Harry Potter Due Date

The publication date for the final Harry Potter book has been announced as July 21, 2007.  This crushes my daughter's prediction (which I heartily endorsed) of a 7/7/07 release date for Book Seven.  That said, my daughter had backed away from her prediction when the release date for the fifth movie was set as July 13, 2007 - her revised idea was that the movie would go first, so that moviegoers would still be in suspense as to how the series turns out.  Book Seven then benefits from the movie hype, just in case it won't be the biggest event in the history of modern publishing anyway.

As an aside - for Book Six I took my two youngest to the local public library, which had a Midnight Madness Potter festival of books available for check-out, tapes, readings, and folks dressed as witches and wizards.  I got to the library about ten minutes before midnight and there was no parking - we ended up parked across the street.

I told my kids to take mental notes - this would happen once more for Book Seven, and then never again in their lifetimes would they go to a library at midnight and find the parking lot filled and the library packed.

Anyway, let me reprise the predictions I made last summer:

Some time next spring we ought to call the bets.  Until then, here are my current picks:

Marked For Death:

Snape; nothing in his life became him like the leaving it.  He's a good guy, or anyway, not bad - his unrequited crush on Lily Potter motivates his desire for vengeance against Lily's killer and explains his loathing for Harry (right mom, wrong dad).

Hagrid - I have lost the link, but in alchemy the colors Red, White, and Black are significant.  Sirius Black is gone; Albus (means white, and you could look it up, but you would know it if you were an albino) Dumbledore is passing for dead (time will tell - Aslan and Gandalf made it back, Obi-wan Kenobi not so much), and that leaves Rubeus Hagrid - good-bye, Ruby Tuesday.

Reprieved: Ron Weasley was tagged as a goner in Ms. Rowling's original conception, but won a reprieve.

On the bubble:  Harry could live or die, but I have a hard time believing that JK Rowling wants to be known to her grandkids as the woman who killed Harry Potter; Neville Longbottom is going to do something heroic, and may die trying - watch out, Bellatrix.

Untouchable (Or, if they die the publisher leaps out a window to join them, joined by the fellow who bought the movie rights):  Mrs. Weasley, Mr. Weasely, Fred and George, Hermione, Ginny, Luna.  Relax people, killing Hagrid will be hard enough for JK; this is a children's series, not a tragedy or a charnel house.

Upon further consideration - I think Harry lives.  I can picture a dramatic arc where he dies heroically, and it would be consistent with his vision in the mirror of desire from Book One, where he only wanted to be with his family (now dead).

HOWEVER - if Ms. Rowling hopes for this series to live as an immortal children's classic, then Harry must live too.  I have a hard time seeing someone introduce a kid to this series knowing that Harry does in the last book.  Maybe it can be done so brilliantly that no one rebels, but I say Harry lives.  Unlike Nell, a troubling precedent of dying heroines.  Very troubling...

FULL DISCLOSURE: I'm rolling with the reigning trivia champs of two different schools.  What do you got?  Nothin...

Comments

[clarice]

Given the strength of your prior predictions I'm already sitting shiva for Harry. *wink*

[submandave]

1. Snape: his death will be in saving Harry
2. There is a secret deeper, familial connection between Harry and either Snape or Voldemort
3. Dumbledore's "return" will be more along the lines of Obi-Wan then Gandalf. Too much was made of the evil of unnaturally protecting/extending life in book 6 for him to make a material return.

[danking70]

Exactly Clarice.

How about some percentages TM?

*wink*

[Alcibiades]

I ran that 7/07/07 date by a couple of British friends months ago, who immediately pointed out that 7/07 would be the two year anniversary of the suicide train and bus attacks, and thus not a suitable occasion for the publishing of the seventh Harry Potter.

[clarice]

I do appreciate that TM is teaching his kids the fine art of critical thinking--i.e., how commercial considerations impact on publication dates, however. This town--and the world--already has too many very smart people who are stupid about practical things.

[Carol Herman]

Harry Potter "both lives and dies." Because it's fiction. No reprieves. As he "walks off to the sunset."

The First Harry Potter book came out at the same time Diana dies. So, go figa. In the realm of celebrity, Diana's star has faded.

