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Reader Comments: (Page 15)

Wow, i have just read some of your previous comments, guys!

Related to my previous comment, i think the "Doomed Photograph" now should make itself to fit ly Hallows (in the sense of "s of Honour") or at least the people of the picture be part of the "ly Hallows"...

My point is, most people in that photograph have d "in honour" (should we call them martyrs?:) ) and the last one we know is of Dumbledore's. If Lupin, Moody, and the few 'living doomed' in the photograph fulfill their martyrdom (sorry to say this, folks) in the finale, it'll fit in nicely to the title, won't it? Not to say that there might not be other s, though.

And the (not so) interesting bit of my speculation here is, that Wormtail at last (or at least?) with an honourable act. That part of his plot were made too obvious, in my opinion.

Oh, and to this guilty pleasure i'm now feeling, maybe Harry Potter is indeed part of our "real world", (with millions of us reading it) so it better have at least an "honourable message" fitted to our head after we close that book, and i'm really hoping for Rowling to make it relevant enough to the real world.

OK, guys, keep guessing wouldn't you?:) Cheers

Posted by Andhika from Indonesia on January 29, 2007 12:00 AM

Everyone seems to have forgotten about the prophecy that Nevil Longbottom and Harry Potter both fit. Is it possible that Nevil is the one that saves the day in the end and fulfills the prophecy.

Posted by Chris Robinson from Tarpon Springs, FL on January 29, 2007 01:12 AM

Ken,
Great battle scene you've conjured up on page 13. I'd love to see it on the big screen.
Until now, the war of the wizarding world has been a decidedly cold war; alot of positioning for power and spying and covert acts. Two skirmishes have taken place, one at the ministry and the other at Hogwarts.
I wonder about the prospect of the war heating up in the last book with armies and all out battles. Does the ministry even have a military and magical weapons of warfare? This doesn't sound much like the other Harry Potter books to me anymore

Posted by Mikey from New Jersey on January 29, 2007 7:30 PM

ly Hallows, I read somewhere that the 'de mort' part of Voldemort translates as ly (amongst other similar words) and of course Hallows can be hallowed items.

The title of this book has sent me to hell and back with research - almost literally!

The Hallows of Ireland had 4 guardians, rather like 4 founders of Hogwarts. I went through Arthurian history and carried on searching, discovering at one time the 4 guardians were also connected to being wise men passing on learning. I also read of 4 guardians, 2 men, 2 women.

The four objects guarded have many different names but they basically come down to a Spear, a sword, a cauldron(cup), and a stone. So take a step and you have a wand, a sword, a cup, and a stone.

Now - this is where I could use some help. The obvious Gryffindor Horcrux seems to be the sword, but DD has ruled this out I think. So what about a wand?

Bear with me here, in 1945 DD defeated the dark wizard Grindelwald. JKR once said Grindelwald was connected with Hitler but she did not elaborate on this. In history myths it is thought Hitler was searching for one of the Hallows that exist in mythology - the spear of destiny. Big leap by me ( I admit) and happily have this rubbished so I can cross it off my theory list.

What if the spear of destiny is wand - what if it is a wand used by Grindelwald. What if the wand was broken in two during the fight (in such a manner as Odo - I think this is misread, I don't think his wand was broken after he was but actually during a duel). Do wands stop working after they are broken? I suspect Hagrid has his wand in his umbrella and uses it (thinking PS). Ollivander has vanished...

I am probably so far off that it is laughable, but my brain is going to explode soon I am sure.

I also read, that the spear drips with blood, and the sword is often broken (Think LOTR) or inaccessible - Excalibur. So I suppose that it is also possible that a wand is the sword (still with Grindelwauld).

Posted by Orlando from England on January 30, 2007 12:23 PM

I agree that JKR writes a thoughtful chessmatch novels heavy on pre-teen angst and light on the satisfying action or useful paths. Harry as a troubled, little-loved youth pondering what is and not what can be. Jo has avoided potentially useful occurances like becoming animaji (Harry-spider, Ron or Ginny-Phoenix, Hermione-owl, Nevil-comic relief) or keeping a Beozar and the Invisibility cloak handy at all times. I would have kept the time-turner!

The last book must have several dangling plot threads knit up into the fabric of the story she has woven for us. The most likely meaning of the ly Hallows refers to those who have distinguished themselves by falling in the fight against Voldemort and the Eaters. Like Harry's parents and Cedric they have a short window of opportunity to serve wizardkind one last time before moving on to whatever lies next for deceased magical types.

