I think it's time we addressed the roles of a few of the minor characters in the series. Since they're minor, they don't need their own posts for predictions. I'm listing minor characters as those characters which could be replaceable by someone else throughout the main plots of the stories. Therefore, I'm keeping the main characters as Harry, Ron, Hermione, Draco Malfoy, Snape, Dumbledore, Voldemort. McGonagal and Hagrid along with Pettigrew would be sub-major characters, I guess. I can't really lump them into the minor characters, but they're also not major characters. Maybe Hagrid is, but, well, oh well. With that in mind, let's get some predicting done!
7a. Dolores Umbridge gets her comeuppance.
I don't have any reason to believe this other than I'm sure JKR would listen to her fans and make them happy. No one likes Umbridge (does she just not seem toady enough in the movie version, or what?), and they'd all rejoice if she got turned into a frog. And then disected.
7b. Neville Longbottom gets revenge upon Bellatrix.
Bellatrix and her husband ruined Neville's parents through egregious use of the Cruciatus Curse. Neville's a member of the D.A. Neville's always hanging around. I don't think he'd be so cruel as to use the Cruciatus Curse on the Lestranges, but he'll be the one that brings them down. I don't think either will die, but they will be brought to justice, and Neville will be the one who does it.
7c. Zacharias Smith knows the location of the Cup Horcrux
Remember, Voldemort made a horcrux out of Hufflepuff's cup that he stole from Hepzibah Smith. Zacharias Smith is about the only Hufflepuff that gets any import in the story (aside from Cedric Diggory who, well, is dead). Zacharias and Hepzibah are both named Smith. I don't think it's ever been shown that the two are related, and Smith is a bit of a common name, I hear, but, come on. It's pretty evident.
7d. Kreacher has the locket
Molly Weasley might have tried to throw away the locket that couldn't be opened while they were hanging out at Sirius' house back in OotP. Kreacher kept stealing stuff that she was tossing away. So, if they want to find it, they need to go and dig through his nest under the sink or wherever he was building it. Hermione will find it, since she's the one who cares so much about House Elves.
7e. Cornelius Fudge is a Death Eater
Thus all the issues surrounding the "oh, Voldemort isn't back". Incompetent people are always evil.
7f. Percy Weasley dies to save his father
Poor old Weatherby. Percy is hated by his family, except for his mother, because he refused to believe that Voldemort was returning. He's such an insignificant cog within the ministry that his superiors don't know his name. This is the classic rising from nowhere to become a hero by sacrificing yourself archetypal storyline. We've already seen Arthur almost buy it, and we're going to see a lot of magical battles popping up. In the end, I think Percy will see how wrong he was and throw himself in front of some killing curse in order to keep Arthur from being killed. He'll die instead in a very classic Christ-like character (redemption of the father through the death of the son). His family will suddenly realize that Percy wasn't so bad after all, the Ministry will realize he wasn't so unvaluable after all, and everyone will be grateful for his sacrifice to save Arthur Weasley--especially Harry, as this is the closest he can get to a father figure now. Poor old Weatherby.
9 hours ago
12 comments:
FYI, I'm not reading your Harry Potter posts. I'm one of 23 people in the country who has not read any of the books. Sad, isn't it. The first book came out just as I was starting my second round of graduate school. I had more important things to do with my time.
I anticipate reading them someday, and so I want as virgin of a mind as possible.
Completely understood. I'm the same way, although my wife wants to know what happens at the end of the book before she gets the book.
I went with the "spoilers free" headlines, just in case anyone happened upon it and didn't want it ruined by finding out in the end that Harry Potter is really just a raccoon that shoots magic out his butt.
If you've ever seen that particular Robot Chicken episode, you'll find my comment very hilarious. If not, then I'm just a freak.
I have never seen that episode, but still found that comment hilarious.
I may also be a freak.
It was called Dicks with Time Machines (the sketch was) and I think it was on season 2.
As you seem to be a Robot Chicken fan, as well, did you see that there is a special Star Wars episode coming up on Father's Day?
Chemgeek, I guess I am one of that 23...I have only a very weak idea of what's going on here.
The sad bit is my eleven year old cousins probably know it by heart.
I didn't just want to jump out and say "maybe I'm the only one..." 'cause I never turn out being the only one.
Enjoy every sandwich.
Well, you guys are both in luck. The last book comes out in July, that way you can have the whole set (I did this once with a Tad Williams series) and you can read it beginning to end.
I don't know how fast a reader Dr. Chemgeek might be, but I know Will could knock them out in a weekend during the summer.
Indeed. My master plan is to wait until they are all done, buy the complete set, and go to town.
As far as reading speed goes, this is very interesting because I have contemplated this a lot. Based on empirical observations and qualitative measurements, I think I am a slow reader. I've never "measured" my reading speed, but I do know I would make a terrible publisher or editor.
I know I read slow, but I read for content. I will sometimes go back over a page if I didn't think I understood it properly. That's how I pick up a lot of details that my wife doesn't get on her first read-through.
I blame it on having to read a bunch of scientific papers. You need to pay attention to differentiate between the 2'-chloro-5'-methyl-3-pyridyl-4-cyano-2,6-naphthyridines from the 2'-chloro-5'-methyl-3-pyrimidyl-4-cyano-2,6-napthyridines of the world.
I am mainly interested because I read an article in the magazine Reason about a year and a half ago about Harry Potter.
They explored the notion that the series and its ideas are broadly libertarian.
As you know, I look forward to new weapons in my ideological arsenal because, you know, you can only beat people over the head with Ayn Rand so many times.
(Not that I am completely on board with her either...her pseudo-Neitzsche inspired tirades get tiresome...and her followers are, to put it mildly, intellectually inflexible).
Don't feel alone chemgeek! I haven't read any of them either.
I have, um, sort of watched all the movies though.
I'll just admit it; I find myself much too enthralled about your HP posts for my own good. Or sanity. I agree with you on all counts; it makes me wonder though, a small (yet oddly insistent) niggling in the back of my mind wonders if JKR meant to make it all seem so clear, only to yank it away. She's an adept writer, and she is subtle; her simple and blunt delivery could be a ruse. Unfortunately I have fallen in love with many of her characters (Snape, mostly) and would be sad if it didn't end well for him. If not well, I guess, predictably.
...er, end rant.
Lovely blog by the way.
Welcome, Kate, and thanks for the kind words about the blog.
The predictions I've made so far have been...easy. The last four are where the predictions get juicy, and where I've taken the most heat for what I've unraveled. Stay tuned.
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