And, among the reading public? Some of those kids, who loved Harry, when he first appeared, are adults, now. And, yes. It's US ADULTS that keep the baton passing. From one book to another.

As to the numbers? What was so thrilling to me, going back to the first book, was the story out of England, that KIDS WERE READING! Actually, hold a book in their hands. AND, READING.

So, here's the real lesson: HOW WILL WE, IN OUR WORLD, WHERE FEWER AND FEWER PEOPLE READ, with any consistency, KEEP THE MAGIC OF BOOKS ALIVE?

Yeah. I've placed my order for Harry Potter. To be delivered from the UK. And, ya know what? The publication date had been promised for this MARCH! Along with the release of the BORAT 'dvd.' In England? Supposedly, you can even RENT the Borat DVD for home consumption.

But who knows? Marketing experts really aren't experts. They just surf the waves.

[Dan S]

Hmm, death knell for Harry?

Can Rowling beat the dickens out of Little Nell?

[Barney Frank]

Harry Potter due date

Didn't even know he was preggers. Who's the pop?

[Charlie (Colorado)]

7/7/07 is Robert Heinlein's 100th birthday.

Which I know offhand.

Scary.

[C.H. Truth]

Neville plays a bigger part in this last book... Either Neville or Harry can fulfill the prophecy by killing Voldemort...

One outlandish idea revealed today on my site:

Neville kills Harry and by proxy kills Voldemort as Harry was the Dark Lord's last horcrux.

Think about it...

[Alcibiades]

Here's an interesting link about the colors and their alchemical meanings. Apparently the author presented a paper about this at the Accio 2005 conference in Britain.

A friend of mine helped organize that. I should ask her how to get ahold of the finished product which, as far as I can see, does not appear as a link on the site.

[Alcibiades]

I think Harry dies, and knows he is going to die - while removing the scar which is the final horcrux - then lives and the scar has disappeared.

He is after all the boy who lives; she can't subvert that.

[Patrick Tyson]

This is classic story-telling where the plot has been concerned with "believably" getting Snape to the place where he can support a "believably" prepared Harry during the final confrontation with a "believably" restored-to-all-his-former-power Voldemort. Rowling is going to go out with a classic delivered. Voldemort dies. Harry lives. Snape explains and then the last of the surrogate fathers dies. Harry's rite of passage into adulthood is complete.

Or so I hope.

[mike]

knowing that Harry does in the last book ->
"dies"

[ed]

Hmmmm.

Hagrid lives, marries and has kids.

Ron & Hermione live, marry and has a son named "Harry".

Harry dies because he realises that he is the last repository for a piece of Voldemort's soul and that he HAS to die in order for Voldemort to die.

Dumbledore is still dead.

Snape dies trying to kill Harry. While Harry is Lily Potter's son, he's also the son of Snape's worst enemy.

Frankly I don't understand why people think Snape is good. Snape did push himself into making an Unbreakable Vow, that allowed him to bypass any magical geases placed on him to defend Dumbledore, in order to kill Dumbledore. If you're willing to kill Dumbledore, Harry is small beans next to that.

[Patrick Tyson]

Frankly I don't understand why people think Snape is good.

Dumbledore. The relationships makes sense if Dumbledore and Snape want to convince Voldemort that Snape is his man despite everything so that Snape can be where he can help Harry at the crucial moment. Killing Dumbledore, who has imparted what he needs to to Harry, convinces everybody.

Or, if you like, think Anakin/Vader in the end, but with long-view motivation.

[Barry Dauphin]

In the new version Hermione is sent to Niger to track down....oooops wrong thread.

[Tom Maguire]

Exactly Clarice.

How about some percentages TM?

There is about a 1% chance that I ever offer probabilities again.

I ran that 7/07/07 date by a couple of British friends months ago, who immediately pointed out that 7/07 would be the two year anniversary of the suicide train and bus attacks, and thus not a suitable occasion for the publishing of the seventh Harry Potter.

Oh, fine, then the terrorists win. Re-seize the day!

Harry Potter "both lives and dies." Because it's fiction. No reprieves. As he "walks off to the sunset."

I can't remember the specific context, but I think it was a Lord of the Rings / Narnia type discussion, and someone pounded the table with the point that a proper Christain does not fear death - it's simply a passage to eternal life, etc.

