Deathly Hallows Cover - It's Official!

Wasn't going to post this morning, but that was before I got to see the fantabulous Mary Grandpre artwork for the "Deathly Hallows" cover:

Apparently, this news has broken Leaky, so here's a link to Amazon

I am pleased to see that my "Hogwarts House Colors on the Metallic Title" theory worked out.  Here's a rundown: Each color that the big "Harry Potter" logo has been corresponds to a Hogwarts House.  I know it's not a ground-breaking theory as to who Snape is really working for, where-and-what the horcruxes are, or what part Dobby's sock drawer will play in the last book, but it's a theory

SS: Gold/Yellow (Gryffindor/Hufflepuff - they had to double-up somewhere)
CoS: Silver (Slytherin)
PoA: Green (Slytherin)
GoF: Bronze (Ravenclaw)
OotP: Blue (Ravenclaw)
HBP: Purple (Hufflepuff Black - it's hard to make black metallic, so they went with purple)
DH: Red (Gryffindor)

This theory actually started when the Goblet of Fire logo was bronze.  The whole art was green hedges, why not make the title green to match?  Then I realized they already used green for Prisoner of Azkaban and that bronze corresponded to Ravenclaw.  Then I got thinking: where is Gryffindor?  I knew they had gold for Sorcerer's Stone, so that could be both Gryffindor and Hufflepuff.  With SS being the first book and with Harry Potter himself (you know, the main character that these books are about) being in Gryffindor, it would be fitting to have one Gryffindor color start the series and the other end the series (red, of course, would be book seven because it is the main Gryffindor color).

And has anyone noticed how Harry hasn't smiled on the cover since GoF?  Just a random observation that has nothing really to do with the actual story ^_^

Yay for a wacky theory coming true (it's stupid, I know - hey, after last night's panic attack and stress, it's nice that I can just ramble about random-and-seemingly-mundane-topics.  Means I'm still capable of functioning)

Love from,
Jenny Wildcat

PS, The Last Battle takes place in the underground trial room where Harry and Voldemort have leveled the entire Ministry above so that the Wizengamot now has a sunroof with a nice view of a phoenix-like sunset and closing curtains to indicate this is indeed the final act of the story.  See? I can be profound.

Deathly Hallows Cover Analysis

My brain is so full of Deathly Hallows that I can't come up with anything witty.

I have had a good 12+ hours to fully digest the new images of the "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" cover art and to converse with others and hear/read theories and I think I have it all figured out!  No one needs to read the seventh book at all - just read this post and you'll be good (for the important parts, anyway).

Okay, first off, familiarize yourself with this news post from Leaky.  I will refer to pretty much everything in here and maybe a few things from PotterCast #83 (I haven't listened to the whole thing.  I've gotten through their breakdown of the UK cover, but that's it).

First, the description summaries on the UK editions.  For those of you afraid of being spoiled, there's nothing here to worry about.  We knew that Harry's journey through this book would be dark and dangerous and perhaps lonely at times.  We also knew that he was leaving Privet Drive (whether by his own volition or the Order's, it is the same).  We knew that he would be going to the Burrow and that the Burrow is the only place apart from Hogwarts, and maybe Grimmauld Place, that Harry has ever felt warmth and companionship.  We also knew that he'd probably leave the Burrow.  Don't get your panties in a twist over a few vague "summaries."  They don't say anything.

That being said, here's the rundown of "Deathly Hallows":

Harry starts out at Privet Drive with the Dursleys, but he leaves quickly - middle of June perhaps - probably with some help from the Order of the Phoenix.  They don't want Voldemort to know Harry has left, so Voldy still thinks that Harry is untouchable.  Harry spends a quiet summer at the Burrow helping plan for Bill and Fleur's wedding (Jo can cover a lot of time in a short sentence, something along the lines of "The wedding preparations took so much of everyone's time that Harry could hardly believe he'd already been at the Weasley's four weeks.")  Harry's birthday is July 31, so they celebrate quickly and the wedding will be early August.

Now, Jo has to get to the action pretty fast - 784 pages and everything she has to wrap up? I'd say so - Bill and Fleur are married and probably during the reception, Death Eaters show up and attack.  Harry, Ron and Hermione are forced to run for it (everyone pretty much scatters), which is why they end up at either Gringotts or Godric's Hollow (my money's on Godric) in their dress robes (see UK children's cover).  They start snooping around the Hollow and find out Gryffindor's secret cache of treasure that he kept hidden (from Slytherin? the other founders? who knows?)

Back up a minute: since Harry is no longer at Hogwarts, Kreacher has to go with him and be his servant.  Kreacher may even know something about the Horcruxes (since Regulus was once Kreacher's master).  Harry keeps Kreacher with him all the time he's at the Burrow, so Kreacher ends up following Harry to Godric's Hollow.

