Search Beyond Hogwarts:

Reference Desk:
•	Beyond Hogwarts FAQ
•	Wizard to Muggle Currency Converter
•	Harry Potter Spelling Reference

J.K. Rowling has finally announced on her official website that the title of Book 7 be Harry Potter and the ly Hallows.

How do you feel about this new title? Is it darker than you were expecting?

The definition of "Hallow" is something that has been "made holy, sanctified, consecrated". What consecrated place in the Harry Potter stories could this refer to? Could it be the Hallowed Halls of Hogwarts? Or perhaps, does this refer to Godric's Hollow, the place where it all started?

"Hallowed" can also mean "honored", as in a "hallowed battlefield". What place in the Harry Potter stories could that refer to? From Voldemort's viewpoint, that could be the place he was reborn. Will Harry and Voldemort return there to fight the ultimate battle?

A human soul would definitely be considered holy. Is it possible that these "consecrated" places are the remaining hiding places of the remnants of Tom Riddle's immortal soul, Voldemort's horcruxes?

Does Harry's journey into the ly Hallows mean, as we have been suspecting, that most of Book 7 not take place at Hogwarts?

On the other hand, what if the Hallowed ground refers to a place that honors, or was made special by, a Hogwarts founder? Could one of these hallowed places be the Chamber of Secrets?

The word Hallow can also be a verb. Is it possible Harry go around Hallowing certain places as he destroys the horcruxes, and finally Voldemort himself?

Perhaps most important of all, if the Hallows are "ly", who's are we talking about? Harry or Voldemort?

What do you think?

NEW TITLE INFO UPDATE! (May 5, 2007)

We have learned that J.K. recently gave assistance to the foreign language translators of the Harry Potter books, specifically the Swedish translator, by providing an "alternate title" that would be easier to translate than "ly Hallows".

The alternate title for foreign language translators is "Harry Potter and the Relics of ". This would lead us to believe that the ly Hallows are things, and not places or people. Is this now conclusive proof that the ly Hallows are the Horcruxes that Harry must find and destroy?

Reader Comments (364)

Published December 21, 2006

This article is Copyright © 2006, David Haber, and may not be reproduced on other web sites or in print, in whole or in part, without expressed permission

Sponsored Links