*IF* Harry buys the farm, that will be the spin. But I don't think so.

Harry was the Dark Lord's last horcrux.

My two experts go back and forth on that, as do I.

[maryrose]

My daughter and I remember fondly waiting outside a Borders Bookstore at ten minutes to midnight in order to pick up our pre-ordered copy of the Goblet of Fire. I promptly read the book that weekend and passed it on to my daughter Kate and then to my sister Patty. To date we have read all the books and seen all the movies.Predictions:
Dumbledore returns as a spirit to guide Harry. Longbottom helps Harry and together they destroy Voldemort with the reluctant help of Snape. Hermoine {always the brains of the trio{ figures out a plan for the demise of Voldemort. Ron helps and those two end up together with Harry alive as their best friend.Hagrid is their friend for life and Harry ultimately uses his powers for good as a teacher of the Dark Arts at Hogwarts. Ron's family adopt Harry and Ron's father and the twins run the Ministry of Magic.

[Bruce Hayden]

I think Harry has to live for any number of reasons, including that there are rumors of an adult series to follow. Of course, why should Rowling bother - last I knew she had more money than the queen.

Hermione lives.

Snape dies saving Harry. Dumbledore believed in him, and there had to be a good reason for him doing so, despite everything against Snape. Besides, if Snape isn't redeemed, then all his questionable actions against Harry all through the series will be seen as evil (and again, Dumbledore will appear stupid for trusting him).

I also see the possibility of Snape redeeming Draco Malfoy. Same house, etc. and Malfoy, while somewhat evil, is still only a kid, who got in over his head (again and again).

Ron? Hagrid?

Someone has to die, but no one feels right, except maybe Snape, and, of course, Voldemort, who has to go, but may be back in an adult sequel. But he needs to "die" here to end this series.

[goddessoftheclassroom]

I agree that Harid is going to die. I was afraid he was going in book 6.

Now here's my prediction that I haven't seen here yet: that mirror that Sirius gave Harry and the Mirror of Erised will somehow be connected. Yes, I know Sirius's mirorr was broken, but the bits are still there AND Hermione can mend things--remember Harry's glasses in Book 1?

[Bruce Hayden]

I, along with others here, can attribute this series, no matter how flawed, with exciting my kid to learn to read. Said kid got the first book and read it in two days. Ditto for 2nd, etc. As the books got longer, reading speed increased accordingly.

The last one though was a problem, as its release missed the birthday, and hit camp. This year looks like hitting camp again. Logistically a pain for all concerned.

I don't know where we got it, but have the UK version of I believe the 2nd book, as well as the corresponding American version. Slight differences. Also, got the Spanish version of the 1st book - as the plot was know (esp. after rereading it numerous times), this proved a nice way to get reading speed in Spanish up a bit.

All in all, Rowling made a lot of money on this project, and I think it well deserved, given how many kids the series has benefitted, esp. as to their reading ability.

[CAL]

Oh good. Something I can comment on. Usually I just lurk because I don't know enough about the subject at hand.

Predictions:
(1) Dumbledore is alive. He never died. Remember he just got thru telling Malfoy it is easy to hide people if the enemy think they are dead right before his own 'death'.
(2) Dumbledore is an animagus and turns into a phoenix. (Harry saw him escape his tomb at the funeral.)
(3) I thought Ron was toast since we had a classic love triangle heading into the 6th book but now I am not so sure. The triangle isn't there anymore in any case. If not Ron, then Neville goes and fighting Bellatrix is as good a way as any.
(4) R.A.B. is Regulus Black and Kreecher has one of the horcruxes stored in his room at the house of Black.
(5) Hagrid lives.
(6) Snape dies.
(7) Of course Harry lives. It would kill the franchise otherwise.

[Albert Schwartz]

A prediction - Harry's parents are alive before the final page.

[ed]

Hmmmm.

Doesn't anyone remember Dumbledore practically begging Snape for help?

Doesn't anyone remember the Unbreakable Vow by Snape?

That Vow would not allow Snape to save Dumbledore. It specifically required Snape to kill Dumbledore to prevent Malfoy from doing it.

So:

1. Unbreakable Vow isn't actually unbreakable and isn't really a vow:

Why bother? And wouldn't people realise this?

