Vader wins

she's claimed that two major characters will die, that Ron and Hermione aren't going to survive. Instead of Harry dying, it's going to be his two closest companions. Which probably makes for an even more tragic ending than Harry himself not surviving.

Also, I think JKR's been pulling the "Harry might not survive" card for several years now, which strikes me as a bit of misdirection. Everyone's going to go into Book Seven waiting for the ax to fall of Harry, but it'll fall on the other two instead.

I'd accept either Ron or Hermione, but not both. Someone else here in one of the other Book 7 threads suggested that Ron's Gambit in Wizard Chess at the end of SS could be foreshadowing for his end. I love that idea.

With regards to Harry dying and JKR's "misdirection", she may simply be preparing her younger fans (though how many of them are really still "young"?) for it. I'm not sure if the young would truly understand why she would do that.

I think the story calls for it and has been set up nicely between Books 5 & 6 with the introduction that maybe Harry isn't the one Trelawney's prophecy means but instead Neville and the concept of a Horcrux.

I'm still going with Harry and/or his scar being the final Horcrux that must be destroyed to even let Voldemort be mortal. Then let big N step up and fulfill the prophecy. Whether or not Ron dies along the way isn't important to me.

Correct me if I'm on the wrong path but it seemed pretty clear to me in book 6 that Rowling made great effort to point out that the prophecy was -not- about Neville.

There was a lengthy discussion between Harry & Dumbledore on it if I remember correctly. Also, I'm going on memory here, but the prophecy was not about 2 people...it said Voldemort would mark his equal and that neither could live while the other survives. Given that, if Harry was not -the one- he would have been killed.

While I think Neville may have a bigger part to play in book 7 I do not see him as the one that brings down Voldemort.

What Ron said in book one could be foreshadowing but this next time it could be Harry saying it. He may very well use it on them to show that he has to sacrifice himself for the good of all.

Before Snape kills Dumbledore, it really sounds like he is begging for his life. I really think Snape did kill him, and it wasn't some elaborate plan they arranged to make everyone think Dumbledore was dead.

Also, there is one common theme in books, movies, comics, etc where a "dead" person comes back: the body is never found. Dumbledore's body was never missing. When Snape blasted him off the top of the tower, the students gathered around his mangled dead body at the bottom of the tower. Dumbledore was buried at the end of the book, so even if he does somehow come back to life, he is still buried 6 feet under.

Sirus, as they never did recover his body so there is hope but probably not.

I'd like to take the idea of the Wizard's Chess a slight step further. I think that Harry will sacrifice himself and that Ron individually will destroy Voldemort.

Rowling has actually spent more time letting us slowly watch Ron develop into a stronger person, while Harry has never really developed in fortitude. He has basically stayed constant in his strengths. So much time has been spent building the idea that the Weasley's are looked down upon as lesser wizards. Why? Perhaps to watch them ultimately prevail.

I've also run over this really lame idea, but for me it works. Voldemort is represented by the serpent. Who is the natural enemy of the snake??
The Weasel.

Comments??

I'd say he sounds much more like he's begging Snape to kill him and knows that Snape doesn't want to. Prove me wrong, yarrrr!!!

I still cannot believe that anyone who read book 6 actually thinks that Snape is either playing both sides or with Voldemort. It just boggles my mind.

Bingo. Dumbledore knew that Snape would have been breaking the Unbreakable Vow (and thus would have died) if Snape hadn't gone through with it. Dumbledore didn't want that to happen.