. The odds will come from the UK or Ireland and I’ll post them later if I can find them online. Now I just gotta remember the names of some British online bookies.

178

I don’t like that subset of fanfic. YMMV.

:slight_smile:

I also think that Snape is in this for himself, period. I also think that Mr Weasley will die (or Molly), and perhaps Percy.

179

No, it doesn’t, not really. But Shirley Ujest’s post was just so hilarious that I wanted to give it props.

180

Bored and avoiding housework, I did a GIS on Harry Potter Odds and the such:

This isn’t a Las Vegas.
Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort +300 (Bet $100 to win $300 profit)

Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy +400 (Bet $100 to win $400 profit)

Harry Potter and Hermione Granger+500 (Bet $100 to win $500 profit)

Harry Potter and Ron Weasley +600 (Bet $100 to win $600 profit)

Harry Potter and Professor Snape +700 (Bet $100 to win $700 profit)

Harry Potter and Peter Pettigrew +800 (Bet $100 to win $800 profit)

Harry Potter and Neville Longbottom +2400 (bet $100 to win $2400 profit)

Harry Potter and Professor Dumbledore*+3500 (Bet $100 to win $3500 profit)

*NOTE: if for some reason Dumbledore isn’t actually dead and returns in book seven alive.
Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley +900 (Bet $100 to win $900 profit) One of these might die but not both.

Lord Voldemort and Professor Snape +1000 (Bet $100 to win $1000 profit) I think this is a great value. I think Harry kills both Voldemort and Snape.

Lord Voldemort and Lucius Malfoy +1200 (Bet $100 to win $1200 profit) I am on the fence on this one. I can see Malfoy having a change in heart in order to save his family.

Lord Voldemort and Peter Pettigrew +1400 (Bet $100 to win $1400 profit) Cha-Ching! You better play it now.

Professor Snape and Draco Malfoy +1600 (Bet $100 to win $1600 profit) I think Malfoy survives

Professor Snape and Lucius Malfoy +1800 (Bet $100 to win $1800 profit) Snape is a dead man. Not sure about Lucius.

Professor Snape and Peter Pettigrew +2000 (Bet $100 to win $2000 profit) ding-ding-ding-ding-ding-ding….You win $2000!

Hermione Granger and Lord Voldemort +2600 (Bet $100 to win $2600 profit) Will Rowling kill off her young mud-blood starlet? I don’t think so.

Remus Lupin and Percy Weasley +2800 (Bet $100 to win $2800 profit) it has its possibilities. I never considered these two main characters.

Professor Snape and Neville Longbottom +3000 (Bet $100 to win $3000 profit) Very possible these two die. At +3000 I like it. I do see Neville coming of age in Deathly Hallows.

The Weasley Twins +4000 (Bet $100 to win $4000 profit) Not the twins; these guys will get involved in the war and at least one Weasley might die but not the twins.

Field (any/all combinations not listed below) -600 (Bet $600 to win $100 profit) Probably so but who will risk $600 to win $100. Not me!

I’ll surf for more if my attention span keeps me …oooh…looking a penny!