While in Godric's Hollow, the Trio is found again by Death Eaters (Voldy has spies everywhere - especially the place he met his first downfall) and forced again to run for it.  This time, they go to Grimmauld Place (since that house is legally Harry's) and regroup, maybe with help from the Order.  They find The Locket (you know, THE Locket) and left inside is another note or some kind of clue to lead them back to Hogwarts.

Based on a dream that Jo had and wrote about on her website, we know that one of the Horcruxes is hidden in the fireplace of the Great Hall (don't believe me? check here for a diary entry from December 19, 2006 - hey, it came from Jo, it's during the time she was writing DH and it's as good as any snippet from any interview).  Maybe the others are hidden there too.

All this comes to in the end is the Final Battle between the Order and the Death Eaters taking place at Hogwarts and the Last Battle between Harry and Voldemort takes place in the Love Room at the Ministry.  I'm a little fuzzy on how Harry gets separated from Ron, Hermione and Ginny (Ginny has since joined the Trio and convinced Harry that he was an idiot for cutting her loose in the first place - she will save their skins in a last minute heroic-type thing.  I'm just not sure what yet).  Maybe the cabinet Draco used in HBP to get the DEs to Hogwarts will get Harry and LV to London and from there, Harry lures LV to the Ministry.

Ah, the Love Room... people have been saying it's nice that the Last Battle takes place at dusk, but I've started thinking that all that nice soft orange light is the way the Love Room is naturally lit.  Or it could be that Harry and Voldemort's battle has gotten so intense that it has completely leveled the entire Ministry so that the Department of Mysteries is all that's left and they're left fighting in the light evening (hence all the rubble at the bottom of the US cover).  Harry's face looks hopeful and determined, while Voldy is fearful of what Harry has going on.  For once, Voldy will be left alone while Harry will have the ranks of people that love him (alive and dead) all around him - that's what those shadows in the background are.  They came out of the many archways in the Love Room, as opposed to the single archway that was in the Death Room.  See, if Harry and LV fought in the Death Room, LV would have the upper hand, since he thrives on death.  But because Harry lured him to the Love Room, Harry is going to kick tail!

Also, that thing around Harry's neck - whatever it is, that's the key to the Love Room in the first place.  Maybe even finding the remaining Horcruxes made it appear.  I'm thinking a Sailor Moon connection here: in the S season, they were looking for the three talismans that would lead them to the Purity Chalice.  Once they found the saber, mirror and crystal ball, the Chalice just appeared and -- well, life wasn't quite hunky-dory, but it was a little bit better than before (hooray for geeking out ^_^).  Somehow, the four remaining Horcruxes either made the Love Room key appear (unlikely) or the Horcruxes led Harry to the key to the Love Room.

And a few last-minute wrap ups:
- Neville dies (*sob*) but takes Bellatrix and Rodolphus out in the process
- Draco = Gone (just not sure how)
- Snape - If he is redeemed, it's defending Harry from an AK curse - probably from Bellatrix (maybe that's what prompts Neville to take Bella on himself)
- Trelawney is a goner, either before the book begins or in an off-screen performance.  Voldy will find out that she gave the prophecy and captures her, but when she can't remember what it was, he kills her (or has a Death Eater do it)
- Harry LIVES! and rides off into the Epilogue with a happy Ginny, becomes a celebrated Auror, the hero of the Wizarding World
- Ron and Hermione are likewise commended. Both secure teaching posts at Hogwarts (Ron as Quidditch coach and Hermione... as whatever she wants)
- Arthur becomes Minister of Magic and builds a brand new house after the Burrow was destroyed by the attack at the wedding - complete with house elves to help Molly
- Percy sees the error of his ways and comes groveling back to his family, who take him in happily after the war is over (well, Molly and Arthur do... not sure about the rest of the fam)

And it is 11:20 pm and this Wildcat is analyzed-out, but it felt good to do that.  It's the last one!  It's the last big news before we actually get to read the last book!  I'm so mixed on whether I'm happy or sad.  It's so final (and fitting that it comes during my last few months of being a not-quite-adult-but-not-exactly-kid-either).  While I listened to the special cover art PotterCast, I was walking around on campus and I was thinking how I'm growing up along with Harry (even though I'm older than he is in the books).  This is my true coming-of-age time and Harry's about to face his last challenge.  It's such a feeling of accomplishment, yet it's so... final...  I'm just glad that I get to share this time with fellow Potterholic friends (in real life, on the internet and on PotterCast).  It's been a real trip and here's to many more as we continue this great Harry Potter fandom!

Love from,
Jenny Wildcat

PS, Whoo! That's a long post! Congrats on getting through it, though.  Feel free to leave your own thoughts and theories in my comments! ^_^