2. Unbreakable Vow is unbreakable and is really a vow:

Dumbledore is as dead as a fencepost.

...

Frankly I think Dumbledore's trust in Snape was due to another Unbreakable Vow that Snape swore to Dumbledore, that he was later able to subvert by his newest Unbreakable Vow which gave him the loophole with which to kill Dumbledore.

And why on earth would Snape of all people save Harry? Snape *hates* Harry.

[maryrose]

ed:
Snape doesn't hate Harry he resents him. Remember Harry's father used to torment Snape when they were boys. Snape will do the right thing reluctantly.

[adhdyoshi]

No really, isn't it obvious Harry is the last Horcrux and that Dumbledore was <> Snape to kill him and that Fred and George will be the real heroes and create a magical toilet that will summon the immense power of the Ancient Wizards of the Deathly Hollows (which is the name of their group, btw) and then Ginny will prove to have more powers than she thought she did and then the videogame characters of immense immensosity will fly in except for Spyro and Blaze the Cat and then in a final climax (which actually <> the final climax because... well because. (Actually because J.K. Rowling will want to make another book later to give Scholastic more <> (money))), they will confront the Voldemort who will reveal that his real name is Bob and that all he wanted is to be LOVED and Harry will ask if he is telling the truth and Voldemort will laugh, shriek, giggle, and holler the word 'no' and then will attempt to destroy all of them by saying the Avada words and then a big green lighty thing happens but the good guys are all saved because of the <> in the world and also by public kids' television, so Voldemort will be like 'what?' and they all team up their wands (the good guys that is) and so Voldemort of course runs away and stuff and so they chase after him using broomsticks but that will be book eight and so we will have to wait until then, but anywhizzle while this is all happening Ron escaped with minor injuries, got the girl, and hitchhiked all the way home!

THE END

[adhdyoshi]

Sorry, what I meant to say was:

No really, isn't it obvious Harry is the last Horcrux and that Dumbledore was asking Snape to kill him and that Fred and George will be the real heroes and create a magical toilet that will summon the immense power of the Ancient Wizards of the Deathly Hollows (which is the name of their group, btw) and then Ginny will prove to have more powers than she thought she did and then the videogame characters of immense immensosity will fly in except for Spyro and Blaze the Cat and then in a final climax (which actually isn't the final climax because... well because. (Actually because J.K. Rowling will want to make another book later to give Scholastic more MOOLA (money))), they will confront the Voldemort who will reveal that his real name is Bob and that all he wanted is to be LOVED and Harry will ask if he is telling the truth and Voldemort will laugh, shriek, giggle, and holler the word 'no' and then will attempt to destroy all of them by saying the Avada words and then a big green lighty thing happens but the good guys are all saved because of the love in the world and also by public kids' television, so Voldemort will be like 'what?' and they all team up their wands (the good guys that is) and so Voldemort of course runs away and stuff and so they chase after him using broomsticks but that will be book eight and so we will have to wait until then, but anywhizzle while this is all happening Ron escaped with minor injuries, got the girl, and hitchhiked all the way home!

THE END

[adhdyoshi]

Sorry, what I REALLY meant to say was:

Hi!

[Crunchy Frog]

The wild card in all this is Malfoy. Dumbledore, marked for death regardless, begs Snape to kill him so Malfoy doesn't have to. I think Malfoy, what little good left in him still intact, ends up doing something incredibly heroic.

Dumbledore, now being a creature of the portrait world, can now, in effect, be everywhere at once, and is able to dispense Obi-Wan advise to all concerned.

Imagine what would happen to Harry if Ginny is killed. I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin'.

[Shore]

Whenever the movie will be shown this year, I looking forward to it. And whether Book 7 will come out early or later than the movie, I would still get a copy.

[Lily_x_X]

Harry is a horcrux. He will die along with Voldermort. R.A.B isn't Regulas Black..... Rip Harry
I always loved you

[Lily_x_X]

Harry is a horcrux. He will die along with Voldermort. R.A.B isn't Regulas Black..... Rip Harry
I always loved you

[bxjrzqa xjekz]

jhclvzgpo gpsum pkqnxfs xebaldf gexjpavt uonyiz eqsujri