Posted by ken from la ca usa ea(rth) on January 30, 2007 1:15 PM

What if there isn't just a 'Godric's Hallow' what if there is a Salazar's Hallow, or a Rowena's Hallow or a Helga's Hallow? What if Harry has to venture off to these other Hallows for some specific reason, that would raise the question of 'what for?' We don't know too much about Godric's Hallow, so not many assumptions can be made, but Voldemort definately sees power in the Founders and I would assume a place that has been hallowed in the name of them would hold some sort of importance. I can't help but think that these would be the places that the Founders were burried. So assuming this would be the case, what would Harry get out of going there? I suppose that if Voldemort was looking for some sort of artifact that was possessed by a Founder, checking their tombs would be a good start, perhaps harry find something out about Ravenclaw's piece of the puzzle? Perhaps that leads him to find a reason to check the others?

Posted by Stephen Danison from Buffalo, NY on January 30, 2007 8:40 PM

Orlando's comments are very valuable. A lot of things turn around number four: four founders, four Horcruxes to find, four guardians, four Hallows. Of course, it would be nice for the Hallows to be Horcruxes, one from each founder. In the objects you mention, there is no locket but a stone. Would the stone be inside the locket (explaining why it is so heavy) and would this stone be the real Horcrux (explaining why you cannot open the locket).

Posted by herve from strasbourg on January 30, 2007 11:58 PM

I found something interesting in old tarot and old wizardry. Old card games used Cups, Swords, Wands and Pentacles. They are related to four elements and cup was feminine.

Now, from what we know:
Cup = Hufflepuff
Sword = Gryffindor
Pentacle = Slytherin (it has something to do with Dark Arts, could be storaged as a stone in the locket)
Wand = Ravenclaw

Only two things bother me: Cup is related to water, and Slytherin, not Hufflepuff is supposed to be related to water. The other thing is what Dumbledore said about Gryffindor Sword not being a Horcrux. But maybe it has to become one to fulfill Voldemort's Horcrux quest and enable to get rid of the four Horcruxes. Maybe Harry has to do so.

The four objects, together, would produce great magics. They probably helped creating the sorting hat and Hogwarts charms. Getting them at the same place (as the ly hollows) would be necessary. We can also imagine that a girl from Ravenclaw would have to handle the wand (Cho?)

Last thought: Neville might find the wand in the Room of Requirement, because he lost his own wand and really needed one when stepping near the room (just for fun...).

Posted by herve from strasbourg on January 31, 2007 02:06 AM

Ken, getting back to the veiled arch. I always assumed it was a remnant of an older time when the minisrty would execute criminals. We know they can not be burned at the stake.

Posted by Kevin from Wisconsin on January 31, 2007 05:47 AM

Kevin, that's a good idea, although it doesn't explain why Harry saw it moving from time to time as if something invisible went through it.

Up to now, I thought it was a place were souls went after the wizard's . And I wondered if Sirius went through it because he was already , or if he d because he fell through it.

Anyway, he seems to have passed away carrying his body, which might be meaningful.

Posted by herve from strasbourg on January 31, 2007 07:23 AM

Can I also add to my previous post that the 4 Hallows of Ireland are sometimes represented as belonging to a king (and no doubt Voldemort thinks he is up there with the most powerful of them) and also they are what the knight (Harry) on the grail quest is searching for.

The 4 Hallows are also connected with the otherworld, being owned once by the 'Tuatha de Danaan' (Arthurian legend yet again) - which of course would be the people beyond the veil.:o)

Posted by Orlando from England on January 31, 2007 12:21 PM

Had you noticed that either Dumbledore or the phoenix appear at crucial times, every other book:
Book 1: Dumbledore rescues Harry and saves the philosopher's stone (we know that Quirrel was still living when Harry fainted)
Book 2: Fawkes appears to save Harry from the basilisk.
Book 3: Dumbledore sends Harry back from the future to save him from the Dementors (I hadn't realized this before, but Dumbledore tells Harry that more than one innocent could be saved: Hermione finds out he means Buckbeak, but he also means Harry; if Harry didn't come back, the Dementors kissed him)
Book 4: the phoenix sings when Harry and Voldemort's wands get connected; it gives so much courage to Harry that he is able to resist Voldemort's power.
Book 5: Dumbledore appears to save Harry from Voldemort (notice that Fawkes is also there; he doesn't help Harry but protects Dumbledore).
Book 6: At Dumbledore's , Fawkes sings. It gives hope to Harry.
Book 1, 3, 5: Dumbledore
Book 2, 4, 6: Fawkes
Book 7?

Posted by herve from strasbourg on February 1, 2007 03:37 AM

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